The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-12-10
WATER PROBLEM
MAY Be SOLVED
Possible Way Found to Acquire
Funds for Kaimuki
Reservoir.

Acting Governor Mott-Smith and Su-
perintendent Campbell are trying hard
to find some solution Of the Kaimuki
reservoir problem, but as yet they have
not worked out feasible plan for get
ting the $4,000 needed for the con-
struction of this much needed extern
sion of the waterworks system.
The trouble is that the legislature
tied up the funds so tightly that 1t
seems almost impossible to pry loose
enough to pay for the construction Of
the reservoir for which the residents
of Kaimuki have been praying so long.
And yet, the government is compelled
as things now stand, to keep on paying
for the pumping of water into the old
cracked reservoir, from which much Of
it promptly runs into the small lake
that has formed near the reservoir.
! Both Mr.. Mott-Smith and Mr.. Camp.
bell figure that it would be in the end
cheaper to construct a new reservoir
than to pay for trying to keep the
present structure full.
A construction of the law passed by
the legislature last April has been sug-
gested which may prove to be the solu.
tion of the problem. Act los of the
Session Laws of 1909 provides that the
moneys derived from the Honolulu
waterwOrks and sewerwOrks shall be
apportioned, first to the expenses of
maintenance and operation; second to
the payment of interest upon the in
debtedness of the Territory incurred
for the construction, improvement and
extension of the works; third, for the
extension and improvement Of the
works, and fourth, for the payment of
the Indebtedness, not less than ten per
cent. of the gross receipts to be set
aside each year for the last named pur-
| pose.
In other words, IL there is anything
left after all other expenses have been
met, it may be applied to extension and
Improvement. But the trouble is that
there is not enough left to do much
extending, as the law is now construed
The interests on the bonds eats up
about $32, 900 a year.
The question arises, however, as 10
whether the interest upon the entire
L
OF the water and sewerworks receipts
or whether the system should pay the
interest only on what the system now
actually stands the government in.
In other words, the waterworks sys
TEN has for years been returning a sur
Plus. 1t has partially paid for itself
and the fact that the bonds are still
outstanding does not mean, some people
mold, that the waterworks system
SHOULD be obliged to stand the entire
expense Of interest, since the surplus
has gone into general revenues,
II the surplus thus far turned intG
the treasury and applied elsewhere BIZ
deducted from the amount Of the tota
bonded indebtedness now charged
against the water aud sewer works sys
TEN, the difference in interest charge
able 10 the waterwOrks would DO about
10000 year, OF course, this Interest
would have 20 BIO paid, but II ID held
by some lawyers that IL need not undel
that construction Of the Law, come oui
NJ the revenues ~ the wateTw0rka De
hafimoDL That beiBg The ease, IA,
department would hays about $1,000
year moFr 10 spend Va eKleasi0a ana
Improvement " the system.
II this reading " the las be- held
correct u may yei be possible foT tbs
executive and administrative oiheeFs "
lhe government a. hgd tho funds pill
Hbifh ~ build chs mueh seeded kal
mpkl feiefFolr
ss frHrTFr