Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-08-29
HAWAII COUNTY PROBLEMS.

Discussion of the Honolii roat
building contract has brought out al
interview from Supervisor Lyman IN
which that gentleman is represented
as saying that the criticism of this
contract has its source in desire tc
prove that the American is
incompetent to conduct public bust.
ness
That Is all buncomb.
The Bulletin is surprised that q
man of Lyman's reported intelligence
and clear thought should allow any
such statement to go before the pub
lie. As a matter OF fact II reads like
something that was prepared by an
other, fully capable Of making trou'
BILE, but representing himself as a
friend Of the young Supervisor.
Delegate Kuhio never said a truer
word than when he wrote friend
that the time for the racial method OF
treating public questions is passed.
There are some individual eXcep-
tons to this rule, but they serve to
prove the rule that the public looks
or results and 1t puts the Hawaiian
american on the same plane as all
hers when Judging those results.
So far as road making In the Coun-
y Of Hawaii as a whole is concerned
the results do not reflect credit on
much of anyone. When Supervisor
Lyman or any other person tries ia
defend the system or lack of system
that has prevailed In that County fol
many years. he is tackling a fool
ish struggle to make something out Of
nothing.
Possibly the most striking exhibit
Of the fundamental shortcomings OF
the present Hawaii County road pol
icy is the continued refusal to en-
ploy competent road engineer for
the construction of its highways.
This is worse than nonsense as II
brings about deliberate waste of the
money of the people. Neither Super
visor Lyman nor any other citizen OF
Hawaii County can go into any civil
lied section Of our common country
and find any support among the men
who do things and among the men
whose energy and initiative have
made the country great, for the con-
tention that roads can better be made
without engineers than with them.
The position is preposterous. One
might as well claim that the fast rail-
road trains can better be handled with
a blacksmith at the throttle instead OF
a man trained in getting the fullest
value out Of his machinery. As well
declare that Kona jackass is better
than an automobile for making speed
Nor do those responsible for the
road construction of Hawaii County
gain anything by going back to the
past and declaring that the Territory
didn't do any better.
On this particular point the II u ! @.
II In is inclined to agree with them, al.
though possibly not reaching the con.
clusion by the same route.
The man who says he is doing bet.
ter than was done under the Territory
or any other centralized government
doesn't necessarily add anything tC
his credit. The people who amount t.
anything these days are not the ones
forever living in the past. History IL
all right in its way, but that isn't what
tells the story of today.
Hawaii County's road policy SHOULD
be judged and will be judged by tn,
present day demand.
There was a time when old hors,
trails would do, There was a tim,
when everyone was satisfied to go II
sailing vessels between the dlneren
islands, There was time when tn,
character of the roads and the meth
DDS of construction used on the lslant
of Hawaii would not effect the reputa
ton Of the citizens Of that island II
the slightest, There was a time in
deed when the public might swallow
the bait, hook and line OF the allege,
Lyman claim that the Board Of Trad,
has been criticiBinF the lIouolil con
tract In order 10 dieorodit the Hawaii
an-AmencanB
nut that was yesterday not today
Put the road building Of Hawai-