The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-08-17
Building

! passenger ottdHtIs operating Oh the
| Pacific.
Building.
The building activity so pronounced
| last year still continues. New additions
are being improved and opened up and
new homes being erected in all parts of
the city. Money is plentiful and loans
can be readily obtained at low rates of
interest. Our banks, though carefully
and economically managed, are pro
gressive and are doing all they can legit-
lmatelv to encourage the building up
of the city. 1t is expected that work
on the million-dollar federal building
viii soon commence, and, before the
year is out, the new library andy. NJ.
| G. A. buildings should be well under
| way. Besides these. there are several
business blocks in contemplation. and
according to the latest reports from
Washington. the approved plans for the
military post at Leilehua contemplate
| twice the number of buildings called for
| in the original plans, which will mean
| the expenditure of additional large sums
of money in the community.
1915 Exposition
It is both fitting and proper that our
great nation should celebrate the open
ing of the Panama Canal by holding an
international exposition and while there
are rival claimants among the leading
ports Of the United States for this hon
or, l feel that our chamber should sup
port the claim of San Francisco. our
nearest mainland port. I believe that it
would be well for US to prepare and
send a strong resolution to congress, in
regard to the matter, when it convenes
again in December.
[ believe also that the Territory of
Hawaii should prepare for and make
the most complete exhibit possible at
that time, and trust that the chamber
may see fit to appoint special com
mittee on the 1915 exposition, whose
duty it shall be to present the matter
at the next session of our territorial
Legislature, securing, if possible, an ap-.
preparation sufficiently large to meet our
needs.
Though no federal aid may be asked
by the city where the exposition will
be held, vet it is quite possible that
special appropriations may be secured
for Porto Rico. Alaska, the Philippines
and Hawaii, and in conjunction with
u
to secure liberal appropriation sufi
cient for the erection of a suitable
building and to provide for the main
tenance of the exhibit during the term
of the exposition.
Honolulu Harbor.
The latest reports from the Isthmus
of Panama are to the effect that the
canal is being hurried to completion as
fast as money and men, Systematically
and economically combined, can do the
work. There seems to be no doubt in
the minds of competent and experience
ed engineers that this gigantic and all
important undertaking will be fully
completed and open for traffic by mid
summer, 1915. Even now, our harbor
is scarcely adequate for the economical
handling of the shipping, calling at the
port, and no time should be lost in pre-
pairing for the rapidly increasing ton
mage that will continue to cali at our
| midpacitic port.
Within another year, it is probable
that the local naval station will be
abandoned for quarters at Pearl Harbor,
| in which event, the wharfage now con-
trolled and used by the navy should
revert to the Territory for commercial
purposes and no effort should be spared
by the chamber to accomplish this re-
, suit. We should also see to it that the
| comprehensive plans of the board of
public works. for the further improve
ment of the harbor. are carried out
without unnecessary delay. The future
of the port of Honolulu, standing as
it does at the crossroads of Pacific
Ocean travel, is one of great promise,
but. in order to enjoy the benefits of
increased business, we must be prepared
for it; in other words, we can not wait
| until the shipping is at the entrance
TO our harbor clamoring for admittance,
but il must be known the world over
| that Honolulu is able to handle quickly
and economically all the shipping that
may cali at the port We should also
use our influence in securing added
harbor facilities for Hilo and Kahului,
| also for the Island of Kauai. Every
| island of the group should have at least
one good safe commercial port, where
| shipping can find suitable wharf accom-
mediation.
Hawaiian Commercial Bodies.
In addition to the Honolulu Ner-
chants Association. our chamber of
! commerce Keeps IN tOuch ana coOperateS
with the Mani Chamber of Commerce
and the Hilo Board of Trade. AS yet,
! the Island Of Kauai has no such asso-
| citation of her business men, but the
| organization of a Kauai Chamber of
| Commerce is in contemplation.
| Local Self Government.
| The fact that the matter of prohibit
! ton in Hawaii was left to our voters
! rather than decided upon by congress,
| is a matter of congratulation and IS
rightly looked upon as being long,
step towards self-government. In this
connection. I might state that. in pre-
vious reports, I have urged that our
| business men should take a more decid
ed interest in seeing that good response
| bic men are put up as candidates for
| local and territorial offices, and that we
| should not only get out and help elect
such men but we should take hold of
matters at the very beginning. attend
ward meetings and primaries and bear
our part in the work of selecting can
didates and adopting progressive and
sound policies and platforms. We
should also watch all federal appoint