The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-12-07

HILO, December 80 say that the
meeting between the visiting territorial
officials with the citizens of Hilo,
which took place at the board of trade
rooms last Saturday forenoon, says
the Tribune, was a satisfactory and
pleasant affair, would be to trust con
siderably to the elasticity of ones CON
science. The citizens we're quite plain
ly disposed to take official statements
and promises at something less than
par and were prone to intimate, with
the temperament of the respective
speakers, that their experience with
the territorial government in the past
had not been such that they would be
too much overcome by the gilded pros
poets held forth to the accompaniment
of the swish of multitudinous blue
prints and by polished official periods
containing a perceptible excess of such
pet standard phrases as civic spirit
doing everything possible in my pow
er for Hilo," etc.
OF course, Marston Campbell was,
as usual, the goat. Toward the end
it became quite evident that Campbell
was peeved at such ingratitude. The
situation was brought to a fairly sat
isfactory conclusion by the adroit dip
lomacy of Lorrin Thurston, who Sc
cured the passage of resolution
which pleased the citizens and which
did not mean anything like open de-
feat for Campbell.
DIR. Elliot opened the meeting with
a few remarks and introduced the
speakers President of the Board of
Health DR.. Pratt spoke of the scheme
for the reclamation of the low lands
in Hilo, which had occupied the ter
ritorial officials for some time past.
The reclamation matter had now
reached the point where it was up to
the engineers.
Campbell did not want to be optimis
tic in regard to the use of the revolv'
| ing fund for purposes other than fill.
ing. He doubted that it could be used
on a ditch scheme. An enormous sun
of money was needed if the island cit
| les were to be placed in a sanitary
condition, and the community must
do it's share by sending to the legisla
ture men who appreciated the need OF
appropriations for such work.
Mott-Smith gave a general outline
of the history of the reclamation plan
adding that the time had come when
something must be done. He spoke OF
tentative plans, paying a high com
Ipliment, as had Dr. Pratt, to the work
done in this line by the county engi
neer. The present scheme included
the filling of the lot mauka of Front
street, between Ponahawai street ant
the railroad track. The county must
straighten Ponahawai street. The Ter
Iritory proposed filling a section of the
lana Whlcn was 10 De retained IOl
government purposes, and to sell the
remainder with the condition that The
purchasers fill it. 1t did not seen
possible to relieve the county of its
obligation, though Mott-Smith though
he might yet find a way to do so. 1
was proposed to straighten the cana
from the railroad fill to Piopio street
This land was owned mainly by fou
parties, who were willing to come in
provided a reasonable project wer,
submitted to them That was now be
ing worked on,
Supervisor Lewis favored the SAM
tation work, and expressed a pious
if not a particularly husky, hope tina
the prediction of the Governor amen
better times ahead for the count.