The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-08-04
Apparently No Supervision
Over Road Workers
at Play.
CASE OF KILL TIME
Instances Of How Gangs
of Men Do Not Earn
Their Pay.
CFrom Wednesday s Advertiser. )

(From Wednesdays Advertiser.)
There has been more than once with
in the past few years a suspicion that
the orthodox road worker does not
"spit on his flst' any too often, in
other and more ehaste words, it has
been whispered among patient citizens
that the regular employe of the road
department has idled away the time the
city pays him for, more or less.
Recently the enterprising residents
of Manoa have had chance to unof-
ficially inspect the methods employed
by a couple of gangs of those political
sinecurists accomplishing the arduous
task of killing time for two dollars
day at the expense of the city The
case for once seems to be cinched. But
Murray says it's got to stop or some
body viii quit.
Two gangs of roadmen we're at work
in Manoa last month. One was put on
Jones street, near Attorney Hemm-
ways home, and the other was employ
ed in cleaning cutters in various sec
tions. 1t was interesting to watch the
latter crowd, because of the little work
done.
While working on the hill-road lead
ing up from the Upper Manoa Road to
Manoa heights, the young fellows were
the worst offenders. For twenty min
utes one sat on his shovel; another on
a half filled wheelbarrow nearly all
rolled cigarettes, talked politics, luaus
and kindred subjects, and to converse
the Hawaiian has to use his hands con-
stantly to gesticulate.
One man finally took out his watch
and held it high over his head and
moved it about so that all could see
the time. 1t was then twenty minutes
past ten in the forenoon. There was
short interval when a few of them dug
up few weeds and then all Joined in
again for another talkfest.
Nearly an hour was wasted in this
way, but watches were frequently con-
suited. Residents of Manoa watched
the workers" as they killed time and
became disgusted. Wherever the gangs
have been at work nearby residents
have noticed the same lack of effort to
do q mans work.
-,~. nven Half Work,
The cutters are not half cleaned. One
side of street may be hacked at and
the other side left undone entirely, and
for weeks at stretch, there is little
OF no supervision over the tneh, who
work or not as they choose.
The attention of the supervisors has
been called to this state of affairs and
some have expressed surprise that this
class of men was in the employ of the
county, and secondly, that there were
no competent men standing watch over
them.
The supervisors short time ago gave
permission to the Oahu College author
tiles to take soil from along the edge
of their property ON the lower Manoa
road opposite the Montana place, one
of the provisions being that the Japa-
nese contractor should not cut down be.
low sidewalk grade. A day or two later
the contractor went to work and cut
the sidewalk down as far as he liked
a foot or more below the sidewalk
grade-no stakes having been set out
to mark it. BY the time the stakes
were set ont by the county the entire
sidewalk for a stretch of between 900
and 400 feet had been mutilated.
No Supervision.
There was an entire lack of sinner.
vision and even the supervisors knew
nothing of the matter until their at
tention was directed TO 1t by residents.
when one or two took a ride out that
way to see what was being done. The
Japanese contractor has promised IN
bulld the sidewalk up again, but this
cannot be properly done as the rains
wlll wash the walk down into the
street.
The latter, by the way, was an ex-
pensive bit of road building under the
last board, the work taking year to
finish, and that has been considerably
cut up by the contractors Is teams.
Along Wilder avenle on both sides
of the street the cutters have been
filled for many weeks with dirt. weeds
and stagnant water, the latter cover.
ed with a green scum and forming
splendid breeding places for mosqui.
toes. Publication was made of this
condition of affairs and gang was
put TO work TO clean mp the mess. They
worked from Makiki street toward the
Makiki fire station, blt on reaching
the places whore the mess was worst.
laid of and not a stroke has been done
TO that section since. The green seam
water IL still there.
Not Cleaned for Weeks.
The storm sewer Al the corner of
Plkol street and wilder avenue. op
poaiie the fire station, las not been
cleaned out for weeks. II WAS full of
sihgnant water weeks before Clean. lp
Day and haF NOT yet becu cleaned 4
short time ago Oh wis poured in but
that Whs all. The attention ~ ihc Nj.
pnTsisofs haH befn called 10 this nlso.
hut hpihmg haa boan done
Nhfn nlpeI Ns0r Murray WAS Told OF
ihetf items yesterday he saidi
Vel ! hafe fonud out ihui o su.