The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-07-09
RAPID TRANSIT
IS MARKING TIME
No More Extensions of Tracks
Until Extension of Company's
Franchise Is Granted.

No more extensions of the Honolulu
Rapid Transit and Land Company car
lines until the company has received an
extension of its franchise. This policy,
which probably dates from the day the
Governor turned down the legislative
effort to get the extension, was empha-
sized yesterday by Manager Ballen.
tyne when apprised of a petition now
being prepared by the Kalihi valley
residents asking the company TO ex-
lend King street branch in their di.
rection.
Until this petition, which Manager
Ballentyne heard of last night for the
first time, the company has probably
had no occasion to go on record. Now
however the policy is not only definite.
ly announced but a growing portion of
the city, struggling already with the
growing pains of lack of transporta-
tion, will feel the effects of the policy
acutely.
In the last several years Kalihi val
ley has been considerably built up and
in such a way and by such class of
citizens that once it is opened up by a
street ear line it viii undoubtedly be-
come thickly populated in a short time.
Several hundred homes have been built
there recently in spite of the inconve
niences.
Within the last several weeks the pc
tition, drawn up by one of the Portu-
guese residents, has been signed by al
most every one in the valley, but it has
not yet been presented to the company.
This action of the Kalihi people fore
shadows further activity. Going first
to the rapid transit for favors, they in
tend to present requests to other quar-
tiers and in some cases at least, put up
a fight if they are not granted.
AT the present time there is no school
house large enough to accommodate
anything but a small fraction of the
children of school age in the district.
Many pupils are taking the long walk
to the car line every day and some even
90 so far as the Kaahumanu school in
the Makiki district in their effort to
get education.
Consequently new school house is
on the list of demands. Besides this,
the roads have been in fearful shape,
which made transportation problems all
the more difficult. Since the Allan
Herbert home, "Wailele," was pur.
chased by Francis Gay, conditions in
this respect have improved somewhat.
Through Mr.. Gays efforts the worst
parts in the road have been fixed and
the "ravines" that formerly crossed
it have at least been reduced to chuck
holes.
The district is, of course, utterly
without sanitary service of any sort
and a sewer system is on the list of
what the Kalihi people are going after.
They are "going after" them mostly to
the county. Some requests are to be
made to the Territory and as already
noted, the rapid transit company is to
receive the first one, which, as also not
ed, will receive no favorable answer.
The Kalihi Valley "kicks" are more
than the usual district discomfort,
which is usually the chief affection of
any board of supervisors. The numeri'
cal strength of the Kalihi Valley voters
is considerable, large enough to be con-
ciliated, at least. To make matters
worse for the politicians, most of the
voters Of the district have dropped
party lines for the present and are GO
ing to swing their joint votes as club
over the next to-be-elected board of su
pervisors in way, they say, that ought
to bring in the goods.