The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-06-04
DUST BEGRIMES
SWEATING CITY
SUPERVISORS BLAME THE RAPID
TRANSIT WHICH REPUDIATEs
REsPoNsIBmITY.
tFrOm Sunday s Advertiser.l

Dusty Honolulu never was so dusty
for years as now. Every automobile
that tears along any of the principal
streets leaves a trail of dust behind
longer than the appendix of the late
Halley's Comet. Every rapid transit
car churns up the road surface. 1t is
reported that the stenographers' union
is formulating protest, based on the
fact that there is so much grit in evil
dence that an ordinary wad of chew
ing gum tastes like waterbound maca-
dam before the peppermint flavor dis.
appears.
The reason for the dustiness was
sought yesterday and the road super
visor was interviewed. Mr.. Caldwell
was willing to confirm all that has been
said and written about dust, but de-
clined to accept any responsibility.
"The road department keeps eight men
and sixteen head of mules busy with
the watercarts,' he said. owe run
the sprinklers over all the most-used
streets for eight hours every day. We
put from $4,000 to 100000 gallons of
water on the pavements every day.
What more do you wantf"
Why the Dust.
"But, why the increase in the dust9''
he was asked.
Then the secret came out. eco to
the rapid transit company and ask the
manager why he doesn't sprinkle the
street car "right-of-way, suggested
the road official. elf you will watch
you will see that the flying dust comes
off the ear tracks. The city does not
sprinkle the right-of-way any more
That part of the street is for the cal
company to maintain, and certainly
watering is a part of the maintenance
The road department is looking after
| its part of the streets better than ever
before. The rapid transit company is
doing nothing. The dust on the fly
is rapid transit dust Get after thai
company about it. There is enough wa
ter running to waste through the con
iensers in the rapid transit engine
house to water the tracks along the
whole system"
Not Responsible.
C. G. Ballentyne, general-manager o
the rapid transit, was asked for {
statement yesterday and said:
"The rapid transit cars are not re
sponsible for the dust. The wheel
run on steel rails as everybody know
and there is no dust in steel. The dus
of which every one is complaining
comes from the heavy wheels of wagon
and automobiles and is blown onto tn
tracks, Our cars do not make dust
So when Road Supervisor Caldwell say
that we are responsible for the pres
ent condition he is speaking either i
ignorance or is deliberately sayin
what he knows is not SO.
"That is out stand in this matter
We hold that we are not responsible
but, nevertheless, we are preparing t
either water or oil the right-of-way
This is big job, especially if W
decide to use oil and one that ca
not be undertaken in a hurry, but W
are prepared to go ahead as soon a
possible. just how soon that will be
impossible to state at present but
will be in the near future.
"When these complaints are mad
it is a pity that the obnoxious feature
of automobiles, which go rushin
through our streets at breakneck spec
and leaving foul odor behind is NO
remembered. Nor do the supervisor
when they rap us remember the cor
dition of Beretania avenue, as it ha
been for months. Give us a little fai
play"