Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-27
LETTERS ON TIMELY TOPICS

trouble. and he hasn't noticed that
anyone else is Put to great inconye-
nienee So well is he satisfied with
Manoa himself. he has not realized
that his indifference has resulted in
making the valley somewhat less at
tractive to others than IL should be.
He asks, Who wants their mail de-
livered, anyway" / wish to thank
+. w. W. for answering this question
so forcibly; and would invite him
to attend a meeting of the Manoa I'm
pIovement Club to be held at the
Manoa Tennis Courts on Monday
evening, April IA. that he may reply
10 the question there. Mr.. A. NJ. Citi-.
zen is already bestirring himself; and
IL may be that A. W. w. can give
him the last prod necessary to rouse
linn to prompt and efficient action.
At any rate, Mr. A. NJ. c. is not
hlameless.
Il may be. too, that blame should be
given to the federal postal authcri-
ties, for they not the local authori-
ties, stipulate the conditions upon
which depend the extension OF mail
service. These conditions are as fol-
lows:
1, The names of streets should
be shown on signs. cat meeting OF
the Manoa Improvement Club held
last week the roads committee was
instructed to obtain and set up the
requisite signs at once).
2. The houses should be numbered.
(They are already numberedl.
3. The streets should be sufficient
ly lighted. mot great deal will
need to be done to meet requirements
here, and the committee on electric
lights is busy. II Manoa fails to OBJ
tain mail service because of insult
ficient lights there will likely be other
letters to the press in which the
words blame and supervisors
figure rather PROMINENTLY
A. The roads and sidewalks must
be satisfactory. q have been assured
that they will satisfy requirements).
5. Receptacles must be provided
for mails CA committee is now work
ing at this problem, and feel conf
dent that after the meeting of April
IA, this requirement, too, will be
metz.
For the information of other Manoa
readers than A W. w. should like
to explain some Of the reasons for
these requirements. The first four are
imposed chiefly because the postal au-
thorities are required to deliver "spe-
cial delivery" letters upon receipt.
This means that many messages will
have to be delivered in the night, and,
furthermore, that they will have to
be entrusted, not to the regular car
riers who are familiar with the streets
and houses, but to special messengers
pressed into service. Certainly 1t
seems no more than reasonable that
these messengers coming at night into
what is likely to be to them an un-
familiar part of the city should be
able to find the names of the streets,
the numbers of the houses and to- ira
verse our streets and sidewalks with
out the danger of falling over aban-
doned water pipes or Icing immersed
in mud baths. The letter boxes are
not only for the convenience of the
recipients of mail; not all houses are
always open, and rain, winds and dogs
are not wholly unknown in Manoa.
These letter boxes may be placed on
the lanai if the house is not far from
the road or on an elevation above it,
or an opening may be cut in door.
In no case need the box be placed di-
rectly at the entrance to the grounds,
hut may be given an inconspicuous
location within reasonable distance
of the road.
1t may be objected that delivery has
been granted to other sections of the
city without the exaction of all these
requirements. That is true; mail SER
vice has in tn past been granted on
promises" 1t is just because of the
Inconvenience resulting from unful-
filled promises that the federal au-
thorities have found 1t advisable to
refuse service until after conditions
have Eeen met. For taking this posi-
ton the federal authorities deserve
not our blame but our commentator.
Whatever serves to increase the COM
fort and convenience of the messen-
gers will serve to increase the COM
fort and convenience of the residents
of the valley ana of their guests. Ma
noa may well be thankful for special
incentive to provide this favored re-
gion with all "the attractions of a per-
manent residence"