Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-10-10
THE CANAL IS OPEN !

hastily arranged though it was The display Of
flags and the unison of whistles is really cred.
table considering that it was not until late yes
terday afternoon that plans were completed
As told in today's cable dispatches, every
large city on the Pacific is celebrating the open
ing Of the great waterway that is to give for
ward impetus to the commerce of this ocean For
Honolulu to have remained silent while other
centers of Pacific trade joined in the national
cheering over Uncle Sans splendid achievement
would have been extremely unfortunate. The
fact that H0n61nlu was not silent, but raised a
lusfy voice with the others, will today be cabled
around the world, and emphasis again placed On
the fact that this city is the Crossroads of the
Pacific, the center for new trade routes that the
canal will develop.
But Honolulu must not be content with cheer
ing. There is an enormous amount of work for
this city to do in the next few months The port
must be made ready to accommodate largelyin-
creased shipping; docks are to be built, facili-
ties afforded for coaling, watering and proyi-
sioning steamers, large and small Honolulu
must look even more carefully after sanitation
and quarantine regulations than has been done
ID the past TIis port has been kept open and
free from epidemic by the splendid cooperation
Of the citizens with public officials That ba-
nanarcutting campaign, whatever the merits of
the plan to destroy theS plants may have been,
has been worth ten times its cost to the commu-
nifty ID the lesson it afforded ofsNntirife energy
nnflagging perseverance on the part Of a com
mittee representing the community energy and
perseverance in handling a cleanup task Of Sc
rious proportions. In that campaign, as in 9th
ers where the safety Of the port was threatened,
Honolulu has risen to the crisis with extraordi-
nary efficiency And the effects of that CAM.
paign have been enduring. Honolulu is d clean.
e clty better city, safer city, a more beauti-
ful city today than two years ago, than four
Years ago.
Honolulu must be kept clean, and beautiful.
and safe An epidemic here would set the CITY
back Q year at the least Thanks to the clean -,lp
days Of the past, thanks to the fine examples at.
foPied by these volunteer committees of citizens.
thanks most of all to the daily and everyday
work of the board of health and city officials.
and Of the United States public health service,
this port is today the cleanest and safest of the
tropics or sub-tropics.t 1t is a reputation worth
millions; in the future, with business and tour
lists multiplying tenfold on the Pacific, this rep
utation will be worth many more millions
And yet Honolulu must not rest in any false
security Only vigilance will keep the port
clean only unremitting industry will make it
ever cleaner. Only vigilance and industry will
fit Honolulu for her rightful place in the new
world of commerce discovered as the blasts to-
day tore asnnder Gamboa dixie and cleared the
way between continents
There is no magic destiny for Honolulu to be
accepted as a gift, This city has hard work
ahead, plenty of it, TO develop natural aivan-,
tages. 81
And it must be united work, without Jealousy,
without pettiness 1t must be the sort of thing
that Greater Chamber Of Commerce stands for,
progressive, aggressive, wide awake, devoted
to the whole community. u, -
If this Greater Chamber of Commerce 1nate-
rializes-as now seems certain from the temper
Of the last few days-Honolulu will have gone
one long stride forward toward getting ready for
the commerce of the canal. < - T.
There is a temptationste indulge in little
sentimentality over the event today that will go
down in history. There is a temptation and an
opportunity for eloquence But over all such
temptation comes the SOLDERING thought of Homo
lnlu's pressing responsibi ties andthe .realza-
ton that what is needed now is not eloquenee
nor high-floNn language, but the steady, wide
awake work of every man, woman and child in
Honolulu, all deing their best to make their city
cleaner. safer, happier, more prosperous I'm