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

trouble. and he hasn't noticed that
aEycae else is put to great inconve-
nience. So well Is he satisfied with
hanoa 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 nail de-
livered. anyway | wish to thank
Z. w. w. for answering this question
60 forcibly; and would invite him
TO attend a meeting of the Manoa I'M
pIoyement Club TO be held at the
Manoa Tennis Courts on Monday
evening, April IA. that he may reply
TO the question there. Mr.. A. NJ. Citi-
zen is already bestirrlng 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. G. is not
hlameless.
II may be. too. that blame should be
given to the federal postal authcri-
ties, for they, not the local author:-
ties, stipulate the conditions upon
Which depend the extension of mail
service. These conditions are as fol-
lows:
], 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 onde).
2. The houses should be numbered.
They are already numberedl.
8. The streets should be sufficient
ly lighted. mot a great deal will
need to be done to meet requirements
here, and the committee on electric
lights is busy If 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 supervisor"
figure rather prominently.
4. The roads and sidewalks must
be satisfactory. lI have been assured
that they will satisfy requirements).
5. Receptacles must be provided
for mail "a committee is now work.
ing at this problem. and feel conf
dent that after the meeting of April.
II. this requirement, too, win 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 tnat 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 it
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 cur streets and sidewalks with
out the danger kof falling ovsr aban-I
doned water pipes or Icing immersed
In mud baths. The letter boxes are
not only for the convenience of the
carrier put for the protection of the
recipients OF mail i 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 d.
rectly at the entrance to the grounds,
but 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
inconyeniences resulting from unful
filed promises that the federal au-
thorities have found 1t advisable to.
refuse service until after conditions
have been 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 and Of their guests. Ma
noa may well be thankful for special
Incentive to provide this favored re-
gion with all "the attractions of per-
manent residence"