The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-09-01
ROAD
. LAW CONDEMNED
Caldwell Shows How Money Il
Being Wasted Under Present
Conditions.

There are two hundred and ninety.
six pages of statistics, recommendation
and comment in the report of j. w.
Caldwell, former superintendent Of pub,
lie works, for the year ending June
80, 1914.
Among other things, Mr.. Caldwell
condemns the present law regulating
the construction Of homestead roads.
In fact, he did this in his report GOV.
ering the year ending June 80, 1918.
Under the present method, he contends,
the Territory is losing money In being
compelled to pay high prices for work
because il is necessary 70 contract for
only small projects. Money for road
making Is available only as IL is paid
in small amounts by the homsteaders.
If II were possible TO provide for car.
rying out the work under large con-
tracts a big saving could be effected
and more permanent work assured,
Speaking on this question, Mr.. Cald-
well says:
Works Hardship.
"The present method Of construct.
ing homestead roads, which Is provided
for by law, works both a hardship on
the homesteaders and the Territory.
The existing laws only permit money
to be spent as II is paid in by the home.
steaders. These amounts are usually
small, and only short stretches Of high.
ways can be constructed. Small con.
tracts always mean correspondingly
high prices for the work. II complete
highways could be constructed through
given section Of homestead land
prior TO the opening Of the property
the cost of these roads could be pro
rated on the basis Of the area of each
lot. These amounts should be added
to the upset prices on the property
The lots under this new method would
bring a higher price After payments
were made, the moneys so expended
could be returned to revolving fund
which could be again used in other sec
tions.
"This department would be much
more efficient organization il sufficient
appropriations were made to maintain
suitable force of engineers without
the necessity of pro rating their sala.
ries against the allotments for different
works. The present method reduces the
available money for each contract
Under a permanent organization, com
prehensive reports, estimates and plans
for proposed public improvements could
be submitted TO the legislature, thereby
placing in their hands sufficient in,
formation upon which intelligent action
could be taken. Valuable engineering
service and advice could always be al
the command of the different county
governments. G..,y 43
"Would suggest that permanent or
ganization should be as follows: X
Zone superintendent Of public works
4sOpe assistantspperintende D Of pub
| lie works. ~ II
1.-TWO engineers, homestead work
1.-Two engineers, reclamation work
Zone engineer, craftsman. fk
zone craftsman. al sgg EUb9 n
fThree rodmen. y
tone chief Inspector. o.
1.-TWO sub-inspectors. ~ ~ H.J.
Zone chief clerk e Ia .s.
"Two clerks l.E' 49,.
''Two stenographers." \
Nineteen Contracts Awarded.
Nineteen contracts for homestead
roads were awarded by the department
during the year. OF these fifteen con
tracts had been completed up to june
l30, aggregating an expenditure Of
sos, 10000. Four contracts remain
uncompleted. These will entail an ex
penditure of $4,000. OF this sum
81 ,4S6.66 already has been paid on ac
count. Thus before the end of the
present year $l04,270.09 will hav,
been expended for homestead roads in
the Territory. ~. .
A. c. Wheeler, assistant superin
tendent of public works upholds Su
perintendent Caldwell in his conten
ton that the present method of con
tracing for homestead roads is un
satisfactory. In his report to Mr.
Caldwell the assistant superintendent
says: Il ~. =, as.. 4. -.
| 1.-THE tabulated report elsewhere il