Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-18

pertaining to the construction and
maintenance OF roads, J. l.. Young
the wellknoWn civil engineer and
road-bulldlng expert, in a paper read
before the Hawaiian Engineering AS
ISOLATION in the Library of Hawaii
last night. outlined the problems
which enter into the proper building
of highways, and the ways in which
these problems may be solved.
The meeting was we'll attended, and
at the conclusion of Mr.. Young'S pa
per, discussion was had on the points
which Developed. 1t was decided to
hold another meeting January 7, at
which time other papers will be pre-
sented dealing with the subjects dis
cuSSed by MIR. Young. A. r. Keller,
J. l.. Young, Marston Campbell, A.
{. Wheeler and H. Stuart Johnson
were appointed a committee to as
sign the subjects for the papers to
be read at the January meeting.
Brick versus Macadam.
In part, Mr.. Young's paper was as
follows:
The subject of this paper suggest
ed itself after listening to a public
discussion on roads in which no dis
tjnction was made between types 9th
er than durability, i. e. 1T was as
serted that brick pavements were
more durable than macadam." So
they are, likewise, more expensive,
but they are never in competition, and
cannot properly be compared.
1T therefore appeared that some
CU Of ciroh 10
So that types under certain classified
tions could be compared.
THE construction of roads and
pavements is a live subject and it is
hoped that this paper will bring forth
many much needed technical papers
en- roads and pavements from our pro-
fessional engineers. The business, po-
litical and commission method OF road
construction have all been tried and it
is thought the engineers should now
be given the major authority in these
matters, as the doctors have in health
and the lawyers in legal matters.
THE business method of road con-
struction in these islands has devel-
Cped a class of experts on the theory
OF road construction seldom met with
in any other civilized portion of the
United States. The types and kinds
of roads constructed by the business
method are difficult to classify, but
some of them are claimed to be equal
to that developed by John Macadam
in 1916, and it may be safely asserted
that the cost was rarely, if ever, over
double that of the 1916 roads.
Would Use Engineers.
The commission method brought
out numerous applicants, for the hon
or, and some of the best men (outside
of the engineering profession) in the
territory were placed on these boards
and much hard work and considerable
engineering and construction was
done under their direction, with more
or less success, and while the commits
sion method is undoubtedly correct in
principle, the majority of the person
mel of boards of this character should
be engineers.
Political Methods-This method is
fundamentally wrong, for any system
that is based on paying 81 for some
thing worth 81 is obviously unsound,
yet it may be cited as the general
trend of political public works, for it
is a we'll known fact that political
labor is only about so per cent eff
cient The city and county of Homo
lulu has had, as a rule, excellent men
filling the& elective offices and have
done some hard work, but in the main
their efforts have been misdirected,
due primarily to the system and to
the policy of all political parties, to
themselves in office.
Therefore every two years We see
a change due to the fact that 81 out of
every 81 has gone into the perpetuity
fund.
1T may be affirmed that the dissat-
isfied public is entirely at fault for
having placed their engineering prob
lens under control of boards or COM
the majority of which were
unframed in engineering.
There is not single phase of road
or pavement construction on this is
land that is not subject to absolute
by the engineers of this
and it may be safely asserted
that it is entirely unnecessary to make
further costly experiments. The engi'
neers of this county are competen to
design and SPECIFY proper roads and
pavements and properly oversee their
so that the resort to guar
antees is an admission of ignorance
that does not exist.
Duty of the Engineer.
To attempt the construction of any
street within the city limits without a
sub-base and an impermeable
top is a waste Of public funds, and
there can be no excuse for a substitu-
ton, since the best types known can
be built in this manner at the lowest
cost, and at the same time meet all
the sanitary and traffic requirements. /
1T is the duty of the engineer to
define accurately every condi ion and
eliminate every uncertainty in his
specifications, thus saving the taxpay-
ers the percentage allowed by contrac-
tors for the unforeseen.
I'm the selection of types of pave
rents, it must be remembered that
he wear of .pavements depends uponi
the number of vehicles using it, their
weight SDped and tira-hpa ring surface