Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-03-28

BY G. l.. y.
Reads and schools may we'll be said
10 have done more 10 eniighten The
public on the finances OF man ciyali-
ties and counties. taan any other
subjects that frequently keep bt ards
81 supervisors and school trustees on
The anxious SCAT q. approaching e'ec.
lions But the DAY has arrived. ia
some localities. .ehe-c the actual sta
tus Of the city and csun.y treasury
figures not particle when l3royc
Hents are deifanted by The citizens
Oh any particular thorOughfa-e. and
especially Is tais itar Ia California.
Honolulu a. "a Tie tlrocs o. .snan-
cial depression brought OF by the re.
-nl0val Il the taii ~ IN sugar. AMI Us
board a supervisors is alTCSt al It's
Wits end 90 find adequate excuses
for lack Of Improvement o. the thor
Cnehfarcs oi the ciis With f:equent
meC tinss OF tive hcay. an more ire
cnent requests .ror, pscsc. ,-,,oaiers
OF the various districts OF the c.iT for
street mproyement. the iicnoiala sa.
pervisors are worrying a-plentg over
the outcome 81 their pr - sand On
the road question
With little or TO money in the
treasury q the city and corniy u at
tenapt work on street Improvement.
and with surely not marry enoush 10
do any extensive imprC cement. il Is
no wonder that the supervisors meet
frequently, possibly 10 consm.serate
with themselves over The sh0l tage.
and cheer each other up IN the hope
that when lhe election is over aud
tLey have been refuTnec 20 their
seats they viii have a better start
han they had a little over I rear ago
when they were fYill o. nope and
promises for the future.
And i'm the meantime. the terrific
rial legislature has met and passed q
law which has as its object the re-
lief OF the county treasury from the
burdens OF road improvement and the
shifting Of the same 10 the shoulders
81 the property holders. where. they
properly belong This bill. more COM
monty called the Frontage Tax Law. =
las as its object the Improvement Of
streets b. ihe direct TAXATION OF prop
eity Immediately facing on these
streets. One or two petitions have
been presented 10 the superz isOrs for
-action. but for some reason they fear
10 put the proposition 10 an actual
test and the matter has been allowed
TO slide.
How Richmond Handles Il.
Some tire aeo. when The roads dis
Cnssion was az its height the writer
took occasion to- write a communica-
ton 10 the Star-Bulletin on the sub
ject OF Good Roads" and how the
question was handled IN Richmond.
California. city OF less than one.
third the size of Honolulu I en6ea.-
ored az that time 10 give on idea OF
the result OF street improvements.
Rave at hand a copy OF s:otor Field
for February. 1914. and from an ar
ticle by J 3. Adatte. I quote:
The main street building move
ment in Richmond began SIX or seven
years ago. when the council ordtrea
that Macdonald avenue. then q muddy
read. be paved with asphalt its Efull
width O. 50 feet and its entire length.
81 that time a mile and a half The
cost was 10 De assessed TO tie front
ages. Some property owners thought
the street paving tax meant ruin.
There We're protests aud rows. bur the
UNDRESSING clilllAs It- llillLl- Aat-l tN
set a foothold. won Macdonald ave
nue. was paved the result being a thor
oughfare that set new record for
cities the age OF Richmond
The beneficial effects on the ave
nue. and on the city were SO quickly
apparent that the knockers became en-
thusiasts. The policy Of good streets
had won its place
Adds to Property Value.
The property owners have learned
that every dollar spent ii paving a
street adds several 10 the value of
their frontage. the proportion being
greater as the entire city becomes i'm
proved. The miles apcn miles Of fine
Is improved streets in a city that may
be said. as far as real development
is concerned. 10 be oniy seven years
old. is remarkable IL is not pride
alone that causes Richmond 10 i'm
prove streets. The citizens have found
that il pays-pays his.
On the main streets of Richmond
run swift electric cars The trans
F. portatiOn system here, founded by Col
w. s. Rheem. Standard Oil official. in
1904. beats anything else in This line