Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-27
WORK FOR HAWAII URGED AT FOURTH CIVIC CONVENTION

system OF road upkeep as soon and
rs fully as possible.
Resolved. that the committee on.
roads be requested 20 present an[
urge upon the several boards Of supefs
yisoFs the adoption Of the principles
and methods herein advocated.
Work fo- Enactment.
Resolved. that this convention APP,
prove OF the principles set forth In
the bill and accompanying report sub
mitted to the last legislature by the
committee Of the third civic convent
ton. and request the committee on
roads TO press the same for enactment
by the next legislature. subject t.
such detail notifications as this con-
veHtion may direct or the said COM
mittee may deem best
The committee is composed OF the
following members: Lorrin A. Thurs
ton, Hugh Howell. j. II. Moragne. r..
w. Single and c. II. Cooke.
One OF the salient features Of the
act recommended for adoption by the
legislature is provision for q high.
way commission, which shall consist
Of the superintendent OF public works,
he being chairman Of the commission:
the professor OF civil engineering OF
the College Of Hawaii; one other per.
son 10 be appointed by the governor.
with the approval OF the senate. This
last person shall hold ONCE for term
Of four years unless removed earlier
for cause.
One Member for Each Board.
Each board OF the county snpervis.
ors shall appoint one person who may
or may not be q member OF such
board, who shall be a member Of the
commission In 50 far as it, acts Affect
or relate specifically to the county
from which he Is appointed.
The members Of the commission.
according to the plan OF Mr.. Thurs.
ton and his fellow committeeman.
shall serve without pay, but each mem.
Der thereof shall be allowed his &C.
tual and necessary travelling and 9th.
er expenses incurred under the pro
visions Of this act.
The act further provides that the
legislature may at any time, BY prop
er statute, make any road terrific.
rial highway, but unless the legisla.
ture shall otherwise provide the con.
struction. improvement and mainte.
nance OF such road shall be at the
sole cost Of the territory.
Mr.. Thurston read two letters rela,
tive to the committees plan for bet.
ter roads. The first. from George r.
Carter. follows:
Per Capita Expenses Abnormal.
Hon. L. A. Thurston,
Chairman Good Roads Committee.
Dear Sir:-At the Maui conven.
tion was decidedly Kanalna' about
your committees plan for better
roads. We were just through with
the change from territory 10 county
control Of our highways with the ne
cessary adjustments Of revenue
The counties, with the exception of
Kauai, were electing to spend their
resources on other than good roads.
scheme to relieve the counties Of their
responsibilities, and put more burden
on the territory than the revenues
Justify.
Hence this would mean more ex,
pense to an already extravagant com
muity, all OF which means more tar
es. Our per capita expenses for gov.
eminent are already abnormal
Free traders argue that our extra.
Vagance shows that In Hawaii Il Is q
case Of money. easy come and easy
GO, due to the long period OF abn0r.
NAL protection which we have en-.
joyed.
When reasoned thus had not
examined the scheme In detail. Now
have done so. and on the whole
believe the plan offers the best solu.
ton yet presented, and that the gain
through 1t more than Offsets the dis.
advantages which it presents
Central Bureau ls Needed.
we need scientific study OF road
construction. and central bureau
where the experiments In each locality
can be used for the benefit OF all. and
where records can be kept continuous.
".
we need more than anything else
an example in efficiency, and the con.
trast between roads built BY the
county and the territory Is certain to
be helpful
'"The enforced maintenance OF our
reads after they are built win prove
tremendous financial advantage; the
optional feature for each county is
splendid, and the application Of mo-
tor taxes and fines locally Is an adj
vantage, all OF which more than on
sets the added cost which the plan
involves. Therefore I have reversed
my position, and have signed this re-
port Others who study It win do 50
also. e.
&c. r. CARTER"
Urges Educational Campaign.
The second letter was from Senator
H. B. PenhaIlow OF waiIuku, and was
as follows:
Il have read your report over care
fully, and heartily agree that some.
thing should be done to secure bet,
Ter roads and provisions for their up
keep.
I'm the main l approve Of the bill
which was considered by the past leg
islature, but there vas not sufficient
time to have 1t pr 1perlf considered.