Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-11-27
ON THE WONG TACK

Hou1Iu1n Na'erpifer IS.
Editor Honolulu Star-Bgliet;n.
Sir: In the Hilo frih':na Of NcFem-
Der 10th, | notice the HiIo BOARD o.
Trade was told by l.. A. Thurstnn that
the building of q macadam rad 10
as simple as the multiplication table
You can get the specifications out o.
in encyclopedia. etc"
Such orinions are RESPONSIBLE for
to very great extent. the d"p'orah'.
conditions of the roads and st -"ots a :
over the territory l.. A. ThurstaT
says that the supervisors. on H'wai.
should take trip to Oahu at the eX
peDse of the county. to ,Ieap how t
build streets and roads. IfNhn suIrr
visors and commissioners If Oahu
know how to build roads and streets
their knowledge is not in evidenc"
here so far, or at least to very lin
tied extent. ..
The Loan Find Commission o'
Oahu built two pieces OF road on this
island and what did we get? The
piece across the Wahiawa plains is
In very good condition so far. hera'e
the climatic conditions are favorable
and the traffic light On the nort'
side Of the island we have what ir
known as the Wilson road. huilt -
the commission, and the same snoti
fications used az on the wahiawa road
at cost of about s15.Hna per mile
Here we have 10 to II miles of
bump the bumps <- H..
There has been enough money vast
ed on the roads and streets on this
island to have built good streets II
Honolulu and road around the island
that would be the delight of citizens
and visitors. 49,.
II one wants to make a trip around
Oahu he has to wait for dry weather
or go farming in the mud. In the
city of Honolulu there are not. sly
miles of well-built streets that would
stand heavy traffic for two months.
Specifications for road building are
not to be found in any encyclopedia.
Specifications have to be made to suit
the case in road building as in every
kind of work undertaken What will
suit In one case will not suit in-nll.
What we want Is men who do things
md not men who talk and never do
things. ~
things let me ask what the commits
sion (of which L. A. Thurston is
chairman) appointed by Mayor Lane
to look into the possibility Of getting
a better water supply for the city o.
Honolulu are doine? Judgine by re-.
norts published In the press. it seems
they have started .offAte investigste
what supply of water NAV he had
from all of the dirty muddy streams
near town. We surely have enangh
of that kind of water already without
adding worse tn bad. The $4,000 an.
proDriated by the snnervisnrs was to
look into the possibility of getting
good supply of clear mountain water
from the permanent streams and by
tunneling into the hills at places
where indications are favorable .
1t seems to me that L. A. Thurston
is OFF at wrong angle again. If he
cannot find the right specifications in
the encyclopedia. the city and county
of Honolulu will wake up some morn
ing to find $4,000 gone for naught
Let any sane man go to reservoir No
A in Nuuanu during rainy weather
and he will see that 1t is not much
better than cesspcol He will tell
Ms we want no more of that kind Of
stuff as water supply for the city
During dry weather the water-coursns
are filled with all kinds of vegetable
matter to be swept into this sink hole
when the heavy rains come. to say
nothing of all the refuse etc. which
is washed of the road leading to the
Pail. III" x. -:
Is this sort of thing to go on for
ever? -.
5 Let us have change.
Yours. u -....:. -.