The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-03-09
Possibilities Of Magnificent Civic
Center Are Detailed BY Mr..
& Pinkham in Interview
GOOD THoRouGHFAREs
AN ESSENTIAL FEATURE
Public Utility Companies and
People Should Cooperate to
Realize Success Of Project

4FN 3 ... -
. "Honolulu possesses immense posi-,
bilities for becoming beautiful city
. possibilities SO great that few realize
them. Manila, Hongkong, Shanghai,
and even the old pirate headquarters,
Canton, are making great efforts to
beautify themselves, but none of them
have such great opportunities as Homo.
lulu" said Governor Pinkham yester.
day. ... ....
Zone of the things which 1 should
intensely like to see carried out during
my administration is the securing Of
beautiful city center. Just see what
the possibilities are-with the execu.
tive grounds still more improved; a
fine county building on the gore lot
west of Palace Square; splendid fed.
eral building on the Irwin lot; the
Judiciary building grounds remodeled
and nicely grassed--what o splendid
- center we would have, especially if
by some miracle we could get title to
the land lying between the courthouse
and Kawaiahao Church, 80 that we
would have that entire block to cor.
respond with the executive building
grounds. '''i3' '.. ....
Hopes for Realization ~ "
L most earnestly hope that this
ideal can be realized, and there is no
reason why it should not be, if the
public-spirited citizens of Honolulu
will only get together and cooperate.
Another kindred matter is that Of
Identifying our streets by trees and
keeping the thoroughfares from being
constantly dug up when once they have
been properly constructed.
"TEere is no use in trying to have
GOOD streets if the waterworks and gas
company are continually digging them
~, and we cannot have tree. shaded
streets as long as the air is filed with
wires
ct do not suggest that an abrupt
change in the law be made, or one
~which would rausc the public utilities
immediate prohibitipe expenditure; but
] think that LEGISLATION should be di- |
reeted along the lines of getting both
the electric and telephone wires under
ground in the main part of the city, |
and that all of the wires and gas and |
water lipes should be laid under the |
sidewalks, or at, least along the gutter |
at the sides Of the streets, instead of |
in tho middle as has, heretofore been
the PRACTISE - w.
Economy In long Run
In the long run it would DO more |
economical for the electric and tele. |
phone companies to have their wires |
underground, and with wires and pipes
along the sidewalk or side of the |
streets, it would be as cheap or cheaper |
to make private connections, and the |
everlasting digging up of the streets
would he prevented.
81 think that the legislature should |
he very careful in granting requested |
extension of the public utility fran
chsc, so rs to guard the public inter.
ests along tho lines I have suggested !
"Wo"ld | veto bills If they do not |
contain such provisions?
'WtN, ] do not care to go into that |
question It present, That would indi
cato that those interested were going |
to work at cross purposes; whereas,
what needs to be done is for all who |
are interested--the utility companies
the legislature, the Governor and the
general puhlic-to get together and co
OperatP to accomplish the main object,
whichis. to give Honolulu and the whole
Island Of Oahu the best possiLl 10 facili.
ties under the best possible conditions
thus forwarding the public interest in
every direction.
coorers ton Essential
This is the spirit in which l. want |
to take part in this matter, and if |
the otl"rs intercsted win ioin' I'm an. |
curing the common object IN the ,Tme
< irit. there will not-Be any necessity
OF talking about vetoes, which would |
presuprosa lack Of cooperation
Another measure which consider |
of greet public interest, and which l |
would like my administration to be
identified with, is the initiation of the
reelaiming of the Honolulu swamps.
If we can begin with the reclamation
of the swamps along "Kalakaua avenue
a'oug the lines already published, and
then keep it up section by section dur.
ing the succeeding years, in a compare
lively short time Honolulu would be
rodeemGj from it's present condition of
being surrounded by swaRps, its beauty
greatly enhanced and its healthfulness
vastly improved,
Wonders Can Be Worked
"ThI again needs cooperation. | am
ready In cooperate with all interested
to secure these objects, and hope that
all those. interested, both privately and
publicly, will cooperate with me to the
slime g. Il,
with all of us working together
we can accomplish wonders.
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