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

system az road upkeep as soon and
as fully as possible =
Resolved, that the committee on
roads be requested 10 present and
urge upon the several boards OF super.
yisors the adoption of the principles
and methods herein advocated
Work Tor Enactment.
Resolved. that this convention ap-
prove OF the principles set forth IN
the bill and accompanying report sub
mitted 70 the last legislature BY the
committee OF the third civic conven.
ton. and request the committee on
reads to press the same for enactment
BY the next legislature. subject to-
such detail notifications as this con-
yention may direct or the said com.
mittee may deem hest
The committee Is composed OF the
following members: Lorrin A. Thurs.
ton. Hugh Howell. ]. II. Moragne. r.
w. Shingle and G. II. Cooke.
One OF the salient features Of the
act recommended for adoption by the
legislature Is q provision for high.
way commission. which shall consist
OF the superintendent OF public works.
he being chairman Of the commlssion
the professor os civil engineering Of
the College OF Hawaii; one other per.
son to be appointed by the governor.
with the approval Of the senate This
last person shall hold Office for = term
Of four years unless removed eAlier
for cause.
One Member for Each Board.
Each board OF the county superyis.
ors shall appoint one person who may
or may not be q member Of such
board, who shall be member Of the
commission In so far as its 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 leglsla.
ture shall otherwise provide the con.
struction. improvement and mainte.
nance OF such road shall Be sc 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. Thurst0n.
ffr,.<sI - 49,. Flf..
Dear Sir:-At the Maui conven.
ton was decidedly kanalua' about
your committees plan for better
roads We were Just through with
the change from territory 70 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,
and your plan looked to me like
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 extraEagant COM
muity, all Of which means more tax
es. Our per capita expenses for gov.
erument are already abnormal
Free traders argue that our extra
vagance shows that in Hawaii Il Is
case OF money, easy come and easy
go, due to the long period OF abnor-
NAL protection which We have en-.
joyed.
When reasoned thus | had not
examined the scheme I'm 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 IL Needed.
We need scientific study Of road
construction, and Q central bureau
where the experiments in each locality
can be used for the benefit OF al. and
where records can be kept continuous.
".
aWe 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 q
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 | have reversed
my position, and have signed this re-
port. Others who study It viii do so
also.
=. &c. r. CARTER"
Urges Educational Campaign.
The second letter was from Senator
H. B. Penhallow 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 approve Of the bill
which was considered by the past leg.
islature, but there was not sufficient