Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-09-22
TERRITORY MUST HAVE EFFICIENCY
IN TRANSPORTATION, FORBES SAYS
Superintendent OF Public Works in Address at HIo Convention
Points Out Room for Improvement to Make the Most OF
Potentially Great Tourist Traffc-Make AID Scenic Wonders
Accessible for Ease-Loving Traveller, He Urges

amuSe hlna. he VIII De mere this WIN
ter in still greater numbers. II We send
him home satisfied. be viii come again
and bring his friends. II we neglect
him he viii go where he is better
cared for.
Il read the other day In the news
papers that two leading Honolalu
businessmen estimated that the last
Carnival left minimum OF 100000
new money in the city. And that.
Is only the beginning.
Once started right and properly
guided, the tourist traffic is the near
est approach to perpetual motion yet
devised by man. II Is like the 0rien-
tai fable In which another little ant
brought another little grain Of coru.
The thing is an endless chain. stretche
ing deeper into the future than any nf
use care to see.
Tourists Asks Only Facilities
when l talk OF service. ] do not
mean that we should smother the
tourist with superfluous attentions.
What he asks Is comfort and amnse-
ment. He comes here primarily to
see (which we must read to be
shown, not particularly to be hero
rather than somewhere else, and we
must tell him what to see and make
il possible for him to get to see II.
He will gladly amnse himself II we
furnish him the means; be will gladly
pay the transportation II we supply
the roads
tsWe have the attractions. No
where else in such small compass are
included equal advantages OF climate.
varied scenery and alfthe-year-round
sport. But we must shake ourselves
cut Of self-satisfaetion. our insular
self-complaeency. We must show our
goods.
~Of course. put Kilanea first
shall not attempt here TO clothe
Kilauea in adjectives for you, but
wish to call your attention TO one con-
dition limiting It. In comparison with
VesuYius-a far smaller volcano. dam
gerous Of approach and only interniit.
tentIy active-K ilauea hold the same
relative position in the popular imaei
nation that the Falls Of zambeei hold
to Niagara and for the same reason.
Abundant transportation makes one
accessible and lack of Il makes The
other remote.
"A moment ago told yoh that the
outstanding facts IN the matter ok
Ig0od roads were bold and urn. Since
| then have been trying to make one
/ Of them plain and hope You are now
ready. to agree with me that e good
roads in general are profitable for US
they are necessary.
Nothing But the Best
Il intend now to develop my theme
and to. insist that, in this climate par
ticulariy, only the best roads VIII
serve.
water and air are the two prime
destroyers Of roads, and we have
plenty OF both Water washes. scores
and guilies; the suction In the wake
OF pneumatic tires draws out the bind
er, unless protected by sealing coat.
and the winds float the dust away.
Most Of our traffic is automobile trav.-
ell: all our reads are billy, TO make the
work of the water easier; and all OF
them are copieusly drenched with
rain. Our rock Is poop porous and
friable, weak under crushing weights
and yielding easily to the abrasive
action OF rubber tires.
@We need the best Of foundations,
| the best OF binders and the best OF
wearing surfaces. It has been abund-
antly proved IN Hawaii that water
bound macadam, no matter how well
built, will not stand up under mod
ern traffic. After a short period or
use. the rapid deterioration runs the
cost Of maintenance into ruinous fig
ures. The result Is that we are for
ever spending altogether dispTopor-
tomato sums on the upkeep Of roads
that remain always bad.
with a little attention to upkeep,
Ia well built concrete road Is virtually
| fndestructible. The great shrinkage
| IN maintenance costs more than re-
PAYS the Increased initial outlay; Il y
true that the initial cost is heavy, and
| I know that there is weIl.founded dis
trust of spending large sums under
political control | know that there
| Is an ancient and essential quarrel
between politics and efficiency. Poll
| tics is the science Of compromises.
The best politician is he who can get
! the most and give the least; but ne
must always concede something The
lonlv DrogressiYe statesman Is he who
can contrive to step q little farther
| forward at each stride than ne =
pushed backward by the OPPOSITION.
Enrlneer Wants Efficiency
This zigzag path is exactly what
the engineer loaths. His ideal IS 70
set IN an absolute standard and steer
/ for It straight on an undiyiatins line
OF efficiency. He hates politics Wnen,
4 Il. nd