Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-01-29
ON GETTING TOGETHER.

spirited cltlZen-gaVe 1rlendly little talk a.
the Commercial Club yesterday. Probably
most of the businessmen of Honolulu heard him
or read his remarks as published either yester-
day afternoon or this morning and undoubted-
ly everyone who heard or read agreed with this
mainland businessman.
He talked about the benefits to city of its
people getting together on improvements.
Why not carry passive agreement into active
DOINGf
There isn't much disagreement as to what
Honolulu needs, in the main, to put this city
where it ought to be as a progressive American
municipality of $1,000 1915 estimate)
We-all of us-know that we have some
good streets, or short stretches of streets, and
an almighty lot of bad ones
> We know that most of the streets are not
well-kept or well-lighted. There is grass grow
ing on the main thoroughfares, there is dirt and
filth on pavements which might be at least rea-
sonably clean. There is very insufficient light
ing, even with the kindly help of the tropc
moon, which once month comes to the aid OF
the city light department and allows the
thoughtful economists up in Nuuanu Valley to
turn off the artificial illuminants!
We know of other municipal needs, pressing
needs. Now it is useless to hold one board or
one city official responsible for all the errors
of the past and the present.
The citizens have right to demand of pres
emit officials who took office under definite
pledges that they live up to those pledges or
admit their inability to do So say why they are
unable and let the taxpayers and the voters
Judge if there is any remedy.
A. 1,,tx, of o;f;1onc 1ooc not ond with
quarreling with the public officials and per-
haps every two years throwing them all out
of office in hopes of a new and better deal. I'm
doubtedly the officials are hampered by the
tendency Of Honolulans to take opposite sides
on every public issue and to repel instead of
encourage the spirit of compromise.
There is very important Improvement pend
ing right now which is endangered by just such
q situation as discourages city officials. The
Kalakaua avenue paving project is threatened
because the taxpayers want warrenite as a
paving material, whereas the city engineer be
liefes in concrete and at least two members of
the board of supervisors are expected to stand
for concrete also.
The city is paying large percentage OF the
cost of this Improvement, and the opinion of
the city engineer and others is entitled to con-
sideration. Quite as much entitled to consider
alton is the opinion of the property owners.
They believe that warrenite has proved its
merit here and that concrete has not
But there ought to be amutually satisfactory
compromise somewhere along the line, and the
time to start work on this compromise is NOW.
The improvement of this boulevard has been
long enough delayed as it is. The property
owners along the street not less than the gen
eral publc-and particularly tourists and resi-
dents with autos-are anxious for action. The
whole city wants Kalakaua avenue improved.
Arbitration and RATIONAL good hundred dis
cussion have ended many a more bitter contro-
versy than this and saved many worse situa-
ton than this. If the property owners, the city
engineer and the supervisors would get to-
getller in an informal heart-to-heart talk, this
threatened deadlock could be averted. Every
body wants the Improvement not find
the way to get iti 1t is perfectly feasible
There is an opportunity here for the Cham
Der of Commerce, through its appropriate COM
mittee, to bring both sides together. That is
part of the Chambers place in Honolulu to
help in the adjustment of important municipal
affairs The Star-Bulletin is satisfied that an
agreement can be reached which viii make
Kalakaua Improvement fact instead Of wish.
Moreover, such compromise and such 8
happy ending to threatened controversy viii
have profound influence on securing mutual
progressive action for other city improvements
There is such tremendous amount.of work for
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