Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-09-22
tsreeial star-Balletln Correspondence,

Ill., u. k1.s sept. g. ITanSpOF-
tation" and its relation to civic bet
torment and enterprise, and good
transportation in Hawaii as a tourist
asset, where the themes dwelt upon
by Superintendent of Public Works
Charles r. Forbes in his paper read
before the Civic Convention today.
The paper made firm but kindly cri.
ticism of some of the weak spots In
the territory's transportation facili-
ties, mentioning unimproved APP
proaches to wharves, inadequate
wharf space and streets far from beau
tifui. superintendent Forbes did not
pointed out room for Improvement on
the various islands, not forgetting Ho-
nolulu
He urged upon the people of the
Big Island that they develop, tourist
attractions persistently. Throughout
bis talk he required to the necessity
for good roads.
Some OF the striking parts of his
address follow
Travel in the islands Is difficult
and expensive. Roughly speaking, it
costs four times as much to ride the
few miles, say, from Hilo to Waiohinu
as from Washington to New York. i
do not wish to make my comparison
odious. / know the cost of gasoline.
| know the reasons why palace cars
do not run on 110-pound rails between
Hilo and Waiohinu, and realize that
1t Is little likely they ever will. Per
haps, from the standpoint of tourist
travel, expense is not even the domi-
nant factor. The man who comes
here from a distance may be pre-
sumed to have money and leisure. He
expects to spend them, but he also
expects an equivalent. Admit that the
expense is exorbitant, but render the
equivalents Of safety. comfort and
ease.
Let US begin with the traveller as
he first reaches the islands from the
mainland. Suppose he lands at Ho-
nolulu. He steps off the ship on to a
wooden pier rapidly crumbling under
the attacks of teredos. From the pier
he energies upon dusty, wind-blown.
sun-baked street The minute the
wheels Of his motor car begin to turn
he finds the pavement Is fun Of holes
/ and undulatidns. ID brief, his precious
| first impression Is wholly bad:
w0uid 90 shahIefdI to aoknoW-
ledge these bleInishes and do nothing
to erase them, but it is wise and brave
to name them plainly and then work
To remove them. Honolulu is doing
that. The board OF harbor commits
sioners is spending $285,OO0 to con
struct a set of three fireproof, in
destructible concrete piers. These
piers win be equipped with all mod
ern convenienees for handling pas
sengers and freight at further cost
of approximately $4,000 and de-
signed for ultimate use as recreation
centers With a far-sighted view Of
| the future, the InterIsiand Steam
!, Navigation Company has acquired ex-
| tensiye property looking to the devel-
opment of facilities for docking, re-
| pairing and coaIing vessels OF call.
Congress has appropriated money for
keeping the harbor dredged TO depth.
There is constant agitation for better
paving of Queen street We are not
asleep to our opportunities and what
they demand Of US.
Declares Kuhio Wharf Safe
Suppose the traveller is to land at
Hilo. Well, I'VE know he won't land
at the railway wharf and we know
why. The disintegration of that struc-
ture, while nothing to be proud OF. has
at least enforced the use of Kuhio
wharf. You are familiar with the at
titude of the board Of harbor COM
Fmissioners toward Kuhio wharf. The
more the wharf is being used and the
more information we have about It,
the less reason we have to change
that opinion. | may say here that a
record is being kept of the experience
Of every master who berths his ship
at the wharf. That record Is uni
| foriily favorable to the position OF
| the department and those who have
supported il. 1t may take some time
yet for the dissension that has OBJ
scured the facts to dispense, but
among those who know the facts
and there are those of you here today
who do-there no longer can be any
doubt of the safety of Kuhio wharf.
AS you saw when you landed, the rail-
way and the Inter-Island have taken
hoffices on the wharf, and one convey
ing unit for the rapid and economical
/ handling of sugar viii soon be in
/ place. Three more Of these units are
/ TO be installed.
! serviee-Roads-Gof
One OF the leading hotel keepers Of
California told me that in his trade
just three things are necessary to
satisfy the tourist Oh today good ser.
vice (which includes adequate accom-
nlodations and good cookingl, good
roads and plenty OF golf courses. Ser
vice Is the watchword, and for US It
rnust include transportation. Service
IS what We of this territory never
i have given the tourist We have
spent money to bring him here and
then have turned him loose with moth
ing to do and nowhere to 80 but home.
/ do not wish to belittle the excellent
work of the Promotion Committee and
/ the Hawaii Publicity Commission.
They have done all they could and Il
has been done well, but the problem
is more than they can be asked 20