The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-03-23
.CANTONN|ER NOW
TO Be INSTALLED
ON BIG ISLAND
Practically All Necessary Ar
rangements Completed BY
the Board Of Supervisors
WILL NOT AWAIT FOR THE
ACTION OF LEGISLATURE
Road Laborer Is To Keep Crater
Drive In First Class
Condition

". t .t ..
HILO, March l9.--Thers is now
every prospect that the rantonnier sys.
TEN will not have to await the
action Of the Legislature to be put
in operation in the County of Ha-
wall, as practically all arrangements
have been completed FOR the EN-
ployment by the county of a canton
nier, or road laborer, permanently on
thu Crater Drive to, keep that impor,.
tant road in first class condition all
the time. and IL he fails to do so he
win quickly lose his job.
This new departure in road work
here is the result Of efforts made BY
l.. A. Thurston, heartily backed by
Executive Officer Samuel Kauhane.
The first offer by Mr.. Thurston was
to raise the money by private subscrip-
ton for the payment of the cantonnier,
but this Chairman Kauhane refused to
permit, stating that the county would
pay the man. a. FL.
Action has already been taken to
have the site for the laborer's cottage
surveyed and the lease for il from
the Bishop Estate will soon be ready,
and then Il will be seen what a good
man can do to keep stretch of road
| in good repair. The experiment will
be watched with much interest in all
parts Of the Territory,
The correspondence leading up to
this contamination is in part as follows:
FIRST Offer Made 4. a
Hilo, Hawaii, January 25th, 1917.
Samuel Kauhane, Esq, Chairman,
Board Of Supervisors, =.
Hilo, Hawaii. &- ..... ..
Dear sir:--In confirmation Of my re,
cent conversation with you / beg to
state as follows: .r'.a ~
The Crater drive, from the Crater
Hotel to the old prisoners camp is in
very bad condition. The chief pilikia
| is chuck holes, If these can be filed
now, the cost viii be small; but IL
not, the road is in danger Of becoming
impossible in rainy weather, and, in
any event exceedingly damaging to
autos and uncomfortable to their rid
ers. h r"'~ fE#
This road is used more than any
other on the island except the streets
Of Hilo. 49,. "A Rs. -. =. .f,H
| The present promises to be the best
tourist season Hawaii has ever known.
1t is good policy to cater in every pos
able way to the tourist, and sug.
gest that one of the cheapest and best
ways of so doing is to maintain the
road named in good condition so that
they may carry away the pleasantest
impressions concerning this trip.
Local people also use this road a
good deal. ......> s. b. :H.
realize that there are many de
mands on the county treasury that can
not all be met. In this connection
have consulted number of the local
auto owners and others interested in
keeping this road in good condition
and find a general willingness to main
tain the road at private expense, If th'
county will put il in order and furnish
material TO keep it up. ts&
| In order to put the proposition II
shape for prompt action hereby per
sonally offer as follows: -. ~. .r'
/ If the county will put the crater il
good condition, the sooner the better
by hauling on coarse gravel from be
yond the old prisoners camp, or Other
similar material, and also place load
of the same along the road in quaint
ties sufficient to keep it up as needed
and tools for labOrer, will under
take without expense to the county, Il
keep the said road in good condition
for not less than one year. and for o.
much longer as may be mutually agrees
upon.
II further suggest that IL the count,
will move one of the small cottage
and tank from the present Kau pris
oner's camp to point about midway OF
the Crater Drive, for occupation by th,
section man in charge, it win great,
increase the usefulness of the man b,
| having him close to his work. IL thi
meets your views l will undertake I,
secure the site from the owner.
II this correctly states our oral under
. standing upon the above subject. will
you kindly confirm it, so that all ar
rangements can be completed as quickl.
1 as possible, 80 as to take care Of tn
present heavy travel.
Respectfully yours,
I'll l.. A. THURSTON.
|, County Takes Responsibility
February ], 1917.
, l.. A. Thurston, Esq,
Hilo, Hawaii. ,...,-. ...5.. f.
Dear sir:-I am instructed by Sam
7 nel Kauhane, Chairman and Exeeutiv
Officer Of the County of Hawaii, I
acknowledge receipt of your favor o
the 25th of January, 1917, in re tn
I Crater Drive. 4
He wishes to state that a gang o
Q men are at work today on the roa
i and that these men will remain Their
? until the drive is in shape.
;, He is perfectly willing to have
l. cottage built for man, who will loo
after the road, if the desired permits
sion for the use of the premises, pre-
ferrably the old Jail Camp site, ca
be had from the Bishop Estate. You
9 rood Offices in this matter will be high
ly appreciated.
!, In re the expense of section mar
D Mr.. kauhnne states that the Count
i Nlll pay expenses for the upkeep o
8 he road and for the labOreT's time.
He thoroughly appreciates you
| kind nnnF md -