Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-31
CIVIC CONVENTION COMMITTEE URGES
TERRITORIAL AID FOR SOME ROADS
Notable Work Done BY Men Investigating Subject Leads to
Program of Systematic Development on Each Island
Principles of Scheme 0uinad-Hearng on Measure, Now
in Senate, Brings Out Arguments on Both Sides

Good Roads Year Book OF the upited
States.
q Creation OF "Territorial High
ways. The leading feature OF The BIN
is the setting apart Of certain roads
as Territorial Highways" designated
In Europe and the United States as
State Highways.D. the construction
and maintenance or which shall be in
whole CT in part paid for by the Ter
ritory.
The policy is based upon the fact.
that there are certain roads in which
the general public are interested. as
well as the people OF the localities In
which they are situated;
And second, that the local county
governments may not be- willing, or
may be financially unable, to bear the
entire cost OF construction or main
tanning such roads in the condition
which the needs or the general public
require.
The plan setting apart certain reads
as Highways" does not originate with
this COMMITTEES II is the plan follow
ed by nearly every European country
and large number of the States OF
the Union.
3. Legislature May Create Terr.tor-
ial Highway. Under these circum-
stances the bill provides that the
Legislature may. without the approval
or the local county governments In
which the road is situated, designate
a road as a Territorial Highway
but in such case the Territorial tow
eminent alone bears the cost Of con
struction and maintenance OF such
highway
4. initiation by County Supervisors.
In all the other cases the creation OF
a Territorial Highway IS made oaly on
the initiation OF the County Super
visions, and the approval OF a Terri
torial Highway Commission.
Territorial highways set apart on
request of the County authorities are
constructed and maintained at the
joint expense of the Territory and the
county In which the road is located
5. Construction Of Territorial High
way Commission. The Highway Com
mission is to consist of the superinten
dent Of Public Works, the Professor
OF Engineering at the College OF Ha-
vail, one ether person appointed by
the Governor with the approval Of the
Senate; and in and for each county,
one member appointed by the Super.
visors Of that county. This nominal
ton by the County Supervisors OF
a member OF the commission is
not contained in tne model law re-
ferred to. II IS device for the Bur.
pose of removing possible friction be.
tween the county and the commission,
by giving the county direct voice In
the councils OF the commission.
8. Territorial Engineer. All road
construction and maintenance Of Terri
torial highways are to be carried out
under the general control Of the com
mission. and the direct control OF q
Territorial engineer, appointed by the
commission
A part OF the duties of the Territnr-
ial engineer Is to render free advice
and assistance to the several boards
OF County Supervisors in all matters
relating to roads.
z. Source Of Territorial Highway
Funds. The funds with which to carry
cut this act are proposed to be de-
rived from
ID Direct appropriation by the Leg
islature. either OF current or loan
fund; GU Direct appropriation by the
Counties, either OF current or. loan
funds; t3l BY special direct road tax
"a BY proposition Of the receipts
from automobile fees and licenses.
8. Maintenance by Section Laborers.
Provision Is made in the bill that all
Territorial Highways shall be divided
into sections OF such length that the
same can, under normal conditions.
each be maintained by one section
road laborer
The COMMITTEES believes that tbis
is the most important detail OF the
bill.
The report of the American Assoc
citation for Highway Improvement is
that o properly nacaeaInized road viii.
without maintenance. last under nor.
nal conditions, an average not 70 ex-
coed six years, whereas the same
road. properly maintained under the
section System, will last not less than
twerty-years.
9. AppIicatio Of Civil Service RuIes.
The bill provides that the skilled en-
ployes of the Highway Commission
shall be appointed and hold office un-
der Civil Service rules
The appointment Of road labo-ers
is not placed under Civil Service rules,
as for many reasons this seems IN
practicable; but it IS provided tha,
they shall MOI. be removed for political
reasons.
10. Character of the Bill. The sub
ject of the bill is a complicated one
and the committee does not claim that
the draft submitted is in the best POS
sible form. They submit it. however.
as being rsrefully-drawn and fair bats
for a working law, which will systera-
tie our present disjointed and made
quste read law. more particularly re
curing the maintenance Of roads when
put in order
The extreme imp lrtance of securin1
early legislation upon the snbiccl
vas brought out in discussion at the
sessions of the Civic Convention re
ferred to, wherein it appears that on
a large portion OF the macadamized
roads recently constructed with loan
funds, there was no systematic upkeep
being maintained, and that the same
are so rapidly deteriorating that, I'M