Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 146, 10 Malaki 1891 — THE OAHU RAILROAD [ARTICLE]

THE OAHU RAILROAD

Aniong.the mariv private cnterprises undirtaken of late, the railroad «J>etjfed by, Mr. Diilingham is ttie most importaot and of the ■greatest public benefit. The Peart Riyer division has now been in . operation for raorft than a year, and we are inforined ? that its business, is eonstantly increasing, has already vcry profitable. We are pīeased to know this for Mr. # Dillingham fally deserves all the j suceess he iiiay achieve. Tlie laek of foresight in Honolulu capitalists is proverbial, and Mr. Dillinghajn was for a long time mueh embarrassed bv this discouraging attitude: but Se finally surmounted all difficulties and proved the fact that railways in these islands ean be made to pav. His enterprise whieh was a god send to hundreds i>f laborers, bas also been a boon to ihe people of Ewa: doubled the vakle of property along its route; made possibte manv small industries. atid was a direet agent in opening ui) the vast land of the Honpuliuli pl£vntation. The benefits of such arailroad to thecountry are manifold; it promotes industrv, and the wealth prpducing power of the nation: It brmgs r prosperitv to the peonle, ar.d therebv inoreases the revenues «f the government. The national Refor»n Pnrty was pledged to assist railroads. and specially the one on Oahu, as on« of the means of deve!opmg the resources of the country. and it was one of the planks in our platform that captured the votes of mechanics and laborers, whohope to find profitableemployraent in theconstruction and operation of new roads. It is be regetted that a small faction of our partv. led bv Nohle E. C. Macfarlane bolted from the platform, and joinini; with the reformer Hinds, fought against the railroad subsidy hill with a bitter hostility. Had it not been for tlie firtn position laken by representatives l>ush, Marques, Nawahi and others the bill would have been 4^ a tcd. As ! it was. the me mbers of our party < ould not prevent it beingrnurdered* and rendered nearly uselessby the niggardly subsidy eventually grant ed. It could Ixj dem«nstrated by almost exactfigures subsidies of this jiature are sure to be returned to the a hundreu 'fold, tnrough the taxes on the increased production and enhanced value of land consequent upon the progreF s of a railroad through the country. We therefore hope that Mr. Dillingham will push on thecontenoplated construction of his road| around this islands, and that thc pres.nt| government will be witl» | the assistar»ce they are ajithorized to give him. Perhaps a fiiture Legislature, imbued with a more truly national spirit than was the last, will be more lijberal in their assistanee to enterprises that I are to benefit the wealth and pros- < • perity of the p*H>ple. Even when money iuay be sēarce in the trea- J hiiry, subsidies to railroads, and funds for harl>or iinproveriKnt> ought to be paid 11» preferenee to uny othrr elain\ atid if :»eeessarv no Mt< r object. could justify the present administratioi» for pledj:inji! he creuit of the eountry. j