Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 148, 12 Malaki 1891 — Cantoniers. [ARTICLE]

Cantoniers.

One of tbe good measures of last seßsioii was the passing of the Gafitonier Bill, whieh w'ill reraain a lasting credit to its introducer, Bepresentative Marques. The whole rountry has watched with iuterest the working of this wholeeome law, and already its g(K)d results are apparent, notwithstanding the fact that, as a rule, it bas been started in the niost elovenly and carel?Fs way, by if not hostilt k , road offic«rB. Aoy one interested in the matter, #nly needs watching the doings of the several canton. iers \m our various ami rnads, to notice how very difiv>n nt »id varied is the work of eaon c»f thctn, showing that they worc s"t

to withont any regular instructions from the *oad ,authorities, and then severely left a!one| to use their own judgement. Where the cantonier,is ,good and inte|jigerat, he has ulready accomplisUed excellent work and the fine appe&ranee of the section intrusted Itm his care shows that the canton|ier system is the one to insure |us a uniform, good and lasting condition of our thoroughfares; where the cantonier is—if not bad, |nt least unintelligent,—there his woirk has clearlv been thrown away. Different cantoniers have been In« terrogated by the writer as to what is expected of them. and they ill replied that they wēre ordered te keep their section **in order," witihout ever having received any eixplanations ae to what * 4 order" h. This one starts to dig up all tbe fine grass on one side along the fence of his road, while carefuil5 T leaving the other side covered with lantana and other weed, more difficult to contend with; another as his reas©n points out, attends principally te> the holes and ruts. There | is one on Beretania Str€et, who ean jbe secn every day verv faithfui!y | fidgettitig on sorne of the large beds of grass on eaeh side walk, whilst the road.bed full of holes is left tu itself. Another thing whieh strikes usual observers, is the apparept unequal distributir»n of the cantoniers, and the length or extreme shortness of some of the sections, while eertain roads. byestreet or portions of ro,ads have not yet received even a visit from any cantorrier at all. In s«me plaeee, very bad portions of road-bed are given to one solitary man, who works alone just as bis colleague does were the road-bed is perfect, whieh shows that the provisions of the law allowing to eali togethtT several cSintoniers for special repairs, has not been attended to. Qf course, a new departure like % the caßtonier art. introducing habitsi quite unknown here, cannot be ex- j pected to work ifnmedi?.te]3 r toi perfection, before the agents have j acquirēd the necessary experience; but what we bave above noticed, shows a want of attention, if not of capacity in one at least of ihe Road Supervis<3rs,—that of Honokilu— whieh would seem u> confirm the ooinion of sonie growlers in town, who pretend that he is kept in his situa.tion, merely for the fact of having been one of those brave men, who 4, earried a gun in 1887" and helped to rob the natives of their natural righte.