Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 343, 11 December 1891 — THE CANTONIERS. [ARTICLE]

THE CANTONIERS.

- I i <v<tv European country the can't )nier system of road making prevails and is proved to be a most efficient method for keeping the •puMie highways in gond condition Th-' last legislature passed an act crea'ing a system of cantoni. : on the s:une plan prevalent in jĒurope, but the Minister of Interior and Road supervisor have only mafle a half hearted attempt toput it mto operation, and consequently 0 - oan.toniers have not been a gr nccess as yet, and do not sei .. 10 understand exactly what i- uired of them. There is but 01 e , īan whona we have notieed wiio appears to do his work inielli-L-entJy and well; though he seems io. bo left almost entirely in his owu devices: He is the Pcrtuguese man who works on the section ofj rond ; .l Kamoiliili from the Park | to tiij Tramways Station. He de- i serves commendation and promo-} tion. The Road &upervisor does not seem to have acquainted himpslf with the meritB of the system as practised elsewhere, or to have informed bimseif about ito details — in order to give proper inetructionB io the workers. In fact be does not «eem to appreciate or approve ōf canton>*rs, as he hae never been where their work is the pride and comfort of the varioijB eommune». /■'Thi!?j3.tA^'WikrettH : d,- for we are that the cantonier syslem, pr«'perlv applied to our roads would bring them in better harmowy with buggies and bicycies . ihan they are at present, and rendthem worthy of public pride and less to he sworn at. In all the elder countric where the puone roads ar* made, repaired and under the cantonier BVBtem. the workers are not only required t<> attend to their section of ro:id. it »'so to plant and care for pr • • r trees along eaeh side of i the roh i \ «y. īn manycommunes, ! p«rt; • ) *1 v iu Southern France | n >d M. • orodunt of these \ i 5 y!f ! fitriHnt revenue to - uf the n»ad ; sy i.'ipal revenue 18 ; d - Bnle of fagots fr and the timb ; e s whieh are cut d •«< with newoneB. ] « ai«o th** fruit of < protected :ind s . '.!roppinjrs fr m . p • c «rt'fu lly coUected i u i»"!' f ir!iiers. | V < •• ;«n* not pla'nted I { • V ' ■ 'ii i'M'. ;< \v(>t ' v iuc!itai ;ind v;i- i l;i < r-rt or co«npact = ¥ 1 - — • t - " ■ ■■ if 'iu'" nt (ii*..- ji. . s 1 ' •'»'d pr"V ?»t 8 tl r(i «i o rt .iii' ; A the sauje , ' i ->• , '• 1 .. • iinuiiOiui > <'.hn»ufth-.

out the island-are planted fruit trees under the eare of carito-i niers and on iru re Uian one oeeasion has the fri.it of these trees saved the people fi nn famine, when disaFter havecau?ed the failure, of other crops. These trees were originally planted by VvikrhsbS§~āT (u)vernor General of Ouam in the 14th ccntury, whose uame is now revered throughout the island as the ereatest benefactor lheir people evcr had. I lt seems a pity that the tree- | planting feature of the cantonier ! s\-stem was not grafted into the bill whieh thelaBt legislature adopted, but we hope itmay be done in the next session for it is in the direct line of the National t>olicy for developing the -f4sources of the countrv. On many of our suburban roads could be planted, the orange, cition, Ī£Hqgp, China orange, avocado and ohia; on others the iron wood and other pinea; snd in very dry and' arid distncts, the mesquit (algeroba). Ail of these trees maturing in from four to ten years, could be raade productivc of revenue, and in course of time might almogt pay for the keep of the roads. Let us by all means try to increase the cantonier foroe and have good roads throughout the country ornamented by pretty and valuable trees.