Newspaper Page Text
THE GARDEN ISLAND, TUESDAY, MAR. 15, 1121
THE GARDEN ISLAND
lnued Every Tuesday
KE NNETH C. HOPPER Managing Editor
TUESDAY . - ... . - MARCH IS, 1921
"SAFETY FIRST, YOU MOTORISTS"
The letter signed by W. F. Horner, appearing
in thin issue of the Garden Island, calling
attention to the ever increasing number of
automobile accidents on our roads, is a timely
one and certainly deserves the consideration
of i he public, the police department and the
fior.nl of Supervisors.
It is perfectly true that conditions are fast
'becoming unbearable for the safe and sane
motoring public of Kauai, and that there are
not more fatal accidents than there are seems
to be nothing else than an act of Frovidence.
A record of the motor accidents on Kauai
shows that, in spite of popular belief to the
contrary, most of these accidents happen to
experienced drivers.
Kxperienced they may be, but they are crim
inally careleRS, and in many cases they should
be brought to trial and given a good, stiff jail
sentence.
Two good, live motorcycle police patrolling
the belt road would have a salutary effect on
these gentry, and would be money well spent
by the County.
We wish to state that the Board of Supervis
ors and the Sheriffs department are thorough
ly alive to the needs of the County in this
respect, but think it unwise to take any dras
tic action until after the session of the legis
lature, as there is at present a bill before that
body dealing with a Territory-wide ordinance
covering the traffic situation. If the County
should frame a traffic ordinance now it might
be nullified by the one before the legislature,
should it pass .
THE PROBLEM WE FACE
"We hardly need to be told by any San Fran
cisco Mayor or California Senator, that we
have a Japanese problem on our hands. We
know it ourselves not as well as we might
perhaps, and not as well as we will. But we
know it ! However, the emphatic warning of
Senator Thelan in another column may help
us to understand the seriousness of the situa
tion. Ve have perhaps, been over-confident in our
assurance of skill and facility in our handling
of foreign races and alien elements. With a
smiling sense of superiority we have said to the
rest of the world "Why make such a fuss
abcit the Yellow Teril! Just look at us and
see how we do it !"
But we haven't done it not yet; and there
is si me question as to whether we are going to
do it at all.
With a sense of growing consternation we
are coming to realize that we have "bitten off
mor j than we can chew", or more at least than
we can digest. For any juvenile organism to
assimilate its own weight of foreign material
is a pretty big order at best, and that is about
our problem, with complications. Even if
50 per cent of us are good healthy Americans,
tli ere is some doubt of that, it is a mighty
big contract for us to assimilate the other 50
per cent, especially when they don't want to
be assimilated.
It is going to take a long time and call for a
lot of tact, energy and endeavor, and perhaps
sacrifice as well. And it is going to be fraught
with a lot of danger; we may be swamped in
the process.
It is high time that we realize just where
we are, aud what the problem is that faces us.
A LABOR POSSIBILITY
The Bishop Trust market letter reports that
the U. S. Department of Immigration has re
cently granted a local fishing company per
mission to bring 35 Japanese fisherman here.
Wa had always supposed that the woods
were full of Japanese fishermen, and that they
were the last people we would need to import.
However that may be, surely if a Japanese
Fishing Compauy can prevail on the Depart
ment of Immigration to grant them fishermen,
the combined American Sugar and Pineapple
interests of the Islands ought to be able to get
the additional labor that is needed for these
prime industries on which our prosperity most
vitally haugs.
The Japanese have certainly been very alert
and forehanded in this matter; they have
shown us the way; the best thing we can do is
to follow in their lead. Let us however ask
for Chinese for our fields and mills, not Japanese.
WAR DEBT CANCELLATION
Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium and
Russia would join heartily in the proposition
of Great Britain to cancel the war debts of the
worll, and Grfcat Britain has proposed that
the i"nitwi Ktate cancel Britain's debt, a pro
position that has met with a flat refusal, not
withstanding the claims of the foreigu rela
tions committee that it is in possession of
information to the effect that President Wilson
assured the representatives of the foreign
powers, at the peace table, that he would exert
his utmost powers to bring about a, cancella
tion of the entire world war debt including
the ten billions of dollars that the allies owe
this government.
The world is not yet done with this cancel
lation business. We are going to hear more
about it, and America will be asked again to
rub the account off the elate. As the matter
stands the Allies owe the United States ten
billions of dollars.
Great Britain owes us 14,227,000,000;
France, f 3,047,974,777 ; Italy, f 1,60660,179;
Belgium, f 350,428,793 ; Russia, $187,729,750.
Cancellation would be a fine proposition for
Europe and a very costly one for the United
States, and it is not likely that such a propo
sition will be entertained. European powers
borrowed our money in good faith and by the
same token they should pay to the last dollar.
It was American men and American money
that helj)ed save them front the designs of the
German military dragon, and they should not
only show their appreciation of the fact by
paying the debt, but by paying it cheerfully.
America has taken the wrong course in its
dealing with Europe. We have advertised to
them that we are a nation of spendthrifts and
philanthropists; that we are the "Alladin's
lamp' that needed only to be "rubbed", and at
the present time Europe is rubbing it into us
rather more energetically than our skin will
bear.
THE MERCY FLEET
The starving thousands in China are to be
fed by the generous people of the United States
who are preparing to send a fleet of Bhips
loaded with grain and provisions for the re
lief of the sufferers.
The "Mercy Fleet" as it will be called will be
composed of a number of the shipping board
vessels, manned by volunteer crews of Ameri
can naval reservists, and will carry great
stores, of grain donated by American farmers,
hauled to the Pacific coast by volunteer rail
road employees.
Arrangements are already under way to pro
cure the vessels, and there is every necessity of
prompt and efficient work; for the people of
the famine-stricken districts of China are dy
ing by the thousands. Thirty thousand died
in one field, where they had congregated to
await the arrival of food that never came.
America, the land of plenty, the help of the
needy, the champion of right and justice, poss
essed of a generous spirit that has never failed
to respond in distress, will go to the relief of
China as it has gone to every other country of
the world, when there was need of its aid.
The great question is now to accumulate the
ships and the provisions with all possible speed
and send them across the Pacific upon their
errands of mercy.
Millions of China's people must die of star
vation before another summer, and other mil
lions will be saved from the agonies of a horri
ble death through the generosity of America.
Seizures of arms and ammunition by the
inter-allied plebicite police include German rif
les of the 1920 model, showing conclusively that
Germany is manufacturing rifles in violation
of the peace treaty. Polish newspapers assert
that the arms were manufactured at various
places in Germany and that a secret organiza
tion of German railway employees is in league
with the German government in sending arms
into the plebiscite regions. Germany has
manifested no desire or intention to live up to
her agreement, and in defiance of the terms of
the treaty aud her. solemn pledge, is doing
about as she pleases. How long this sort of
thing will be permitted is an uncertainty; but
the Allies are at the present time more inter
ested in traffic and the accumulation of the
almighty dollar than they are in the future
peace of the world or the principles of justice
and humanity. There is a wide difference be
tween peace and war. "The devil was sick;
then the devil a saint would be. The devil
got well, and a devil a saint. was he".
Ohio is said to be overrun just now with mad
dogs. The price of a bone during the past
couple of years has been enough to make any
dog mad.
Chains on the tires will prevent accidents,
and chains on a few reckless drivers might do
the same thing.
Most men stand up and kick about their in
come tax, but they'd kick louder if they were
not muking enough to have to pay one.
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
Editor, Garden Island,
Dear Sir:
Ai you know both from experience
and observation, the roads on Kauai
are getting to be most dangerous due
to careless and reckless drivers of
automobiles and road hogs.
The reason tor this condition la ob
vious. Honolula where reckless or
careless driving brings a heavy fine
and where nearly all arrests bring
convictions is much safer despite the
heavier traffic than Kauai's roads.
Honolulu has road signals some
thing that Kauai needs. One motor
policeman on Kauai would improve
the driving conditions and cut down
the number of accidents. . .
Kauai has a great many more acci
dents than one would believe, for a
very tew only are reportel in the
paper, and we on the island are get
ting so used to seeing them that we
no longer think anything of one. or
two a day.
In Kealia three accidents have
occurred in the last five days on less
than a mile of road, in only one has
anyone been sent to the hospital, but
both of the others might have been
more serious accidents if the road bad
been fenced where they occurred or
If the cars had been a little closer.
In the accident that happened today
a Korean, the driver, was going
around the corner on the wrong side
of the road so fast he did not make
the complete turn and smashed a
cement post on his left side of the
road. He did not have a license to
drive.
Your paper could do a great deal
along this line of "Safety First You
Motorists" If you should advocate and
print the road signals used in Hono
lulu and also keep a list of the un
necessary accidents that have occur
red and publish it. Let us, everyone
work together and clean up the roads
of the dangerous drivers and after
the drivers the stray animals and
make it a safe pleasure, to drive on
our roads.
W. F. Horner.
KEEP YOUR PICTURES IN
PHOTO ALBUMS
It presorves them for future en
tertainment Complete new assortment from
86c to $10.25.
Special Attention to Orders by
Mail
HONOLULU PHOTO SUPPLY CO.
Everything Photographlo
1069 Tort 8tret , , Honolulu
Koloa
Plantation
Store
Wholesale and Retail Groceries
Dry Goods of all Descriptions.
General Plantation
Supplies
The Bank of Hawaii Ltd.
LIHUE BRANCH
BANKING HOURS :
I A. M, TO 3 P. M.
Protection from the Vicissitudes
of Life Lie Almost Entirely in
Protecting Necessities
Luxuries can be dispensed with,
but the necessities, food, clothing
and housing, we must have.
' Therefore, it becomes merely a
matter of common sense to Bave
some money during prosperous
years in order to guard against
possible want during lean
years.
A Savings Account
at this Bank can be s
started with f 1.00.
BANK WITH
THE BANK OF BISHOP & CO., LTD.
Waimea, Kauai.
4 -
kCttrilht Hut (chillier It Mm
Silva's Toggery, Honolulu.
44 4 4
Dealers in General Merchandise
American Factors Paints
AmFac Red Label Coffee
Yale Locks & Hardware
WHOLESALE
DISTRIBUTORS
Read The Garden Island
itP 0. HALL & SON iill
i 7 , HONOLULU
P p. I Distributors j
l TERRITORY OF HAWAII MJi
Gat our Utett prices Jyj
