Recalling Maui’s near and distant past, compiled from Honolulu Star-Advertiser archives:
50 years ago …
Mayor Elmer F. Cravalho has appointed a 93-member committee to try to deal with Maui’s biggest problem: the threat of polarization of the community between local residents and the newcomers, called hippies.
The mayor’s Human Relations Council held its first meeting, with Dr. Milton Howell, a Hana physician, as chairman. The members raised a number of questions, and some told of harrowing things that are happening these days on Maui.
“I have recently seen the first two cases of starvation I have seen since World War II,” Howell said. “I think malnutrition is a problem in Kihei, too,” said Tomic Romson, Maui Memorial Hospital administrator.
Council membership represents such extremes of viewpoint as the Maui Citizens Action Committee on Social Problems, which began as a local church group concerned about the threat of hippie values to local youth, particularly the growing use of drugs, and the point of view of Banana Patch and other hippie communes.
A concern of the so-called hippies and many others was expressed by a bearded, long-haired young man who said he came to Maui a month ago from Baltimore. “I’d like to see the island open and free to everyone, with land available to everyone, with everyone having the opportunity to have a garden and a little house that doesn’t cost $50,000.”
100 years ago …
At Wailuku the members of the public utilities commission were given a demonstration of the poor service rendered by the Island Electric Co. which was not on the program. The hearing on the light question continued through Saturday and Monday, and drifted along until 6 o’clock Monday evening. At dusk the electric lights were turned on and ran beautifully for about 20 minutes when — bang! — they went out and the commission was in the dark.
Practically everybody in Wailuku turned out with a story against the electric company. Women were there with tales of electric irons that would not iron and electric toasters that would start to toast and quit in the middle of the job.
Commission Chairman W.T. Carden will in a day or two begin the draft of a written decision on the case. In all probability the Island Electric Co. will be required to either give good service or cut its rates down to correspond to the poor service rendered.
