Few historical treasures worthy of preservation can surpass 'Iolani Palace, once the seat of state and territorial government, once the home of Hawaiian royalty.

The state has a duty to see that this stately museum remains among the Islands' crown jewels.

A great deal of energy and money has been spent on recovering some of the palace furnishings, dispersed throughout the world after the overthrow of the monarchy, and on restoring some of the building's beautiful decor. It seems inconceivable that Hawai'i could allow it to languish now, allowing all those efforts to be undone.

This landmark — famous in the 19th century for its state-of-the-art fittings such as electric lighting, indoor plumbing and telephones — is at the center of an ironic development: Its current air-conditioning system is entirely outmoded and is difficult and expensive to maintain. Electric bills and other upkeep chores have become a burden that has swamped its nonprofit keepers, Friends of 'Iolani Palace.

'Iolani Palace draws revenue from admissions, shop sales and donations — including some large gifts from a descendant of the royal family, Campbell Estate heiress Abigail Kawananakoa. There have been fundraising campaigns, too, most recently to underwrite a renovation aimed at drawing more visitors.

All of that is good for starters, but if the Friends could ever regain its footing in the sea of monthly expenses, it might be possible for these fundraisers to expand and build an endowment that could provide ongoing help.

This is where the state's duty comes in. In the past decade, state support for the palace has dwindled and finally evaporated. While it might be possible to keep palace operations primarily a private affair, the state ought to commit some funds to critical basic upgrades. Assuring structural integrity of such a public treasure ought to be a shared, public responsibility.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources has asked for $900,000 for some improvements; it's disheartening that only a third of that was proposed by the Senate.

There's time to revisit the budget and carve out what's needed to put palace stewardship back on track.