The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-10-30

AND PEARL HARBORS.

O,r morning contemporary thinks II !
bas been imposed upon in the matter OF {
pearl barbor. So far as the ADVERTISER
IS concerned it said nothing whatever
about Pearl harbor. Its remarks were
confined to the necessity for conserving
the deep water of Honolulu harpor'
and to an expression OF regret thaU Iile
sDace available for sea going vessels hau
bean greatly and unnecessarily le5sened
by reclamation works. And we l''i 'ii0i
suggested that it might yet become nee
assarv TO increase the water space, III
staad Of continuing to make land by de-
s+rovino the harbor The Herald re- !
,,liad that the answer to all this was TO |
no found in the opening OF Pear harpor
+o the worlds commerce, and the found
ing of a rival seaport to Honolulu. Inc
absurditv of this suggestion was so ser
evident that it called for no reply from
ne bnt the .'Bulletin" did say that Feafl
river LAGOON was only available Tor yes
coils of LIGHT draft, and could not be mace
= sh;nninp port in the ordinary sense
for any sum of money the Hawanan gov
all seriousness this is the truth. Inc
canabilities OF Pearl harbor are Wen
known. 1t is available for small vessels
of Egbt draft. but even were the oostruc-
+;or of the outer bar removed the shoals
inside. combined with the narrow ana
tortuous channel, would still remain.
The cost Of removing all Instructions
% tho NAVIGATION of Pearl harbor would
therefore be very heavy and aIoSstIiei
aforementioned TO any advantage tha'
,,,igbt he derived therefrom. But TINS
"a an entirely different affair from the
leasing or ceding of Pearl River to the
Tinted States or any other foreign Power
Whether it will pay the Government
of a country to undertake certain harpo
improvement works within It's own 'ei
ritorv. for the development OF us Owl
commerce. is an entirely different thlhi
from a proposition to ALLEVIATE one OF II
barbors, thereby giving a foreign rowe
a territorial foothold and Jurlsdlc'io
within its dominions The question as
,rbo+bar q foreign Power in such cas-
makes a good or bad bargain pecuhli'rii
does not come in, although IL
Herald" by strange confusion
ideas. appears to think that tins Is u
only point at issue. 1t argues tha'
Pearl Harbor would cost as much
utilize for commerce as the ''BulletH
suggests, it would be a good stroke
business to cede it to the United state
We do not think so; but it is needle
10 argue this point any further, as Il
views of the ADVERTISER regardn
foreign acquisitions in the Hawan
Islands are too we'll known to requ
repetition in this place.
The uoint remains, however, that
large portion of the deep water space
Honolulu harbor has been convert
into dry land, and that the residue
it has been seriously impaired by
unscientifc construction OF wharV
We attach no blame to Mr.. Quick
this. AS Minister of the Interior
carried out the work begun many We
before his advent to power, and all
can be said about him is that he pro
cuted it with greater vigor and pers
ency than his predecessors. 1t Is
hans unfortunate that so much enc
should have been misdirected, but
absolutely certain that before m
wears pass the deep water space mus
enlarged, at heavy expenditure
money, if Honolulu is to become L
ing seaport. This might have /
avoided bv harbor conservancy, an
is no answer to say, as the 'JIer;
does. that the coral shoals may
dredged out, and that beyond the
there is abundance OF unobstru
water in the Pacific Ocean.