The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-09-19
Mr.. Thurston Makes Statement
About the Volcano Road.


Mr.. Thurston Makes a Statement
About the Volcano Road.
Mr.. EDITOR: Another OF the charge:
which the Finance Committee make
against me, is in connection with the
"Volcano Road :" The gist OF their
charge is:
/. That the original estimate OF the
cost of the road was grossly inadequate
and deceiving.
2. That the work of construction has
been "extravagant" and that 1.-THE pub
lie funds in this instance have been unne-
cessarily squandered when such waste
| fulness could have been avoided"
3. That "a well known experienced
and responsible road builder offered TO
take the contract for the Volcano road
for the sum of $4,000. That the Min
lister refused to enter into such contract,
and consequently, we find he has sue
ceeded in building portion only OF the
road at an extravagant advance"
A. That pledged the credit of the
country, and the approval of future
Legislature, to the Wilder Steamship
Co., w. G. Irwin & Co., Castle & Cooke.
and Robinson and Dillingham;. whom he
induced, without authority, to advance
money in large amounts to supplement
| the legal appropriation"
In addition to this the committee in
| dulge in liberal amount of word paint
| ing descriptive of their opinion OF Inc, OF
| which the following is sample:
"The action of the Minister with re-
| gard to this work forces upon your COM
! mittee the conviction that aside from
| flagrantly unlawful action, either gross
| deceit has been deliberately practiced,
| or the Ministers official incompetency
has been emphasized"
In reply to this charged desire to state ::
1st CONCERNING THE CHARGE OF MADE
| QUACY, AND DECETFULNEss OF ESTIMATED
| COST.
The question of making an appropria-
| ton for the Volcano road came up just
| before the meeting of the Legislature of
| 1888. had but recently come into office,
| and there was no time to make de-
| tail survey of the line or examination of
| the particular character of the soil on
| which to base definite estimate OF cost.
| There had been no road built through
| similar country in any part of the ISL
ands, which could be used as a basis of
| estimate Under these circumstances
| got the most reliable information avail
| able, which was as follows:
MIR. r. X. Rycroft had made good
| wagon road in Puma, through loose brit
| tie "a. | asked him what the cost of
| his road had been, and requested an
| estimate OF the cost of road to the Vol
cano.
He replied that to make a road
| like his in that character of rock cost
about $4,000 a mile; and that if there
was IA all the way to the Volcano, he
| thought a first class road could be built
and finished for $4,000 mile, as the
character of the rock was not as favor
able as at Puma.
/ next consulted Mr.. Samuel G.. Wild
er, who knew took a great interest in
the subject. He told me that if his Hilo
Railroad was success he proposed to
open wagon road himself if the Gov
eminent did not; that at his request
Mr.. l.. Cabot, civil engineer, had look
ed over the line and advised him that
road over which wagons could travel
could be opened for $50, 900, after which
it could be improved. He referred me
to Mr.. Cabot for further figures. / saw
Mr.. Cabot, and he told me that he had
only made rough examination of the
line, and his rough estimate of the cost
of a thoroughly-built carriage road was
$4,000; but that he thought road
which could be used by wagons could
be made for $50, 900, and that this could
be improved later as more money was
available.
On this information and advise, and
with the intention of first putting a
rough road clear through and afterward
improving it, the sum of 30,000 was re-
commended and appropriated.
Mr.. Wilder was member of the
Legislature; the lack of detail estimates
on which to base definite estimate of
cost, and the whole situation and subject
was freely discussed and understood in
the Legislature, and recognizing the ne
cessity of beginning the work immedi-
ately, the appropriation was made. The
deep and wicked deceit of the late
Minister" is the product of the lively
and versatile imagination of the com
mittee. If the gentlemen of the COM
mittee can suggest and further informa-
ton or more definite basis OF estimate
which could have been obtained i should
like to hear of it.
THE CHARGE OF EXTRAvAGANCE.
I'd. deny the charge of extravaganza
absolutely.
The work throughout has been under
the immediate personal superintendent
of Mr.. j. D. Marlin. He does not smile
as sweetly as Mr.. Muller; he is not such
an orator as Mr.. Macfarlane, nor has he
the ability to deliver legal opinions
which is possessed by all the gentlemen
of the Finance Committee; but for the
work in which he is engaged, | do not
know OF his equal as an executive man
in the country. He has been in charge
of some OF the most important engineer
ing work of the Spring Valley Water
Works; had the entire charge of the
construction of the big Spreckelsville
ditch, and was for several years the head
overseer on the Spreckelsville Planta-
ton. From personal inspection, upon
several occasions, of the work while in
progress, and an intimate knowledge of
the ground and methods used, and from
the statements of the Sheriff OF Hawaii,
who has been a close observer OF the
work done, and of all the prominent
residents of Hilo, who have taken
an interest in the road, | unhesi-
tatingly say that the work has been car
ried on by Mr.. Marlin theoretically,
thoroughly and economically.
The committee have cited no evidence
in support of their charge OF extravaganza
and wastefulness, for the good reason
that there is none; the charge is an I'M
called for slur upon Mr.. Marlin.
THE $50, 900 CONTRACT.
3rd-In renly To the statement OF