The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-10-08
Lot at Corner Hotel and
Richards Involved.
Dispute Over Terms of Lease
Unsightly Fence Built Around
Band Stand.

Complications over the hotel prop
erty seems to have arisen almost as
soon as the ink on Mr.. Macfarlanes
deed is dry. 1t will be remembered
that the great objection to buying the
hotel was on account of the owners
of the property around the hotel set
ting such high values upon their land.
Most of the cottages and land, on the
Richards-street side, are leased to DR..
J. S. McGrew, a former lessee of the
hotel, and by him sublet to Mr.. Mac
farlane CT the Hawaiian Hotel Com
pany.
The piece on the corner of Hotel and
Richards streets is owned by Norman
E. Gedge, Secretary of the Inter-Island
Steam Navigation Company. This is
erected four or five years ago. The lot
is about 40x8S, the longest end being
on Richards street. When the lot was
first leased to DR.. McGrew, there was a
nice little cottage standing near the
corner fence, and it was stipulated in
the lease that the cottage should be
turned over intact with the lot at the
expiration of the lease. Another term
of the lease is that $25 be paid monthly
as a rental to Mr.. Gedge.
When the hotel management felt the
necessity for new band stand, Gedge's
corner was selected, and the cottage
removed to the lot mauka, near the
driveway, the property of Captain
Tripp, who is a relative of Mrs. Gedge
The lease of the corner lot has ex-
pired within the past few days, and
Mr.. Gedge made a demand for an in
crease in rental, saying that, as his
was corner lot, it should be worth
as much to the hotel as the one adjoin-
ing, for which $65 per month is asked
This letter was written five days ago,
and after due consideration, Mr.. Mac
farlane wrote that he did not feel like
paying any more than the present
rental, but that if Mr.. Gedge could ar
range with Captain Tripp for a por-
ton of his $65 each month, he would
not object to it.
This rather incensed Mr. Gedge, and
he decided not to renew the lease at
that price, and so notified Mr.. Macfar-
lane. He also notified DR.. McGrew to
replace the cottage in the same con-
ditiOn as when it was put onto the
Tripp lot. Mr.. Gedge decided to go
even further than that. Rather than
have his property encroached upon he
commenced yesterday the erection of g,
six-foot board fence on the two sides
of his lot, thus cutting off the corner
view from the hotel. Today, it is said,
he will enter suit against DR.. McGrew
for the return of the cottage.
The band stand will be removed to-
day to the circle between the two Ho-
tel-street gates. Manager Lucas said
last night that the action of Mr.. Gedge
would not interfere with the band con-
'certs, and that as soon as the work of
removal is completed there would be
grand concert and a grand dinner
given as a celebration of the event
Mr.. Macfarlane's letter to Mr.. Gedge,
declining to pay an advanced rental,
was naturally accepted by the latter
as an intimation that he would not
require the lot any longer, and Mr..
Gedge acted very promptly. The Leg
islature once passed an act authorizing
the widening of Richards street, from
Merchant to Beretania. Beginning at
Gedge's lot there would be about Is
feet taken off, and in the widening Of
Hotel street, in the same act, six feet
will be given over to the street. The
law has never been enforced, but it is
Mr.. Macfarlane's intention to make a
demand on the Government to have il
put into execution at once, and if he
did not succeed in buying the property
between Hotel and Beretania streets,
it was his intention to build a high
fence on the line Of the hotel property,
cutting off the view of the cottagers.
BY planting vines, the fence would, in
a short time, be concealed, and the
place would not be an eyesore to the
hotel guests. In this, however, Mr..
Gedge has anticipated him.