The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-01-21
A WHARF TALK
Continued from First Page)

lulu greater wharfage facilities and to
place all wharfs in the harbor under
the ownership and control of the peo-
pie"
Thus spoke Attorney General Smith
at the close Of the Cabinet meeting
this morning. I'VE are acting in per-
feet good faith, D." continued the Attor-
ney-Genera,, in constructing the 600
foot wharf from Limekiln point 10
Sumner Island. This great improve
ment will be of benefit to the people
and the Oahu railway as we'll.
In carrying out the policy of the
Government ownership of all wharfs,
the Government has been obliged to
condemn the water front property as
owned by the Bishop estate and the
Oahu railroad. Manager Dillingham;
now complains of our action 1t is
not the intention to shut off the rail-
roads access 10 the harbOr, not at all.
They will be able to lease the wharf
and use it at any time but it is in
tended that the company shall not
have the ownership of the wharf, thus
excluding the people.
in course OF construction call for a
continuous dock of 900 feet. This
will answer al needs for the present.
When the time comes that more room
is needed for docking, then slips can
be easily cut into the long wharf now
being built"
Though the Government has now
apparently between two days."
changed its plan as to the length of
the wharf it proposes to build imme-
diately, it still clings with strange ten
acity to the plan of a contracted in
stead Of an enlarged harbor BY re-
ference to diagram No. 1 which APP
peared in this mornings issue of your
paper, it can readily be seen that a
wharf 200 feet long running directly
makai from Limekiln point, will cut
off the opportunity to make wharf
next to the Queen street extension,
800 feet long, also the construction of
the next wharf S00X100 feet, which
would afford in all 2,400 feet of wharf
age. The Governments present plan
by which it cuts off 2 400 feet of wharf
age, will only secure, to the small har-
Dor 400 feet of wharfage. They talk
Of building to the Summers house, a
distance of 1000 feet. 1t should be
remembered that only one side of that
wharf will be available, and will prob
ably cost two and one-half times as
much as the wharf shown in diagram
No. l, (S00X100 feet, and though that
wharf would be nearly one-ha,f mile in
length it would supply only 20 per cent
more available room. 1t will supply
400 feet less wharf room than can be
supplied by the one and One-half
WharVeS, nearest to the Queen street
extension The makai end Of the long,
one-sided wharf will be nearly a half
mile from the Queen street extension,
while the WharveS referred to in dia-
gram No. 1, are close to Queen street.
If the cost of transporting thousands
of tons Of freight at such long dis
lance cuts any figure in the calcula-
tives of business men, one would think
there might be vigorous protest, enter
ed against the cOnsummation of such
a plan The Cabinet say it is eXpen-
sive to dredge. Is it not Likely that
the expense of keeping in repair in
this country, wooden structure
2,000X100 feet, will also be found eX-
pensive? The Government admit the
possibility of making wharves as pro-
posed in diagram No. 1; in fact, when
similar plan was submitted to the
Cabient some six months since sim
ply as a suggestion, one of the Minis
tiers said, THAT is the best and most
business-like pan | have seen yet.
Why then are they so persistent now
| in building a wharf at a heavy cost
which they fully admit must be cut
away or destroyed, when the absolute
necessity forces them or whoever come
| after them to adopt the plan of max
| ing wharves upon the plan indicated
| in diagram No. 1, utilizing the loca.
| ton designed by nature for that pur'
| pose?
The writer wishes to say this
much about the lease from the Gov
eminent to the Railroad under which
| it is now using, what is called the
Railroad wharf: The Government
leased the Railroad a naked piece O
tide land with the right to fill in ant
construct a wharf thereon. The lease
to be for ten years at nominal rent
al Of 81 a year, the Government t
have the right to take over the proper
ty and the wharf at any time afte
ninety days notice by paying the valu
of the improvements. The Railroad
has never contested the right of tn
Government to terminate what is prac
tically ninety-day lease. All we sa,
is that when the Government gave u
the notice to get out in ninety days
| thereby leaving us without a whar
under our own control, the Railroad
under it's right Of eminent domain, am
the express privilege contained in tn
contract between the Government an
the Company to acquire and owl
wharves, condemned and tendere
compensation for the fee of enough
frontage for wharf purposes. Thi
strip took in part of what was in tn
lease, and a part that was not.
This course was taken by the Rail
road because it was notified to qui
and deliver up what it held by lease
in other words these condemnation
nrOceedinoS were forced by the actiO.