The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-04-01
IT WASASURPRISE
Everybody Interested By News Of
the Honolulu Iron Works.
A BIG BUSINESS AFFAIR
Earnest Talk Now of a Dry Dock
In the Coral-Some of the Stand
ing Reasons for Moving.
| BIG BUSINESS AFFAIR

The Iron Works news given by TINS
paper yesterday morning was the big
gest and most important piece of bust
ness news the community has had
since Oahu plantation was projected.
1t is an enterprise of about equal size
and in reality much more far reaching
and to Honolulu more material. All
over town yesterday from early in the
morning till late at night the topic
Of conversation ahead of all other con-
siderations was the matter of the
movement of the Iron Works establish
ment from it's present location to Ka-
kaako, where the plant is to be greatly
enlarged in its present departments
and where new features to employ
scores of men are to be added. The
matter of the lease of the six acres
from the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Es-
tate is now settled. Many other plans
of the elaborate general scheme for the
radical departure are not yet finally
decided upon.
The owners and managers of the
Iron Works have for years desired to
get the plant removed. At present the
establishment is somewhat discOnnect-
ed by streets and by inability to secure
certain pieces of land in the locality.
One great consideration is the firm in
tentiOn to have a suburban location and
to have the foundry shut off from the
outside. There will be a high fence
around the group of buildings in ka-
kaakO. 1t is very likely that the Or
binary system Of having a check on
the presence or absence of employees
during working hours will then be
adopted and strictly enforced. Alex.
Young, the former superintendent, urg-
ed this for years. In such large COM
pany of men as are on the pay rolls of
the Iron Works there are always some
who will drop out for a few minutes
during the day and sometimes more
than once during working periods.
There will be none of this at all in the
new home.
Another cherished thought of the
veteran superintendent who was a
couple of years ago succeeded by Mr..
Hedemann will be brought into realiza-
ton by the change of base. Others
connected with the Works have felt
strongly and talked positively upon
the same matter. The Company will
fight to the last ditch against any pro-
posal looking to the establishment of
a saloon anywhere near the new
Works. \ very large percentage Of the
men, including perhaps about all Of
those who drink, will stand with the
Company in this matter.
Said a gentleman yesterday who is
well enough informed on affairs of the
Honolulu Iron Works Company to be
accepted as an authority: THE an
1ouncements made by the Advertiser
were a surprise to all. The few men
who were in the transaction had not
the remOtest idea that it could have
in a newspaper. 1t was sup
posed to be q secret. Nothing was to
be said of details till there were adj
vices from Mr.. Davies, the President
of the Company. As you know, he
went aboard a few days ago. Of course
there could be no cOncealment of the
leasing of the land. The Advertiser
was correct in almost every particular.
This is a big thing for Honolulu. 1t
will expand, | am certain, quite we'll
beyond the limits of all calculations
now made. There will be a good many
more mills built in these Islands, and
from this time on the Iron Works will
have the construction, maintenance
and improvement of all of them. We
know by experience just what is need
ed. We have the confidence of the
planters and with new facilities can
make much better figures in cOmpeti-
ton than we have been able to offer
IN the past.
Let me whisper to you that very
likely before the first plans are COM |
pleted a dry dock will be added to the |
scheme. 1t must come sooner or later, |
md here are men who will be listened /
o who are urging that it might just |
Is we'll be provided now as later. The |
shipping in and out of this port is in
'reasing enormously. 1t is going ahead |
With a growth of regular strides and |
honolulu is The point for repairs and |
upplies in the Pacific. There will be
/ new and well patrOniZed TOadstead |
When the Nicaragua canal is built, and
hat canal is assured now that Admiral |
Walker and his colleagues are working
in the matter and have the
ninistration at Washington and of all
he prominent public men in the Unit
d States. The Spanish war scare will
i've the canal movement a heavy i'm
,etus. The dry dock here could be |,
asilv provided The HCng Kong wells
culd be equalIed here very cheapIy
" digging out the soft coral. The con-
trucion cost will be nothing in COM
arison to what it is elsewhere. Then |:
ny ship afiOat can be handled just as
veil here as at any other port in the
World. That viii bring the business.
t would not surprise me al all to see
he Oriental liners stopping here every
rip for say sixty hours for overhaul
lg-
The Iron Works people will employ
lot more men. There will be more
apartments and tools and more mate
ial to manage. 1t will probably be
epeSS9TV 10 have SCOWS 10 bring