Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-01-26

Inc government pOllcy at
present with respect to the Rail.
way wharf matter is precisely in
line with the recommendation of
the Special Legislative Committee
of 1890 on that subject, which the
Cabinet of that time did not have
backbone enough to carry out.
This is the report:
Honolulu, November 8, 1890.
Hon. J. S. WALKER, President
Legislative Assembly.
Sir:-Your Committee to whom
was referred that certain lease
made and entered into by the late
administration with the Oahu
Railway and Land Company, for
a part of the Harbor of Honolulu,
beg to report:
That the late Government leased
to the 0. II. a. l.. Co. that part of
the harbor, being 720 feet more or
less of the deep water line on the
west side of the barbor adjoining
the Compsny's property, from the
depth of 5 feet at mean tide, ex-
tending into the hsrbor a distance
averaging about 100 feet, granting
said Company the privilege
and right to erect wharves
along the water frontage of said
demised premises, said wharves
extending into the harbor not
more than 300 feet, and granting
to said Company the right to col
lect tolls and wharfage for the
use of same. In view of the
urgent necessity for new wharves,
our present facilities being in.
adequate to meet the demands of
our growing commerce, and in
view of the fact that the west side
Of the harbor is admitted to be the
only available location for in
creasing our wharfage accommo-
dations. we cannot approve of
parting with any of the valuable
water frontage there, which is
essential to our harbor require
ments.
By the terms of the lease the
Company have the right to fill in
the leased premises with earth,
gravel and other material, which
privilege they have availed them
selves of with serious detriment
to the harbor. The length of the
infllings and the direction in
which the wharves are to run, we
find upon good testimony will for
many reasons and in divers ways
cause large portion of the har-
Dor to deteriorate. The lease is
defective in this respect, that it is
not even obligatory upon the o.
Il. IL i. Co. to first build substan-
tial sea walls to retain the debris
before the earth and gravel are
dumped into the harbor, to be
speedily deposited by freshets,
where it will do Jury to the har-
bor. Conclusive testimony is now
in the hands Of your Committee
to show that the past in6lliog of
the .. II. ~ l.. Co. have complet-
ed a great public injury, which to
repair will nece Ssitate a large out
lay of money.
But again the lease sets aside to
the use and for the benefit of a
corporation the best portion of the
desirable and available wharf site
and water frontage in Honolulu
harbor. The extent of increase
in our wharfage facilities is de
posed by competent experts to be
solely along the side Of the har-
Dor, beginning at Fishmarket
wharf, running to the Cattle wharf
and thence in an angle to Sumer's
Island. a total distance of about
1900 feet. If the immediate ne
cessity, amply testified to by
competent witne sses, of construct
ing new public wharves be con.
sidered, it will at once be seen,
that your Committee cannot in the
shipping interests and the country
generally approve of the present
lease, which lets to a private cor
poration a large and the best and
most valuable portion of said 1900
feet of wharfage ground, thereby
practically debarripg the Govern
ment from hereafter utilizing
large segregated portions of the
har Dor to public advantage.
Again by the terms of the lease