The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-01-08
Mr.. Dillingham; Speaks Sharply ON
Wharf Matters.
CRlTICISES THE GOVERNMENT
Complains Enterprise Has not been
Between Co. and Minister.

interests are concerned" says Mr.. B. F.
Dillingham;, in speaking of wharyes and
water front, Il am sure we have moth
ing we wish to hide from the public
In proof of this statement | will hand
you copies of the entire correspondence
January 18th and continuing to Novem-
Der /, 1897
The Government is of course not
unfriendly to the railway company"
Yes; | believe that is what the in
dividual members say when they talk
on the outside, but if you can find any
thing friendly or encouraging in their
attitude, as portrayed in the cores
pondence / have just handed you, be
good enough to come around and point
it out to me- If such treatment is to be
expected from q friendly Government
what might one expect from men who
reasons"
What is you idea as to why the Gov
eminent wants to take back the prop
erty you have under lease?"
"To have something to show the next
Legislature, I suppose, or to deprive
the o. r. & L. Co. of some of the best
paying property it has, and to put into
the Golfers of the Government, the
earnings of a business created by the
company from which they proposed to
take it.
tAt the time when the wharf was
built, the mud flats extended out into
the harbor over 100 feet beyond the ma
kai end of the present wharf The old
dredger was the only one in the harbor.
the work of dredging was slow, the
Government had no defined plans for
wharves on that side, and hence it was
decided to build on the site now occu-
pied"
What property does the company
own in fee on the west side of the har-
bor?"
Twenty-Five acres with a frontage
on the harbor of 700 feet
Does the franchise held by the o. R.
& L. Co. give them the right of eminent
DOMAINE
Eyes"
why then did the company not con-
denim and take what they wanted to
deep water before the wharf was
built?'
"For serveral reasons. 1st: No gen
erai plan for the development of whar
yes or docks on that side had been laid
out by the Government
There were very few men who then
believed the railway would ever build
a wharf, or be anything but a total
failure. 1t was the policy of the man
agement, to avoid in very possible way
doing any thing not absolutely neces-
sary to avoid unpleasant and hurtful
criticism
mo right under the franchise was
waived by taking lease for 10 years
for 81, for what at the expiration of
that time, the company might if neces-
sary condemn and take, and the COM
pany would have an opportunity to
prove possibly beyond the skepticism
of any man that the undertaking would
be a success, and that the demands of
its business would require not only one
wharf but as many wharves as could |
be built, within its extra water front.
ut never occurred to the manage |
ment of the o. R. & L. Co. for one mo-
ment, that a Government of country. |
having special Railroad Act. in which |
it holds out special inducements to
home and foreign capital to undertake
the building of railroads, would seek to
find ways and means by which, after
such capital and enterprise had con-
tinued and carried into effect such OBJ
ject, in good faith, it would then at
tempt to withdraw its special induce
ments''
HAS your lease eXpired?"
mo it has two years yet to run.
There was a clause in the lease giving
the Government the option of tender
ing the o. R. &. L. Co. the money for
the cost of the wharf at any time dur
ing the term of the lease after a writ
ten notice of 90 days had been served
why was the clause inserted?"
''The verbal understanding was that
the Government would probably never
give such notice, unless it was found
necessary to remove that wharf some
time during the term of the lease for
the purpose of enlarging the harbor.
But we hold our right under our fran
chise today to condemn and take right
of way through any Government prop
erty, anywhere for the purpose 81 haul
ing freight and passengers around this
island and delivering the same on to
wharves at deep water. If the rights
and privileges granted to the o. r. &
L. Co. in its franchise are not good,