The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-05-28
EI-MiliStGT Of the Interior Makes
Statement on Wharf Matters.
Was for Government Ownership
and Control - Gives Version of
Transactions With o. r. & L. Co.

Washington, D. c., May Is, 1898.
Hon. W. o. Smith, Attorney General,
Honolulu, II. I.
Sir:-Your communications of April
18th and 22nd are duly in hand with
enclosures.
l note that you request me to make
a statement of the circumstances
which led up to the granting of the
lease to the o. R. & L. Co. of the
wharf frontage.
AS it is now over eight years since
the transaction and 1 have not access
here to the correspondence and the
documents connected with the matter,
it is impossible for me to give exact
details to make as full a statement
as I could if I were in Honolulu; but
/ will make as full a statement as l
can from my personal knowledge, hop
ing at an early date to be able to re-
turn to Honolulu and there complete
the details.
According to my best recollection,
and subject to correction upon further
examination of documentary evidence,
the circumstances under which the.
lease from the Government to the o.
r. & L. Co., of the wharf frontage
and the location of the terminal divi-
sion was granted, were as follows:
The original location of the Railroad
began at King street, including the
present depot and railroad yards.
Sometime after this location was ap-
proved, Mr.. Dillingham; had an inter
view with me in which he stated that
conduct of the railroad that they.
should be able to receive and deliver
freight directly from and to the ship
ping, and wanted to know If the
Government would not put in a wharf
on that side of the harbOr.
My reply was that | could see the
value to the Railroad of access to the
harbor, but that there was no apprO-
priatiOn then available with which the
Government could construct the wharf.
Mr.. Dillingham; then proposed that
he should build the wharf. There had
already been considerable discussion
in the. Cabinet and between myself
and Mr. Rowell, the Superintendent
of Public Works, concerning the grow
ing needs of the port for wharf room,
and plans had been discussed for build
ing additional wharves on the Eva
side of the harbOr. / informed Mr..
Dillingham; at the time that | was
firm believer in the policy Of the Gov
ernment absolutely owning and con-
trolling the wharVes and the harbOr
front: that the Government was not
in a position to now build wharf,
but recognizing the value to the pub
lie and the railroad, and desiring to
facilitate his operations in every prop
er way ! would consent to his con-
structing a wharf, upon the condition
that it should not interfere with the
plan of location of Wharves on the Eva
side of the harbOr which might ulti-
mately be adopted, which proposition
Mr.. Dillingham; Immediately agreed to-
About this time, or perhaps little
previous thereto, the railroad acquir-
ed the Youman's estate land on the
west side of the harbOr and claimed
that it reached to deep water, giving
him the deep water frontage on the
harbOr.
I caused the line of the Youman's
land to be located either by the sur
vey department, or by the Superln-
tendent of Public Works, / forget
which. and found that between that
line and deep water there lay strip
OF SnOdl water OI pIdCLlCcIIAy IAAC SAM
deDth as that over the YOuman's prop
ertv which the railroad had acquired.
thereupon informed Mr.. Dilling-
ham that I did not admit that his prop
erty came to deep water; that the
strip of shoaI between the line of his
property and deep water belonged to
| the Government and that in pursuance
! Of the policy Of Government owner
! ship and control of the harbOr front
| age I could not consent to the loca-
| ton of the terminal division which ne
was then seeking to obtain, unless
! and until the question Of the owner
ship Of this strip was settled. He urg-
ed that the question Of the ownership
of this strip be postponed and be set
tied by itself.
I refused to consent to this. l told
him that the Government had no de-
sire to hamper him in his operations
and that no charge would be made
to him for the occupation Of the strip,
hut that there must be a definite agree
ment and understanding as to the title.
I thereupon offered to lease to the