The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-04-13
HARBOR NEEDS
Work of United States
Commission.
Report on Honolulu's Necessities for
Additional Wharfage is Nov
In Washington.

For a mouth past United States
harbor commission mas been sitting
mere 1t was Instituted TO furnish the
Government IN Washington certain IN
formation about the harDor, to make a
report and recommendations. So
quietly has 1t worked that little of its
| doings has TRANSFERRED It's report Is
now III Washington and soon honolulu
should hear welcome news.
The officials composing the board are
Major William Ennis, Captain A.
shaker and Second Lieutenant u. K.
Hancock, all of the Sixth Artillery.
Two main propositions have engaged
the board. One contemplated an ex-
change of land between the Hawaiian
Government and the railroad company.
The local government some time ago
sent to Washington suggestion to the
effect that an exchange could be made
of two small pieces of land owned
by the government here, together with
another piece in dispute between the
government and the railway company,
for a strip owned by the latter along
the waterfront, which would admit of
largely increasing the wharfage facil-
tiles; the two governments to develop
the waterfront together. The authori-
ties at Washington did not take action
on the matter Immediately, possibly
because they felt that the information
at their disposal was not sufficient to
warrant them in doing so. They for
warded to the officials above mentioned,
who considered the matter in all its
bearings and investigated it from all
points of view.
What the government at Washington
sought in this matter was information;
and the board sent thither all that
could be obtained. They secured the
opinions of all the business people of
prominence in Honolulu, including the
chief merchants, the heads of the bank
ing houses and all persons interested
in shipping and in the extension of the
waterfront. All approved of the pro-
posed barter, as well as most of the
members of the government; and the
Chamber of Commerce adopted resolu-
tons favoring the proposed method of
extending the harbor lines. The re-
suits of this investigation were for
warded to Washington, together with
the commissions report, on March 81,
and the documents should arrive today.
The matter may be hearu from in TWO
weeks time If the authorities there act
promptly, which they probably won't.
There were no engineering problems
connected with this affair, nor was it
in any respect military proposition
looking to the defence of the harbor in
time of war. 1t was purely CONNIE =
cial matter, intended to determine
whether or no tho plan involved a fair
business exchange and promised to re-
suit in a substantial increase in the
dock room. The exact recommends
tons made by the board could not of
course be learned, but 1t found that the
plan offered the quickest and most
feasible way of charging the harbor
facilities. If carried out, 1t will nearly
double the dock space without en-
croaching upon the harbor proper.
This transfer will enable a number
of docks near the outflow of Nuuanu
stream to be extended out a hundred or
a hundred and twenty feet into the har-
Dor, so that large vessels can discharge
on them from both matches at once,
or two small vessels can unload at the |
same time. Besides this the transfer
makes available for new docks a strip |
OF land not at present equipped with |
wharfage facilities. The commission,
1t may be mentioned, caled the atten- |
ton of the Washington authorities to |
the large number of vessels which are |
to be out in the harbor for |
ten days or more while awaiting a |
chance to unload, and showed the ur-
gent need OF an increase in the dock
room