The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-11

IS ALL IN
Pearl Harbor Case
Is About to
Close.
VALUES SOAR TO
$4,000 AN ACRE
Witnesses for Bishop Estate
Put High Values on Land.
Argument Today.

Values Of Pearl Harbor land scared
all the way yesterday from $240 TO
81. 900 an acre. All the evidence u. the
long drawn out suit of the United
States vs.. b.. p. Bishop Estate is now
in. and the arguments to the jury viii
begin his morning. The cas- may go
TO the jury some time this afternoon
or tomorrow. but from the mass Of
figures and contradictory values accu-
Eiuiated by some Of the JIrynan dur
ing the progress of the trial. Il verdict
will hardly be reached until after con
siderable discussion behind the closed
doors of the jury room.
George F. Renton. manager of Eva
plantation, was the first witness call
&c for the respondents yesterday morn
irg. He placed the value of the con
demned land (after qualifying as m
expert) at s240 an acre. This referred
only to the arable cane land. about 500
acres.
A. V. Gear. who based his knowledge
of the values upon his experience in
the real estate business, estimated
Kuahua Island 10 be worth 81, 900 an
acre. There are forty-eight acres OF
this land. and witness stated that it
could be cut up into residence lots. for
which purpose it was very desirable
This witness also placed a vaIue OF
| 81 900 an acre for the $4,000 feet of
| frontage on the mainland. divided INTO,
lots extending back for 300 feet.
A. G.. Lovekin, at one time chief clerk
of the Bishop Estate. and now a real
estate agent. was questioned in regard
To the leases. but he was not allowed
tC answer the eases having been ruled
out. The court said: The only ques-
ton for this jury to consider is the
value OF the fee of the land in ColtrO-
versy. and the jury has nothing to do
with a lease. and will fix the value
only of the fee in the land the govern
ment is seeking to condemn"
Cecil Brown placed the highest value
of any of the witnesses upon the and.
He stated that he a been in charge
of the James Campbell Estate. which
owns 0 1000 acres in Eva basin. and
almost all Of the Eva plantation, since
1877. and as such had made leases. and
acquainted with the general values
of the land He also acted as attorney
in the partition suit Of the Queen En-
ma estate. He placed an estimate OF
$500 an acre for the ~ploughed sugar
property. Kuahua Island, he said.
be used either as cane land. for
residences, or as q shipping depot.
Basing his figures on the value of the
land for residence purposes, the wit
ness said the market value was IS, 900
an acre. and the same land for raising
cane was worth $500 an acre.
On croSs-eXamination witness reit-
Grated his previous statement as to
value, and added that for
shipping purposes the and was also
worth s., 900 an acre. He said he based
valuation on the opening of Pearl
Harbor, and if it was not opened. Kua-
hua Island would be of. no use for
wharves or warehouses.
"Is it not true" asked the court.
just as the witness was leaving the
that there has been considera-
bic depreciation in the valuation of
residence property and sugar lands in
md about Honolulu with in the past
years."
Il think not replied Mr.. Brown.
Sugar stocks have decreased.
haven't they?'
Yes. that's true"
Don't these stocks represent the
value of the land?"
Il do not believe they do" replied
Brown as he left the stand. !,
George j. Wagner. the last witness
IF the me testified that he was
4 civil engineer for Eva plantation.
had drawn the original and the
blue print of the land in dispute. He
EoNAAAth ia AA1 o1AAI -
height of Kuahua Island vas twenty
feet above the sea, the highest
was twenty-five and a half feet,
the elevation on the coast varied
rom eighteen TO twelve feet.
g. :. Desky was called as ar expert
lpon the opening of court in the after
loon. He said he had eighteen years
experience in the real estate business.
# which seven years was gained in
honolulu. He placed a valuation OF
an acre upon the land of kuahua
and estimated that the shore
on the mainland. divided in {
OTIS 200 feet deep from the shore. was .
worth from $3.50 TO $500 AT acre. I
J. +. Morgan. auCtioneer and rial
state man. placed a value of frop
500 to 81 900 an acre on Kuahua IslN =
and upon the land fronting on y
sea on the main tract, and 300 feet
eep. he placed a value Of 500 an
ere.
J. +. Brown. manager Of tine Hawaii
n Abstract and Realty Company, and
Drmerly commissioner of public lands,
bought that the mainland waterfront
aried in value. There was some good
nd SOME BAD. but it was worth on -
n average from $3.50 TO 81 600 an acre.
ivided up i'm lots 200 feet deep. He
aid by this estimate he meant that
he land was not 10 be
18th leases. Kuahua Island, he teStl-i
ed. was worth from 81. 200 to $500 for
purposes. All Of these wit
esses based their figures on the land
used for residences Mr.. Brown said \
this land presented Unusua adj =
auTages. in that il had fine oppoT-
mites for bathing and boating.
We're there ever any residences
lere =" asked Judge Estee-
NO: I don't think there We're. re-
led the witness.
you know OF anyone that wants Z
build a residence there2'
No; / can't say that | do
rs not this value for residence pur- -