The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-09
AT PEARL
/ HARBOR.
No Funds For a
Naval Station
| Now.
LAND OPTIONS TO
| BE GOTTEN FIRST
Cable Bill Still in Abeyance.--Dr.
Stubbs for Diversified
Growths.

" that the naval appropriation
bill as reported in the House
does not contain any appropriation for
the improvement of Pearl Harbor, by
the erection there of the buildings for
the proposed naval station has proven
great disappointment tosthe officials
of the naval bureau of construction and
repair but the reason for the action
seems to have been well founded. The
site for the station has been chosen.
The land which it is proposed to i'm
proveAby the erection of the station has
been chosen. and while it is partially
outlined by previous administrations it
covers other ground which will entail
negotiations widely different than those
which would be necessary to secure any
of the old sites.
When the question came up of an APP
preparation of 100000 for the naval sta
ton as proposed it was discovered that
the Navy Department had no hard and
| fast option on the land which it want
| ed For this reason the members of the
committee decided that there was no
reason why the money should be APP
propriated at that time. They were OF
opinion that the appropriation of this
sum would make the prices of land on
the shores of Pearl Harbor even sitter
/ than they are now and would in fact
compel the payment of sum largely
in excess of what the land should cost.
This has been the experience of the
Government in the past and so frequent
have been these instances that it was
decided that there should be options Sc
cured first and then the money would
be appropriated.
The efforts being made to secure a
day for the consideration of the cable
bill in the House have as yet amounted
to naught owing to the failure of GER
tain of the men who had been counted
upon to act with the delegate from Ha-
wall and the California men to come to
time The attempt has not been aban>
doned and there will be another at
tempt made to have the Speaker give a
day for the bill. There have been as
surances given that there will be ma
jority for the measure when it comes
lup.
The report of Dr. Stubbs on the agri
Iculture of Hawaii has also been hsub-
mitted to Congress and is now being
printed and will be ready for distribu-
ton at an early date. The report gives
interesting figures concerning the SUI
: gar and other industries and lays stress
on the nature of the soil and climate
which would make it possible to raise
many of the best forage plants and the
small fruits and vegetables of the sub
tropical and temperate zones.
Speaker Henderson of the House i:
opposed to any commission of member:
of both houses being sent to Hawai-
to look into the land question. H,
takes this stand on the grounds of econ
omy and thinks the work could be done
as we'll by commissioner. This stand
however, is not that of the Senate ant
it is more than probable that if tn,
Speaker sticks to his intention to pre-
vent any such investigation on the par
of the House that the Senate will max,
it an Independent commission.
Mr.. and Mrs. c. NJ. Cooke were in tn,
, city for short time Tuesday on thei
way to New York. They visited the Con
gressional Library and took their de
parture the same evening. Mr. Cook
secured passports which will be uset
during the proposed visit they viii
make to the Mediterranean soon Mr.
Cooke called upon Attorney Haywood
and consulted with him as to the pros
poets of legislation during the session