The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-12

Continued from Page ID

L.
plot. On the Irwin property. at Mer-
chant and Richards streets and Union
Square, the committee made the state
ment that nothing could be done. as
Mr.. Giffard did not know the inten-
tons of Mr.. Irwin, and could only sub
NIT the matter of proposition to him
by letter
Postmaster Dat reported upon the
present site, saying that the lot, with
adjacent pieces which are in the gov
eminent control, would make 16S feet
on Merchant street, 80 feet in depth.
The Lewis lots, he said, were only 20
feet deep. There was some discussion
of the lot across Bethel street here,
but nothing was brought out, other
than it was no feet by IS on Mer-
chant street.
George R. Carter prefaced his report
on the Esplanade site by saying that
there was nothing personal in that site
and there could be no axes ground
He then introduced the following re-
port:
Hon. L. A. Thurston, Chairman of Pub
lie Committee on Location of Fed
eral Building.
Your committee on the Esplanade
site begs leave to report as follows:
70, ant
nous agreement on the part of the
members of this community is so patent
that it would be presumption to direct
attention TO the many failures of COM
munities on the mainland to secure
Federal appropriations, from splitting
UP into local factions, each desiring
a separate location. There is only one
way to get this appropriation, and that
is by everyone in the community get
ting together and pulling hard for it
Every possible influence should be
brought to bear The matter resolves
itself down to simply this, is Honolulu
composed of individuals sufficiently
loyal and patriotic to waive their own
personal sentiments, compromise their
differences, and agree upon one building
with one site. In other words, are those
opposing the choice of the majority go
ing to prove themselves sufficiently pa
triotic to drop all opposition to theil
plan and work for that which the ma
jority selects.
1t seems to this subcommittee that
our chances of securing an appropria-
ton are reduced just in proportion tc
the number of buildings we may be-
lieye convenient. 1t must be borne il
mind that if public opinion decides thai
public interests can best be served by
two separate buildings, then the argu
ments can be used that it will nee6
twice the expense of caretakers ant
twice the repairs for all time to come
When Congress takes action in thi:
matter there will be applicants before
1t from every part of the Union desir-
Gus of getting their part of the appro.
priations in ahead of all others. OuI
request should, therefore, be in sucf
shape as to forestall every possible crit.
icism, and appeal to the wisdom anc
good sense of the members of Congress
who have the final settlement of this
question.
Your subcommittee claims for this
site that it does away with all underly-
ing personal interests on the part OF
private owners connected with it or in
it's immediate neighborhood.
Your committee finds that there are
six blocks fronting on the Esplanade
directly opposite the entrance to the
karbor, all owned in fee by the Terri
torial Government, with the exception
of the Electric Company's works. Three
of these blocks, of two hundred feet
each, face on the Esplanade, and they
are three hundred and twenty-six feet
deep. Your committee suggests the
middle of these blocks as a site for a
Federal building, which would, there
fore. be bounded by the Esplanade, XII
lauea street to the east, Allen street
mauka, and Kekuanaoa street to the
west-an area of 5000 square feet, ap-
proximately one and one-half acres
surrounded by streets sixty feet wide.
And it proposes, further, that the
blocks On each side shall be set apart
perpetually as small public parks, with
green lawns and ornamental palms and
other trees.
This gives an opportunity for fine
architectural effect. for cool, quiet Off
ces, where under one roof all the Fed
eral departments can be combined, ano
where every passenger on every steam
er touching at this port would first be
confronted with magnificent building
forcibly illustrating to him that the
stars and stripes are in possession OF
the key TO the Pacific Ocean; express
lag in its architecture the taste and re-
finelnent of the American people, as ex-
empIifed in Hawaii; the green lawns
and possibly the cool fountains OF
either side Offering an inviting welcome
to the passenger, giving HIM an ex-
preston of sanitary cleanliness which
although perhaps not in existence to-
Gay, should be the ideal of every patri'
otto citizen.
By the Use of this site. the postoffict
department would receive it's mail from
steamers quicker and at less expense
than in any other site. The member:
of the community should thus be able
to get their mail quicker.
Merchants and members of the com
munity long accustomed to the present
site will at first feel this too great {
i,,J,1 I1y,+ ~ fOT 4