The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-04-23
READY To
co AHEAD
Mcclellan Talks Of
the Military
Post.
War Department Will
Spend $4,000
Here.
Adiutant General Promises to Re-
turn Drill Shed When Ka-
hauik is Ready.

6. B. Mcclellan who went to Wash
ington at the instance of Dillingham;
& Co., and the Merchants Associa ton
returned yesterday with the report that
the War Department intended to start
at Kahauiki and would spend $4,000 in
improvements there. Mr.. Mcclellan re-
ported, also that an unofficial promise
had been given. that when the post at
Kahauiki is ready. the drillshed site will
be turned over for the use of the Ter
ritorial government His information
as to work at Pearl Harbor is less
favorable ana Mr. Mcclellan believes
that it will be two or three years be-
fore any serious effort will be made to
improve Pearl Harbor.
Il was in Washington in a double
capacity" said Mr.. Mcclellan yester-
day, representing Dillingham; & Co.,
and the Merchants Association. In
my labors for the Merchants Associa-
ton / worked in conjunction with the
delegate. as instructed by the associa-
ton here, calling with him on the
Secretary of War, the Secretary of the
Navy and the architects bureau of the
Treasury Department and various COM
mites in regard to the army post.
The Secretaryof War informed us that
action was to be taken Immediately
for the acquisition of the Kahauik
tract, which deal has since been con-
summated. The Adjutant General in
formed US that work for the imme-
date improvement of the land would
be pushed at once. In answer to a
question from the delegate as to the
old armory grounds, as site for new
armory building, the Adjutant Gener-
al said unofficially that he would doubt
less find the grounds available for that
purpose as soon as the new buildings
at Kahauiki are constructed. There
will be q probable outlay of $4,000 on
the new post, although there. is no
present prospect of any considerable in
crease in the force to be stationed
here.
1.-The outlook for Pearl Harbor for
the present is much less encouraging.
The fact of the beginning of work on
two different naval stations at Guanta-
namo and Subig Bay this year has
made impossible the beginning of work
on Pearl Harbor this year. Secretary
Moody assured us that he would per-
sonally go into the matter. with the
general board before the next session
of Congress, but as near as / could
judge the situation at Washington.
there will be no serious beginning of
work at Pearl Harbor within the next
two or three years, unless particular
and concerted effort is made to get
favorable action of. the Navy Depart
ment, through the General Board, by
the people of the Territory.
1T is very hard for the people of
Hawaii to appreciate the difficulties of
getting legislation in Congress. The
pressure of general business is so great
that even with a friendly disposition
towards US it is always difficult to Sc
cure results. AS an example of this,
Alaska has been making a strong eff
fort for three years to secure much
needed legislation revising the mining
laws. Although the justice OF the
claim is everywhere acknowledged, no
bill for the relief of the Territory has
yet passed Congress.
Il found the Hawaiian delegate,
4
tinuous efforts to get results for his
but it must be remem-
bered in Hawaii. that it is an unwritten
and universal law in Congress that no
new member can secure results at once.
The return of the delegate, together
with his increased knowledge of Con-
gressional work makes 1t possible for
him TO secure much needed legislation
for Hawaii. The delegate spoke frank
ly to me of the advantage that would
come to him in having a well equipped
secretary and one able to assist him in
work before the committees and in the
various departments. The best helper
the delegate could ind, would be some
one familiar with the business ways of
Congress.
II found Congress a much harder
body of men than 1 was pre-
pared to expect, and a class of
men whose honor is above re-
preach. One of the features which
pleased me most was the way the COM
nittee meetings were conducted, Any
citizen who has facts
to present, and who is interested in a
pending matter, is given access to the
committee hearings. They have regard
only for the simple, straightforward
ness of the statement of facts and not
for the position of the man. That we
have good friends IN Washington is
shown by the fact that in the face of
press of business in Corr IS it was pos
sible to get special rule to consider
the electric and gas franchises.
LAS to the electric franchise I am
well satisfied with the way it passed
Congress. We wanted chiefly to amend
the bill which granted the company a
blanket franchise for the whole island
Of Oahu, so as to limit il only to Ho-