The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-08-04
OLOnA FIBER.
Continued from page ID

scanned by Secretary Hay but thus far
nothing has been made public concern
ing the Departments program, further
than that the report is not considered
of very great Importance. 1t is limited
that no further action will be taken.
The Department has made public the
text of Capt. Hamlet's report proper
hut there are other documents with it,
which are withheld. These are under
stood to be records of a sort of court
held aboard the Thetis to establish the
status of the Japanese and their OBJ
ject in hunting birds on the island.
Col. w. H. Michael, chief clerk of the
Depa rtment, was asked today what the
attitude of the Department would prob
ably be towards any one seeking to
secure the bird skins and other prop
erty, which the Japs left on the island.
This property" he replied, lis prob
ably of very little value, not enough
to warrant a ship going there to bring
it away. The japanese were very glad
to get away from the island. That
seems to be the end of it,
However, notwithstanding Col. Mi
chaeFs statement, it is known that the
government here is very cautious about
taking any step at this time that would
| be annoying to the Japanese authori-
| ties. The matter will probably be the
subject of some future negotiations but
there is apparently no intention of
pressing these negotiations. Capt.
Hamlet's report and confidential docu-
ments will remain in the files of the
State Department for the present.
THE NEW BARRACKS.
There is little new from the Wash
ington end about government struc-
lures to be erected in Honolulu or
| near by. Assistant Quartermaster
General George c. Ruhlen, who has i'm
medite supervision over the construc-
ton of army barracks, said today:
Capt. Humphrey was detailed to Bo-
nolulu with instructions to survey the
ground for site for the new army
barracks there and also to ascertain
what sort of material is best adapted
to the climate. We have not yet re-
ceived his map. I suppose the bar
racks will, without doubt, be of wood.
That is the most available material.
Naturally, the construction of barracks,
now contemplated for northern eli
mates, where we can work only por-
ton of the year, will be given atten-
ton by this office, in advance of the
plans for the Honolulu barracks. In
Hawaii building operations can be pros
ecuted all the year round. 1 should
think it would be two or three months
before the work at Honolulu could be
actively begun
THE IMMIGRANT STATION.
Mr.. Charles E. Kemper, chief execu-
tive officer of the Supervising Archi-
tect's office of the. Treasury Depart
ment, was asked today what progress
was being made with the immigrant
station at Honolulu. The bids were
20 he opened in Honolulu July Ii"
said he. I'VE have heard nothing from
there lately but I expect I'll bids viii
he forwarded to us by the first mail, |,
after they were opened. Accordingly |
the bids should reach US shortly after ,
August 1. We shall give all necessary |
authority to hasten the work of con-
struction as much as can be reasona bly, |
done. if any of the bids prove salts !
factory to the Department"
HAWAIIAN COINS.
The Treasury Department officials |
say that a good many of the Hawaiian |
silver coins are still outstanding. Ex-
aminer Robert E. Preston, of the divi- |
sion of the mint. stated today that the |
total amount of the old silver coins, |
presented for redemption up TO July 1 |
of this year, was s919.192.75 OF this |
sum $34, 1925 has come in since jan
uary l last, the date fixed by law as
the limit for receiving the coins One
consignment of $4,000 was received |
March % last.
The government continues to re- /
ceive the coins and to give legal tender
money in exchange for them, said Mr.