The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-07-27


very inception by injunction. No one
however, seem to want to take the
initiative and so the peoples money has
not only been spent in direct violation
OF the Legislature but IL the reports
are true with reference to the con-
struction OF this dam. 1t has been
squandered. and worse than all. life
and property jeopardized to a frightful
extent.
S. MAHELoNA.
HOLLOwAY'S SIDE.
"The construction of the Nuuanu
dam was authorized by the Legislature
Of 1903,' said Superintendent of Pub
lie Works Holloway yesterday, when
asked about the matter. Here is the
item in the Loan bill passed at that
session, setting aside $4,000 for that
work.
At this point he showed the copy of
the Loan bill kept in his office.
.'When the last Legislature was in
session. continued the Superintendent,
:" the proposition was up to purchase
the Pauoa water supply. l was not in
favor of that, but was and am in favor
Of the Nuuanu proposition. | asked for
$S5,000 to buiid the Nuuanu reservoir,
and the request was beaten by the Pa
uoa fellows.
"Then | put the thing in the form
of plan TO appropriate 100000 for
the general Improvement of the Homo
lulu water supply, and that carried. 1t
was perfectly well understood in the
Legislature that a part of that appro-
priation was to be used.to construct the
storage reservoir in Nuuanu. / also
had asked for an appropriation for the
Kalihi reservoir, and that was refused.
AS to the understanding about the use
of part of the money to construct the
Nuuanu reservoir, you can ask w. W..
Harris.
"The expenditures on the Nuuanu
dam for construction so far" said the
Superintendent, when asked concern
ing the sum so far used, "amount to
$40, 1920. With the ten per cent
drawback that we hold this will make
the amount close to $4,000"
UNDERSTANDING EXISTED.
"There certainly was an understand
ing that part of the 100000 appro-
priated for the general Improvement
of the Honolulu water supply was 10 be
spent in the construction of the Nuu-
anu reservoir" said W. w. Harris, who
had been one of the leaders in the
last house.
1.-THE special appropriation for that
purpose failea to pass, because of the
Pauoa fight. The Pauoa proposition
could not get through, either. The on
ly thing to do was to put through an
for the general improve
ment of the water supply, and leave
the expenditure of the amount to the
discretion of the executive. The Pa
uoa fellows, | suppose, thought they
could bring some kind of pressure to
bear to get the Superintendent to pur-
chase their springs. l was willing, on
my part, to leave it to executive dis
cretion, l an in favor of the Nuuanu
scheme, provided of course that the
reservoir is made safe. But this is
what happened in reference to the
water appropriation.
In other words, it would appear that
each side in the water controversy in
the last Legislature played with load
ed dice, the leaders believing they could
win ont, and that Superintendent Uol-
oway refereed the game with his mind
made up in advance as TO what he
would do. Incidentally, maybe the old
'lan of pumping water showed its head
n the deal but it does not seem to
nave had much show at any stage.
The tale is an interesting one as
howng how legislation is sometimes
and how Legislators do not
always succeed in getting what they
cheme to get, OF course, If the Ma
lelona crowd also understood that ex.
'cutive discretion was to be used in
the money appropriated for
he Honolulu water works-and there
would seem To he no other possible un.
Outstanding IN that kind of general APP
ropriation-they were merely beaten
i their own game, ON the surface of
hings