The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-07-03

Members Of the Merchants Associa.
ton had an opportunity to express
themselves freely ON the Nuuanu dam
question at their special meeting yes
terday afternoon, an opportunity which
everyone Of those present took adj
vantage of. The executive committee
had already been in correspondence
with Governor Carter in the matter.
the correspondence having already been
published with the exception of the
last letter, which was:
Executive Chamber.
Honolulu, Hawaii, June %, 1906.
L. II. Paris. Esq, Secretary. Merchants
Association. Honolulu.
Dear Sir While II is very satisfac-
tory to know that your organization is
Pleased to note that the Government
has secured the services of Mr.. Kellogg
to inspect the Nuuanu dam, yet this
fails entirely to respond to my request
for its opinion land OF course II cannot
speak for any other than itsel) as TO
the confidence, or otherwise, OF the
Merchants Association in any report
Mr.. Kellogg may see fit to MAKE.
/ have already advised you by tele-
phone that have no objection to the
correspondence being made public.
Kindly present this letter to your or
ganization and inform me as to what
they think of Mr. Kellogg's ability To
pass on the questions involved In this
controversy; for it is useless to proceed
with Mr. Kellogg If any large portion
of the community think he is incom-
petent.
Very sincerely yours,
G. r. CARTER
Governor.
1t was to deal with this letter that
the meeting had been called, explained
George w. Smith, the chairman. 1t
was legitimate for the Association ia
take up the subject when it did, but
the directors had not felt themselves
justified in dealing with this last re
quest of the Governor and had there
fore called the general meeting. The
question for decision was not as to the
qualifications of Mr.. Kellogg, but
whether two engineers would not b,
better than one, or three engineers
better than either one or two.
Mr.. Cation was not in favor of of
fering any advice to the Governor
whatever.
Colonel Soper did not agree will
this. The safety of the Nuuanu dan
was a matter affecting the whole com
munity and he thought that a searching
and thorough investigation of tn
whole construction should be made.
Similar remarks were made by w. W
Harris, who thought the Association
should make definite suggestion. HI
favored having three engineers on tn
investigation committee. The govern
ment had spent $4,000 already on tn
work and if this had been expended OIL
improper construction it ought to b
J found out and definitely determined.
G.. j. Waller wanted thorough re
port from three competent men.
, r. Reidford said that there was to
much at stake to hesitate about havin
: competent commission investigate
He believed Mr.. Kellogg to be a com
petent man, but everyone here may no
know him and the question was to sat
isfy the people.
L. A. McInerny thought that Their
should be no good reason for goin
: away from Honolulu to secure en-
gineers competent to investigate tn
dam. The Engineering Associatio
, might be asked to name two of thei
members to act with Mr.. Kellogg. II
: suggested that the Governor be ad
vised along those lines. The presenc
of a reservoir under suspicion woul
= keep tourists away from here, and tn
: loss of property and lives if the dar
should break would be heavy.
Other remarks of like tenor wer
t heard, the chairman remarking on Oh
. stiffness of the tomb which came froi
the direction of the Engineers Assoc
alton in the matter.
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