Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-08-01

Governor Carter has given out the
following official statement in regard
to his position in the building site:
In the matter of the Federal public
building site, | consider that bad faith
has been shown 10 me, officially and
privately, by the representatives OF
the Mahuka site owners.
Originally, l was Indifferent as to
the location of the Federal building
Busy with other matters, l paid no at
tention to the question, other than ia
object to any plan which would in
volve large expenditure of public
money. But the representatives of the
Mahuka site people themselves sug-
gested that they were blocking pro-
gress and would willingly step aside
and leave the field clear for other sites,
if the administration would agree to
open Bishop street and give them one
week in which to deposit 1900, or
one-half the cost of the property need
ed for this They were to undertake
to secure the money and the consent
of all the property owners. 1t asked
that their proposition be submitted to
me in writing and suggested that the
time be extended to ten days from that
date.
For several days | received no COM
munication, then was told that they
were trying to see if they could make
good that which they had already as
sured me as being certain.
was then given an agreement
which l accepted, largely embodying
their voluntary proposition and stating
that on their failure to accomplish
certain results, the Mahuka site would
be withdrawn and the matter left open
for the Treasury Departments second
choice.
Such was the situation when I left
Honolulu on May II. l did not reach
Washington until June 7. Calling on
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Winthrop late that day to pay my per-
sonal respects, he informed me that
the Mahuka site people had just
cabled their withdrawal, and asked me
to take up the matter and decide it for
them. He sent clerk for the tele-
gram, and it's date showed that there
had been considerable extension OF
the time granted by me, but / pre-
sumed that the Acting Governor had
found good reasons for extending tho
terms of the agreement.
Winthrop took me at once into Sec
rotary Cortelyou's room TO pay my re-
spects to him, and while there Win
throp told him of the cable and stated
that he had asked me to go into the
matter and settle it for them. | de-
murred and stated it was understood
the department had already selected
the Bishop Estate site as its second
choice. This they both denied, and
Winthrop said he had all along had
some misgivings as to the wisdom of
a downtown site; that he had only
been in Honolulu once, and it was his
recollection that the Palace Square
was not far from the center of the
town.
We shortly retired to Winthrop's
room, the papers were brought in and
we discussed the different sites. | con-
cluded that there would be less chance
for regret in the future if this oppor-
tunity was taken to enhance the i'm
portance of Palace Square by locating
on 1t the Federal building. | told Win
throp that selfish interests alone
prompted the downtown site, for the
distance was trifling, and further ex-
planned that the gore site was too
small; that would prefer the Irwin
site, provided the Treasury Depart
ment would consent to surrender to|
the Territory the necessary frontage,
whenever in the future 1t undertook
the actual execution of the Robinson
plan for enlarging Palace Square, and
explained the contemplated improve
ment.
Winthrop at once objected and said
~ NOuiu Uc llpOoSlDlt W SuTTellueTI
any of the property after it had once
been secured and paid for, and pointed
out that the Territory could never
condemn it nor take it from Uncle
Sam, except by Congressional action,
and he did not think that at all likely.
In fact, he stated that the Treasury
could not countenance
such course. If anything of that
nature was to be done, it must be
lone now. Therefore, | concluded to
ascertain if Irwin would donate to the
Territory that portion in front of the
site, failing which l would
recommend downtown site.
We then prepared the cables, Win
.hrop asking the Mahuka people to-
confirm their withdrawal by mail, and
asking Irwin to give the frontage
The next day / called at the Treas
Try Department and showed Twins
answer to Winthrop, refusing to sur