Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-04-26

OiSagreeS
On Dam

u Tic NUudlu lJdln IOHliilltlee IcpoiN-
ed yesterday afternoon after having
leen utterly unable to agree. CHILL
lingworth held out with one report.
and the rest signed another, of which
John Hughes was the principal back.
or. The majority report reads as fol-
lows.
The present need during the past
few years for q better anu more plenti-
ful supply Of water for Honolulu has
been so urgent that committee of tho
Legislature of 1905 Investigated this
matter. This committee, after care
iully considering many schemes, dis
approved of the Nuuanu water project.
As water had to he found, however, the
Legislature appropriated money for
the extension Of the Honolulu water
system. In the meantime, the Public
Works Depai tmcnt officials, feeling
that they were the better judges Of
where water was TO be conserved, and
not considering for q moment the ac-
lion of the Legislature on the Nuuanu
scheme, began active operations on
that project. An engineer was engaged
" get out plans and specifications, and
make estimates for the Nuuanu dam
the original estimate of the work
ms per plans and specifications wal
computed at $4,000. Again. another
estimate OF the cost Of the work was
made, and this time the figure was
PLACED at $4,000.
Meanwhile, the Public Works DE.
partment. in feverlsh anxiety to begin
operations, might be said to have been
working overtime, and kept the ensi.
necr lwho happened To he in BOSTON,
also working overtime by means OF
many and lengthy cablegrams. fheiI
anxiety to start the work was certainly
strange when compared with the way
Il has been carried on.
Plans and specifications being final
~ ready, the work was advertised and
bids called for. Some ten or more con.
tractors applied for copies of The plans
and specifications. with. 1t is to be
presumed. the intention Of bidding
Only three bids, however. were re-
ceived.
The lowest bidder was awarded the
contract His figure was about $780,
900; that Is, $4,000 higher than the
rirst estimated cost, and 100000 higher
than the last, or second estimated cost.
| In considering these figures, It must
LG remembered that the estimated costs
as made by the Public Works Depart
ment include a percentage over and
above the actual cost; 1t will thus be
scen that the contractors figure In
cluded q much larger profit than the
figures OF the Department OF Public
| Works, or else the estimates were en-
tirely too low.
The work was started on the dam.
and from its beginning, nearly two
years ago. up to the present time, II
has been shown by witnesses that ev-
cry step Of its progress has been mark
ed by chickering's and disputes between
the Department Of Public Works and
the contractor. This condition became
so intensified that finally the public
was granted u hearing and In response
In evidence, and, II anything, worse
than existed prior to the Kellogg in
vestigation. These conditions prevail
ing, the Governor was moved to state
in an interview prior to the opening
of the present session of the Begisla'
ture, and TO include In his report to
this LCgis 'ltirC, tiat he would turn
the whole matter over to the Legisla
ture. The result OF this latter. ol
second Irotcgt from the people, Is YOU
special committee. and the request tC
Mr. Schuyler to come here and inves'
tigatc the dam, and finally this report
Your committee visited the dam. ant
found It In u chaotic condition. Wit
nesses. under oath, have been exam
incd and all stated that the contracto
(although the Public Works Depart
ment was aware Of this before t.,
work started) had neither the tools
specifications to carry ON the work n
II should he done. In proof of this
they point TO the length of time al
ready spent on this work; ct shoul,
have been completed several month
ago), but the end Is not yet In sight
They testified to the endless friction
between the contractor and officials o
the Public Works Department, o
charges and counter-charges obnoxiou
TO all, but particularly so to the peop
whose money is being wasted,
One witness, an official of the Pub
lie Works Department, testified that h
had no control whatever over the con
tractor as to what part of the dan
construction should be carried on. A
q consequence OF this, In the portion
Of the dam where construction wa
easy and the profits high, there tn
contractor worked; but In those por
lions of the dam where construction
was difficult and profits low, little wor