The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-11-14
CHOICE of WOOD
IS CONFIRMED
Chamber of Commerce Agree
With Special Com
mittee.

special representative u Inc hOAOAuI1
Chamber of Commerce to press for the
passing of an appropriation bill IL
Congress for the Improvement of Pear.
Harbor was officially confirmed yes
terday at the regular meeting of tht
trustees of that body. In the report
of the special committee naming Mr.
Wood especial pains were taken to point
out that the sending of a special rep
resentative on the Pearl Harbor mat
ter was not to be taken to mean any
reflection on either the Delegate or his
secretary. George B. Mcclellan.
The report went fully into the neces-
sity of sending someone to Washington
able to devote his entire time to the
especial object in view and gave a
number of excellent reasons why the
choice of Mr.. Wood had been decided
upon. The report was adopted unani-
mously.
TEXT OF THE REPORT.
1.-The undersigned, constituting your
Committee appointed for the purpose
of considering the question of send
ing a special representative to aid and
assist the Territorial Delegate in en-
deavoring to secure an appropriation
for the Improvement of Pearl Harbor,
begs to report as follows:
1.-The consideration of this question
involved three points:
1.-THE advisapility of sending any spe-
cial representative;
who to send on the mission:
How to raise the necessary funds
for defraying expenses.
I'VE realize that this Territory is
we'll represented by it's Congressional
Delegate, who is in turn ably assisted
BY Mr. Geo. B. Mcclellan, supplement-
ed with such further aid as Mr.. Hatch
may be able to render aside from his
duties as special representative of tho
Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association.
We. therefore, wish it distinctly under
stood that any recommendations herein
made are not to be construed in any
sense as a reflection upon the honor
able gentlemen referred to. We feel
sure that with their numerous duties,
in so important a matter, which may
be given by a special representative
devoting his time to the study of it.
1--WE are also aware that the fortifi-
cation of Pearl Harbor and its devel-
opment as a naval base Is a matter on
national concern, and any action taken
by the United States Government re-
lating thereto will be for the purpose
of national defense. 1t is not at all
necessary to send any one to Wash
ington to tell the authorities that
Pearl Harbor should be fortified; that
is their business, and fortunately for
us. the executive departments ara
strongly in favor of such policy. The
tremendous advantages 10 accrue in a
commercial way TO this Territory will
be a secondary consideration and
would not in any sense justify the
great expenditure involved in the con-
templated improvements.
With these facts in mind, your
Committee called on Admiral Very and
also upon Captain Otwell, and discuss
ed with these gentlemen at length thu
status of the proposition. AS result
of these conferences, your Committee
was fully convinced of the Importance
of appointing a representative, who
will make a special study of the reports
and surveys that have hitherto been
made, and also acquaint himself with
the preliminary steps now being taken;
and thus equipped to proceed to Wash
ington at the earliest possible date and
be there ready to impart any addition
o1 inf
lions. ETC., that may be of value to
the Departments having this great un-
dertaking in charge.
In this connection we would remind
you that no River and Harbor Bill will
be presented at the coming session
However, as an exhaustive survey was
made of Pearl Harbor by the Bennins-
ton in 1897 and full report was made
by the Naval Department in 1900, your
Committee is strongly of the opinion
that sufficient additional data may be
secured on which to base reliable
estimate of the total cost of the i'm
provements in the harbor, including
the necessary Strengthening and widen
ing of the channel. In order to avoid
any further delay in beginning actual
operations, we earnestly recommend
that all possible data and information
lac secured on these poin,s ana be pre-.
scented to the proper autl. rifles and
committees at the earliest possible op-
portunity. We believe that The pres
ent is the psychological moment for
pushing forward this great work, and
no stone should be left untucne.7 which
viii have any weight or influence on
the proposition.
The next and most difficult problem
was to find a party with such expe-
rience and familiarity in handling,
matters of this kind at Washington as
would justify our recommending his
being sent as an addition to the able
staff now representing the interests OF
the Territory. We found that it was
a question, in a large measure, OF
availability. Several gentlemen who
have heretofore repres. nted political
and commercial interests of this COM
munity at the national capital. are for
business and private reasons unable to
so. We are, however, pleased to report
that we have secured the services oil
Mr.. H. P. Wood, your honorable sec.
rotary, who, of course, is well and fav-
orably known to you. and who. we are
| informed. has had much experience in