The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-02-09
SOME H|LO|TES
OBJECT TO PLAN

Among the appropriations that will
be urged on the next Legislature by the
delegation from Hawaii will be fnan.
cial provision for new courthouse at
Hilo, built upon modern plans and in.
tended to meet the present and future
necessities of the big islands civil ad.
ministration.
Superintendent of Public Works Mars,
ton Campbell has had plans for the new
courthouse prepared and, should the
building be provided for, Hilo win have
a public structure that it may well be
proud of. The plans call for ample
provision for the various administra.
tive departments and, in addition to
considering the requirements of the
present day, provision has been made
that will meet the needs of expansion.
The most up-todate methods will be
followed in the erection of the build.
ing. Reinforced concrete is the mate.
rial to be used, and the design calls for
structure of the very best construc.
tion. All of the executive offices will
have plenty of room, and freproof
vaults for the storage of public docu-'
ments.
The chamber intended for the DELHI
erations of the supervisors will be par
ticularly spacious and suited for the re.
quirements. The large windows will
be feature of the building, and a
large, well-lighted basement is designed
to provide for general storage pur.
poses.
The delegation of lawmakers from
Hawaii will come to the Legislature
with the unanimous determination to
secure the necessary appropriation. The
new courthouse is looked upon as an
absolute necessity, and it is pointed out
inadequate but tend to limit the eff.
cheney of the county government.
Through the gathering of all of the
executive departments in one building
it is argued that the general work
would be greatly benefited and that
there would be no small profit in the
economy that would naturally result.
owe have designed this building for
practical utility said Superintend-
ent Campbell, in speaking of the new
courthouse. "Nothing that our expe-
rience has shown necessary in this class
of building has been Sighted. Rein
forced concrete has been found to be
the most suitable material for such
structures, and while the first cost may
be more than other material it more
than pays through the assured dura-
bility."
Some Hiloites Dissatisfied.
The plans for this structure fail to
please some of the good folk of Hilo,
however. The Hilo Tribune registers
the following kicks in its issue of
Tuesday last:
"It is the old, old story. The Ter
ritorial officials at Honolulu assume
that they know exactly what Hilo
wants; they prepare everything accord
ing to their own ideas, and send it
down cut-and-dried for Hilo IS approval
This is what has happened time and
again, and it has once more occurred,
this time in connection with the pro-
posed new courthouse.
"Marston Campbell, Superintendent
of Public Works, has forwarded to Hilo
the plans he has had prepared for a
commodious and costly building to take
the place of the present courthouse, and
he had them displayed in the tax Office
in order that those interested may ex-
anime them and offer suggestions for
improvement 1t is net stated whether
or not these suggestions will be acted
upon. Judging from past experience
of Hilo suggestions, they will not; but
all the same criticisms and suggestions
in abundance will be made.
"The plan of front elevation shows
very handsome building, comprising
a basement and two upper floors. The
frontage length is 116 feet exclusive OF
porches, the depth of the main build
ing is 6S feet, with wings at either side
not quite so deep; the height from the
ground to the top is only 400 feet, 81
that the structure will present squa'
appearance. The obvious criticism il
that there is no call IN this country fol
having basement story, half under
ground, with defective light and venti
lation. In this basement story it il
proposed to locate the sheriff's Office
board of health, waterworks depart
ment, and county engineer. There il
no Office for the deputy sheriff. Thi
should be provided, and the arrange
ment of the rooms should be altered
1 so that the sheriff's office should be il
| front instead of at the back.
"On the first floor it is proposed t,
locate the county supervisors, count.
clerk, auditor and treasurer, tax asses
sor and collector, and the land Office
! This arrangement is all right, only i
/ does not appear that the county ha
asked for such accommodation or tina
it will move into the rooms when the,
are provided. If the Territory mean
| to give the rooms rent free, the super
! visors may act on the adage not to lool
gift horse in the mouth, and ma.
gracefully and gratefully accept tn
new quarters. An obvious criticism
here is that the county officials ar
spread over the whole three floors, a
the room set apart for the county at
torney is on the top floor, while that 70
the (non-existent) county engineer
in the basement. BY shifting the ia
and land Offices space could be foun
for all the county officials ON the frs
floor.
! "With the exception of the room Sc
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