The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-12-20
Marine Barracks Must Wait.


Shafter with the battalion.
Marine Barracks Must Wait.
According to private advices received
here yesterday from a San Francisco
correspondent the marine barracks for
Pearl Harbor may not be built for some
time, as the department has been I'M
able to make any changes in the orig
NAL specifications whereby the bar
racks could be built for the original
amounts appropriated. The correspond
ent states that probably nothing will
be done until the next congress con
venes when a larger appropriation will
be asked for so that the barracks may
be built on the original plans.
Drill Shed for Territory.
Neither Colonel Jones, adjutant-gen-
eral of the National Guard of Hawaii,
nor Captain Falls. depot quartermaster,
U. S. A. have heard anything of prop
osition for the war department to re-
tain possession of the drill shed lot.
acquire additional property adjoining
and erect Hfort' there. First of
all the war department would not build
fort, the most it could do being to es-
tablish a post and garrison it.
In the second place the federal gov
eminent is under promise to convey the
drill shed lot back to the Territory
President Taft, when secretary of war.
having so promised, and in the cor
respOndence between Governor Frear
and the government at Washington
since, the matter has narrowed down
to swap of lands which the federal
government wants on which to erect
depct quartermaster 5 building and six
storehouses, leaving the Territory the
usc of the drill shed lot for national
guaro and armory purposes.
fTEere is an understanding between
the Territory and the federal govern
ment,' said Colonel Jones. "to carry
cut the original promise of Secretary of
War Taft that the Territory should
get the drill shell lot for armory pur-
poses, as soon as the war department IS
atle to acquire other property and con
struct offices for the quartermaster S de
partment. There have been negotia
tons extending over several years and
tie war department has practically
stated they would give it back to us. -
The Territory is negotiating for a
trade of land, and eventually the war
department will have full control of the
present channel wharf for transport
purposes According to Captain Falls
the transports will not go to Pearl Har-
Lor5 but viii always use the Honolulu
docks, the same as passenger vessels.
Ike Pearl Harbor wharves are to be
used almost exclusively for warships.
The principal reason why Pearl Harbor
is mpracticable for transport service
is that it is too far from Honolulu.
Ii transports We're to be sent to Pearl
Harbor, they might as well, also, be
sent to Mare Island, when the troop
SHIPS arrive in San Francisco bay
Guns Have Been Inspected.
department, U. S. A., who came here
Il week ago to inspect the defenses and
fol tifcati0ns, has completed his work
and will return to San Francisco by
the Matson steamship Lurline leaving
here today He inspected the mortars
at Fort Ruger. The four guns which
were put out of commission on account
of the cracking Of the east iron races
upon which the mortars operate, are
not yet ready to be again proven by
the fire test. as the mechanics are still
at work putting in the steel races
which replaced the broken ones He
also inspected the fire control. and
found that it was entirely complete as
far as the Fort Ruger guns are con
cerned. There are no guns at De Russv
yet and Colonel Benet has no infor-
nation as to when they will arrive here
from the mainland.
He inspected the two big 12-inch
guns at Fort Kamehameha. Pearl Har-
Dor, but did not have them fired This
was dIe to the fact that the concrete
works are not vet entirely hardened
and to fire the guns now would weaken
them. Everything was in readiness for
firing them, and ammunition is on hand.
The other battery which is being
erected at Pearl Harbor some distance
from the 12-inch guns is to be equipped
with battery Of eight mortars. The
works are under construction, but the
mortars have not yet started from the
arsenals.
As to troops to support these works
Colonel Benet stated that a company is
supposed to man each battery. but un-
der the present lack OF troops the com
panies have to be divided MP to look
after the guns. and those which can not
be attended to constantly are oiled and
creased to preserve them.
He states that the small caliber guns
for Fort Armstrong at the mouth of
Honolulu harbor viii be installed this
week, the Notifications having about
reached the completion stage
Target practise with the Fort Ruger
mortars viii probably zahe place in