The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-03-22
wakefield
WARMLY BETS
BANK ACCOUNT
Commissioner Insists on His
Invariable Correctness
in All Things.
LOSES TEMPER IN MEETING
YeIIs His Denunciation Of Figures
Submitted by Marston
Campbell.
LOSES TEMPER IN MEETING
(From Thursday Is Advertiser.)

NrEOm 1uuESuay y AuNoIGi5ol'I
'sMy bank account on it that I'm
right. I'm always right. -
So yelled Harbor Commissioner Wake
field, also of the Christian Extension
Movement, as he flung his lean lengthy
figure through the troubled atmosphere
of the board room where the commits
sioners were gathered yesterday, and
began denouncing Chairman Campbell
as a purveyor- of false figures and other
heinous things, too mean to mention.
1t was the climax of heated session
in which three of the commissioners,
led by Wakefield, took turns in finding
fault with everything in the world but
Mr.. Wakefield and his fperfectly cor
rect" figures regarding the floor space
given by the proposed bulkhead plan
for improving the harbor front at the
foot of Fort street. AS for Campbell,
although he struggled manfully to get
a word in edgewise, he was foored by
Mr.. Wakefeld's financial argument.
Mr. Campbell had just finished pre-
sentation of his figures, which had been
checked by A. G. Wheeler, assistant SUI
perintendent of public works, to show
that the figures given on his harbor
frontage maps were exact, when Mr..
Wakefield jumped from his chair, rush
ed over to the maps, and, with pencil
neryously started to give figures which
he, insisted were as usual, correct.
Mr.. Wakefield, who is chairman of
Il 80, To- ~ do
clared vehemently, as he returned to
his desk, that he was willing to bet all
his cash in the bank, in support of his
figures. His bet was not taken up.
Mr.. Campbell asked that his own
statement be spread on the minutes of
the meeting. Mr.. Wakefield refused to
entertain such motion, and declared
that "it doesn It make any difference
to me whether what you say goes on
the minutes or into the waste basket"
This declaration was a little too
strong for Commissioner Mccarthy, who
stated that if Mr.. Campbell asked, as a
question of privilege, that his state
ment be spread on the minutes, it would
be done. The statement was then or
dered to the minutes.
oampbell's Reply.
Mr.. Campbell's reply to Mr.. Wake
fields attack of last week Wednesday,
follows:
ssFor the meeting last Wednesday l
prepared two charcoal sketehes-one of
the proposed bulkhead plan, and one
of the pier plan-showing on each the
possible maximum areas of floor space
under shed, length of dockage, etc.
These sketches were made as illustra-
trations, purely, and for reference in
discussion. / was taken very much by
surprise when Mr.. Wakefield, member
of this commission, arose and said that
the sketches submitted were incorrect,
stating that he had had a prominent
architect, in whom he had the greatest
confidence, calculate the areas on both
propositions, claiming that the area as
shown on the charcoal sketches for the
bulkhead plan was too little by some
100000 square feet, and the pier plan
some $4,000 square feet in error. If L
am wrong in my remembrance of the
figures, Mr.. Wakefield will unquestion-
ably correct me.
Figures Checked UP.
Gin making these maps and present
ing Photographic copies of them to
those who were interested, your chair
man was actuated only by the desire
to show relative conditions between the
two schemes. The charcoal sketches
have been carefully gone over and upon
them has been plotted the harbor lines,
which show that the charcoal sketches
were made quite accurately. Compare
son with other territorial maps shows
that the error in plotting is harly ap-
probable and that the areas, when
corrected, are slightly less than the
rough area originally presented on the
bulkhead plans; in fact, the floor area
on the bulkhead plan is some 10000
square feet less than the area noted on
the charcoal sketches, the error being
to the credit, and not discredit, Of the
bulkhead plan.
"The areas of the shielded and open
wharf portion of both schemes show
that the area of the pier plan is about
$500 square feet in excess of the wharf
and floor areas of the bulkhead scheme.
fI regret that it is necessary for
me to take this action; but the gentle
man was so positive in his statements,
in no way qualifying them-being
broad in his statements and criticisms
of the sketches submitted-that think
it only fair that the gentleman g error
should be noted and the records of this
board set straight.
81 have to submit herewith report
and checking of the original calculations
made, with certain other data, which
is of vital interest; and / would ask
that the same be made a part of the
records of this board"
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