Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-11
PAxI0N'S TESTIMONY
- GIVEN IN DETAIL

Il :
- GIVEN i'm DETAIL
Mr.. Paxton's most important testi-
mony this morning. was as follows:
Mr.. Paxton: The conditions here
are very different from topograph-
ical standpoint Homestead lands. as
you will observe, are scattered-they
rise from sea level up to several thou
sand feet elevation, making 1t very
difficult to establish community
raising the same product. They are
cut off by deep ravines, thus making
the cost of railroad construction in
most cases very expensive construc-
ton. In that connection think that
| the construction railroad construc-
tion-now being carried on in the Is.
land of Hawaii is. as expensive as
any you will find in the Western
United States.
Mr.. Fisher: How win you estimate
/ 1t roughly?
A. About $4,000 q mile.
Q. Construction and equipment or
construction alone?
A. Construction and equipment.
O. approximately?
A. Yes, approximately. That is
one of the difficulties, and, mind You,
! am not running down demonstrating.
We are brought face to face with the
difficulties just the same as the chief
executive of this Territory. The 9TH
er question is that of transportation.
1t is impossible and useless, ridicu-
lous TO place homesteader removed
from market, removed from transpor-
tation facilities. To say that you can
legislate the Inter-Island steamship
company into living low rates, and that
there should sbe improved harbors Ia
ciiities, is q mistake No steamer is
designed that will leave the ocean and
climb UP the mountain. In the first
place, what we have to have is points
terminal facilities. When the Unit
ed States government took this gov
eminent over, the harbors were very
inadequate. AS 1t is now, the Ca
pacity of the harbor on this island has
almost doubled and yet it is too small.
Our Delegate here has done very good
work when he has been in Washing
ton in securing appropriations for har-
Dor improvements, appropriations
amounting to some $2,700.000. say
that this is tina first step in the trans
portation problem, and the reason /
mention 1t is that Ii takes time to
bring about conditions so that the
homestead proposition may be made
q feasible one and an attractive one.
We have to get these preliminary IA
cilities in order to encourage home
stealing, we have to put money into
railroad construction, and might say
that all of the capital that has gone
into railroad construction is local cap
itaI 10 my knowledge, Mr.. .Dilling-
ham tried repeatedly to get capital
from England and the United States
without success. And it has only
been within the last few years that
we have been able to get capital from
away. That is the first step, harbor
facilities. That is being brought
about. Congress has treated us very
well in that regard. But there is a
great deal more to be done that ought
to be. We ought to have about two
ana q half million dollars more. We
ought to have harbor on each is
land. You will then have your trans
portation system in the Islands that
will be favorable to the homesteader.
@. Just q moment | will ask the
Delegate what appropriation was made
for public improvements here for the
next fiscal year; that is, excluding
the expenditures for military improve
ments.
Delegate: You mean in the way of
rivers and harbors?
O.. Yes; harbors, and generally.
A. / don't know the exact figures.
@. approximately.
A. That is, including the Federal
building?
@. Including or not, ! don't care.
A. Well, say about million and a
half, including, the Federal building.
Q. How much is the appropriation
for that?
A. $3.50, 200. ~ +,
Mr.. Olson: Isn't it true that the
appropriation has not been made for
the Federal building:
Delegate: 1t can be used at any
time. $350,000 supposed to be TAX
en- out of the Federal building appro-
priation is supposed to go into site.
!. @. Is that money appropriated to
be used during the next fiscal year?
A. The $S5O,o0O is supposed to be
used at any time.
Mr.. Fisher: In other words, there
is about 5 or Z hundred thousand dol
lars appropriated during the next fis-
cal year for harbor expenditures, etc.
Mr.. Paxton: 1t would require eight
or nine hundred thousand to complete
the project here.
Well, was speaking of transporta-
ton as being one of the difficulties
that has been in the way of the home
stealing of the public lands, and as |
say, it is now being gradually built
up. The other difficulty has been the |
finding of a market for such staples |