The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-03-19
some TANGIBLE
FIGURES IN TRIAL
Governments Case in Mahuka
Extension Is Progressing
Rapidly.
From Saturdays Advertiser

(From Saturdays Advertiser.)
Less estimates and more actual con-
tract rates were in evidence yesterday
in the course of the Fort street proper
ty condemnation trials before Judge
Dole in the federal court The gov.
eminent IS case in reference to the
Cummins' block, its site and leases,
is now about completed and it is ex-
pected that this phase Of the case will
be over next week.
District Attorney Breckons opened
the day by the attempt at introduction
of the tax records of returns made by
J. o. Carter from 1902 to 1910 showing
his valuations on the Cummins block
site. Cushman Carter took the stand
and explained, under questioning, his
reasons for advancing those figures. He
stated that he had called Tax Assessor
Wilder attention to the fact that the
assessments were very low. Wilder, he
said, told him to return his leasehold
at ten times the annual rental which
he did, but they were sent back marked
still higher. They finally compromised
on figures, which, in 1910, were $4,000
for the site and $4,000 for the improve.
ments.
Breckons then tried to introduce in
evidence the decree of the court in the
Mahuka condemnation case, when the
government acquired the first block of
property which it now wants to add to.
Attorney Olson, for the respondents,
objected to this and was sustained.
Tom Wall of Wall, Nichols g. Co.,
was the next witness. He stated that
his firm had held lease on the Cum.
Minis block but that it was found an
unsuitable location for his business and
that they had accepted the offer of
L. d. Tenney of Castle G. Cooke to take
the lease over. The lease was taken
over at the same rentals as before,
Wall-Nichols being paid nothing extra
for it.
Gus Schuman of the Schuman Car
rage Company produced his contract
for his Merchant street premises which
calls for $50 month for an office 40
by 50 feet.
E. Faxon Bishop, of Brewer Co.,
was next called and produced the
lease of the Associated Garage. He said
the garage had been in possession since
1907, controlled 10000 square feet and
paid $4,000 year.
George Ashley, secretary of the board
of trustees of the B. P. o. E., presented
the lease to the present Elk's quarters
which calls for 5000 month for two
floors approximately 5000 square feet
each.
H. NJ. Won Holt of the Campbell Es-
tate was then called upon to present
the lease of the basement, ground and
second floors of the building occupied
! by b. F. Ehlers & Co. This called for
a rental of $1,000. Wichman's quarters
were shown to be worth $4,000 per an
mum in rentals year for the first half
of the ten-year lease and $4,000 year
for the second.
l.. Abrams of the Hawaiian Trust
Company then produced the lease of the
! Judd Building and under examination
showed the annual rentals averaged
from the returns of the last nine years
to net about $53S0.24. The gross
expenses of maintaining the building
were shown to be sixty per cent. of
the gross income.
Then E. L. Schwarzberg of the J..
F. Morgan Company, was called and an
attempt made to introduce his records
of the auction sale in 1907, of that por-
ton of the Mahuka site now owned
by the government but an objection to
this was sustained.
The trial will be continued next Mon
day.