Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-23
THURSTON MAKES
ANSWE.R TO
CRITICS
.HiIo Railroad Manager Replies
to Charges of Discrimina-
ton in Wharf Building

| l.. A. Thurston, general manager o
the Hilo Railroad Company, in {
! lengthy letter To the Hilo Tribune
| has made full answer TO the variou:
charges of discrimination in conifec
ton with the building of the new Hils
| wharf. ".s- -~ il
| Mr. Thurston takes up the three
general chargeS-that the railway
company has induced the harbor com
mission to narrow the wharf twenty
! feet to freeze out" the general pub
| lie from access to the wharf, that the
height of ten feet viii work against
the use of the wharf by the Inter
Island Steamship company, and that
| the railroad company hopes to profit
peculiarly By the change in specifica
lions to allow the laying of sunken
track All of these charges are fully
answered. In conclusion he says:
mo suggestion has been made by
anybody, at any time, than ten feet
was not the proper height for the
wharf. -...... -. -. f.
AT the meeting of the harbor com.
mission, some two weeks ago, above
mentioned, the government inspector
experimenting the construction of the
wharf, Mr. Morse, incidentally made
{. statement that the after freight port
of the Mauna Kea was so low that 1t
could not use the wharf, and he raised
the question of whether or not the
wharf should be lowered to eight feet
to meet the requirements of this
steamer. - ...... 81.
MIR. Kennedy, president of the In
ter-lsland company, was present, and
stated that the lowering of the wharf
to eight feet would meet the situa-
ton, as the after port of the Mauna
Kea was SO low that the wharf would
have to be cut to six feet in order
TO be able to work the port, unless
a slot were cut in the wharf and an
incline built to the port No one
even suggested that the wharf should
be lowered to six feet. =
in the course of the discussion
which followed it appeared that all of
the Matson and Americana Hawaiian
steamers plying to Hilo would best be
suited by a wharf ten feet high; that
all of the Inter-Island steamers ply
ing to Hilo would be equally we'll
served by a ten foot wharf, except
the steamer Mauna Kea, which would,
as to its freehold, be equally well
served with ten foot wharf, but that,
as to its after port, a lower wharf
would suit better.
Continuance OF Railroad Wharf
''Mr. kennedy was asked at the
time whether or not the Mauna Kea
could not continue to use the rail
road wharf, to which he replied that
ne did not know whether the railroad
wharf would be maintained after the
kuhio Bay wharf was completed. To
this / Immediately replied that the
railroad company intended to main
tain the railroad wharf, as the de-
mands therefore would undoubtedly
continue as great as they had in the
past, and probably increase, as the
steamship companies would have first
call on the new wharf, making it i'm
possible for the lumber ships to go
there. - - T..
. al HlAS
Mr.. Kennedy, nor aayone else, asked
that the height of the wharf be
changed The construction inspector
simply raised the question and, after
a brief discussion, no action was
taken. =.. -. -.....
No Change Made in Height
of Wharf ~. 49,
$50 far from any change having
been made in the height of the wharf,
the commission is building it at the
same height at which every wharf has
been built, or planned to be built,
in Hilo Bay, during the last twenty
years. .:. = - "-" -:
In view of the foregoing facts, it
would appear as though the Railroad
Hunters had exercised rather more
than their usual ingenuity in conjur
ing up this particular charge.
Status of Railroad sunken Track
In replying to the third charge,
that the reason why the Inter-Island
has suffered at the hands of
the railway company as to the height
Of the wharf, is because of the sunk
en track of the railroad company on
he wharf, | would say that the sunk
IN track of the railroad has no more
to do with the matter than 1t has with
he fluctuations of the height of the
hva lake at Kilauea. !
The sunken track is not at the |
front of the wharf, where it could in |
.erfere with the Inter-IsEand company |
Or anyone else: 1t is in the rear OF !
he merchandise shed, more than one |
hundred feet away from the front of |
he wharf, between the merchandise |
md the sugar sheds. 1t has been pro- !
'ided for in all of the plans for the |
wharf, which have been from time to |
line considered, and has never been !
to by anyone, so far as |
nave heard. The only mention on the ,
subject that has ever been made, SO !
ar as am aware, was at the meet |
ng aforementioned, when | stated !
hat if the. wharf was lowered it :
would make a steep grade from the
and to the wharf, which was unde- |
'irable from either public or a rail ;
Dad standpoint, as it made It more
difficult to control cars. The sunken |
rack Wf1illd rpD12ir If tho wharf y.ynrc |