The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-09-05
FINE WHARF IS
LOST To THE
TERRITORY
Harbor Commissioners, Governor
and other OF ,ers Accused OF
Perpetrating Gross Blunder in
Allowing Expenditure of $780,
900 on Property Not Owned by
People.

900 on Property Not Owned by
People.
Entering denial that the harboi
commission or the public works de
partment was in ignorance Of the fact
that the Territory 5 lease on war de
partment land was about to expire
when the expenditure of something
like 100000 for improvements upon
it began, Superintendent Caldwell and
Secretary Poor of the harbOr commits
sioh admit that the money of the Ter
ritory was expended in the amount
named for Improvements on land to
which the Territory has no title and
only the prospect of getting n Least,
and that for no longer a period than
five years. This they say was done
with the full knowledge of the Tern
torial authorities concerned.
Asks for New Lease.
Further, it is stated that the Terri
tory has applied for a new lease for a
period of five years, and that this lease
contains the provision that "durine
this lease such parts of the wharf
sheds or storehOuses as are erected
upon lands included in such reserva
tion shall be available for use, free OF
charge, by the quartermaster S depart
ment, when required for any military
purpose, the commanding officer of the
Hawaiian Department to be the judge
of the necessity for such use.
Thus it appears that a large chunk
of the foan fund has been expended fol
a wharf on land which does not be
long to the Territory and that the
wharf may be required for the use OF
the military authorities at any time
in which case the Territory will get nc
derive an income from the money in
vested.
Gross Blunder, Says Atkinson.
81 understand from the afternoon
paper that the Progressive party j.
peeved because of the commission Z,
plan to permit the government to use
the immigration station,' said A. L.
C.AAtkinson yesterday. 81 don t quite
see the connection, but | do see from
the other statements credited to Cald
well and Poor that. the situation in re
gard to the building on the federal res
ervations is even worse than | thought
u was. l was willing to give the com
missioners and the public works de
partment the benefit of the doubt anC
ascribe the blunder TO carelessness OF
ignoranee, but l see now that they as,
sert that they were not ignorant of thu
fact that the land was held on a short
term lease which has expired.
"By making this admission they ar
shown up from the Governor down a.
being guilty of perpetrating gros'
bnnder. Money from loan funG
raised by the sale of bonds has beer
expended in improving property to
which the Territory has no title ano
never will have title, as far as | ear
learn. What protection is there to tn,
bondholders in this! The wharf Ger
tairly does not constitute an asset o
the Territory, for it and the land be
longs 10 the war department. which, ]
am ereditably informed, has no inten
tion of relinquishing its title either by
sale or exchange.
"Where is the Fort street business
man who would eXpend 100000 in i'm
proving a piece of land on which he
had five-year lease which provided
that at any time the owner of the land
80 desired he could take possession OF
the improvements and use them free
of chargei And yet these commission
ers are supposed to be business men
and have been entrusted with the ex.
penditure of thousands of dollars of the
people s money on the supposition that
they would eXpend it in bus ness
like way and protect the interests OF
the public.
Would Recall officials.
- AS | said before, if the Prog essivc
party was in power every one of those
concerned would be recalled. The policy
of the Territory and the United States
mas always been to build only on land
held in fee simple.
By the confessions in the afternoon
newspaper, it appears that the militai V
authorities are entirely absolved from
any charge OF standing by and watch
ing the Improvement of their reserva.
ton with view to tricking the Ter.
ritory, for the commissioners, the super
intendent of works and the Governor
acted with their eyes open.
Army otticers Reticent.
While the local military authorities
are taking no part in discussing the
Question, they appear to be well salts
ned with the wharf as it stands. one
OF them said yesterday that it was out
OF the question for the war department
to sell or exchange the wharf save for
another wharf Of equal advantages.
"a transport dock has been urgently
needed for some time, ~ he sad, "and
believe the territorial authorit es w 4
md that the wharf the Territory has
constructed will be put to immediate u.e
ny the government A private person
mas made application to the war de.
nart'nent for lease of the dock. but
presume that the Territory viii lie
gwen hrst consideration, inasmuch as
Its proposed lease practically Turns the
property over TO the war DEPARTMENT
Tor nse al any time. -