Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-09-03
Continued from page one,

place on said premises within such
itima as the secretary of war may in
dictate, and upon its refusal, neglect
or inability so to do the secretary of
war may cause the same to be re-
moved at the expense of the party of
damages against the United States, or
any agent or officer thereof, shall be
created by or made on account of
such removal"
/ Frank c. Poor, clerk for the harbor
commissioners, said this morning that
a representative of Major B. Frank
Cheatham, department quartermaster,
called upon him shortly after he drew
up the new lease, requesting that a
few changes be made in the wording
of the instrument These changes are
set forth in the following letter, sub
mitted by Poor to Superintendent
CALDWELL:
During your absence on Hawaii.
and at a regular meeting of the board
of harbor commissioners, Yice-Chair.
man McStocker handed me the lease
ON the Emmes wharf site, with in
structions to read It over and draft a
renewal of the same to the secretary
of war. Pursuant to these instructions,
I drafted the lease and letter to the
secretary accordingly, but have since
been called upon by representative
OF the local quartermaster department.
IN connection with the same matter,
requesting that the words upon rea-
sonable notice be stricken out, and
after the word purpose, the follow
ing be inserted: The commanding
officer of the Hawaiian Department
to be the judge of the necessity for
such USE"
The Emmes wharf site, the property
of the federal government, cuts
through the Waikiki end Of the Queen
street bulkhead wharf, and has FROM
|tage of approximately so feet on both
Queen street and the waterfront, and
has water approach at but one point.
The entire wharf, including the Emmes
sight, is about 500 feet. sufficient. to
allow. two large vessels to dock at
the same time.
[ ease Submitted to the Governor.
'qThe new lease was. submitted to
the governor at least a week age"
said Superintendent Caldwell this
morning, rand in my opinion there Is
absolutely nothing to the story which
appeared this morning. The new lease
will go through and things will con-
tinue as they always have. The terri
tory is subsidiary to the United States
government--not a State-and / do
not think that the government would
do anything which would mean the
taking away of the wharf"
Another member of the board of
llarbor commissioners said this morn
ing: 9The board of harbor commits
sioners knew all abont this matter a
long time ago and the matter was
|threshed out at meeting of the
board at which were present repre-.
sentatives OF the press. A committee
OF the board took the matter up with
the proper authorities and the recon.
mendation was made by the army men
by which the territorial government
might acquire title to the property
Not only the section mentioned, but
also to other lands which have, grad
ually, been acquired by the federal
government. According to the recon-
mendations the territorial government
could reacquire title to all the lands
which have been taken over at differ
ent times by the national government.
IF any error Is to be charged it is
against the legislature is naming the
Superintendent of Public Works as
head of the Harbor commissioners;
fins arrangement is not practical for
the reason that the frequent changes
make continuity of executive abili-
ty impossible.
mo responsibility can be attached to
the present superintendent of Public
Works or any of his predecessors.
He simply is in an unfortunate posi-
ton made necessary by the legisla-
ture.
4 don't believe any army officer
made the statement credited to him
this morning. continued this member
of the board for the simple reason
that he would thereby have contradict
ed himself. First he said that the
U. S. government was not in the
hold-up business, and later that the
present conditions would enable the
government to secure better terms 1n
exchange matters. -.
THE board has relied OH the belief
that the government wast not in the
holdup business, and as conse-
quence has allowed it numerous priv
lIeges.
The Progressive party is peeved be-
cause the commission recommended
to the government that the army,
pending the ratification of these e1-
changes be allowed to occupy the
Ash market until the acquisition from
the government of the naval reserve,
which, naturally, would become the
property of the army. This recon-
mendation was made under the belief
that the water front property would
be of continuing value to the public,
while the property Of the board OF i'm
migration is OF questionable value ow-
ing to the uncertainty of the tariff.
legal technicalities, of taxes, OF the
labor question. or for sundry other rea.
sons
That negotiations between the ter.
ritory of Hawaii and the war depart.