Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-23
THlRST0N MAKES
ANSWER TO
+: CRITICS
Hilo Railroad Manager Replies
to Charges of DiSGrinina-
T.. ton in Wharf Building


has made full answer to sthe various
charges of discrimination in connee-
ton with the building of the new Hllo
wharf.
aIr. ThuFston takes up the three
general charges-that the railway
company has induced the harbor com
mission to narrow the wharf twenty
feet to freeze cut 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 specitica-
tions 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
AT the meeting of the harbor COM
mission, SOME two weeks ago, above
mentioned, the government inspector
the construction of the
wharf, Mir. 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.
''Mr. Kennedy, president of the In
ter-Island 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 Observation-Disclosures
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 we'll
served with ten foot wharf, but that,
as to its after port, 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
he 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
AT the meeting in question, neither
Mr.. Kennedy, nor anyone else, asked
that the height of the wharf be
The construction inspector
simply raised the question and, after
a brief discussion, no action was
taken.
No Change Made in Height
Of Wharf
$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
company has suffered at the hands of
the railway company as to the height
of the wharf, is because of the sunk
Ell track of the railroad company on
the wharf, | would say that the sunk
en- track of the railroad has no more
to do with the matter than It has with
the fluctuations of the height Of the
lava lake at Kilauea, .--.. VI. Is
The sunken track. is not at the
front of the wharf, where it could in
terfere with the Inter-Island company
Of anyone else: 1t is in the rear OF
the merchandise shed, more than one
hundred feet away from the front of
the wharf, between the merchandise
and the sugar sheds. 1t has been pro
'-ided for in all of the plans for the
wharf, which have been from time to
time considered, and has never been
objected to. by anyone, SO far as /
have heard. The only mention On the
subject that has ever been made, so
far as am aware. was at the meet
.ng aforementioned, when | stated
that if the wharf was lowered it
would make a steep grade from the
land to the wharf, which was unde-
Eirable from either a public or a rail
read standpoint, as it made it more
to control ears. The slInken'
track would remain. if the wharf were
reduced TO a height of eight, Or even
six. sect. Ill.,.