Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-13
in THREE WEEKS
HONOLULU WILL
HEAR DECISION
Federal Site Question to Be
Closed Soon-NeW Custom
House Next Improvement

Probably within three weeks word
will reach Honolulu telling which OF
the three available sites has been Sc
lected for the proposed new federal
building.
This 10 according to Byron r. New
ton, assistant secretary OF the treas
ury. who will return to the mainland
on the steamer Manoa tomorrow after
inspecting the sites. When seen to-
day, Mr.. Newton declined to say whe-
ther or not he has made definite
selection. Immediately upon his arrf-
val In San Francisco he will proceed
to Washington, ID. C., he said, and
promised that within very short
time, probably three weeks, the result
of his inspection here viii be made
known. ~ ~
& The price which the government
feels that It should pay for q site for
q federal building will have a great
deal to do with the final selection,
explained Mr.. Newton. while the
government Is willing to pay reason.
able price for q site, IL does not In.
tend TO pay anything for esthetic
sympathy. There are three sites avail
able in Honolulu. One Of these Is the
Mahuka site, and that belongs to the
sOvernmentp
The appropriation covering the pur.
chasing Of a site and the erection Of
q federal building amounts to $685.
900. According to Mr.. Newton, tia is
the desire Of the government to use as
much OF this money as possible In the
erection of the federal building.
ar. New.5n said today that his Sc.
lection of site will be accepted by
the treasury department
From statement made by Mr.
Newton tocay. II may be inferred that
he Is in favor Of q central location for
the proposed federal building. While
the office of the collector Of customs
will be in the new building, he said, 1t
is the intention of the government to
maintain the present custom house
for appraisers stores and for other
As the land and buildings
belong to the government. he added,
II IS likely that new structures viii
be erected there, as the present ones
are hardly as up-to-date as they
should be.
Mr.. Newton said that he has q few
IDEAS Of his own regarding the plans
Of the new federal building, and he
win go into this matter as soon as he
returns to Washington. The Star-Bul-
letin has already published the news
that the local q. 8. marshal the fed
eraI judges, the district attorney and
the federal clerk recently forwarded
to Washington plans for their offices
n the proposed new building. Sew
eral sets of plans already have been
prepared In Washington, and these
may be altered to some extent by Mr..
Newton.
Mr., Newton,s return to Washing.
ION Is FASTENED from the fact that he !
has received q cablegram to join Sec.
rotary Of the Treasury McAdoo on
tour Of the principal cities of the
country where the. work Of erecting
buildings is in progress.
II am leaving Hawaii as one Of its
most loyal boosters. Mr.. Newton said
today. This is my first trip to the
Islands, and all that l have seen has
my admiration for their
beauty and my interest in their vel
Iare.
III is an ordinary thing for q gov
srninent official to receive normal, or
binary courtesy. but the welcome that |
any stranger gets here Is something |
more than mere civility or courtesy. |
rhere is human substance In it that
makes man feel that he Is not only
welcome for day, but welcome as
ong as he wants to. stay here.