The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-01-19
HONOLULU ASSURED
MAGNIFICENT NEW
f[DEHAL BUILDING
MAHUKA PROPERTY soon
MAY BE PUT ON MARKET
Government Evidently WfIl Sell
At Upset Price Of 100000
u and Reimburse Citizens

With the passing Of the Warren Bin
IN the house at Washington yesterday
comes the certainty Of early action on
the much-diseussed and long-awaited
federal building for Honolulu. The
Warren Bill was one appropfiatinl
$sa0;0D0 for erection Of the build
ing and $350,000 for site, but the
esbled reports from Washington yes.
terday indicate that the amounts have
been changed in the bill as II has
passed, providing $lsooo,OOo for the
building and 100000 for the site, q
most desirable amendment, inasmuch as
the site most desired can be purchased
for quarter Of million, while the
aaaition 20 the building fund will in
srre a federal building worthy Of be.
ing placed in the first American cit,
which great many Foreigners see and
where they form their first impressions
OF the United States and its govern.
ment.
Two Kilograms Received
Delegate Kuhio yesterday eabled to
R. w shinele of the waterhouse Trust
Company; stating; Federal building
bin passed house with amendment Tim,
iting cost Of site to $25o,000.p
Following this cable message by
. DaIa,.l fkUsroIa.... .naaho1 urko AIyhe
tiser from its Washington correspond
eLt stating that the bill is amended
in another particular. This message
stated.
House passes building bill increas-
ing reimbursement to two hundred
thousand. y 100 fsQ ss Il II
This means, according to the inter,
probation placed upon the message by
Mr.. Single, that the Mahuka site is
soons to go upon the market, evidently
at an upset price of 100000, from
watch the government will reimburse
the citizens who subscribed to the
street opening fund, with interest. viii
rtimhufs itself for all that has beep
spent to date on the Mahuka site and
the various expenses connected with
the drawing up Of plans, and wiz alse
repay iuto the treasury the original
ainonnt, paid for the site, some 5000
Mahnka Site worth Double
s That the property will bring this
AMOUNT is practically eertaiuty
Based on other recent sales Of down
town properties, the Mahuka site il
worth double the presumed upset price
The bill provides for the advertis
< ing of the property and its sale al
public auction The original upset
price named in the bill was 100000
an amount sufficient to reimburse al
private and government claims against
the property. .a4
There are two sites which have beer
under consideration by the treasury de
partment- Tho Spreckels site, which j:
the property at the corner of Merchant
and Ahikea streets, and the Irwin site
the property facing the Palace Square
between Milalani street and Richards
street. The limitation of the site FUND
10 $3.50, 600 means, evidently, that ,th'
secretary of the treasury, acting upoI
theword of Honolulu that his selection
4 would be taken as final and without
further protest, has decided upon thu
Irwin site. The value Of the Spreckel
property, although less desirable fol
public building use, is greater than tn,
amount ;named-in the bill as amended
while IL is understood that the fgur,
covers the amount asked for the lTwii
property.
News Pleasing Horo r. T. 4. ..-
Nothing that has come out Of Wash
ington for a long time has given tn,
General satisfaction that the reeeip
p Of the news regarding the passage o
this federal building bill has. The mat
ter of the site for the federal building
has been perennial source Of loca
irritation, and Washington has beer
bomharded for years with pctition
pro and con regarding the Mahuki
site.
The amended bill has to 60 to tn
senate for its concurrence in TIL
changes made in the house, but thi
il regarded now only as matter o
=, form. Under -ordinary circumstance
the final drawing up Of the plans, tn
advertising of the contract and tn
letting of It should be completed with
\ IN the next ninety days, and the actua
work upon the building commenced b,
midsummer 49,
The expenditure of this million dol
lars In addition TO the many othe
hundreds of thousands to be spent p,
the federal government in army. an,
navy construction, promises TO kee
Honolulu a busy place for many month
TO come. .....,..g..
D. a. o.