Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-06
R. NEWTON
HERE IlOsELECT
FEDERAL GROUND
tcontinued nom page oneI


him back to his hotel enthusiast
over the beauties OF landscape and tho
charm of the climate Naturally he l.
not talking of conclusions on tie ST
! question.
There has been some talk nj moo
| ing OF businessmen under the aHspicP
Of the Chamber Of Commerce to DIS
cuss with Mr.. Newton TIE federal sit
matter. but up to this afternoon Nc
such meeting had been arranged. Th'e
being q general holiday in the city
few Offices were opened and rrohaTf'
nothing definite wit re done alon
this line until tomorrow.
History Of Federal Site Question.
The history of the various fedora
building site moves and delays
tends over more than seven years
Originally the government chose "'ha
Is known as the "Mahuka site" on
King and Bishop streets. Later IN at
tempt was made to enlafge this sit
by Condemnation proceedings In tn
federal court to secure the Fort stree
frontage between King add Merchan
streets. The awards In the nohferan"
ton proceedings were so high the gcF
eminent decided not 70 take the sit"
at ALL - -. ~. : 49,
Several bills had been moving along
In Congress with exasperating delays.
Finally an sentiEely new deal was ar
ranged Senator Warren Of Wyoming
introduced what has become known
as the sWsrren 'bilE.rr appfopriating
ssl, 325; Geo sfor 3 federal building site
and the biz structure Itself. This bill
passed the senate and on January Is
OF this year passed the house. The
house put IN an amendment limiting
the cost of the site to. $250,000. The
conference: report, whose terms were
finally adopted by both houses, in.
creased the limit OF cost of the site
ito $275 600 instead OF $250.000. Under
the terms OF the bill, the entire nan
ding of the site and building are piac-
ed. III the hands: Of the treasury de-
paftment. The conference report also
settled APPOINT which had caused some
trouble-the reimbursement of private
property owners who had opened and
dedicated Bishop street att a.; time
when the government still intended
10 use the Mahuka site and wished
Bishop street TO be made available.
These owners are To. be reimbursed by
the setting aside Of $35, 0DQ Of the sum
realized from the sale, Of the Mahuka
site, which Il still owned by the gov.
eminent and which. is. to be sold to
the highest bidder, the bilf having fix.
ed an upset price Of $165, 600, ~
The Warren bin Mss Signed by the
president 6a Mate6 / Rt tiis year.
Thus as. the matter now stands, ST..
$4,000 has been Appropriated for
building and site. tie site to cost not
more than $275, 000i leaving sl,050,O00
for the building II is estimated that
IN architects, fees and various, ex.
penses about $4,000 will be. used. SO
that the structure as IT ultimately
stands win be a million dollar build.
Ing. 20. ,.I.. r. r: :. -. -. ;: x. 49,.
The site Question -. ~. =
Getting this generous appropriation
through Congress did. not, however,
end the delays in securing the build.
Ing. There remained the question OF
q suitable site. There was long con-
troyersy over the Original and "eIl-
largedv Mahuka sites hen the Ma
huka site was definitely abandoned,
the two chief sites at once became
the Irwin and Spreckels site the +lr-
win site being on Palace square, where
the Hawaiian Opera House now
stands, and the Spreckels site at Ala
kea and Merchant streets Governor
Pinkham. many individuals and civic
Organizations have indorsed the Irwin
site as being the most available be-
cause most ideal In working out the
civic center idea' as we'll as for prac'
teal reasons Of location and cost
The SpreckeIs site likewise has not
lacked for strong advocates.
A special agent was sent from
Washington q few months, ago. This
was e. C. Ruebsana, and, twas sup.
posed here that he would have some
thing to say on the choice of sites,
but on his. return from Washington
1t developed that he was here as an
expert on foundations rather than on
sites and that If he made any recon-
mendations as to sites such recon.
n1endations would probably have lit.
tie influence in determining the course
of the treasury department
Last spring the Star Bulletins Wash
ington correspondent sent the first
news here that Assistant Secretary
Newton would come and make per-
sonal inspection. i He intended to
come with the congressional party but
the Illness of Secretary McAdoo fore
ed him to give up his plans. The Star
Bulletins correspondent a few months
later cabied that Mr.. Newton would
come in August or September, and
the next development in the long fed
eral building campaign Is the arrival