Honolulu star-bulletin., 1915-12-22
Central POSTAL
STATION WILL Be
NOW ESTABLISHED
Postmaster Young Announces
Plans for Using Present
Federal Property
IRWIN SITE CHOICE TO
GIVE MORE EFFICIENCY
Boxes and Carriers From the
Bethel Street Building to
Serve Big Section

Honolulu Is going to have two down
town postoffices instead of one.
Though the main administration Of
fees Of the postal department will go
10 the new federal building on. the tr-
win site. the present postoffce on
Bethel and Merchant streets will not
be abandoned but will be transformed
into central station and will serve
the congested business district of Ho-
nolulu with a special system of boxes.
clerks and carriers.
Postmaster William F. Young made
this definite announcement today, con-
flrming a plan which was known to a
few people at the time Assistant Sec
retaTy OF the Treasury Byron r. New
ton came TO Honolulu to investigate
the federal sites offered Uncle Sam.
At that time Mr.. Newton, Mr.. Young,
Collector Franklin and others talked
over the plan for retaining the present
oostoffice but the matte was kept in
confidence until the new federal site
should be selected.
VIII Serve Business Section.
The businessmen of Honolulu and
the people In the district west of
Bethel and kuuanu streets need not
worry about being inconvenienced by
the construction of the federal build
ing on the Irwin Site : said Postmaster
Young this morning. THE govern
ment is going to keep this building
right here. The property Is. Uncle
Sans and there win be developed
here a central station to facilitate the
handling Of mail in this part Of the
city and to the west.
People who wish 70. keen fhoif;
boxes here may Go So Carriers win
radiate from this central station with
mail. Il will give the postoffice de-
paftnlent an opportunity to add great
er efficiency to the service, and mo-
body who wishes TO be served from.
here will have to 50 to the federal
building for mail"
Postmaster Young and Postoffice In
spector Thomas J. Flayin. who also
discussed the situation, are both con-
yinced that the central station plan
viii fully answer whatever criticism
there is Of moving the main postoffice
to the federal building. They point
out mainland cities where the plan is
working we'll
Postmaster Young and Inspector
Flavin both were strongly in favor of.
the Irwin site and the arguments used
by the postmaster when his advice
was asked undoubtedly were strong
factor In settling the treasury depart
ment firmly in favor Of the Irwin site.
Former Governor FTear is given
much credit for bringing to success
full contamination the negotiations be-
tween the federal government and the
owners OF the Irwin Site
The division of ownership in the
Irwin site made the negotiations diff
cult and involved OF the total area
of about $4,000 square feet in the
Irwin site. the ownership is as fol-
lows:
William G.. Irwin estate, about no..
900 square feet.
RawIins estate. about 5000. square
feet.
Opera House property. about 5000
square feet, divided as follows:
One-quarter owned by Irwin estate.
Remaining three quarters originally in
estate Of Claus Spreckels, bequeathed
TO his children as follows: To John
ID. Spreckels, one-half To Rudolph,
Claus A. and Emma Spreckels Fert
ris. the remaining quarter.
The land to be transferred to the
government is the entire block on
which the opera house stands, bound
ed by Union Square (more generally
known as Palace Square or Capitol
Squarel. Richards street, Queen street
and Militant street, Militant street
runs between the Opera House and the
Judiciary building.
1t is believed that the federal gov
ernment will agree to an improvement
plan along the lines of the Mulford
(Continued on mage fWo1