The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-12-21
CIVIC Center IS
VERY CLOSE NOW
TO REALIZATION
Assistant Secretary Newton
Cables On Situation and
Attorneys For the Irwin Es-
tate Express Their Pleasure

Indications are that the Irwin site
will be selected for the federal building
and that negotiations will be ended
soon. These are results Of cableRram
received by Malcolm A. Franklin, col
lectOr of customs, from Rvran r. New
| ton, assistant secretary Of the treasury.
yesterday, which Mr. Franklin at once
communicated to W. r. Frear of Frear.
Prosser, Anderson and Marx, represent
ing the Irwin estate.
Mr.. Frear made a statement concern
ing the situation.
81 am much pleased with the pro
gress Of negotiations, he said. at
may be stated that the federal building
site question Is drawing toward a fav.
orable conclusion and that negotiations
| will not have to continue much longer. -
Further than this, Mr. Frear would
not commit himself.
81 do not believe it just to Mr..
Newton to give out anything more
now he said.
A question put to him was whether
| indications were that the Irwin site
would be selected. lie qualified this,
with smile, by sayin.: Favorable con
clusiOn of the site question. - He was
asked why the qualification was made,
and his reply was that Mr. Newton did
! not let owners of one site know what
negotiations were afoot with owners of
another, and that accordingly, he did
not wish to say further.
Civic Center Ideal
| However, inasmuch ms Mr.. FrCar rep
resents the Irwin estate only. his as.
sertion that favorable conclusion was
near Mt hand can mean nothing else
than that Honolulu wish that the
building should go up near the Capitol
and the Judiciary Building is about to
be realized. The development will be
welcomed dOubly, because recently.
| known facts pointed to a deadlock in
the negotiations because of too high
a prize asked by the estate, with q
possibility of the building being erected
elsewhere. AS Mr.. Franklin said, on
his return from the States, where he
talked with Mr.. Newton, the treasury
department sympathized with civic
pride, but II would not pay for il. This
statement was made in a letter from
the assistant secretary to Mr.. Franklin
received on the collector s return and
made public then.
Yesterday s cablegram from Mr.. New
ton was a reply to one sent by Mr.
Franklin at the request of Mr.. Frear
After a conference between the two
several days ago, Mr.. Franklin referred
tquestionerss to Mr.. Frear, sayiRE thei
he was not free to make anything pub
lie, and Mr.. Frear could. give no def
mite information at that time Or
the receipt Of yesterdays message, Of
which Mr.. Frear was made cognizant al
once, the statement as to the progress
Of negotiations was authorized.
During the deadlock, when selection
of the Irwin site appeared unlikely or
at least, having great difficulties in it,
way, Mr.. Franklin was in close touch
with the situation. As stated, he talk
ed with Mr.. Newton in Washington
and received authoritative word as t.
the attitude of the department, and hi
work as intermediary in sending tn
cablegram to Mr.. Newton appears t.
have borne ,le best fruit possible.
Whether the question of price ha
been settled definitely cannot be ascer
tanned, but it appears certain that
has been settled or is about to be.