Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-10-11
PINKHAMURGES
DELAY ON LOAN
FUND PROJECT
Says No Sound Reason in Plan
to Put Water Into Leaky
Reservoir

1 tISSSt NSI -.
In a two-hour session of the loan
fund commission held in the govern
or's office today and attended by Gov
ernor Pinkham, loan fund members,
officials Of the territorial hydrograph-
| ic and of the city water departments,
the old question Of Hillebrand glen
and Nuuanu dam was again thrown
into the spotlight
Chief developments of the meeting
were recommendation from Govern
or Pinkham to delay action in spend
ing money TO conduct water into an
admittedly leaky reservoir" SINH
lar recommendation from t. F. Sedg-
wick; proposal by George X. Larri-
son of the photographers office to
wait for further time TO measure
Hillebrand runoff. plea from Harry
Murray, city water manager, to begin
work as soon as, possible, and plea
for Nuuanu Reservoir No. by Lester
Petrie, loan fund commissioner.
Governor Pinkham's letter came late
in the meeting after he had listened to
arguments pro and cen, and ii call
ing for its reading the governor ex
pressed himself as through with the
discussion. He declared that he had
given his opinion for the final time.
The letter cited figures to show that
the average rainfall in Upper Luakaha
in the past IL years, 1917 inches q
year, has produced an average annual
runoff of 285,563 gallons every "a
hours, and concluded as follows:
. Il see no sound reason for spending
money to conduct water into an adj
mittedly leaky reservoir. Mr.. Sedg-
wick viii report on this feature. |
have urged you to wait few months
longer, to say January or February L,
and secure exact measured data of Hill
lebrand glen flows before you expend
public money.
Throughout the length and breadth
of the United States an urgent grow
ing public sentiment is insisting on all
possible accurate knowledge and def.
mite, well-thouglrt-out plans for all
public utilities, particularly those in
volving public funds, or private utiii-
ties by grants compelling public pat
ronage before adoption or execution
of the projects.
'In this spirit / have endeavored to
serve the territory and the city and
county of Honolulu.
"The future of Oahu, through rap
idly developing plans and coming tre-
mendous increase of the forces of the
United States army and navy on this
island, indicates only the most intel
ligent and soundest methods will serve
the needs of this community.
Having laid this matter carefully
before you, my duty is performed.
Respectfully and sincerely,
"LUCIUS E. PINKHAM,
Governor of Hawaii.
Chairman Charles R. Forbes of the
loan fund commission called the meet
ing to order, stating to the governor
that the plans and specifications are
complete but that before bids are
called for it had been deemed best to
confer with him as head OF the terri
tory that there might be a general
understanding on the matter.
1--WE would like to know If you wish
to express yourself before calling for
bids" he said.
Forbes then called upon Engineer
James T. Taylor to outline his work
and the results of his Investigations.
AS Taylor rose to give his report,
T.fF. Sedgwick rose also-to express
himself as citizen, he said.
81 want to express myself in regard
to the Nuuahu DAM" he broke in. Il
want to say that / am opposed to the.
diverting of any water into No. res
ervoir.,'
Taylor brought out the fact that his
plans for Hillebrand glen take in It's
acres more of drainage area than feed
Maole stream
He said that an open ditch is much
better than pipe in that it will per-
NIT enlargement for future needs. 1t
viii also outlast pipe, he pointed
out
81 have figured an average rainfall
of 1872 inches or IL feet a year" he
stated, "and of this amount on a 300
acre area, so per cent should flow into
the ditch. This would mean 10000
gallons daily or 5S5.600,0e0 gallons a
year.
The present cost estimate is $780,
500 as submitted to the loan fund COM
mission. / figure the cost at $23, $685.
35. The difference lies largely in the
estimated cost of dam of which there
is no need. Ali you need is simply
structure to divert the flow, and there
is no site for dam.
Construction will be very simple
and work can be carried on night and
day"
The commission now has an unob-
ligated balance of $39,946.95. Taylor
pointed out that the value of water de-
rived from the project is worth at
least $4,000 a year for domestic and
irrigation purposes.
In response to an inquiry from the
chairman, Taylor stated that the Nuu-
anu dam leakage is less than l %
per cent.
Don't you think that your so per
cent run off allowance is a little |
shaky?" asked photographer Larri- |
son.