Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-21
DILLINGHAM;
MAKES ANSWER
TO GOVERNOR
Denies That Dredging Company
Was Party TO Any Arrange
ment Between u. S. and
Territory


The Hawaiian Dredging co. vas
not party TO any Arrangement made
between the United States engineers
and the territory regarding the dredg-
ing out Of the suhstI uCture Gf the old
marine railway" declared Walter r.
Dillingham; this morning when he was
asked il he had any statement 10 make
in response TO the charge made before
the harbOr comm iSsiOn yesterday that
the territory had been "goused' ont
OF approximately s35,"00 by the carry
ular dredging.
Continuing he said.
whether the United States engi-
neers are giving the governor and the
haroor board a square deal or whether
or not the marine railway foundation
should be eXcavated at the price con,
tracted for sand and mud are matters
Of opinion.
That the governor and the harbor
board we're forced 70 reconsider and
make good their promise TO the fed.
eral government by removing the
marine railway foundation is matte
OF fact.
Before concluding his statement
with these remarks. Mr.. Dillingham;
| reviewed the negotiations leading up
| to the final dredging out Of the ma
| rine railway structure. He said:
IF your account Of the meeting OF
the harbor board held yesterday was
correctly reported. feel that the
| NJ u-1rJ
about the facts under the camou
| flage.
| Governor Pinkham promised the
| U. S. engineers several years ago that
| the territory would remove the marine
railway foundations. Later, in 1915
| Superintendent of Public Works
Forbes asked the dredging company
what it would cost to do the work
On Mr.. Alex Lyles history of what
constituted the foundation we estimat
ed and bid $4,000. Lord-Young Sc
cured the contract at about $4,000 and
were later given an extra on the work
of 5000.
| THE governor then announced to
the U. S. engineers that the territory
had done its part. The engineers at
tempted to force the dredging com
pany to finish the job on the theory
that the marine railway site was
within, the limits of our federal con
tract for digging sand and mud.
| Says. Governor Erred
"At the request of the engineering
rine railway site, the result of which
| satisfied us that the governor in his
statement to the engineer office, to
the effect that the marine railway
foundation had been removed, was in
error.
Thinking to save, our governor from
an embarrassing call from Washing,
ton, took the data and placed it be
| fore Mr.. Pinkham, explained the facts
which had been developed and asked
him what he wished me to do.
He said: I can't keep track Of all
the details; give the records to MIR.
Wheeler FORBES assistan), and /
will see him.
After a delay of two weeks, Mr..
Wheeler said the governor and the
harbor board refused 10 consider the
matter.
THE particulars were then placed
before the local T. S. engineer, in writ.
ing, by him forwarded to Washington,
and in reply the following message
was turned over to me by the L. S.
engineer office in Honolulu, as coming
from the chief Of engineers in Wash
ingtoni
From the correspondence and
statements, this office is convinced
that neither the specifications nor the
contract contemplate the removal by
the Hawaiian Dredging Co., Ltd, of
the substructure Of the marine railway
in Area F, covered by said contract
"A later contract Of ours covered
the removal of the marine railway
foundation The deal was with the
U. S. engineers. The arrangements
between the federal government and
the territory we were not q narty TO