The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-01-19
Harbor Commissioners Listen To
Suggested Plar and Heartily
Endorse Its Details
MATTER WILL BE LAID
BEFORE THE GOVERNOR
Legislature Will Be Asked To Ap-
prove Plan To Give Waikiki
Back To Public

A comprehensive scheme which prae,
tieally means the conversion Of Wal
kiki into one of the most beautiful
places in the world, with beach run
hing from the harbor entrance TO Dia-
moDd Head--a beach that shall belong
70 all the people, not to a few indi.
viduals--and fine boulevard extend
ing the full length Of the strand, was
proposed at a meeting Of the board or
harbor commissioners last night, and
met with the enthusiastic approval Of
all Of them who were present. Com
missioner Church was the only alb
sentee. ~ a r.. VII 3 ..iE
On motion Of Commissioner James
Wakefield, who proposed the plan, the
board resolved to hold a conference
with Governor Pinkham and discuss
the proposition with him, with the idea
Of placing II before the legislature for
action.
To put the scheme into effect will
undoubtedly cost great amount, for
e will necessitate the condemnation Of
q strip Of land twenty or thirty feet
wide the entire length of the beach.
InHI w Will Ot OBPOSCu ny
those individuals who are lucky enough
to own property along Waikiki Beach
goes without saying. But the harbor
| oard is not influenced by any such
consideration. AS Commissioner Wake
field put It, the purpose Of the board
is to restore to the people of Honolulu
their beach, and the board intends to
work steadfastly along that line. o.
Ironically enough, 1t is the stubborn.
ness and selfshness of certain Waikiki
Reach property owners who have at.
tempted TO shut the public of from the
beach that have brought the whole big
scheme to a head. or course il was
bound TO come some time, but the per
sisIenee of certain property owners in
maintaining walls and fences to shus
the public out from the beach was the
cause Of the project being born at this
time. M ~ .s@s..-... y
Scheme Comprehensive 49, .H
The comprehensiveness of the scheme
may be appreciated when it is stated
that the harbor board suggests that II
be made part of a huge project that
shall take Ina great part of Waikiki,
Including the long-talked'of and much.
deferred Waikiki reclamation scheme.
As outlined by Commissioner Wake
field, the beach improvement scheme is
directly intended to give the general
public an uncontested right to all the
beach frontage. He brought the mat.
ter up in connection with q discussion
that had arisen concerning what action
the board should take in regard to
those property owners who have built
fences and retaining walls which pre-
vent the public from having free ae.
cess to certain parts of the beach. o."
There is no use going at this mat
ter piecemeal," he said tWhat we
want to do is to take such action that
people can go up and down the beach
without feeling that they are trespass.
ing.o
Right To Beach Clear
Commissioner Mccarthy said that
the question Of the right to the beach
had been decided in a comprehe usive
opinion by either the supreme court of
New York or the Supreme Court of the
United States, which held that the
beach below high water mark belongs
to the public. 49, '...' p. s't7
I" Under that decision, he said, I'll the
many lighthouses and other structures
at Coney Island were ordered torn
down-and furthermore, they were
torn down and the public beach that
had been usurped by private indiVi'
duals was restored to the public. He
could see no reason why the same lie
cision should not apply in Hawaii.
Commissioner Wakefield then outlin,
"A IN .al.a 4. s,G a.. =.
Territory to dredge out the flats along
kakaako and use the material dredged
TO fill in the swamps Of Kakaako from
the foot of Ward Street to Fort d.
Russy, and to condemn strip of LAND
from twenty to thirty feet wide from
Ward Street to Diamond Head, anC
construct along that strip a beautiful
boulevard which should be the property
Of all the people. 49, %. - :. =
Would Settle Questions r.. %. ..- =
That" he said, would settle once
and for all questions of fences, walli
and other Instructions. II is some
thing that ought to be done, and ]
think this board should get together OF
ii and get the proposition moving"
Mr.. Wakefield's scheme was so bis
'ho' i"r hoihcuI ~ muue tne OInel
commissioners pause. Then, as they
saw the possibilities, they all fell in
with him and agreed that his sugges
tion was the right one. When hi
moved that they take it up with thu
Governor, with q view of getting Il
into shape for presentation to the legis
latuTe, they all agreed. K Hf.N
II was suggested by Acting Chair
man Woodward that the project woult
cost a lot Of money Did the Terri
tory have borrowing power sufficient I,
cover it, he asked Commissipner Nc
earthly, who is also territorial treas
urer, said that the Territory can Dor
row more than $4,000 900, and to dat
hes borrowed only about $7,O0O,Ooo.
Would Broaden scheme
Wate1eld then went further, an,
Grid that be THOUGHT his scheme for tn
Ffalamation Of Waikiki Beach shout
be made a part Of broader schem