Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-10
RECLAMATIONO OF
WAIKIKI REACHES
MAP STAGE Only
Survey is All Commission Au-
thorizes; Plan to Go Slow
During the War

. What is to be considered as the
first def mite step by the Waikiki
first definite step by the Waikiki
ganization more than a month ago
was taken yesterday afternoon when
that body, after a discussion Of more
than two hours, voted to call for bids
for the furnishing Of map OF the
area in question.
This map, as provided by the same
motion which decided to call for bids.
will contain "all original titles there
of under land commission awards and
grants and on lands not covered by
awards and grants, and showing fur
ther so far as is practicable from
such information as may be copyen-
iently obtained from the tax office or
other government sources, the pres
emit subdivisions of such area and the
present reputed owners thereof.
In passing the motion the commits
sion acted in opposition to Chairman
w. r. Hobby, who maintained that
work already done by the superinten-
dent of public works under the sani-
tation act and under Act LOBBY the
last legislature was sufficient to FUR
nish, or would furnish In a short time
all that the motion proposed. Accord
ingly Chairman Hobby went on rec
ord as opposing it when the vote was
taken.
Mr.. Hobby believed that the proper
method was to search out first the
titles and records of the land in Ques-
ton. Rudolph Buchly, who made the
and put into map OF the district
and pnt into a map of the district,
on which map the records and titles
to be secured later be placed. Mr..
Buchly favored the field work first.
Yet the caution that the latter. COM
missioner bestowed upon his fellows
was summed UP In the portion OF the
motion which provides that bids
should be called for on the work. He
had suggested previously that the
work be done If possible by the terri
torial survey department as matter
of economy and the motion as first
passed included this provision. But
the decision to call for bids was an.
other step toward caution for 1t will
mean that no expenditures are to be
made on the job until the commission
knows the exact extent Of them.
"This country is at war" Commits
sioner Buchly asserted more than
once. We've got to Hooyerize on
everything. This is not the time to
spend large sums of money, and 1t is
not the time to discuss the engineer
ing features of this scheme. Let US
get our map first. We don't know
what the next legislature will do with
this plan. We don't know but what
a special session OF the legislature
may be called at any time to make
appropriations to carry on this war
and dismiss this thing entirely.
Mr.. Buchly's attitude of economy
was voiced first at the meeting di-
rectly after the clerk had announced
the expenditure of some $12 or $14 in
the purchase of minute book and
stationery. Buchly rose to his feet.
stMr. Chairman" he said, Il don't
believe this commission ought to fav-
or the purchase of a single item
without its first giving approval.
The motion against premature pur-
chases was passed.
The commission then took up the
engineering features of the Waikiki
nlan as favored by the governor, and
il was during this discussion that the
meeting reached its most dramatic
points.
Chairman Hobby outlined the
scheme from a large map which was
mined to the wall. The canal was to
be about Rs feet deep, he said, and
average 200 feet wide and 2 miles
long.
Commissioner A. A. Young opined
that the walls would never stand un-
less made of concrete. Commission
err A. S. Cantin thought the expense
of the scheme would be enormous;
not less than seven or eight million
dollars, he said.
After being urged to set price on
the probable cost pei, yard for exca-
waiting, Chairman Hobby suggested
Is cents a yard. Cantin promptly took
him up.
mo, sir" he said, shaking his head
slowly, '.you can't do 1t for that.
had 10 years in that business and ]
know what I'm talking about. II you
strike coral or sand In there you'll
have to shoot, and shooting is ex-
spensive."
Commissioner Young stated that he
had dug a we'll once in the district
and that coral and sand had been en-.
1,o,,nforod also rock ss