The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1922-04-04
Formal Opening
Of Mala Wharf
ToBe Tomorrow
Governor and other Territorial
Officials To Be There;
Mauna Kea viii Remain
Alongside An Hour.


Governor Wallace r. Harrington.
Lyman II. Bigelow, chairman of the
harbor board and other members of
that body, James A. Kennedy, presi-
dent of the Inter-Island Steam Navi-
cation Company and members of it's
board of directors and other territorial
officials and prominent citizens are ex
pected to be aboard the Mauna Kea
when she ties up alongside of Mala
wharf, Lahaina, tomorrow afternoon.
Acceptance has been received from
Bigelow and his letter said the COVER
nor would be there, and other accep-
tanceS have told of the others COM
ing. The Governor has been planning
a trip to Hilo this week and will prob
ably go through or the Mauna Kea
which is to lie at Mala wharf for an
hour.
Miss Freeland Selected
Miss Freeland, a daughter of La
haina has been selected to "christen"
the wharf and will break the bottle
and spill the contents according to
time honored custom just as the Maui
ma Kea is coming up to the wharf es-
corted by a fleet of decorated sam
pans and other small craft. There is
to be a tarpaulin tent at the end of
the wharf where luncheon will be
served and for the hour of the stay of
the Mauna Kea there will be felicia
tions, speech making and sociability.
Such are the ceremonies that are to
be conducted under the auspices of
the Maui Chamber of Commerce.
Nat Mo-; 49, C@-t,- 10, .-.ll L.
represented well at Lahaina for the
wharf opening. Indications are that
nearly all of the members of the
Chamber of Commerce will make the
trip over and many of them will be
accompanied by members of their
families. Telephone calls inquiring as
to the probability of members going
were being sent out Monday and be-
fore loon it was indicated hat be-
tween 60 and 20 would motor over.
Dance Also Planned
Aside from the ceremonies that are
being arranged by the Chamber of
Commerce there will be other cele-
brations of the occasion. Lahaina folk
are reported to be arranging for a
dance in the evening and for the
East and Central Maui visitors, di-
rectly after the Mauna Kea steams
away for Hilo Mr.. and Mrs. A. w.
Collins are planning to give a chowder
party at their beach home.
From the days when Inter-Island
and other steamers landed passengers
at Maalaea Bay there has been advo-
cacy of a passenger and freight wharf.
1t was advocated for Kihei, for La
hama and for Mala, the site finally
selected where its location is most
convenient for the shipment of sugar
and canned pines. There was opposi-
ton to the Mala location but it was
overcome and a loan fund approprias
ton was passed. There came the diff
ficulty in putting the project through
for it was impossible to sell the terri
torial bonds on the mainland. II was
then the Chamber of Commerce step
ped in and named a committee. The
bonds were floated with Island inter
ests that were deeply interested in
the project.
Work Pushed Rapidly.
Advertising for bids followed and
the contract was let to Ed Lord.
Work went forward splendidly until
a hole was found where the bottom
seemed to have dropped out" Work
halted for a time, was resumed and
then went on rapidly. A second loan
fund appropriation for an additional
length to the wharf was passed but
the bonds were never taken up there
for and the plan was allowed to rest.
Under such plan an additional length,
straight out, or a r, may be added at
the time desired or a further appro-
priation secured if necessary.
Mala wharf is pronounced as fine a
structure of it's size and kind as there
is to be found in the Territory, of
concrete construction, with a fine APP
proach, it extends well out into deep
water and in height is the same as
the Hama wharf where the Kilauea
lands.
There is some complaint as to cur
rent but there are those familiar with
conditions at Mala and the mainland
who say that San Francisco harbor
is like a mill rae to a mill pond, as
compared with Mala. They claim that
fully $50 days in the year landings
can be made al the new wharf without
difficulty. The landings made by In.
ter-Island freight steamers already
s~ubstantiate such claims. At present
the largest Matson liners cannot make
use of the wharf, it is said, but the
adding of a T is expected to make
the structure available for them also
at a later date.