The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-08-09
RAILWAYS A ND COLONIZATION.
Mr.. Dillingham; slse. Information Re-
sarding his sehemes-The Franchise
Before the Neutrality-suspicious.
IN an UnexEnsoted Quarter.

before the Observation-Disclosures
in an UnexEasoted Quarter.
The question of a steam railway ON the
! lsiand OF Oahu has on divers occasions
Drawn forth extremely divergent views
nom different persons, as to the neces-
slty, utility and proftableness of such
an enterprise. A bill granting a fran
chlse tor the undertaking to 3. F. Dill
Hngham and associates, was introduced
early IN the present session of the Legis-
lature. After having been some time in
the hands of committee it has reap
peared, their report striking out the
name OF the promoter, also leaving out
the subsidy and proposing other changes.
A representative OF this paper, in ex-
plotting for information, secured rather
spicy talk with the seeker of the fran
chise. The conversation was substanti-
ally as reported below
Q.-Mr. Dillingham;, have not YOU
bill before the Legislature, in your own
name, Tor franchise to build railway
on this island?
Ayes; it has just been reported
back by the Committee, leaving out my
name and ting out the subsidy
Q.-ls there any opposition to your
scheme?
A.-NOne that am aware of, except
as offered Dy Mr. Gribbe. A member of
the House has advised me that l should
get into bed" with Skinner & Co.,
| builders of the Honolulu street railway.
| This L emphatically declared l should
| not do, whereupOn the member told me
| Skinner q Co. would blackmail me so
that [ could do nothing
| Q.-If you obtained the franchise,
would you push the railway ahead of the
! colonization scheme?
Ayes; the railway to Pearl Harbor
has always been held by me to be the
key to the colonization project You
will remember that [ urged this upon
yourself two years ago when we went
| over the ,nds together. This was also
| quickly realized by Mr.. Gribble, engineer
! OF the street railway, after four DAYS
trip made with me, at his own request,
over the property. He expressed the
| opinion that the railway was the key TO
the position, and urged upon me the
e7deavor of securing an exclusive fran
chise for thirty years. Why an exclu-
| sive franchise?" / asked. because. >"
| he replied, money could not be OBJ
| tanned either here or abroad without an
| exclusive franchise Mr.. Gribble
wanted me to enter into an agreement
with him forthwith giving him the option
| for twelve months OF procuring in Eng
| land or the United States sixty per cent.
| of the required capital for the railway.
| This CATER careful consideration l
refused to do, feeling that the Hawaiian
public should have the first opportunity
of taking stock in the enterprise. l be-
| lieve that d large proportion, perhaps
| SeVenty-hVe per cent, OF the stock would
be readily subscribed here. Another
stipulation / submitted was that, in the
event of control of the railway passing
into the hands of a foreign corporation,
the interests of the colonization scheme
should be protected. Mr.. Gribble's r.
Spouse to this was that they would want
sixty per. cent. also of the colonization
stock, without naming any definite terms
for protection OF my claims.
Dwell, what's the matter with their
getting sixty per cent. of the stock, if it
is going to make the colonization scheme
a success right away, bringing a large
amount of foreign capital into the
country?
Any objection is that if 1 signed
such an agreement as was proposed, it
would put all control of the scheme out
of my hands. Having spent the best
part of my time for three years, together
with thousands of dollars, in promoting
this scheme, l am naturally 10th to be
forced into assigning the project to
others, particularly under the circum
stances of being ordered to stand and
deliver" highwayman fashion, by new
corners. Another objection is that it
would place me in false position. to go
to the Legislature asking for franchise
for project, the control Of which l had
already disposed Of to others privately.
Q-Have you personal assurances OF
support in this country
A.-The opinion has been expresse d
by men of large means here, that if got
the franchise with a subsidy could get
all the money required. 1t is only due
to local capitalists that they should at
least have the opportunity OF refusing to
invest. Besides, have the promise of
most valuable concessions of land near
Pearl Harbor for the benefit of the rail-
way company.
Q.-I thought your bill was for rail-
| way round the Island?
A.-Not exactly. It gives the privi-
lege of extendingsthe line whenever ex-
pedient, but for the present the main
object is the road to Pearl HarbOr.
Q.-What assistance do you ask from
the Government?
A-The original bill was for a subsidy
of $4,000 a mile. Mr.. Gribble, when
urging me to introduce bill, hoping to
secure the franchise for himself and his
friends, wanted to fix the subsidy at
S. 900; but considered 81, 800 sufficient
for all legitimate purposes of a subsidy.
1t may throw some light on the anxiety
of Skinner & Co. to secure control of
these schemes, when it is observed that
they are receiving $3.50, 900 for building
twelve miles of street railway and oper-
ating it for three months. Indeed, their
representative (Mr. Gribble) told me
that the Pearl Harbor railway could be
built for $4,000 per mile, while, after
,,ln+;or, tho bonds nnirht he hnafpd