The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-08-14
RAILWAYS AND COLONIZATION.
Mr.. Dillingham; Gives Information Re-
garding his Schemes-The Franchise
Before the neutrality-suspicious.
in an Unexpected Quarter.

chise for the undertaking to B. F. Dill
bingham and associates, was introduced
early in the present session OF the Legis-
| lature. After having been some time in
| the hands OF committee 1t 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 a rather
spicy talk with the seeker OF the fran
chise. The conversation was substanti-
ally as reported below;
Q.-Mr. Dillingham;, have not you a
bill before the Legislature, in your own
name, for franchise to build railway
on this island?
Ayes; it has just been reported
back by the Committee, leaving out my
name and cutting out the subsidy.
Q.-Is there any opposition to your
scheme?
A.-None that am aware of, except
as offered by Mr.. Gribble. A member oil
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 & Co. would blackmail me so
that could do nothing.
OF 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 lands 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
endeavor 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 latter a careful consideration
refused to do, feeling that the Hawaiian
public should have the first opportunity
of taking stock in the enterprise. | be-
lieve that a 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 foreign corporation,
the interests OF the colonization scheme
should be protected. Mr.. Gribble's re-
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 large
amount OF foreign capital into the
country?
Any objection is that if l 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, 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 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 l 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.
o. thought your bill was for rail-
way round the Island
A.--Not exactly. 1t gives the privi-
lege of extending the 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 subsidy |
Of $500 a mile. Mr.. Gribble, when
urging me to introduce a bill, hoping to
secure the franchise for himself and his
friends, wanted to fix the subsidy at
s. 900; but | considered s., 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 (AIr. Gribble) told me
that the Pearl Harbor railway could be
built for $4,000 per mile, while, after
the bonds might be foated
in London at 100000 a mile. They evil
IDENTIFY have set their hearts upon grasp
ing the combined colonization and rail-
way schemes at heavy sacrifices, as Mr..
Gribble replied to my refusal to become
a catspaw for them with the threat,
'' Then shall be obliged to spend
money and fight you in the Legislature. :"
Q.-How did that affect your "cor-
?"
Al demonstrated with him for such
q determination, and offered him the
first chance, all other things being
equal, of getting the stock after the Ha-
waiian public had been given an oppor-
tunity of subscribing. He replied that
he would not be satisfied with such an
Thus the matter stands,