The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-08-06
AFTERNOON SESSION.

The House took a recess till 1870.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The House re-assembled at LAC PM.
Rep. Kaunamano in the chair.
Dredging Bar Honolulu Harbor
$685. 900.
Rep. Kamauoha moved it pass at
SS5, 900.
Passed as in the bill.
BOARD OF HEALTH.
Salary of President $4,000.
Rep. Kanealii moved it be stricken
out.
Noble Ena opposed striking out the
item. He considered it very impor-
tant office, as he has charge of affairs
belonging to the public health. He
moved to defer the consideration of
all items under the Board of Health.
The Chairman held that the items
were deferred the other day.
Honolulu Fire Department $40, 900.
Noble J. NJ. Homer moved to defer
this item also as the committee had
not finished making Investigations
yet. Carried.
Repairs and Running Expenses In
sane Asylum 81, 700.
Minister Spencer said that he had
scaled the items in the Insane Asy-
lum appropriation, and the present
figures were his, and he could not cut
down any further.
Noble Marsden moved to defer this
item, and the House to take up the
next item. Carried.
Repairs and Running Expenses
| Electric Light S34 400.
Noble Thurston supported the mo-
ton to pass the appropriation for run
ming expenses of the electric light
| system. He could not understand
the position OF the Minister of the In
| terror in trying to force the present
electric light plant out of the govern
ment, and into the hands of a corpor-
alton as he did in 1890, has been doing
ever since, and is doing now. His
report was cooked to show that the
| present running expense was over
| $500 for each street light, while a pri-
vate corporation is offering to do it
| for SIS light. If q corporation can
do it for $75 light and make profit
and the same work costs 5000 a light
and upwards, under government
administration, then there is some
thing rotten about the government.
But as matter of fact the lights are
not costing the government S225
apiece, or anything like it. The
Ways and Means Committee have
exposed the juggling of figures con.
tanned in the Interior report, and
show that the actual cost to the gov
eminent is only $3.50 a light. The
Minister of the Interior in his re-
port proposes to not only continue
| Go of re- n "
| pense of $4,000, but to add 70 M ore
| thereto, nearly doubling the expense;
and at the same time he proposes in
cold blood to hand over to a private
corporation the only portion of the
plant which is yielding profit, the
incandescent plant which is paying
$1,000 for the period, and to pay
them $50 light for what is now cost
ing only $3.50.
Clerk Mccarthy read the report OF
the Committee on the Electric Light
System.
Noble Marsden moved it pass al
S27,310.
Rep. Kamauoha moved to defer the
consideration of this item until the
bills come up.
Noble Thurston said the Minister
says that facts are stubborn things.
agree with him. He also intimates
that there is insanity in the air. / ad.
NIT it, and submit that it is largely
conferred around the Interior Depart
ment, for 1 can conceive of no other
explanation of his conduct concerning
the electric light. The stubborn facts
are that if he had followed out the
plans and specifications for reservoirs
which were completed when he came
into office, and for which an appro.
priation was made, there would not
only have been an abundance of water
for the city, but the power for the
electric plant would have been great.
ly increased and the expense by rea.
son of increased incandescent lights
greatly reduced. Instead of doing
this, the Minister is bending every
energy to hand over the public prop
erty to private monopoly.
Minister Spencer said that he favor
ed passing out the incandescent
lights, because the Government coulC
not work them satisfactorily. There
is not enough water power to run it
He could get fair sum by disposins
OF this system. He did not want tC
pass out the street lighting system
When he took office, there were only
tWenty-seven street lights. Now there
are 100 lights run by the same motor
because it is run by competent man
Noble Young said that it was proper
that after the Government had gone
on experimenting with the system, il
was only right for the Government tc
hold to the lights. He thought il
would be unwise for the Government
to pass out any portion of the lights
He would not favor the extension o.
the system, but he wanted to hole
what the Government had already
got.
Noble Baldwin said that the electric
light business had been very eXpen-
sive to the Government, because oil
lack of water. He doubted at the
present time the advisability of build
ing reservoirs, but that could be very
we'll done in the future. There is o
bill on my desk now that the Fire De-
partment expenses be borne entirly
by citizens of Honolulu. Now, as
Honolulu is not a corporated city, ]
think that is not advisable. Nobody
would object to private parties start
ing up incandescent lights, but don't
give them the exclusive rights. Don't
give them what we have got.
Rep. Kamauoha withdrew his mo-
ton.
Passed at S27,310.
Repairs and running expenses OF