Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-11-18
CABLE MATTERS.

conCede the extension and eX-
pansion of Mr.. Spalding's cable
franchise, urged upon it by
Messrs. Foster and Thurston, was
not mentioned. This action of
the Government is doubtlessly
approved by the bulk OF the bust
ness opinion of Honolulu. Mr..
Hartwell has shown that, If there
was to be new deal, he is en-.
titled to fair field and no favor.
He had carried Il cable privilege
much nearer success than has
Mr.. SpaIding yet done, having
worked on the matter for years,
and ultimately secured the pas
sage of a charter through the
United States Senate. That was
blocked in the House of Rep
resentatives. Mr.. Hartwell pro
baby sacrificed more time and
money in the project than has Mr..
Spalding. There is no reason,
however, why this country should
give any exclusive franchise to
either of these gentlemen or to
anybody else. Mr.. Hartwell in
his representation Of the situa-
ton simply confirms all the argu.
ments against exclusion employed
by this journal. Moreover, he
say plainly what the BULLETIN
limited, and intended if the dis
cussion had been further neces-
sary, to especially argue, namely,
that an exclusive franchise would |
be i'll contravention of treaty stipu-
latious with various countries. And
he seems to say that therefore
the concessions so eagerly sought
would be simply of the nature Of
q scarecrow to brighten away COM
petition long enough to allow the
holder thereof to gain prior pos.
session of the field. If a cable is
redhot necessity right away, and
the United States or Japan does
not push it along quick, then Mr..
Dllliugham's scheme published
in this paper yesterday is better
than the handing over the country,
body and bones, to any set of
spectators. Hawaii can probably
lay cable herself if she just goes
to work. Cables are bound to be
laid from the United States to
both Australia and Japan, and
Hawaii will be station
upon them. Perhaps the
British cable conference, now
again in session, will give us cable
communication while we are talk
ing about it, but those other cables
are bound to come all the same
or at least that to gain connection
with Australia will come this far,
and perhaps here connect with the
British line. Hawaii is not going
on the direct line of the British
cable, according to the known
plans of that project. That in
cludes branch from Fanning's !
Island to Honolulu, however-a {
formidable work in itself. The
British wanted Necker Island, so
as to throw us line with more .
ease, but the Hawaiian
Government -- in the deep e
wisdom of au executive session
-cloimed and occupied the other. i
wise useless rock as Hawaiian 9
territory. Then it went begging q
the United States to allow it to .
grant cable privileges on Necker /
Island to the British. 1t is to re
presumed, on the surface, that the .
Hawaiian Government thought }
the British lion would be a less a
neighbor under the :
Hawaiian flag than under his own !
out there in the wet. Probably, n
however, the real reason for the
executive sessions display of
naval activity in the matter vu5 .
the same reason as lies ut the I
back Of these private iuportuni- q
ties for obtaining exclusive t
cable franchises from Ha- q
waii. Thnt is. to have sOme- II