The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-04-17
ELECTRIC TRAM VIEW.
PROSPECT FOR A CONVERSION OF
TIE PRESENT LINE.
Failure of the Grab Franchise Report -
A Restriction An Expert Pro-
tections and Concessions

During the special session of tn,
Legislature few months ago som,
members and outsiders in feverisl
anxiety to obtain for the city o
Honolulu the boon of an electric
street railway at any price, signifiet
their willingness to grant to certain
persons a franchise, which, Will,
outrageously unfair to the commun'
ity, left a very large loophole fol
watering the stock, and an exceed
ingly microscopical chance for the
bona fide investor to draw his div.
idends.
Fortunately the counsels of cooler
heads prevailed. A committee was
appointed to investigate the whole
matter of electric street railways as
affecting this city, and report al the
regular session. The report Of
these gentlemen is now at hand
and they, recognizing the fact that
the city of Honolulu is not suffici-
emily populous to support two
legitimate enterprises Of the
kind, reported unfavcrably, at
all events as to the present
time, to granting a tramway con-
cession to any new company, deem
ing best that the service should be
left in the hands of the existing
corporation.
AT the special session an attempt
was made to tie the hands Of the
operating the company. An act was
passed to amend the electric fran
chise OF the Hawaiian Tramways
Company granted in 1890. Prob
ably a good many of those who
voted for it omitted to read between
the lines. If so the omission was
unfortunate, for that is where its
real meaning lies. Without paus-
ing to consider the constitutional
question Of whether the Legisla-
ture, having granted privilege, is
legally justified at a subsequent
date, in the absence of any viola
ton of the conditions, of attaching
other conditions; it may be said
that the restrictions, or at least
some Of them, sought to be i'm
posed by this amending act are so
unreasonable that no company
having due regard to its own inter
ests could possibly accede to them.
1t was, perhaps, the knowledge Of
this that prompted its introduction.
The promoters of the rival scheme
we'll knew that the Hawaiian
Tramways Company had under
consideration the conversion of
their system to an electric one, and
that if during the time between the
close Of the special session and the
assembly of the present one any
practical steps should be taken in
this direction their chances would
be small. 1t was therefore of the
utmost Importance to the success
Of their scheme, which has since
been defeated, that some means
should be devised OF restraining the
old company from carrying out the
identification of their system. The
new act, with its impossible condi-
tons, was a convenient instrument
for the purpose. However, it re-
mains upon the statute books, and
while it does so it is a stumbling
block and probably a bar to the in
PRODUCTION of more modern system
of city and suburban transit.
THE STAR learns that a repre-
sentative of one of the most promi-
nent electric railway equipment
companies in the United States is
now comforting with the manager Of
the tramways company, having WIS.,
tied the city for that purpose, but as
already indicated it is not to be sup
posed that anything will be done
unless the obnoxious act of last
session is repealed. That the COM
pany is in earnest seems certain.
That they have waited from 1890
until the present time is susceptible
of reasonable explanation. Elec-
trio traction as applied to street
railways had but recently been
brought into practical shape, and
like most other mechanical inven-
tons in early stages it was subject
to rapid improvement. Appliances
which were up to date at The time
of their installation would soon be-
come obsolete. 1t was therefore
deemed wiser to await the further
development of what was then a
comparatively new invention. II
is now believed to have assumed a
more permanent form. Hence the
recent activity of the local company
Under these circumstances il
would be best to remove by enact
ment the hampering restrictions,
and in consideration of the large
amount of additional capital whict
would necessarily have to be in
vested to convert the system, i
would not be out of the way to gran
some additional privileges, such a.
an extension of the time limit of tn,
franchise, and the right to construc
the lines beyond the present termin
at Palama, Waikiki, Nuuanu anc
Punahou, all of which should, how
ever, be made contingent upon tn,
installation Of the electric system o
traction within specific period.
If the company could be induced
to make these extensions. or som,
of them, it would enhance the taxa
BILE value Of property in those local
tiles from fifty to hundred pei
cent, besides adding greatly to the
| attractions of tho citv