The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-04-09

laws III bOlu tLiEliuu diQ AIlltIlCd
garding the point under discussion.
as being one of the greatest curses of
mankind.
Upon being put TO vote the recon-
mendations of the committee were
adopted and the bill passed its second
reading. Moved and carried that the
bill be read third time Tuesday.
Under suspension of rules Rep. Rich
ardson read the following report of the
Finance COMMITTEES:
Your Finance Committee, to whom
was referred all items in the two ap-
preparation bills now before the House
under head of Miscellaneous relating
to electric light, have now to report as
follows:
"Your committee find upon investi-
cation that the item is made up as fol-
lows:
One inspector, per month, $175; two
dynamo men, one at $50 and one at
sos. $145; one line foreman, SOS; one
station keeper, $55; two trimmers, at
$55, $110 Total, $3.50.
Twelve months at $3.50. $4,000.
1--WE also find that the inspector
drawing a salary of $175 per month
from the Government is employed by
the Telephone Company at a salary OF
5000 per month.
your committee are of the opinion
that it is impossible for any one man to
fill two positions of the kind and do
justice to both.
I'VE are also of the opinion that the
salary paid is entirely out of proper
tion to the work done, as an eXamina-
tion of the lines will prove; also, that
it is out of proportion to salaries paid
for the same class of work elsewhere.
1--WE therefore recommend that there
be inserted in the Appropriation bill,
in place of line 4, the following:
Line Electric light regular pay
roll, $4,000; one inspector at 1925 per
month, $125; (and that he devote the
whole of his time to the care of the
Government electric light plan); two
dynamo men, one at $50 and one at
sos per month, $145; one lineman at
$65 per month; one station-keeper at
$55; two trimmers at $55, $110.
1--WE recommend the other items pass
as in the bill"
In speaking of the matter Rep. Rich
ards referred to the present system of
electric lighting in the city as being
dangerous both to life and property.
Honolulu was in possession of the
worst system that he had ever seen
The lines were in all sorts of condi-
tions and shapes. They were nailed to
houses, telephone poles, electric light
poles of the Hawaiian Electric Com
pany and some were nailed to nothing
at all. Rep. Richards referred to a wire
that had lost it's insulation. While
looking at it he saw a child catch hold
f1a
ing through the wire, the child must
surely have been killed. 1t was as
tonishing that such dangerous thing
had been allowed to go on. The COM
mittee had not considered it necessary
to visit the electric light station an
inspection of the wires on the streets
was enough. Rep. Richards said that if
he had his way about it he would i'm
mediately give orders to stop the Gov
ernment electric lighting plant. In his
opinion $175 was too much pay for a
man attending to the running of that
place. Men could be obtained for $125.
Rep. Rycroft said he had been around
with Rep. Richards and had found the
electric lighting system in a most dan
gerouS condition. In referring TO the
present inspector he said that the pri-
Vate corporation or company for which
that man was working would surely see
that their work was properly attended
to. Where did the Government come in?
Minister Smith said that the state
ment that the system in Honolulu was
a dangerous one was news TO him. He
had always understood that there was
a great improvement. He thought it
was certainly an overstatement of facts
to say that the whole system was dan
gerous to life and property. There might
be certain places that needed repairing.
Minister Smith, continuing, said he
hoped the salary of the inspector would
not be cut down to 1925, as was recon-
mended. He had had experience with
cheap men before.
Rep. Richards was confident that a
good man could be got for $125 a month.
The matter was further discussed,
and Rep. Rycroft accepted an amend
IN mt made by the Attorney General
that the salary Of inspector be placed at
$3.50. He insisted on the rider intro
duced by the committee to the effect
that the inspector attend strictly to the
duties of the Office.
Rep. Rycroft objected to the change
when the committee had recommended
$125 as a salary sufficient to get good
man. There was no money to be thrown
about in any such reckless manner.
Item carried with the inspectors sal
airy at $125.
House adjourned at 1885 p. m.