The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-11-17

President Dole read letter from
Il General Hartwell in which he calleC
attention 70 the work he had done or
the cable scheme, and how near he
had come TO success. He requested
that the Government again give him
an opportunity 10 take the contract on
$40 900 subsidy for 20 years. Cen
/ eral Hartwell also submitted drafts OF
/ contracts and intentional agreements
/ on cable matters. These were not read,
but their Importance must be recog-
nized when ii is considered that the
cable must be used h-- all nations Of the
world in times OF war and peace
After Messrs- Foster and Thurston
had withdrawn a general discussion
followed. which was participated in
by Messrs. Lansing. Dillingham;. Wood.
Schaefer. Alexander, McCandless,
Swanzy. Judd. Young. Irwin. Phillips,
Isenberg, Waterhouse and Hackfeld.
OF these SwanZy. Irwin. Young lsen-
berg. Hackfeld. Phillips and Atherton
expressed themselves as strongly op-
posed to making a contract of this
character.
Mr.. Swanzy very we'll expressed the
opinions of these speakers in saying
that in the immediate future, especial
~ with the completion of oceanic can
ais the progress of the Pacific must be
very great. There must be an i'm
mense increase in the commerce, and
the ships must increase in tonnage
and improve in character. The neces-
stiles of this increase brought about
by the development Of Japan and the
progress of Russia, in consequence of
the completion of the Siberian Rail-
way, must create new requirements
and demands that can hardly be con-
templated or measured at the present
time. The Importance of Hawaii is
its geographical position. which is Of
a most commanding nature. Steam
ships and cables must be landed here,
and il would be q great national and
error for Hawaii to tie it
self up to any one concern by 20-year
exclusive franchise. Before the end of
20 years the people might find they
had made a fatal mistake. 1t was,
therefore, TO be hoped that the Gov
ernment would not commit itself with
out most careful and mature consid-
Grafton.
W. G. Irwin saIa this cable matter
was pretty important one TO discuss
az practically a moments notice. The
full nature OF the proposition had not
been understood until very few hours
before. He felt sure the country would
get the cable when the demands of
business required it, and to shut out
n~h NJ hA would nv oil
ing this contract would be g mistake
He was sure the time would soon come
when Hawaii would get cables without
making concessions and without great
expense to the Government. He
thought if the Government had money
TO offer the fact had better be made
known. and he would be willing to
guarantee the offer would be taken up
without requesting 20-year franchise.
Mr. Irwin also spoke upon the improba-
bility of the Japanese Government
granting large powers to foreign
company.
Dr. Wood and the Attorney General
spoke of having learned from an au-
thoratative source while in Japan that
the japanese Government, in its pres
ent mood and with its ambitious spirit
for extending its power, might of itself
very soon lay cable. At any rate, it
would not look with favor or grant
concessions 10 a foreign corporation; it
must be a japanese company with Jap
anese capital.
Alexander Young said that while he
felt that in view of the great outlay
required for a Pacific cable, no capital
ist would venture to put in money
without concessions which would offer
the hope of remunerative returns as the
exclusive franchise would do, at the
same time, he did not feel that the
time had come for the Government
to tie itself up in the manner request
ed by the proposed contract.
Mr.. Phillips said that to his mind
the niger in the fence" had been pret-
II clearly exposed by the explanation
OF the position of the Japanese in the
matter. What Col. Spalding and his
company want is TO get the thing
backed up by this contract so that they
can go to a japanese company, shake
the contract in their faces and COM
pei them 10 make terms TO suit the
holders of the franchise.
Other speakers seconded the views
expressed by the foregoing. Several
spoke in a non-eommittal manner, but
on the whole, from what was said, on
ly opposition could be inferred toward
the granting of the franchise request
ed for the cables to the Colonies and
Japan.
Mr Isenberg said that the views ex-
pressed by Mr. Phillips, Mr.. Young,
as well as Mr. Swanzy were correct,
and he conceded with the them. He
also called attention to the fact that
the commercial requirements of Ha-
waii do not yet demand a cable. Ha-
waii is a sugar-growing country, and
2 cable cannot furnish anything that
viii make the production Of sugar any
less expensive.
B. F. Dillingham; said if the Govern
ment could borrow money at 4 per
cent il might be found before very
long: that the surest and quickest way
TO get a cable to the United States
was for the Government to associate it
self with other parties, who would
borrow million dollars and allow the
people 10 get some of the benefits, if
there are any 10 be derived
One of the points under discussion
Il