The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-05-04
IT is CANCELLED
Col. Z. S. Spaldilg VitldTaVS
from His Cable Contract.
DECISION REACHED YESTERDAY
Exclusive Franchise Not
in Favor.
Colonel Spalding Says He Was
mans VIII Keep at Work.

waiian Government for the construction /
OF a cable from California to the Ha-
waiian Islands. This decision was
reached after lengthy discussion with
the Executive that began early Mon
day morning and was finished at 8
o'clock in the afternoon.
This is simply one way of stating
that the Government of Hawaii has
decided to desist from granting ex-
elusive franchises for sometime to
come. The contract Colonel Spalding
made with this Government on August
u, 1895, contained the provision that
the contractor may, at any time prior
to the LIST day of May, 1897, cancel this
contract. Such bonds so deposited as
security shall thereupon be forthwith
returned" Colonel Spalding having
failed to secure the necessary assist
ance from the United States, has de-
cided TO cancel his contract
The Executive has had the matter of
the extension of the contract under
advisement since Colonel Spalding's
arrival in the country The opinions
of many of the leading citizens of the
country has been sought, and the great
majority have declared against further
extension of exclusive franchises. At
the meeting yesterday Senator Brown
and Representative Robertson were
among those invited to be present.
Colonel Spalding was seen last night
at the Hawaiian Hotel, and asked re
garding the rumor that he had with
drawn his agreement from the Govern
ment.
Il don't know that / have anything
TO say to the newspapers regarding
what has been DONE" said the Colonel.
II have had no conference with the
Cabinet, and did not come here to ask
for an extension of time on my agree
ment. II the Government wishes to say
anything Official all right, let them
go ahead. The newspaper reporters
here prefer to jump at conclusions, and
draw upon their imagination, rather
than walk a block and get the infor-
nation correct. If they want to go on
doing that sort of business, all right,
hOh IdI z dDOuI
When the reporter suggested that the
object of his call was to ascertain cor
rectly what had been done. so there
could be no danger of further mis-
takes. Colonel Spalding said:
MY agreement with the Hawaiian
Government gave me the right to
withdraw my option any time within
two years. That time expired on Sat
urday. The statement that ! wanted
an extension of time was mere trash.
The Government has no power to grant
it if I did without it being ratified by
the Legislature. No, have been work
ing out the cable business more or less
for seven years, but more particularly
for the last two years | have made
study of it and believe have learned
something about it. | came here two
years ago, and without making much
noise about it, secured an exclusive
franchise ratified by the Legislature.
And there's where the trouble is.
"As soon as 1 got it the English and
German residents commenced to cry
wolf they thought I was getting too
much. And those same English and
Germans, backed by some of the Ho-
nolulu papers, have been opposed TO
the measure, root and branch, ever
since. They were afraid to allow one
man to have so much, believing. they
said, that it would shut out the Eng
fish and Germans, who might some day
want to construct a cable. 1 do not
mind telling you that that is exactly
what | intended to do-shut them out.
II these Islands are to be linked by
cable to any country, that country
should be the United States, and I
believed. too. that annexation would
follow the cable Some of the men who
profess favor to annexation have so
little foresight that they could not see
any connection between the two-I
did.
while l was working in Washing
ton TO have my bill passed, my rivals
the Scrymser Company-were in con-
slant receipt of letters and press clip
pings at the hands of the opposition,
and used them against me. They seem
ed to take particular delight in getting
possession of these letters and show
ing them to members of the Senate
Committee. When I came down here
this time. l found the opposition as
strong as the letters received in Wash
ington, and the actions of the people
there indicated. I felt that to hold the
Government to the agreement meant
its injury, and decided to withdraw and
leave the Hawaiian Government free
TO act as it pleased, and make contracts
with whom it pleased There was
nothing unusual in my having an ex-
elusive franchise Who in the world
wants to put his money into propo-
sition. and when he is comfortably set
tied. have some one else start in op-
position? l would not put my own
money into it. nor would / ask my
friends to do so. Do you think it
would be right for this Government to
give franchises to three other COM
panies to build lines to Waianae, when
there is not more than enough business