The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-05-04
1T IS CANCELLED
Col. Z. s. Spalding WithdraWS
from Ills Gable Contract.
DECISION REACHED YESTERDAY
Exclusive Franchise Not
in Favor.
Colonel SpaIding Says He Was
Opposed by English and Ger
mans VIII Keep at Work.

Col. z. S. Spalding has Withdrawn
| from his contract made with the Ha-
waiian Government for the construction
of a cable from California to the Ha-
waian Islands. This decision was
reached after a lengthy discussion with
the Executive that began early Mon
| day morning and was finished at
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
y, 1895, contained the provision that
''the contractor may, at any time prior
to the 1st 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
country has been sought, and the great
majority have declared against further
extension of exclusive franchises. At
the meeting yesterday Senator Brown
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 l have anything
to say to the newspapers regarding
what has been DONE" said the Colonel
Il have had no conference with the
Cabinet, and did not come here to ask
for an extension of time on my agree
ment. If 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,
don't care anything about it"
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 I 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. I have made q
study of it and believe I have learned
something about it. I 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 I got it the English and
German residents commenced to cry
wolf they thought I was getting too
much- Anu IHOSe same EnSIlSn anu
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 il would shut out the Eng
lish and Germans, who might some day
want to construct a cable I do not
mind telling you that that is exactly
what | intended to do-shut them out.
If these Islands are to be linked by a
cable TO any country. that country
should be the United States, and