The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-02-18
AN ELECTRIC LINE
Home Capital for Honolulu Rapid
Transit Co.
A BUSINESS MEETING HELD
Unanimity In Favor of a Progress
sive Aforementioned of Homo
lulu-Committee at Work.

The movement for a home capital
electric city passenger line for Homo
lulu in enthusiastically under way The
business or organization and building
will, from present appearances. con-
tinue right along till the objects sought
to be accomplished are attained
A meeting of men of the business
circles was held during the noon hour
of yesterday in the offices of Bruce
Waring & Co., on Fort street. Those
present included: Theo. F. Lansing. C.
G. Ballentyne. F. B. McStoeker. f. W.
McCheSney, John A. MeCandless, w
c. Weldon, ]. A Gilman p c. Jones.
l.. l.. McCandless, ]. A. Kennedy. John
Campbell, z. o. White. c. S. Desky, W.
W. Hall, F. S. Dodge, ]. S. Martin and
W. r. Sims. Mr. Lowrey was made
chairman of the meeting and Mr.. Gil
man the secretary.
Mr.. c. S. DeSky. who has been talk
ing for better transit for the city ever
since he arrived from the States. made
general opening statement. He
| thought Honolulu was sufficiently ad-
vanced TO have and support a modern
transit system and that it would be an
enterprising and profitable plan for
the business men of the place to take
the matter up and make a success of
it. His experience was that the re-
sponsible men of a community acting
with unanimity could easily carry out |
an undertaking of this character and |
that home company organized on lib |
eral lines, would receive the support of |
citizens generally.
The keynote of the situation was |
struck by Chairman Lowrey in his re-
marks to the effect that the chief aim |
of the agitation was TO secure to the
city such a transit system as the pro-
gress and condition of the town merit
ed and warranted. There was no ques-
ton about the backwardness of Homo
lulu in the matter of street railway.
While the new venture might return
profits, the citizens who were leading
this movement felt that it should rath-
er be considered from the view of a
public enterprise than as a money
making plan. The present company
has violated the conditions of its chart
er and some attorneys are of the opin-
ion that its legislative privileges have
been forfeited. Mr.. Lowrey believed
that committee of citizens should
prepare a prospectus, mass all avail
able information on the subject and
then after reporting TO a meeting, have
a general charter passed by the Legis-
lature and sold at auction to the high
est bidder.
Mr.. Ballentyne spoke briefly on the
question to the effect that the project
was an entirely practicable one and
that an electric line here would be a
success. The city was being held back
by lack of up to date transit facilities.
j. A. McCandless said that in 1896
there had been gathered in by the Ha-
waiian Tramways Co. about a million
and half of fares and that the most
reliable statistics showed that rapid
transit succeeding slow lines increased
the traffic four to six times He was
positive an electric or compressed air
motor line would be a success in Homo
lulu.
Mr.. McStocker felt that the time had
come for Honolulu to go forward in the q
matter OF city transit. W. W. Hall
echoed this sentiment
Mr.. P. c. Jones was in sympathy
with the movement for better service,
for the benefit of all concerned and had
some data on the subject that he would
willingly place at the service of any
committee that might be appointed |
Mr.. Kennedy said the citizens as
;embled stood in the light of a body of
men approaching an entirely new mat
Ter and that they should move care
ully. He was in favor of the suggested
public improvement, but thought any
prepared should be reported
back to the meeting before there were
any solicitations for stock subscrip-
ions. There was agreement to this.
These gentlemen were named a COM
nittee TO frame prospectus: c. G.
]. A. Kennedy, c. S. Desky, G
{. F. Lansing and F. j. Lowrey. Mr..
4owrey was placed on the committee 7
IN motion of Mr.. McStocker It was '
understood that the membership of the s
lext meeting should include those pre- I
ent and such other citizens as might +
)e invited. The name Honolulu q
Rapid Transit Company, Limited" was :
by F. S. Dodge, who deelin- r
d to serve on committee on account
Il being city surveyor. ]. A. McCand-
ess refused committee membership i
m account OF being Senator. 8
After the meeting adjourned it was I
lecided that the first session of the I
xecutive committee would be this ev- a
ming. Gentlemen who had attended I
he meeting continued discussion of it's r
purpose and plans informally for some \
ime.