The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-01-27
MR.. J.B.ATHERT0N
Elected President Of the Mutual
Telephone Co.
He OUTLINES A POLICY
Good Service to Be Restored Other
Officers-John Cassidy to be the
Superintendent Again.

]. B. Atherton, President of Castle
& Cooke, Ltd, and of the Chamber of
Commerce and for many, many years
prominently identified with the cad
ing business and best social life of the
community, was yesterday elected
President of the Mutual Telephone
Company, Ltd. This is a corporation
of public character and almost every
citizen is interested in it's welfare and
conduct, particularly the latter.
Upon taking the chair, Mr. Atherton
said he accepted the position upon the
request of stockholders and a number
of friends who had no financial inter
est at stake. Of course he gave due
weight to the business phase of the
situation, but in his course was largely
influenced by the need of the town for
better service on the telephone than
had been available lately AS the head
of the company it would be his endeav-
or to proceed carefully and remedy
existing difficulties to give the people
satisfaction and for the best interests
of those who had money at stake. Mr..
AthertOn was elected unanimously and
there were no nominees against the
other officers, as follows: Vice-presi-
| dent, Cecil Brown; Treasurer, Godfrey
| Brown; Secretary, H. Lose: Auditor,
| ]. M. DeWsett.
| Reports of the secretary and treasur-
er and Of Manager Bailey were read
and disposed of formally The man
| ager or superintendent made a num-
| Der of recommendations that will be
| considered in due time by the trustees.
1t is pretty well understood that Mr.
John Cassidy will soon return to his
old position as superintendent of the
company. In fact this has been the
same as settled for several days,
| though the final arrangements are yet
| to be entered into between Mr.. Cassi-
| dy and the new board of directors
AS a telephone man, Mr.. Cassidy,
who is at present superintendent of the
Government Electric Light service,
| has the confidence of Honolulu to a
]
and that is warranted by his past
record in the field. He was the man
| who made the old Bell system
the marvel of visitors and the delight
and pride of town people and he was
doing we'll with the consolidation, now
called the Mutual, when he retired
| from charge. Since he left the SER
vice has been anything but good and
has been deteriorating all the time.
The new President, as he indicated
in his remarks, will feel his way. The
new superintendent will in all likeli-
hood take hold with his old firm grasp
and full understanding of the defects
and within one or two months give the
town a taste of the good old days
when the telephone was less a source
of annoyance and profanity than at
present. Consultations are to be held
with the treasurer Of the big Chicago
electrical house that supplies half the
world with telephone outfits. There
may and there may not be new
switchboard There will probably be
established the metallic circuit" that
the best men in the business have
said was necessary. At any rate it Is
safe to conjecture that the system
will be in shape for use both day and
night after a short time.
Dividend to stockholders last year
amounted to but three per cent. The
policy at present is to work for i'm
provement of the property rather than
for profit.