The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-04-21
.NEN CABLE SUGGESTIONS
GENERAL HARTWELL REVIEWS
SITUATION.
The Riches to Come from the Cable in
Someone's Else Mind-Hawaiis Mi
cawber Policy.

Editor Star: An evening contempo-
rary asks: What has become of the
exclusive franchise which was to re-
suit in bringing IA cable to Honolulu
and in making General Hartwell and
his partners rich ?"
| have no pecuniary interest in this
matter other than that of q paid at
torney, and | can point to no riches
coming this way to anybody from ca
bic matters.
The proposed cable bill seeks no
subsidy and an exclusive franchise as
far only as Japan. is concerned
Whether anyone will become rich or
not by making cable | really do not
know, but ! should doubt it. consid-
ering that for many years none of the
rich bankers or other wealth seekers
have considered it worth the while to
avail themselves of an exclusive fran
chise and 100000 annual subsidy to
lay even cable from the Pacific
Coast
The cable question may perhaps
be thus stated:
Ought an exclusive franchise to ia
pan to be granted to any company,
on condition of its laying the Ameri-
can cable within limited time, and a
cable to Japan within two years there
after, with no subsidy? If this ought
to be granted to any company, ought
it be granted to the Pacific Cable
Company of New York;
If following the course of other
countries towards submarine cables.
the United States sees fit to grant a
large subsidy to this company and Ha-
waii grants none. wherein does grant
ing an exclusive franchise to Japan,
if it promotes an American cable.
operate to the disadvantage of Ha-
waii in any possible way?
1t is useless to take of offering such
franchises for competition, meaning
that some company will pay for it,
when we have not vet been able by
offering big subsidies to get anyone
to use it. If the heavy investment re-
quired for cable can receive any ad-
ditional security by twenty years
exclusive franchise of cabling to ia
pan, why not offer that security as
long as 1t viii cost Hawaii nothing
If Mr.. Fleming's English cable com
pany, in order to start their cable,
wanted an annual subsidy from Ha-
waii of 100000, besides big subsidy
from England, Canada and Australia,
and would not undertake the cable
without such subsidies, it is hard to
see where the wealth is to flow from
making cable without any subsidy.
Is it so important to Hawaii to
keep open for competition Il cable to
Japan that for that reason it hesi-
tates to promote an American cable
without paying penny?
If | were not the attorney for the
New York Company (called Generai
| Scrymser's Company, although the
| financial head is Mr.. j. Picrpont Nor
gam, | should express in strong terms
my opinion of the delay to meet the
proposal of that company.
Hawaii will surely follow some one
or more of the following courses:
| /. Do nothing.
?. Give an exclusive franchise to
Japan to some company on condition
of its making IA cable within reas.
enable time.
3. On the same condition give such
franchise to Japan to the Morgan
company.
4. Offer an exclusive franchise tC
Japan to any company which will pay
money for the sole, lone and peculiar
privilege of making the cable.
). Follow Mr.. Micawbers policy
and wait for something to turn up.
6. Talk about it.
Does anyone think that the United
States or England will subsidize a
cable company with money where
with to pay Hawaii for allowing ca-
BILE to be made?
ALFRED S. HARTWELL.
Honolulu. April q. 1S9S.