New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-22
A CABLE TO HONOLULU.
THE SUBSIDY BILL NOW PENDING IN
THE HOTSF.
NOT MUCH HOPE OF ITS PASSAGE BEFORE
NEXT WINTER
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Washington. June 2l.--The passage hy An
overwhelming majority In the House ~ Repro
sentatives Of the joint resolution for the anneXa
ton IT Hawaii the United states. and the
probability 81 ike action in the Senate have
caused a revival of interest In the hi.l to pro
vide for teleyraphc communication between san
Francisco and Honolulu
Nearly everybody admits that the acquisition
o. Hawaii will render the establishment and
maintenance Of such communication necessary.
Interest in the project has ais" been stimulated
anew by the intelligence that tho Hawaiian
Legislature has granted a franchise to the Pa
cfc Cable Company lay and maintain teie-
graphic communication between that country
and Japan and China, the operation Of said
franchise being conditioned on favorable ac-
ton by the Congress OF the United States with
in the next eighteen months on the bill now
pending before 1t.
This bill. which was reported from the House
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce
by Mr.. Bennett OF New-York, on March 8. au-
thorizes the Postmaster-General TO contract with
the Pacific Gable Company for the payment 10
said company Of not more than 100000 a year.
payable quarterly for twenty wears. for the cen
struction and operation 81 n submarine cable
for the transmission Of messages Of the United
States from San Francisco to Honolulu. and
thence 10 such points the coasts OF japan and
China the company. with the approval Of the
Postmaster General. may select. Within fifteen
DAYS after the approval Of the act the company
must deposit with the Postmaster General
$3.50 000 in United States bonds. to be forfeited
10 the United States IN Of its failure 70 enter
into or fully perform is contract
II the Pacific Gable Company shall fail
make the deposit within he time specified such
other American company as shall first there
after make such deposit. provided II do so with.
in forty-fve DAYS after the passage OF the act.
shall he entitled 10 all tho rights and privileges
Of said act
Upon the completion Of the cable the bonds
deposited to he returned 70 the company
The agreement with the company will require
# TO have laid and in operation a line or sub
marine telegraph from San Francisco 10 Homo
lulu capable Of transmitting messages OF the
United States from either Of said cities not less
than fifteen words a minute. on or before Jan
uary / 1900. and on or before July |. l'"l.
line Of like capacity to such points on the
coasts Of Japan and China as may have been
selected and TO maintain and renew said line
during the period Of twenty years
The quarterly payments are 20 begin on com
PENALTIES FOR CONTEMPORARIES.
Section Of the hill provides that II from any
cause which the Postmaster General may regard
as avoidab,e or comfortable by the company
I, shall neglect or fail To convey tho messages
OF the Unied States for any period pro rata
deduction from the quarterly payments shall
be made: and Il tho failure or neglect snail
continue for year. as to the Whole line. the
Postmaster General may at his option cancel
the contract and shall be under 10 obligation
to make further payments 10 the COM
pany All messages of the United states
are TO be transmitted without charge for-
ever. and such messages shall always have
preference in transmission. and failure 10
do this will terminate and forfe., all the fran
chises Of the company. And all subsidy paid ~
the Government shall he returned and len in
It's favor shall exist therefor on all the property
OF the company. including the cable such mes
sages shall Ice considered messages Of the United
States as the President % the United states
may determine and prescribe The rate for or
binary private messages between Tho United
states and Japa. and China shall not al any
time exceed 81 - word. and messages between
the United States and Honolulu 81 cents word.
and press rates shall not exceed one-fourth the
rate for ordinary private messages
Section provides = follows:
That In OF war. rebellion or other emer-
gsncy the United states Government through
IN. President. may take possession ~ the said
line and Of the stations. Offices and apparatus
thereof and may keep possession 80 long As the
President Of the United States may think re-
quisItc. and may at any time supervise and
exclude from Transmission, or delivery. or publ
cation such messages rs IN the Judgment 81 the
President may lie determined 90 be detrimental
10 the interests OF the United states. and the
said cable company shal' do all ia IT'S power To
enable the said Government To have and enjoy
the benefit and advantage thereof and the
Government ~ the United States shall make to
the said cable company such compensation in
money for all loss suffered by the cable COM
pany by reason Of the sezure ~ said line as
snail be admitted to be reasonable by the Presi-
den 81 the United States. or determined. In case
81 dispute. 10y arbitration.
The bill also provides that during the term
OF twenty years no harbor or port duties or
charges except pilotage shall be levied on any
vessel exclusively engaged in laying repairing
or maintaining tho cables ~ tho cable COM
pany
NOT HOPEFUL AT PRESENT.
The friends OF the measure are not hopeful
Of action by the House before next winter I'M
less the present session is prolonged 10 date
considerably later than is now expected Al
though they strongly OF the opinion that
the work Of establishing telegraphlc conmuni-
cation between san Francisco and Honolulu
should be begun soon as annexation takes
place. and vigorously prosecuted to a speedy
conclusion.
Two members Of the Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce. Messrs. Corss ~
Michigan. and Fletcher. cf Minnesota opposed
a favorable report on the Pacific Gable bill and
fled statement Of their reasons Il is under
stood that the committee is otherwise unanl-
mously in favor Of the measure
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WONDFRETL COLD ORE SpEcLMrN