The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-05-20

tne existing company took the question
up there was no one else in the field
SO far as was known, who thought of
a Hilo railroad; that the
negotiations with. the Government for
the existing franchise had been con-
Quoted publicly covering a period of
month or so and no suggestion of oppO-
sitiOn or of any conflicting interest had
appeared.
BOUGHT WILDER SURVEYS.
That the existing company had
shown its good faith by purchasing
from the Wilder r. r. Co. its location,
plans and surveys throughout HilO and
Hamakua and paid for the same in
cash; that il had Immediately en-
plOyed civil engineers, who were now
on the ground studying both the Hilo
and Hamakua line, but for the immed-
late present devoting themselves more
particularly to the Puma line because
the initiation of the Olaa and Puma
plantations required immediate rail
road connection.
CONTRACTS MADE = MATERIAL
BOUGHT.
That the Railroad company had al
ready entered into contract with the
Olaa Sugar Co. for the immediate con-
struction of the road to that point and
expected to do the same with the Puma
company; that the company had al
ready placed orders for rails, lOcOmo-
tives and other building material to
the amount of about $10O, 100000; that
the company expected to take immed-
late steps for pushing the road in the
Hilo and Hamakua districts; that 1t
had been suggested that the existing
company had not intended to build to
Hilo and Hamakua, but this was in
correct.
The company had not gone into bus
ineSS for the purpose of building a
tram-car line to one plantation, but in
tended to do what it had asserted, to
develop, so far as possible, the entire
island of Hawaii by building a rail-
road in both directions from Hilo.
SECOND ROAD NOT IN PUBLIC IN
TEREST.
That it was a faliacy to say that the
public had no interest in whether there
was business enough Tor more than one
road: that If road was not paying ii
could not give the acc mmOdation or
the service to the public that a paying
road could that one good road could
make a profit and give the public good
service, whereas two roads both losing
ELozs e.>a3t E@csssaTily give an infer
ior service; that while there was no eX-
elusive franchise granted to the exist
ing company, it would not be TO the
public interest 10 grant a franchise for
a competing line With the moral GER
tainty that there was not business for
both; that as long as an existing rail-
road, street railway, electric light, or
telephone company was giving good
service at economical rates, it was not
to the public interest to grant compet-
ing franchises which would cumber up
the streets and country with poles and
rails and produce a ruinous competi-
ton; that the only excuse for the
granting of the franchise for a second
street railway in Honolulu was because
the old company had failed and refused
TO give a proper service; that as long
as the existing company in Hilo was
proceeding in good faith to carry out
the railroad project it would not be
fair to it or beneficial to the public to
give a franchise to a second company
to occupy practically the same ground:
that if at any time the present COM
pany failed to act under its franchise
or gave an unsatisfactory service, it
was entirely within the power of the
to then protect the public
interests by granting a franchise to
second company which would do the
work which the existing company
failed to do.
No action was taken by the Cabinet,
and further consideration OF the sub
ject was postponed to later date.
With "Robert Louis"