The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-15
COMMERCIAL CABLE COMPANY IS READY
TO LAY PACIFIC CABLE WAVING RIGHTS
Statement of Position of Corporation and Agree
ments Made by Corporation With
National Authorities.

on February 10. 1899. President Nc
Kiniey sent "A special message 10 Con-
gress. urging action 10 bring about the
laying of a Pacific cable. Events had
followed each other In rapid succession
Hawaiian Islands. the Spanish war. the
eessiOn OF the Philippines. the Chinese
war. and finally the wOndrOus growth
OF American trade. An American Pa
cifc cable-the dream or twenty years
suddenly became a necessity. and
Congress sought earnestly to comply
with the Presidents message. Many
hearings were had by committees both
in the Senate and House Expert opin-
ion on every phase OF the subject was
taken. Many different plans for bring
ing about the laying OF a cable were
put forward. discussed and passed
upon. The Senate finally. on April IL,
1900, passed bill providing that the
government itself lay such a cable at
the sole expense OF the government.
The bill went TO the house and was re-
ferred to the Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce. That commit
tee, however. struck out the whole
bill, excepting the enacting clause, and
substituted therefor a bill for a subsidy
TO be granted by the United States
government to a private corporation TO
an amount not exceeding 100000 a year
for twenty years for a cable fIon San
Francisco TO the Philippines and Japan.
BY reason OF the differences between
the Senate and the House. nothing fur
sher was done in that Congress.
MIR MAcKAY'S OFFER.
On August 22. 1901. Mr.. John W.
Maokay sent to- the Honorable John
Hay, Secretary OF State at Washing
tSn o communication follows:
Ssr:-f beg leave to state 1 wish to lay
and optxztfe n submarine cable or cables
sron california TO the Philippine Islands.
~ way of the Hawaiian Islands,
BY means of an American corporation To
be or,>nnlzed hereafter i ask no subsidy
or guarantee In connection with the
sauna Before proceedig. however, 1 re-
sp~ctfufiy write to ascertain the condi-
items upon which such cable may be
Iardcd at the various points under the
Jurisdiction and control OF the United
States The same conditions that have
been prescribed by the United States In
eSanecfun with the landing OF Atlantic
spbsex owned by domestic corporations
v0u be satisfactory to me In connection
with this proposed enterprise. L 10 not
a ~ ana shall not expect the United
states Government to insure or tndemni-
fy mo against any existing landing rights
OF any company or companies. In respect
TO the Philippine Islands or any other
islands In the Pacific. II the conditions
should be substantially the same as
those upon which the United States At
Iautfo cables Were landed and II the
same should be Indicated to me withou-
delay 4 would arrange immediately io'
the manufacture and undertake 20 nave
the ffrst section between CaIiforni7 ard
the Hawaiian Islands completed Dy sep
tember 1907. unless prevented ny iorSe
naJeure- i trust this application VII
receive prompt and favorable co1sioeri-
ton. As II Is the Intention TO rednee mn
teriaIry the tariff between the Cnitrd
States and the Philippine Islands. CUBA
and Japan. Mr.. George @. Ward, vice
president OF The Commercial Caoie
Company. will take pleasure In Gaining
upon you. soon after the first % sep
tember next. should you require any
further information on the subject
You-s obedientIy.
JOHN w. MACKAY-
This offer of. Mr.. Mackay at once
lifted the whole subject out OF the
maze of government ownership. gov
eminent subsidies to private corpor-
alton. and Congressional doubts, com
plications and discussions. IL was
plain proposition. made by a responSl
bic person OF long experience Win
cables. TO do that wnich no
other private party had ever oHereu "
do, and which the government i'sell
was unwilling to do. 1t would seem
tha, such a proposition should have
instant approval by the
as IL certainly did by the
public
RuJ.s PENDING IN CONGRESS.
Instead of that. however. there are
now pending In the new congress
which convened on December 2. 1901,
seven bills on this subject Two %
these In the Senate CNos- 81 and 49l), !
and three in the House CSos. 5, 15S and
1851. provide for the United States gov
eminent laying n competing cable. one
hill mo. 272) has been introduced IN
The house to pay a subsidy. not ex-
reedinx $500 600 per year for twenty
Years TO a cable company for laying
and operating such competing caoie. !
-rhe seventh bill (Senate Bill No 90
prohibits the laying Of any cable py
Mr.. Mackay or any one else. except
upon condition that the government
shall have the right to- purchase the
fable at an appraised value. and thar
the Postmaster General shall fix the
rates at which government messages
shall be carried, and such further CON
iitions and terms as the President may
deem proper.
PROHIBITION OF ANY CABLE
We understand that this last Dill VIII
not be pressed owing to the fact that
Mr.. Mackay's Company has alread'
complied with all OF its re-
Iuirements-
Mr.. Mackay has caused his company /
he Commercial Pacific Gable company 4