The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-01-23
THE PACIFIC CABLE
MACKAY'S OFFER is BEFORE
CONGRESS.
Is Making the Gable Now and Can
Complete it to Honolulu by Novem-
Der His Reasons.

WASHINGTON January Ire
markable proposals for laying the Pa
cihC cable were made to the Senate
Committee on Naval Affairs today by
George c. Ward, representing the Pa
ciiic Commercial Gable Company OF
New York. He explained that John w.
Mackay has for years been interested
! in the Pacific cable as a matter of pride
| through his residence on the Pacific
! Coast, and now proposes, provided the
! Government would not undertake to
construct a cable, to lay one without
| subsidy or grant, asking no assistance
| whatever from the Government and
| agreeing to sell the cable to the Govern
ment at the cost of construction, to be
| determined by arbitration, if desired.
| The offer is considered especially ad-
| vantageOus by several Senators who
! have been ardent advocates of a Gov
! eminent cable.
When the committee met, George G..
| Ward of New York, president of the
! Pacific Gable Company, and William NJ,
! Cook, general counsel, were present,
/ Hale, the chairman, explained the eff
| forts that previously had been made to
| secure legislation authorizing the con-
/ structiOn of a cable to the Hawaiian
islands. He also impressed upon the
/ committee the Importance of early ac-
| ton in the matter if anything was to
| be accomplished Speaking for his
! company, Ward said that for a great
| many years John w. MaCkay had had
| a great desire to see a Pacific cable laid
because of his being identified largely
with the Pacific Coast, and then went
| over the ground covered in the hearing
before the House Committee.
In opposing the proposition that the
Government lay the cable, Ward asked
if it were fair or just for the Govern
ment to lay cable in competition with
j. private enterprise and. was it good bust
ness policy for the United States to
spend probably $15OO0,OOO when it could
get everything desired from private
cable without the outlay of a dollar.
Senator Perkins, who sat in the SEN
ate Committee on Naval Affairs in
hearing cable propositions today, eX-
pressed himself as greatly pleased With
the proposition outlined by George G
Ward and William NJ. Cook vice -Tresi-
dent and general counsel of the Fac'fC
Commercial Gable CompdnJ He said;
Though my bill proposes to lay tie
cable at Government expense, through
the Navy Department, = confess that
the proposition laid down by the Pa
cifc Commercial Gable Company
pleases me. l don't see how the Gov
eminent can do better than to let these
men go ahead and lay their cable they
do not ask for any subsidy or Specia
privileges, nor for any monopoly. They
agree to cut cable rates i'm half and t.
send Government messages for half OF
the cut rate There would be no re-
SpOnsibility on the part of the Govern,
ment, no charge for maintenance or re.
pairs. The company is headed by Johr
w. Mackay, who is a good Californian
and who is moved by patriotic as wei
as business motives in getting this
cable laid
I'VE are informed by Messrs Ware
and Cook that a cable is now being
constructed at the rate of 24O miles {
week. and that within a few days tht
will be increased to $50 miles a week
The company agrees to have the cabl,
laid from San Francisco to Honolulu b,
the LIST of November barring accidents
, and by the end of December in any
event. The route from Honolulu would
be via Wake island and Guam. Nov
that is all that the United States wants
and if a private corporation stands
ready to do this without a subsidy AM
without asking for any special priv
leges or a monopoly, l believe it Shout,
be permitted to go ahead All thes
gentlemen ask is that the Government
take no action at all that Congress pas
no bill. Knowing John w Mackay'
ability and Americanism, / am Willing
to nave the company go ahead"