Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-01-29
FAVOR MACKAY CABLE
BUSINESS PROPOSITION
APPEALS TO SENATORS
Will Be as Thoroughly American as
if it Were Owned by the Govern
ment--PerkinS WithdrawS
His Measure.
I Special to the Bulletin. ]

Washington, Jan. Let is nearly o
settled fact that Congress Will not pass
Jaw at this session proviuIng Tor a
Government constructed cable in the
Pacific. The hearings that have been
had upon the question before the
House and Senate Committees have
come pretty near convincing a major
ity of the members of the respective
committees that the best thing to be
done in the case is to let the CONNER
cial Cable Company, of which John
w. Mackay is the head, 20 along and
bmId iCs proposed cable without inter
ference from the Government.
The statements made by the repre-.
sentatives of the MaCkay company
have been so convincing that they
have come pretty near putting a stop
to all talk about government cable.
The company declared before the Sen.
ate committee this week that II the
government does not interfere with
its plans 1t will have its cable be-
tween San Francisco and Honolulu
laid and in working order by Deem
Der of the present year. and perhaps
the first messages may be sent over
ii in October or November. The cable
Is now actually being built at the rate
OF 1876 miles a day at the Glasgow ca.
BILE works, where all of the great
deep-water cables of the world have
been built. BY the END OF next month
the cable will be going forward at the
rate of 100 miles a month, ana by the
first OF the summer il will be complet.
ed, placed in cable ship and be ready
for the trip around the Horn. The
company also promises to have a com.
pleted cable in operation to the Phil.
ipplnes within two years from now
about half the time it would take the
Government to do the same work.
The company also proposes that it
will make the pubic rate between San
Francisco and Manila Just one.half OF
the present rate via Europe. 1t will
give the United States Government q
rate amounting to One-halt of the pub
lie rate, making the rate on Govern
ment messages One-quarter of the pres
ent manile-AmeriCan rate. me com
pany promises at any time after the
cable has been completed to turn il
over to the Government at the actua
cost price, or II that be not satisfac
ent Manila-American rate. The com
tory to sell II to the Government al
any price agreed upon by arbitrator
appointed for determining its value
Inc company says that its only pur
pose in wanting to go ahead is that II
can build cables for Is per cent less
than any other company in the world
and In Its business OF operating cables
and telegraph Ines a cable across the
Pacific, owned either bv the Govern
ment or by itself. would be OF great
advantage to 1t, as It would to all 9th
er American telegraph companies.
The company places its plans upoi
such high ground that after the hear
Ing before the Senate Committee, Sen
ltor Perkins of California, himself the
author of Government ownership Pa
cific cable bill, said that he would BIZ
Obliged to renounce Government own
ership in the face of an offer of thi,
sort, and Immediately he withdrew hi,
own bill from consideration.