Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-01-23
CABLE IN COMMITTEE.
MARC0NPS EXPERIMENTS
COMES TO THE FRONT
Advantage of Government Owned Line
--Nackay Proposition to be Made
More Definite Our Line Cost
$1,000 a Mile.

Washington. Jan. 1.-The effect of
wireless telegrapny on the future OF
the submarine cable was developed to
some extent today by the House Com
mittee "a Commerce in connection
with the hearing on the proposed Pa
cine cable. The hearing was largely
attended, Vice President Ward OF the
Paclnc Gable Company continuing his
statement Of yesterday. He said he be-
lieved that the company he represented
would be able to make exclusive traffic
arrangements from points beyond the
Philippines and connecting with China
and Japan. He maintained that while
there was no purpose to set up a mon
opoly yet 1t was likely his company
would have exclusive traffic arrange
ments with the Far East He also
stated that there would be questions as
to the right of the United States to
land cable on foreign shores.
Representative Stewart of New Jer-
sey interposed the statement that Ger
many's present course against Venez-
uela showed that the German Govern
ment made little distinction between
public and private rights so that a
Government cable station would have
about the same status as private
station.
Chairman Hepburn asked a series Of
questions as to the effect of wireless
telegraphy on the submarine cable.
Ward replied that the new system pre-
. sented serious question. He was not
sure that the Pacific cable project
would have been undertaken ii the long
distance experiments had been held
earlier. As to the claims that wireless
signals had been conveyed 2O0O miles
| across the Atlantic, Ward said that If
the claims were made good they would
deter people from laying any more
cables.
When asked as to the effect thus far
on the cable business. Ward said it had
depressed cable interests.
Stewart wanted to know If the Ca
bic companies had not chased MarConi
out Of Canada, to which Ward answer
I =
had insisted upon certain exclusive
rights which they held.
James Foord stated that the Asiatic
| Association, doing business In the
Orient favored a cable under private
control. II was opposed to the Govern
ment entering the field of private en-
terprise. President SCrymser of the
South and Central American cable sys-
ten made an extended argument IA
vOrable to Government control Of the
Pacific cable, citing incidents of the
Spanish-AmeriCan war, showing the
importance of governmental control of
the cable. In one case cited the Span
ish Minister of Marine cabled Admiral
| CeTyera to leave Santiago. II this dis
patch had not been intercepted. Mr..
| Scrymser said. the battle of Santiago
bay would not have been fought. and
the conduct of the war might have
been changed.
Thomas L. Hughes. representing an
American company which produces ca
bles. said that as good cables could be
made in the United States as in any
other part OF the world, and he asked
that American labor and capital have
the advantage of doing this work.
Chairman Hepburn asked If this
American company was prepared to
make a definite business proposition to
the United States Government. Hughes
replied that such proposition would
be submitted in due form within the
next two days.
Hepburn asked that the formal prop
osition be in alternative form-frst.
for delivering a cable of American
make at San Francisco: second for
making and laying a cable to Hawaii,
Guam and Manila. Hughes thought
the Government better able to do its
own cable laying, using the Army
transports. As indicating the general
character of the forthcoming PROPOSE
ton. Hughes said the cost would be
within 10 per cent OF that stated as
the cost OF the Commercial Pacific
Company's cable. The additional 10
per cent, he stated, was for the pro-
lection of American industry. Francis
B. Thurber president of the United
States Export Association. favored pri-
vate construction as most likely TO give
the earliest cable advantages to the
business world.
In the course Of statement by Will
liam COLON Of New York. director OF
the Pacific Commercial Gable Company
he said the company, after laying the
cable across the Pacific, stood ready Ia
sell II at any time to the United States
Government at an appraised valuation
J. W. Henry, civil engineer for an
American company making cable, said
the company would furnish the Gov
eminent a cable at $1,000 a mile, which
to Hawaii. would be about s22O00O0
or considerably below the cost of a
foreign-made cable. The hearing will
be continued next Friday, when Gov
eminent officials will be heard on the
Government project.