The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-04-15
MERCHANTS
WANT NEW
TELEPHONES
Favor Giving a
Franchise to
Standard.
VIII Notify the Legs
lature of the
Desire.
Some Pointed Things Are Said
About Mutual Company
and Its Service.

4
The Merchants Association yesterda,
passed resolution favoring the pas
sage by the Legislature of the Standar,
Telephone franchise, and both tn
President of the Senate and the Speak
er of the House viii be notified official
Iy of this action.
The report of superintendent Lehigf
OF the Mutual Telephone Company tt
President ]. o. Carter. which was sub
mitted to the Merchants Association
yesterday. was found to be in many
respects in direct conflict with the tes-
timony covering the same points which
the manager gave before the three ex-
perts appointed by the special COM
mittee of the association. This conflict
of evidence ON the part of the Super
intendent was commented upon by sew
eraI of the members.
One OF the points of difference was
as to the presence of dead wires. In
his report to President Carter. Mr.. Le-
high stated that he knew which were
the dead and which the live wires. Mr..
Macfarlane stated to the association
that when the experts examined Super
intendent Lehigh and asked him
whether he knew which were the dead
and which were the live wires. he re-.
piled that ne did not. Mr. Lehigh also
reported that the cables in the garnet
and towers were in ''serviceable condi-
ton" Mr.. Macfarlane said that this
reply was too evasive. Any one look
ing up to the tower could see the con-
dition of the wires. The experts had
characterized the tower and garnet con-
ditions as bad"
Mr. Lehigh's report. which was read
by Mr.. Macfarlane, went on to say
that the street poles were not too far
apart. that the arms We're all properly
bolted and in some places braced. that
the porcelain knobs as used here were
now being used in large number of
cities in the West where the weather |
conditions were not severe, and that |
glass was not being used as much as in |
former times. One advantage ne claim |
ed for the porcelain knobs was that |
they could accommodate double the
number of wires per arm that the glass
insulators do.
operators and Iinemen were. on the |
average, higher than in the States.
Some men were getting more pay per
month than a Mr.. Tremble who came
here in the employ OF the Pacific Com
mercial Cable Company. Mr.. Lehigh
said that the statement of the experts
that there were only seventeen or eigh-
teen operators was erroneous, as there /
were thirty-eight on the payrolls. re-
ceiving from $50 to SIS per month. He
said there were from seventeen to
eighteen operators at the board at one
time or on a shift,
New cables had been ordered TO re-
place those which had been worn out,
and after the receipt of. these it would
axe about two weeks to replace the
I'D ones. Lehigh said the policy OF the
company was TO keep the service in
rood condition. AS to an underground
ystem OF wires. It would cost, down
own alone. about 100000. and the
Iucts would have to be placed three or
our feet under ground, which would
ut them In tide water.
Superintendent Lehigh assures the
resident that the present outside force
an rectify all troubles with the sys-
en-. j
Mr.. Macfarlane said he had CONVEX
alton yesterday morning with Mr.
raft. one of the experts who investi-
ated the Mutual system. and learned
-on him that when Mr.. Lehigh accom-
anied the experts on one Of their
ours. the superintendent was asked
,ncerning the cable boxes. He replied
nat there were extra fuses in the box
; so that if one was blown out it could
9 instantly replaced. and the com
artment was locked and a responsible
IAN had the key. Mr.. Lehigh was ask |