The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-10
FRANCHISE
MEASURES
Hawaiian Matters
Are in Commit
tee Hearing.
Gas and Electric Light
Discussion and
Prospects.
The Changes Made by the Sub
Committee viii Probably
Stand.
(Mail Special to the Advertiser.)

The franchise bills before the subcom
mittee of the House Committee on Ter
ritories have constituted the chief thern'
OF interest to Hawaii here during thu
last six days. Two hearings have beer
given before the subcommittee, which
consists of Representatives Robinson, O
4 Indiana, Thayer, of Massachusetts,
Spalding, of North Dakota, Powers, O.
Maine, Lilly, of Connecticut, and South
wick, of New York. All these, excep
Mr. Southwicl, who has attended neither
of the hearings, have given the fran
chise bills careful attention. The full
committee has hearing Monday next
1t is expected that the franchise bill will
be reported favorably to the full COM
mittee at that meeting. 1t is not improb-
able that the committee will also vote to
report the bill favorably to the House
The gas bill is not so far advanced, but
good progress is being made with it.
However, it is not impossible before this
reaches Honolulu that there will be
something more final about the success
of the proposed legislation.
The deliberations over the electric
light bill have resulted in several amend
ments of more or less importance. While
these amendments have been made in
executive sessions / am able to state
what the subcommittee has done
Changes may be made later in
the full committee or in the House but
it is pretty certain that the bill, if it
passes the House, as is probable, will
pass III about the shape the subcommittee
already has it.
The first amendment of the bill, as
introduced by Delegate Kalanianaole
affects the territory within which the
Hawaiian Electric Company can oper-
ate. AS the electric bill passed the ter
-Titorial legislature the franchise COM
prised ''the island of Oahu, Territory of
Hawaii" The subcommittee has restrict
ed the franchise to 'the district of Ho-
noluIu" This was considered safe
guard for the people of the island and
at the same time working no great in
Jury to the company Accordingly the
language of the bill has been modified
all the way through so as to make it
operative only in the Honolulu district.
The next important amendment affects
the life of the franchise. The provision
for thirty-fve year term has been
struck out and the life of the franchise
left indefinite, subject to future acts of
Congress Some of the members of the
subcommittee wanted to make the fran
chise of ten years duration but it was
thought preferable to leave it indefinite.
In proceeding with the bill, para
graph by paragraph. the subcommittee
then took up the subject of the price TO
be charged for electricity. The bill, as
it passed the legislature provided that
the price shall not at any time exceed
twenty cents per kilowatt hour or one
thousand watt hours" The subconmit-
fee has decided that the upset price shall
be Is cents per kilowatt hour or one
thousand watt hours. That, therefore,
will reduce the price from 20 cents to
IS cents.
Under the heading of rules and regula
tons, the bill, as passed by the legisla
ture. provided: No person, firm, or
corporation shall be allowed to place
or maintain poles or wires along, upon.
or across any public street except such
as are authorized by law so to do" The
subcommittee has struck ont the words
''by law and inserted in lieu thereof
''by the Superintendent of Public
Works.
POLES AND WIRES.
The provision requiring the company
to observe and execute its rules and
regulations relative TO the placing of
poles and wires and relative to other
kindred matters, has also been modified.
AS passed by the territorial legislature
"the superintendent of public works may,
in his discretion, after giving the COM
pany reasonable notice thereof in writing
OF his intention so to do, proceed to
remedy such failure, and the cost OF
such repairs or changes may be recover
ed from the company by the territory.
As amended by the subcommittee this
provision reads "the superintendent OF
public works shall" etc, instead of
may"
AS the legislature passed it, the bill
requires that the entire plant, operation,
books. and accounts OF the company
shall from time TO time be subject
to the inspection of the superintendent
of public works or other officer appointed
by him for that purpose The sub
committee has changed this to read that
the entire plant, books, etc. shall be
open "at all times" to such inspection.