The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-30
HAWAIIAN FRANCHISES
BEFORE COMMIT TEES
The Bills More or Less involved in Political
TangIe-..Report of Representatives $3.50
Robinson and Powers.
mail Special to the Advertiser.l

mail Special to the Advertiser.l
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 1S.-
The House Committee on Territories
has finally ordered a favorable report
IN the hill TO grant a franchise to the
Hawaiian Electric Company QimfteD
and that report, drawn by Representa-
tive Robinson, Democrat, of Indiana
has been printed. The friends OF the
hill hope for it's early consideration in
the House, but there are some obstacles
in the way. Two of the Democrats OF
the committee are somewhat an
tagonistic Representative Lloyd, OF
Missouri, thinks the rate of seventeen
cents. fixed by the committee, is not
low enough and inclines to think that
the term of the franchise ought to De
specified. Representative Moon, OF
Tenn, another Democrat on the COM
rnittee, holds somewhat similar views
Much credit is due Representative
Robinson, of Indiana, who has All in
teIligent grasp of Hawaiian affairs and
has considered Hawaiian legislation be-
fore the House On a high plane free
from politics or demagogy. He has
managed several Hawaiian bills on the
floor. Although Democrat. Republi-
cans have confidence in his business
Judgment He has done splendid work
as chairman of the subcommittee on
the franchise bills.
1t does not appear yet how serious
the opposition to the franchise bills
will be- The difficulty, as I intfmated
in my letter several days ago, is chief
Iy in the political tangle in which the
committee finds itself. There is a big
quarrel on over the Statehood bills and
Democrats are disposed to retaliate up
on the Republican program by discour-
aging the passage of all bills from the
House Committee on Territories. Sena-
tor Foraker, the chairman OF the Sem
ate Committee on Pacific Islands and
Porto Rico, said today that he expected
TO take up the electric lighting and gas
bills very soon. This statement was
made on the strength of the informa-
fion that the bills had been fayorably
reported to the House. Hon. w. o.
Smith believes both franchise bills will
The reprint of the electric lighting
b.lI, which came from the Government
Printing Office yesterday, was with
drawn because of an error which rep
resented the price at sixteen cents
where it should have been seventeen
cents. Under the provision about
charges for electric service, this para
graph has been added: Provided, That
power is hereby conferred upon the
courts of appropriate jurisdiction at all
times and upon the petition of any
consumer or the company to hear and
determine from time to time what rate
or rates are reasonable and to enforce
the same by appropriate judgment or
decree" The title of the bill has also
been amended so as to read "A bill to
ratify, approve, confirm and amend an
act duly enacted by the legislature
etc, the word amend" having been
added. Otherwise the bill is as was
indicated in my letter of some two or
three weeks ago which is probably al
ready printed in Honolulu.
ROBINSON'S REPORT.
Representative Robinson's report on
the bill, after citing in detail the
amendments to the bill, as originally
introduced by Delegate Kalanianaole,
has this to say about the company:
The Hawaiian Electric Company
Oimited) is a corporation duly ineor-
porated under the general corporation
laws of the Territory of Hawaii with
paid-up capital stock of $500, 000 over
90 per cent of which is held by residents
of the Territory.
"A certified copy of the articles of as
ISOLATION of the company with its
amendments, also a copy OF the gen.
of Hawaii, are appended to this re-
port.
October IS, 1891, with a capital stock of
$4,000. On May 3, $685. they were
granted an exclusive franchise to sup
ply electricity in the city of Honolulu
for a period of ten years, upon the pay
ment to the government of a royalty
of 21z per cent of the gross receipts.
This required an increase in the plant,
and the stock was therefore increased
June "a, 1893, to $150,000, and on March
"a, 1895, to S250.000 The demand for
electricity rapidly outgrew the plant,
and the stock was further increased on
April 6, 1900. to $3.50. 900. On December
5. 1900. it was increased to $425, 900, and
on July %. 1901, to $500. o0o all paid up
except $4,000 paid to Peoples Ice Com
pany for property purchased.
The company was Incorporated in
the year 1891 and began business in
1892. The capitalization has been here
tofore given, and the dividends that
have been paid to the present date, COW
ering a period of eleven years, are as
follows:
Dividend Per cent
1898 ....-...
1884 : ..-.-..-.-.-...
1895 ...... 0
1886 ........ 0