The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-04-14
FROM SPIT. HOLLOWAY.

Editor Advertiser: Judging from
articles recently appearing in the va
rious Honolulu papers, there seems to
be some misunderstanding in regard
| to the institution of the suit by the
! Attorney General $ department against
| the Honolulu Rapid Transit and Lana
| Co., for violations of the section in
| their franchise regulating the speed
| limit of their cars.
On numerous occasions, during the
past year, ] have observed the cars on
certain lines of the Rapid Transit Co.
are running at speeds greatly in ex-
cess of the maximum rate of u miles
per hour, as provided by law, and have
several times called the attention of
the manager of the company to the
matter, mentioning especially the Lii
ha. Nuuanu and Beretania lines. No
steps having been taken, as far as
could discover to reduce the speed of
the cars, / thought it advisable to col
lect certain evidence, and had an en-
gineer in the Assistant Superintendent
of Public Works office placed on this
work. his final report showed that
practically all of the cars were oper-
ated at speed in excess of the limit
specified IN the franchise.
to the Honolulu Rapid Transit and
Land Co., enclosing a copy of the en-
gineer s report, requesting that they
acknowledge the receipt of same, and
take steps Immediately to reduce the
speed of the cars. / received reply
on March %.
AS the newspapers have intimated
that the suit started against the Homo
lulu Rapid Transit q Land Co. was at
the instigation of an assistant in the
Attorney Generals Department, /
might say that no one in that Office
was informed of my actions at this
time
After the apparent failure of the
Rapid Transit Co. to change the speed
of the ears, | consulted with the At
torney General, in order to determine
the best way to proceed in order to
make them conform to the law, on this
matter. Mr.. Andrews suggested that
further evidence be obtained which
could be corroborated in reference to
the speed at which ears were running.
The new data confirmed the previous
report of the Public Works engineer.
1t was finally decided to take the
matter into the courts, and | requested
the Attorney General to act for me.
/ realize that the public has been
incOnVeHlenceu since Une reduction OF
the speed of the cars, but this is due |
to the fact that the system, as now laid |
out, cannot be operated in accordance |
with the terms of their franchise re |
garding speed and satisfactory service |
given without a shortening of distance |
between switches and an increase in |
the number of ears, or by the instal1a- |
tion of double track system, so that |
cars would not have to wait and pass
on switches.
] felt that the best interests of the
and the Rapid Transit Co.
would be served by bringing up this
matter during the present session of
the Legislature so that possibly some
in the section referring
to spec might be secured by legisla
tive action. If / had waited until af
ter the Legislature had adjourned,
his would have left matters in an I'M
settled state until the next biennial
session, whereas now the passage of a
aw to suit the conditions existing in
Honolulu can be secured.
Trusting that this explains my posi-
ion in the matter, | beg to remain,
Yours respectfully,
c. s. HOLLOWAY.
Superintendent of Public Works.