The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-02-28

| all OF the provisions OF the act and not
for specified portions only.
RAPID TRANSIT BRIEF.
The Rapid Transit Company's brief
signed by L. Tenney Peck, will be
found below:
Honolulu, T. H, Feb. -. 1905.
Hon. c. II. Dickey, Chairman, Special
Committee, Hawaiian Senate
Sir: Pursuant to your request that
present in writing to your honorable
committee any objections l may have
| TO Senate Bill No. u as introduced
| February IT, 1905, by Hon. L. L. Nc
| Candless, which is intended to confer
| on John Lucas, his associates. success
| sors and assigns the right to construct,
maintain and operate d railroad in GER
| tain districts of the ISLAND of Oahu,
Territory of Hawaii, 1 beg to submit
the following for your consideration:
/ Although this bill ostensibIy re-
! lates only to a railroad of the general
character of that now operated by the
oahu Railway e Land Company, never
theleSs it is so framed as to constitute
a franchise pure and simple for a street
railway for the city of Honolulu, with
the right. but not the obligation, to ex-
tend its lines around this island
The route it names through Honolulu
passes along Kamehameha " road in
Kalihi, thence to a point in the pro-
posed extension of Queen street makai
of the Kamehameha school. thence
along said extension to Queen street,
and along Queen street and intervening
lands to the Beach road, thence along the
beach road and through intervening
lands to and through Kapiolani Park
and the lands along the beach beyond
the park, to and around the south point
of Diamond Head
OF this route the portion from Kalihi
to and through Kapiolani Park practi-
caHy parallels our King street line and
if street cars We're operated upon it
they would be in direct competition
with those of the Rapid Transit"
Company.
>. 1t is manifestly right and proper
that the purposes of Mr.. Lucas and his
associates with regard to this matter
be frankly and fully set forth at the
outset, and if a street railway fran
chise for this city is being sought under
the guise of a grant for an island
trunk line railroad. the bill should be
lLctIIiSh eiSSO1b4iiSiS cli-u Tic ~ ITS VI
the Honolulu public safeguarded sub
stantially in the manner provided in
Act SO of the Legislature of 1898, under
which the Honolulu Rapid Transit &
Land Company operates.
8. The right is sought in Section
of the bill to operate cars along the
above route. which may be propelled
by electricity, compressed air or steam.
The use of steam by the Rapid Transit
Company to propel cars between Dia-
mond Head and the western boundary
of Kalihi and for one and d half miles |
back from the sea coast is expressly |
prohibited.
4. Section 5 provides merely that the !
style of rail, the manner of laying, and |
the kind of cars for passengers and !
freight shall be according to the best |
modern practice"
The Rapid Transit franchise provides |
inter ALA that its track locations in the |
streets, and its grades shall be as di- |
rected by the superintendent of Public |
that its cars shall be provided |
with tenders; that the company shall |
pay for street repairs made necessary |
by the construction of its lines; that |
its rails must weigh at least SO pounds |
per yard and their style and manner |
IF laying be approved by the Superfn-
tendent of Public Works, subject to
whose approval all construction must |
De done.
These are but a portion of the re-
strictions which surround the Rapid !
Transit franchise, as to which the bill |
under discussion is silent.
D. Section 8 provides that construc
ton shall begin within two years after |
the act is approved by Congress, and |
at least ten miles completed within two
years thereafter, but no penalty is at
-ached should this provision be not COM
piled with, whereas the Rapid Transit |
franchise ceases as to any street, road |
or place not occupied within the speci-
ned period relating thereto.
g. Section permits first-class
charge of six cents per mile for each
passenger. Under this provision fare
as high as forty-fiye cents may be
charged between Kalihi and Kapiolani
Park, at the option of the company
operating the line whereas the maxi
mum rate of fare which the Rapid
Transit Company may charge between
the same points, a distance of over
seven mile, is FIVE cents, While to chill
dren going to and from school the
fare must not exceed two and one-half
cents.
T. Section S gives the right to con-
denim private property in the city of
Honolulu and through the beach lots
towards Diamond Head which might.
if used, work unnecessary harm unless
limited in its application, along the
lines set out in the Rapid Transit fran
chise
s. Under Section 10 all property used |
in connection with the railway is to be /
exempted from every form of tax for
period of fifteen years. The Rapid |
Transit Company has been in operation ,
but three and a half years, yet il has !
paid into the Territorial Treasury, in |
taxes and car licenses, over thirty thou |
sand dollars, the payments for 1904 |
alone being in excess of fifteen thou |