The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-10-08
WNHGIlN W.


mending the acceptance of the Mutual
Telephone Conlpanys offer relative to
underground wires. The text of the
offer has already been published in this
paper According to it the company
will provide a duct for the police and
fire alarm telegraph wires in its con-
Quits, at the rate of fifteen cents a
lineal foot, and maintain such duct
for the twenty-seven years the COM
pany's charter has to run, while the
city will exempt the company from the
fee of fifty cents for inspection of each
excavation provided in the street dis
turbing ordinance.
Chairman Quinn of the road commit
tee moved the adoption of the report,
seconded by Logan. Deputy City At
torney Milverton advised a verbal
amendment which Quinn accepted,
then moving the adoption of the
amended report, seconded by AHA.
Kane wished to be excused from vOt
ing as he did not fully understand the
proposed compact. He would like to see
the agreement itself before voting. 1t
was explained to him that the attor-
neys on both sides would draft the
contract also that it would be sub
mitted to the Board for ratification.
Mcclellan opposed the report, ar
guing that it gave the company every
thing while the city took nothing. 1t
was the entering wedge and they would
see every corporation that wanted to
tear up the streets coming. in and get
ting the same favor. The supervisors
were elected to protect the interests Of
the taxpayers and would be condemned
if they gave up everything to the cor
porations.
Logan supported the report, saying
all he had been fighting for from the
start was to preserve the control OF
the streets conferred on the Board by
the Legislature. 1t was a question as
to which was the bigger authority, the
Legislature or the Superintendent or
Public Works. On this the whole
system of county government hinged.
When the telephone people conceded
that the Board had control of the
streets there was nothing left but the
question of inspection fees and that of
placing the citys wires underground.
AS to the fee the speaker from the first
did not consider it necessary, as the
inspections were to be made by salaried
officers, and it was at his suggestion
that the amount was cut from one dol
lar to fifty cents. 1t was only latterly
that he had considered the matter Of
a duct for the city wires, and when the
city experts had stated that the terms
offered by the company were not in
the nature of a holdup he concluded
that it was a fair bargain. The great
public benefit of getting the wires put
deTground-which in the case of
a big fire might mean the saving of
thousands if not millions OF dollars
was a large consideration the city was
receiving.
Quinn argued that public opinion, as
represented by many of the largest
Taxpayers, demanded a settlement.
Superintendent of Public Works Mars
ton Campbell could have got the duct
free, but he neglected his duty to the
public.
Mayor Fern said the agreement
would cost the city $4,000 giving
some figures in proof. Then the wires
'of the overhead system would be
thrown away at a great loss. He be-
lieved the company could be compell-
ed to carry the city wires on poles for
twenty-seven years.
Logan said the poles extended for
miles outside Of the business section
to which the conduits were for the
present to be confined.
Mcclellan made some side remarks
about poles now being erected on Fort
street by the company in an objection
able manner. He thought that in the
negotiations it was the telephone conf
pany that was holding up the board
and not the board holding up the COM
pany, and repeated his alarm about
placing the city in the clutches of cor
porations.
Aylett spoke of the ordinance as
what they had been fighting for. On
this they had gained their point. 1t
was the first time ever a law like. this,
protecting the rights of the people over
the streets, had been enacted here. The
company was willing to have its work
inspected by the citys man. So there
were two points gained. What more
did they want. II am proud today he
concluded, ito consider that I have
to be consulted by these corporations,
| could not get such law through the
Legislature when I tried"
Logan, as chairman of the ways and
means committee, referred to the ques-
ton of the expense which had been
raised. Notwithstanding great unfore-
seen expenditures such as that now
proposed the Board had come out even
the first six months Of its term, and
although n presert haf year there