The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-10-03

that is. whether me territory or the cou-
Several times it has looked as thou
individual supervisors have discussed I
II seems that in session there are ma
and as vet nothing definite has been d
It was the original intention of the
new Mutual Telephone Company TO re-
build and repair the distributing sys-
tenn at an expense of some $3.50, 900.
This provided for the automatic sys-
tenn. the placing of the downtown lines
underground. and for the general re-
pairing of The outlying lines. Part OF
this work has already been started,
and the rest has only been awaiting
the arrival of the necessary supplies
from the mainland.
The plans of the telephone company
contemplated the expenditure of the
ouarter Of million before January /,
but it now seems hardly possible that
the work can be completed within that
time, for the company will not hazard
any great sum of money until it as
eertains Just what action the super
3
The original ordinance, drafted by
the supervisors. provided that the
board might require the telephone com
pany TO lay the police and fire alarm
wires of the county in underground
conduit. and also provided that every
excavation, whether for pipe line or
simply for a post, should be made only
after occurring a permit, and the price
Of that permit was placed at one
dollar. This ordinance was amended,
at the suggestion of Deputy County
Attorney Milverton, to make the per-
nit price 80 cents. This was done to
avoid apnfiet with the territorial laws
which withhold from the county the
power to tax for revenue, the idea
being that 80 cents hole more nearly
approaches the actual cost of super
vising the work
A tentative agreement was then
reached between the supervisors and
the telephone company. whereby it was
practically settled that the section of
the proposed ordinance giving the
county the power to force the company
to place the police and fire alarm wires
in conduits should be stricken out. At
the same time, the company agreed to
lay the wires at actual cost price.
It was supposed that the matter was
settled, but when the supervisors
amended the ordinance, they failed TO
eliminate the section allowing them to
coerce the telephone company in re-
gard to the conduit work.
The telephone people claim that their
franchise, which the Supreme Court
has held to be valid, gives them the
right to lay their lines, and they in
sist that, if the county is allowed to
force them to expend some $500 in
placing lines, not belonging to them,
under ground, the county can also
force them to pay out $4,000 for SINH
/ lar work, should fancy prompt.
There seems to be considerable OPP
position to the course which the super
visors have taken. It is pointed out
that, for years, atrocious service was
furnished by the old telephone eompa
ny, and that now that the new COM
pany is preparing to install system
second to none in the country, the
supervisors are suddenly prompted TO
test the legal status of the city streets
at the expense of the Mutual Telephone
Company.
The suggestion has been made that
the Mutual Telephone Company and
the county might get together on
basis whereby, in return for laying
the police and fire alarms wires I'M
derground. the phone people would be
released from paying the excavation
fees. It was thought for time that
this plan could be put through; but
hitch has developed.
When the company agreed to lay the
lines at cost, the supervisors instruc-
ed the directors to have the work COM
meneed, but offered no security that
the money would be paid over once
the work was completed.
As matters now stand, it looks as
though the reconstruction of the tele-
phone lines win be held up until the
supervisors see fit to reeede from the
stand which they have taken. The
representatives of the company do not
intend their ultimatum to be taken in
the light of a threat, but they insist
that they must have some assurance
that unreasonable loads will not be
imposed upon them.
Olaa in Demand.
Olaa shared in the wave of prosper.
ity which has struck the stock market
and last week the shares were very
much in demand. Olaa, like McBrFde
- been very quiet for months, and
81 price has been very low.
The ball was started last Tuesday
when l433 shares. in two blocks, chang
ed hands at 4.50. That awakened the
buying public to realization of the
fact that there was something doing
and $50 shares shortly afterward
brought 4.75. The price then Slipped
down TO 4.625, at which figure thirty
shares went; but 500 shares, in good
sized blocks, little later brought the
three-quarters.
Three hundred and ninety shares at
fracted buyers at 5.25, and immediate
w thereafter fifty shares brought 5.375
Yesterday bids of $50 failed to secure
any shares, possessors holding out fol
5.75, the quotation at which the ses
sion closed.
Waialua was solid during the entire
week at lis. The stock finds favort
at this price, and such shares as ther,
were to be had at the figure wer'
eagerly snapped up. Owners do no
fnal- e. IS ~