Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-08-02
PRIVATE INTERESTS vs.. The
PEOPLE.

One of the most significant features
Of the controversy that has arisen
over the license to the Hilo Railway
for the construction of wharf is
the failure of General Manager Thurs
ton of the railway company to pub
fish in his paper-he has said the
Advertiser Is my paper"-the detail
OF the protest made by those object
ing to the issuance of this license.
II appears from this that General
Manager Thurston either does not
want the people to know the grounds
on which the protest is made, or he
is so carried away with his anxicEy to
get the license that he Jad lapse Of
memory and is not giving the people
a fair statement of what il proposed
to be done with their property.
In either case the general pub;!c in
terests are not served in the SENSE OF
securing from the representative OF
the railway and the owner OF the pa
per an unprecedented statement OF
all facts.
II as has been stated, the interests
who are protesting do so only In ord
er that they may exact an excessive
lighterage charge, then those Interests
are just as deserving Of criticism, Just
as necessary to be guarded against as
the Interests that want To get what
amounts in the esteem of some very
good business men, to an exclusive
control OF public property. .a.f
Up to the time that the Bulletin
brought out the details Of the Hilo
wharf license this whole affair has
been conducted before the public Of
ficiRls as Private Interest against
Private Interest
What we want TO know now Is
where the people get OH. By the peo-
pie we mean the average citizen who
owns no stock in these various cor
porations, draws down no big divi-
dends, but merely travels, to and from
the port OF IIilo and ships his goods
over on and by means Of whatever
mediums and channels may be Of
fered.
According to the program as pre-
scented in the license not only will the
freight that is landed on the proposed
wharf have to pay tribute to the Iail-
way. but the passengers as we'll
Every passenger who wishes to
patronize steamer docking at that
wharf must use the lines OF the H'lo
Railway TO get on and of.
In other words to use the words OF
the illustrious gentlemen who fa,e
worked overtime to secure the shs'
pension of the American coasJwise
shipping laws, the passenger who
lands is "marooned" on that waari
unless he swims or takes the IIllo
railway, which thus far has not ~ ON
Used to carry passengers for nothing
What is more, every outgoing pgs-
senger from Hilo will be 'mar0oncd'
in Hilo, unless he travels over the
Hilo Railway line and pays the fare
to the Hilo railway to pass over the
approach and land on that wharf.
So II appears that under the License
as originally shaped, the dear public
jumps out of the lighterage Interest
only TO fall into the happy hands Of
the railway Interests.
Now the public does not want 10 re-
main In the hands Of any Interest.
II seeks to rob no private interest
of its proper return for service, but
the public should at least lot b.
forced to pay tribute to private inter
est to get onto property in which II
the public, has some rights and ough
to be protected in retaining some pri
yileges.
Why should any corporation In Sc
curing license for the construction
OF wharf be given any more favor
able terms than prevail in the har
Dor of Honolulu? tr
Why should not the people going Il
and from the port OF Iilo be giyeT
the same protection as against priv
ate interests and the same freedom
80 sha use ~ nrivate wharf thai