The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-03-24
MISSED ATTACK.
ON RAPID
TRANSIT
Democratic Cohorts to
the Front With
Objections.
MCANDLESS LEADS
Nothing Definite Comes
Out Of Yesterdays
Meeting.
MCANDLESS LEADS

(From Wednesdays Advertiser)
For three hours yesterday afternoon
the proposed extension of franchise
asked for by the Honolulu Rapid Tran
sit and Land Company of the present
legislature was discussed at a session
of the central Improvement committee.
President L. Tenney Peck gave compre-
hensive statements concerning the
finances of the company, its obligations
to bondholders, its efforts in behalf of
n better service. its extensions of mile.
age, its improvements in machinery,
rolling stock and track laying and its
maintenance cost all of which prevent
ed the company from establishing a.
sinking fund, thus far, to take up the
bond issues several years hence, or of
paying the stockholders or the govern
ment any excess over eight per cent.
on the capitalization amount. The rea-
son for the latter, as stated, is that the
company has put most of its revenues
back into the system to develop it to
meet the requirements of a rapidly
growing city. developments which are
Increasing suburban residence and traf-
fc.
Mr.. Peck handled the case for the
Rapid Transit company with skill,
meeting fairly and frankly the attacks
made upon the requested extension of
the franchise, the principal opponents
being L. L. MeCandless, Attorney c. w.
Ashford, Attorney w. W. Thayer, Col.
@. J. Mccarthy and Harry 7. Mills.
While the political aspect of the ses,
sion was not mentioned it was rather
l.A - h. &c
are Democrats.
. Mr.. McCandless was one of the last
speakers and in his opposition to the
extension of the franchise for twenty
one years from 1929, he stated that the
Rapid Transit was pursuing course
similar to the Pennsylvania lines, which
under its charter had paid nothing to
the State but had turned back all sur
plus over dividends into the company
TO build and extend until the system
had become the finest railroad in the
country. 1t was about the same with
the Rapid Transit. he went on to say,
and apparently he did not notice the
smiles which passed around the room,
even President Peck and General Man
ager Ballentyne joining in, for it was
on the face of it, high compliment.
Of this A. H. Ford was quick to take
eognizance and to congratulate Mr.. Me-
Candies for his praise of a company
which seemed to have undertaken to
parallel the splendid work of the Penn
sylvania line, by giving the public the
benefit of splendid service If the
betterment of the service was moi
given and the suburbs developed, the
company coming to a standstill, this
was the time to shut off expenditures
~ ke - -
squarely and pay all net income over
to the shareholders.
Some Opposition.
Just what the opponents of the Rapid
Transit eompanys effort to get an ex.
tension of franchise want, was, rather
difficult to learn from what was said al
yesterdays meeting. 1t all seemed tC
be opposition on various inconsequentia
grounds, some of them decidedly trivial
Colonel Mccarthy said he was opposed
to the extension because the rapid tran
SIT had run a tWenty-minute service or
Beretania avenue and this ruined hi;
chances for renting his houses, chance.
which were all right while Pains oil
mule ears were running, as he stated
every ten minutes. Another objection
Was that the company carried freigh
the company had no right to carr,
freight. Mr.. Peck turned to the fran
ehise which expressly states the com
pany shall have the right to carry pas
sengers, mail and freight.
In fact. there were several Instance
where objections made to various prof
eets carried on by the Rapid Transi
were answered by a simple reading from
the franchise granted by the legislator,
of 1898, with every feature of whiel
Mr.. Peck appeared to be thorough,
eonyersant, answering many objections
of hand.
There was a maze of figures. whiel
would almost require the services of
Philadelphia lawyer to unravel, but tn
tangle was Strengthened out in clear
logical statements by Mr.. Peck, unit
the Interpretation of the franehis
rights as regards the distribution of In
come over and above eight per cent
with the various conditions unde
which any excess is TO be paid to stocl
bolders, the Territory OF into the sinl
ing fund, was more clearly undeTstOO
by the delegates from the clubs.
ghould Wait For Extension.
L L. MeCandless, who declared tha
the Territory was getting nothing froi
the company, although $22 600 W.
paid into the Territory In taxes la
year, stated finally that he thought ii
question 0i An extension OF The fFag
ehiao Ehonld be left until about 19l
and then put to the legislature. Th
company vas not proposing 10 do mnel
and h said he would be willing TiQh
nov. 81 ore Of ten men. 70 put D
$1,000 % take the franchise. Al thl
point b. vas interrupted By Mr. Pee
Hil4 stated that The company = pHop0
sIfioH Haf q pay aboul go poo Per yea