The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-01-16
ATTORNEY VOICES
TELEPHONE KICKS
IN an Open Letter Declares HlIo
Services An Sorts Of I'm.
desirable Things.


mLo, JANUARY is!l.in IN open let.
ter addressed to the Subscribers or the
liilo Telephone Company, Attorney
Carl $. carlsmith, Of this city, asserts
that he has been selected 70 voice the
protesta made by many Of his friends
against the service accorded to this city
by the local phone company. Mr..
Carlsmith 3 letter says, in part;
"Dear Sir: -w.i..
"During tho past few weeks nun
Der of prominent citizens have called
at my Office to discuss the miserable
service afforded the public by the IIilo
Telephone Company, and as a result of
those discussions have been requested
by them to call meeting Of the tele-
phone patrons and to draft the follow
ing letter.: ss.1
I'm every part Of the United States
telephone equipments have been vastly
improved during the past ter years;
yet we have here in use Instruments
and equipment which other companies
! have relegated to the junk heap long
ago. Plantations and business houses
are compelled to use party lines with
anywhere from ten to twenty subscribe
ers on n line. The use of party lines
results in nerve racking transportation
with which we are all familiar. The
poles have rotted through and in some
| cases are supported by the wires. The
operatives are worked long hours and
are inadequately paid. For one week
past the line to ookala has been out
of commission when half an hour by
any lineman would have put it into
usable condition. The result of all
this is that the public is given a misera.
Bile service for valuable franchise
rights given or loaned to the Telephone
Company by the Territory.
worn-Out System.
GA slight Investigation which I have
been able to make of the matter has
given me a pretty clear idea of the
difficulty. The long WORKOUT system
has not been improved, unless you can
call that an Improvement which simply
adds moro junk of the same kind al
ready in use. The present officials of
the company have been making an
nual dividends of twenty-four per cent
for long period, and have been pay
ing themselves and other stockholders
large amounts which properly should
have been used in the upkeep of the
system and the replacement of the OBJ
solete and worn-out materials. No
fault can be found with the managers.
They have done their best with the
old equipment.
"The officials of the company seem
to take the view that theirs is a private
business concern and that if we do not
like the service we can diseOnnect our
telephone. They forget that the entire
life Of the company is public fran
chise which they ought not to have
after they have lost their usefulness.
The situation is no different here than
any other places. public service
corporation is bound to give the public
good and effective service first and to
declare dividends afterwards. In order
to compel the company to recognize its
obligations there are, at least, two
methods open to us, viz: ...'i
His Suggestions.
81. The formation of an organiza
tion of majority of the citizens Of
Hilo who are patrons of the telephone
company which organization, wher
formed, should obtain the assistance
of the attorney general to commence
legal proceedings for the forfeiture Of
the company's franchise on the GROUND
that il has ceased to use that fran
chise for any public good.
"2. The establishment of a new an(
mutual company under such safeguard
that there will always be guaranteed t.
the patrons good and sufficient service
Gin order that this matter may havi
the suggestions of as many as possible
1 wish to call a meeting of all telephon,
| patrons for Saturday; january 10 mex
at p. m. at the Y. M. i. Hall OF
| King street. Whether you are able Il
be present OF not wish to have yoI
write me fully on the subject stating
whether in your experience the system
is satisfactory and what remedies yol
may have to offer. Very truly yours
"CARL S. CARLSMTPH."