The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-11-22
CANNOT GRANT
OIL MONOPOLY
Demand by Associated Company
Denied by the Harbor
Commissioners.
(TrOm Thursday Advertiser)

Just what the board of harbor com
missioners would like to do and what
Attorney Geneal Lindsay considers
legal for them to do are two different
things, as was demonstrated yesterday
afternoon at the regular weekly meet
ing. Walter Buck, representative of the
Associated Oil Company, persisted in
his recent request for guarantee of
the exclusive use of the government
oil pipe line and satisfactory protection
should another company ask permission
to run their oil through the same line.
Buck maintains that two companies
cannot use tine same line, alleging that
the grades of oil used by different com
panies are not the same quality and
will not mix.
Either a guarantee that the Associat-
ed Oil Company will not be disturbed
in its use of the pipe line by a rival
company or that in case another COM
pany applies for use of the line, new
line will be built for the oil company
by the harbor commissioners, was part
of Bucks demand. He further sug-
gested that skilled man should be in
charge of the valves and oversee the
filling of the steamers, the harbor COM
missioners to pay the mans salary.
Chairman Bishop raised an objection
to this on the ground that as long as
the Associated Oil Company was the
sole user of the line. they should sup
ply man to look after the oil, as
the waste would be immaterial to the
government. Buck then dropped his
argument for skilled overseer and
took up the question of a guarantee.
Commissioner McStocker said that
the attorney general had ruled that the
board of harbor commissioners could
not create financial liability such as
giving a guarantee protecting the AS
sociated Oil Company exclusive right
to the government oil line.
The commissioners were willing to
give this guarantee, they said, but were
unable to do so under the attorney gen
erals ruling and could not guarantee
the Associated Oil new pipe line in
case another company should ask to
use the present line.
"Any applicant" said Commission
er McStocker, "for the use of the pipe
line will be examined and will have
to prove that he has the business to
warrant the use of the line before a
license will be granted him. This does
awav with the small oil dealer who
might otherwise cause trouble for the
Associated Oil if he we're granted the
privilege to use the line with your com
pany."
In spite of the fact that the COM
missioners favored his wishes, but were
powerless to grant them, Buck was not
willing to compromise by taking the
word of commissioners that should the
occasion arise, the Associated would re-
ceive prompt attention and protection
He replied to this with shrug OF
shoulders and said:
"The legislature should make some
new laws and give the harbor commits
sioners more power"
The discussion was closed when Buck
said he would take the matter up with
his company and talk with them again
Lack of funds. has caused suspen
sion of the repair work on the Homo
lulu wharves, Nuuanu, Kinau, Oceanic
and Mauna Kea, and nothing more viii
be done until Chairman Bishop has tax
en- the matter up with Governor Freal
and arranged for more money. The al
Iotment has already been overdrawr
and the commissioners did not want tt
incur any more oDngations until money
had been provided to meet them with