The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-13

when an half an hour by any Hneman
would have put it into disable condi
ton.
THE present officials of the conf
pany have been making annual divi-
dends of "a per cent for long period,
and have been paying themselves and
other stockholders large amounts
which properly should have been used
in the upkeep of the system and the
replacement of the obsolete and worn
out materials.
mo 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 pri-
vate business concern and that if we
do not like the service we can discon-
meet our telephone They forget that
the entire lift of the company is a
public franchise which they ought not
to have after they have lost their
usefulness.
The situation is no different here
than any other places. A public SER
vice corporation is bound to give the
public good and effective service first
and to declare dividends afterwards.
I'm order to compel the company to
recognize its obligations there are,
at least, two methods open to us:
"FiTst-The formation of an organ
ization of a majority of the citizens
of Hilo who are patrons of the Tele-
phone Company, which organization
when formed should obtain the assist
ance of the attorney general to com
mence legal proceedings for the for
fixture of the company's franchise on
the ground that it has ceased to use
that franchise for any public good
and sufficient service;
"Second-The establishment of a
new and mutual company under such
safeguards that there will always be
guaranteed to the patrons good and
sufficient service"
campbeIl's Visit.
Marston Campbell, superintendent
of public works, arrived Wednesday
in the Mauna Kea, on business particu-
larly connected with the meeting Of
! the loan fund commission.
The homesteaders of Kihalani are
demanding the building of highway
through their properties, and Mr..
Campbell will also give this matter
his attention.
A survey in now being made of the
Kihalani road, and in a few days will
be completed. Whether the building
of the road will follow the completion
/ of the survey is not known. The
statute governing the sale of home
stead lands and the building of roads
through the same says that moneys
derived from the sale of hOmetead
land may" be used to build roads for
the homesteaders.
Now, that is well and good" says
on official, but as a matter of fact
the total receipts from the sale of
homestead lands in Qihalani are $685.
-. These people want as much as
| 5000 feet OF road built
Flames xiii Three.
Three Japanese children we're so
badly bCned in a fire at Waiakea a
week ago Wednesday night that they
died. Two other children We're slight
" burned. Kohashi Masagi was at
the time away from home and his
wife and three children were attend
ing the moving PICTURES, leaving five
children homo, the eldes- 2, asleep,
with a lighted oil lamp near one OF
the beds. Neighbors heard the screams
of the children from the NIasagl home
and ran out to see smoke issuing.
Fakugawe Ichise behaved neroically
in acting three children ou- Of the
flames which were confined chiefly to
the led and bedding, tie origin OF
the fire probably beiug the upsetting
Of the lamp by one of the children
Those who d'od from tho effects OF
the flames were a girl, 10, a boy e. and
a boy years of age,
rr.s.4o,, II NJ ngorio y,roc On lam.