Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-07
STREET RAILWAY FRANCHISE.

Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin,
Sir: Enclosed please find an edi-
| torial from the Engineering News,
| Vol. SO, Page 729, which is timely and
interesting in view OF our present
I Rapid Transit franchise controversy.
The heavy vote against a 25-year
extension to street railway franchises
which still have '16 years to run, in
, Kansas City on Dec. 16, 1909) is en-
couraging. The majority against the
| proposition was about 100 in total
, OF 30,400, which latter figure We un-
derstand, approached quite near the
registration. This large majority
seems all the more remarkable when
il is understood that as an induce
, ment to grant the franchise extension
the Metropolitan strees Railway Co.
offered, virtually, a Accent fare with
universal transfers. =.
Aside from unwillingness to vote
away street and attendant privileges
so long in advance, it is. reported that
many voters felt that the company
would, sooner or later, find some way
tC. evade the lower-fare and transfer
PROVISIONS of the proposed franchise.
| This is not Eat all surprising, in view
of recent action of street railway au-
thorities in New York and Philadel-
Lhia We take, it, however, that the
! people of Kansas City were more in
fluenced by the. belief that there was
no good and sufficient reason why
they should extend a franchise so
long in advance of its expiration. -
The company is reported as being
quite doubtful as to its future and as
! to the character of the service it can
render,its patrons, in view of the neg
alive results of the election. 1t states
that the franchise extension was nee
essary in order to enable it to raise
/ money to pay maturing bonds, build
extensions, buy new cars, etc, and
, that it frankly so stated to the peo-
/ pie of Kansas City," Frankness is
good, but assuming all this to be
true, for the purpose of argument, does
it not show something, wrong in the
past or present management of the
company? The declaration is, in eff
feet, an assertion that the company
cannot meet its obligations to it's
creditors, on the one hand, nor its
present and prospective patrons, on
the other, without securing and then
capitalizing an extension to a fran
chise that still has 16 years to run.
Evidently the voters of Kansas City
we're not convinced that such was the
case. Probably many of them were
of the opinion that alIgood part of
this franchise-extension capitalization
would go ffiito the pockets Of insiders
and at the same time be added to
the watered stock on which street.
car riders would be expected to pay
dividends. Possibly the people of
Kansas City may have to wait six
teen years before they get Accent
fares, but at any rate they have not
sold their children's birthright for a
ness of pottage. If they have the
intelligence and determination shown
in the recent elections campaign and
victory they will yet secure ali that
is legitimately due them il 10th fare
reduction and improved service. Be-
fore 16 years are passed we trust that
Missouri and at least the majority of
other states will have public-service
commissions TO control street rail-
way and other franchise companies in
the interest of both investors and
patrons. This is already partly true
in Massachusetts, New York and Wis
consin, although there remains some
thing to be done in them as regards
the regulation Of fares and transfers.