Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-11

FRANCHISE
REPORTED
0. K.
Rapid Transit Grant, Fully Ap-
proved, Goes to Upper House
Endorsed by All Parties

\ Complete and final harmony
\ now exists on the Rapid Transit 4
= franchise extension bill. between \
\ the Rapid Transit company, the =
y governor, the Oahu senatorial =
= committee having the bill In
\ charge, the Merchants associa- 4
y tion and other interested citi- \
\ zens. The bill was approved af- 4
y ter an important session of the =
\ Oahu senators last night. This =
= morning the board OF directors of =
y the Rapid Transit company went =
= over the measure and unanimous =
y ly approved it. II is to be re- =
y ported favorably to the senate \
\ this afternoon. There are some =
y whisperings there of slight oppo- \
\ sition on the part Of Democratic =
4 solons. :
49, y ~ \
Final action on the bills for the ex-
tension Of the franchise Of Homo
lulu, the Rapid Transit & Land Co.
was taken by the select committee
Of Oahu senators last night At the
meeting In the chamber Of the SEN
ate. attended by the solons of the
third district and q considerable num-
Der Of businessmen this action was
taken.
Recommendation that the last bill
drafted, that representing the agree
ment OF Governor Frear, the street
car company and C.. r. Hemenway,
attorney for the merchants associa.
ton, be passed by the legislature.
and that s. B. 53, the franchise bill
introduced by Senator Chillingworth,
be laid on the table, and that all but
section one of 8. B. 20 be expunged,
will De iuade by the seonnmittee e.A.asss
This decision came after a long
meeting, after the bin had been
critically read, section by section.
Mr.. Hemenway, who was present
during the entire meeting, assisted
the committee at times, and offered
explanations Of several sections,
which had not appeared clear to
Chairman Cecil Brown.
IL was almost two hours from the
time the committee took up the bill
until IL voted to recommend the pas
sage OF the last draft.
Said Senator Judd:
81 move that the committee recon-
mend that after section one of s. B.
20, this measure be inserted, and that
the balance Of 70 be deleted. and that
s. B. So be laid on the table"
This motion was carried, and If the
report OF the committee is adopted it
will mean that the latest bill before
the solons will be substitute
measure.
Senator Wirtz seconded the motion
to adopt the new draft, and remarked
that he hoped II succeeded before the
legislature. That he has made close
study of II was shown during the dis
cussion last night when the questions
of stock and bond rights and the in
determinate franchise theory bobbed
up.
The presence of Mr.. Hemenway
saved the committee considerable
time. At several instances his ex-
plantations overcome the objections or
questions raised by Chairman Brown,
and In particular was this so when
the place in the bill detailing the man
ner of purchase by the government
OF the company's rights was reached.
IL was then that Chairman Brown
declared that under the bill the com
pany would not be paid one cent for
the franchise.
"The whole bill is drawn on the
theory of an indeterminable fran
chise," replied Mr.. Hemenway. The
government, in event it takes over
the company's rights. is not to pay
for the franchise itself, but only for
the tangible property You will see
that that idea runs consistently
through the entire bill"
The explanations satisfied Senator
Brown, and from then until the end Of
the bill, few questions were raised
Senators Coke, Judd, Wirtz and
Brown, members of the select Oahu
committee, all were deeply interested
in the bill, and it appears from their
that they were familiar
with its provisions.
Though there were a number of
business men present, they were not
called on. One or two had said that
they were present only to listen to
the committeeman.
Satisfaction Felt
When the bill was finally passed.
and approved so far as the committee
MS concerned, there were smiles of
satisfaction on all sides, probably