Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-17
DISCUSSION v AS
LIVELY ON new
ELECTRIC CO.

Lively discussion preceded the ac-
ton OF the merchants association yes
terday in refusing to disapprOve a sec
ond electric franchise for Honolulu.
why has the matter been put off
until this late date?' Mr.. EftInSer i'll
Iquired.
T. NJ. Church, chairman Of the leg
iS,atiye committee. in reply stated
that the committee had been APP
preached by representatives OF the
existing company, with the argument
that one wcll regulated company was
otter than two. Overhead charges,
cost of installation, two systems OF
wires, etc, were urged as objections
TO an opposition company. The mat
Ter came up incidentally at a meet
ing to consider the Rapid Transit
franchise. The committee was inform
I'd that the Hawaiian Electric Com
Tany was not opposing the franchise,
but since then the attitude of the
company was shown to be clearly
hostile. On the theory that one COM
pany was better than two, the d1-
rectors of the association had con-
cluded to oppose the franchise. AS,
however, the position taken by the
company with regard to the public
utilities commission was unsatisfac.
tory, the directors had decided to
refer the matter to the association.
| II the company came under the utili-
ties commission it would have an
appeal to the courts against the rates,
while under it's present franchise the
consumer had to apply to the courts
for. redress of grievances. He quoted
what the governor had said about
| putting the things the company should
do in the bond and said that the
| Hoffman franchise placed the pro-
tposed company under the commission
with regard to rates and all. Mr.
Church read a list of many cities,
also towns smaller than Honolulu, on
the Pacific Coast which had two to
| four electric companies. In the cir
| cumstances, as Mr. McInerny had
said, it would be poor business for the
| merchants of this town to oppose the
granting of this franchise.
Mr.. Brasch agreed with the previous
speakers and told of the breach Of
! promise made by the Hawaiian Elec-
trio Company to furnish extra light
| ing to the stores last Christmas.
Argues for Regulated Monopoly
Mr.. Towse, conceding that the
sense of the meeting was against his
motion, proceeded to argue that the
Iolicy of modern cities was to have
public utilities in the hands of regu-
lated monopolies. He referred to the
unsatisfactory condition here when
there were two telephone companies,
and said that at the bottom of the
bitterness between the Rapid Transit
company and the Oahu Railway COM
/ pany was the element of competition
| between them. AS to the expense of
! appealing to the courts, it did not
speak loudly for dissatisfaction with
the electric company that combina-
ton of businessmen could not be
found ready to put up $37 for carry
ing case into court. According to
i Ilr Mc1nerny, we should have six or
eight electric companies here with
their wires tangled over every street.
| Our policies in the past had been
toward encouraging monopoly in pub
lie utilities, such as electricity. street
railways, steam railways, telephones
and gas. The most progressive course
would be to throw the present COM
pany under the public utilities com
mission.
Mr.. McInerny, in a brief reply, con-
tended that the rivalry between the
rapid Transit and the railway COM
panies has resulted in a substantial
reduction of railway rates. 1t was
foolish to talk about indiscriminate
granting of franchises, nothing of the
sort being thought of. IF the present
company has fought against the pub
lie utilities commission and Mr.. Hoff-
man proposes to come under it, we
would be very foolish to oppose this
franchise" concluded the speaker.