Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-02
ON TO NEW BUSINESS {!
On TO new business g.!

That's the thing to be done in this Rapid
Transit franchise controversy, ~.
Two long public hearings have been devoted
TO ''reading the minutes" of the past The pub
lie has heard of stock watering, of covering up
profits, and various other misdeeds charged to
the company by Governor Frear The public has
heard at length from the president of the com
pany of the struggles of its stockholders in the
past and the splendid service given Honolulu.
Yes, both sides of the controversy have been
heard at length, and SO far as the public can
judge, there has been fault on both sides If the
company has not given to the territory one-half
of its excess income over eight per cent, certainly
the territorial officials-of whom the governor
is one-haye not been on the alert to make the
company live up to the terms of the franchise.
Takesit all for granted; take none of it for
granted, but get on to new business, and that
new business is the discussion of the three fran
chise bills pending in the Legislature.
We have been talking long enough Of the past.
On to the FUTURE
The public does not insist, if we may Judge by
large number of citizens who have privately
expressed their opinions, that the company
should be held to account for every dollar that
the governor says should have been paid into the
public treasury. The public is satisfied that
most if not all of that money has gone to inn
prove the service and to make extensions.
The public, does not insist that the franchise
provision of the future relating to reinvested
earnings shall be interpreted as strictly as the
governor iRterprets the franchise of the present,
Particularly, it would seem that in order to en-
courage the company to make extensions -with-
out the necessity for an order by public utii-
ity commission some assurance should be Civ
en- in the new franchise that stock may be issued
up to certain percentage for earnings reinvest-
ed in improvements and extensions. This point,
however, is at least debatable and the percentage
should be definitely fixed on an entirely conser-
Yatiye basis.
President Pecks closing statement at the
hearing last night indicated that the company
will agree to- amendments of its bill. Governor
Frear, we believe will agree, for the sake of
progress and harmony, to some COMPROMISED
based on the terms of his own measure, Rapid
Transit Bill No. g. as it-is-ealled. It's time to-
put aside the acrimony bred from controversy
over the past and to 60 forward to the. future,
giving each man, each side, credit for honorable
motives and willingness to make honorable set
element
The way to harmony is being approached at
conferences today between the governor, repre-
sentatiEes of the Rapid Transit company and cit
liens whosview the problem from tile standpoint
of the common people.
The hearing tomorrow night, we trust, will
be confined to the point at issue-the franchise
and the public has a right to know from the
company whetheri it will agree to the governors
bill with such notifications as the conferences
between now and tomorrow night may develop
SUGAR NOT A BLAMABLE FACTOR in INCREASED