Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-29
PAY FOR A GOOD THING

The hearing last night on the Rapid Transit
bills gives rise to the suspicion that there was
more than little tabasco in those lemonades
that the governor, President Peek of the stree
railway company and sundry other gentlemen
were reported last week as slipping in the cours,
of conferences over the proposed franchise.
Certainly there were some pretty sharp thing.
said on both sides at the hearing last night. Fol
that matter it is distinctly a time for plaiI
speaking and as both Mr. Frcar and Mr.. Peel
went into the fray with smiles on their faces and
emerged with smiles, no harm was done because
q spade was called spade. The governor has
boldly charged the company with stock-water
ing, the company has strongly intimated that thu
governor is discriminating against the corpora
ton in insisting on certain restrictions in Che
franchise, and the public is entitled to hear the
arguments thrashed out without ambiguity
Putting aside the mass of figures presented
last night, which cannot be assimiated by the
ordinary individual for any practical use, thu
fact seemed to stand out from the hearing that
8 the company has capitalized its profits and now
wishes.to be well-paid for what it has made from
operating its lines well as for what it put into
those lines from the pockets of the stockholders
The Star Bulletin. is very much in ia
vor of treating the company literally and Of
recognizing that it was the energy courage and
Initiative of the Castles and other present own
erp which made the present fine system possible
At the same time it must be considered that the
company is now asking a long extension of its
franchise and that we must figure on the basis
Of the present and future instead of the past.
The Rapid Transit's system is an assured sue
cess. twill be given a monopoly on street-rail
way lines in this city, for no other company, with
local conditions of streets and grades, can com
pete with it. And one Of the big facts that sticks
up as high as Diamond Head is that of the rap
idly-increasing profits of the system.
The figures show that the eompany's net earn
ings have nearly doubled in the last five years
There is no reason why they should not show the
same rate of increase for five years more. Ho
Modulus population is increasing more than nor
maily, it is INCREASING abnormally The coming
Of thousands of the military, the building of a
great naval base, the development of big holiday
events here, the repeated doubling of the tourist
traffic, all pour gold into the company's Golfers
AS this paper has said before, we believe the
first emphasis should be placed on serrice, thai
the matter of division of profits with the terri
tory or city should next receive consideration
Consequently, we favor adequate public super
vision of the company's operations, both finan
cial and physical. The governors plan for d
commission is step in the right direction
The questions of financial policy as laid down
in his new bill submitted last night were not
gone into fully enough for judgment to be
reached at this time. Perhaps he is not allowing
enough return for the great efforts put forth by
the promoters of the company in the past. Per
haps he is Further discussion will be illumi
mating
There will be another hearing next Tuesday
evening and it is to be hoped as large a crowd
will attend as was present last night The sub
iect is being thrashed out in all frankness and
both sides are determined. None, would do in
Justice to the company; on the other hand, the
public certainly feels that it must be protected
IN the matter of charter without ambiguity
and a charter that the company cannot use as a
shield to stave off enforcement of the public's
rights by the public.
IN INpR0VE AGRICULTURAL, CONDITIONS