The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-02-06
INTER-IsLAND.
INQUIRY is
STARTED
Chairman E. A. Mott-smith Holds
g First Conference With Naviga-
ton Company Officials and Asks
for Data to Aid Public Utilities
Commission in Its Investigation
tFr0m wednesday Advertiser.l


tion Company was started by Chairman
y. A. Mott-smith Of the public utilities
commission yesterday morning. Az a
meeting of the commission held Mon,
day Chairman Mott.Smith outlined to
Charles r, Hemenway, attorney for the
fnter-1sland company, the manner in
which the commission intends to. carry
out ITS work.
~ win say for your information, =
said Chairman Mott-smith. "that this
investigation will pe conducted through
a series Of special meetings devoted en-.
tirely to that purpose of which notice
will be given to yourselves giving you
an opportunity 70 be present and being
heard, and also public notice will be
given. These meetings will be con
+. Quoted aside from meetings for any
other purpose, which the commission
may hold, and for the sake Of clearness,
besides its regular meetings Of every
Tuesday which are held for the general
business Of tho commission. In this
Investigation, we will attempt to eon.
venienee as much as possible both your.
selves and the public.
Necessarily, there will have to be a
number of Investigations conducted on
the ground, so TO speak in your Office,
on your landings, at your ports of call.
These investigations will be conducted
by one Of the members Of the commits
sion, and In those cases only upon no
tice TO yourself in order to afford you
opportunity to be present there.
The material 50 gathered will be
submitted to the Commission at its
meetings OF the Inter.Island investiga.
tion, and there all parties will be given
opportunity to be heard. The com.
mission will confine its decision to. the
material submitted 10 il at these special
meetings. A little later we probably
will have the officers of the Steamship
company, on the stand in order TO in.
troduee the facts, data, etc, which they
wish to introduce. n
As yon understand from the motion
given here the chairman is.nuthorized
TO begin work TO secure data. / wonld
state that / would like 10 confer with
yourself or your attorney tomorrow
morning at nine o'clock.'' <
Holds First Conference. ~
At ninc o'clock yesterday morning
Corhmissioner MottlSmith met ]. Al,
Kennedy, president, and James Il. Me.
Lean, vice president, of the Inter-Island
steam Navigation Company, at the Of.
hees of the company. Directors w. o,
smith and j, M. Dowsett, together with
q K. Hemenway and L. j. Warren, at,
toInoys for the company, were also
present. s,a A 7
MottISmith stated that his first re.
quest on behalf Of the public utilities
commission would be that the Inter.
Island company .segregate from its gen,
cral accounts ALI of the items pertaining
TO the public utility business of the
company. He stated that the commits.
sion would require all Of the specific
data relating to that part of their bust.
nefs in order that they would be able
to arrive at the true book value of the
compapy's property as of date of De-
S cembor 81, 1913. ~. ~
lie asked that the company prosont
their statement under various headings:
. All the vessels and floating property
OF the company, including launches,
buoys, scows and boats; the wharves
and landings and all of the loading
Paraphernalia thereon; that portion Of
the ships chandlery stores and the ma.
chine and repair shops, and that bro.
portion Of the Office buildings and other
buildings and Of the warehouses of the
company wherever located that NAV be
properly chargablc with share Of the
public utilities business; each and all
OF these valuations to be taken with
the annual depreciation written Off. The
object of these schedules is to deser-
mino the actual value Of that portion
OF the company's plant which is en-
gagged in utility business.
Asks for Books.
lie directed the company TO produce
its detail hooks showing the income
and expenditures of each steamer or
other vessel which it owns and opers
ates. In addition to the detail books
and for the convenience Of the commits
sion he directed that the company also
submit condensed statement giving
the totals and footings.
There is also to be a supplemental
statement detailing insurance charges,
profit and loss, depreciation and other
fixed charges of similar nature.
The company was also directed to
prepare and subRit TO the commission
q tabulated statement Of the wages paid
and the work hours of all employees,
by steamers; this statement to show
the length OF the working day, under
what conditions overtime is allowed and
what constitutes to basis of overtime
compensation and how it is alleged
He also ordered the company to sub
nit passenger and freight schedules,
corrected TO date; aud, finally, he di.
rectod the submission Of the amount of
capt. stock and other obligations out-
standing, The object sought, Mott
Smith stated, is to acquire all Of the
Information which has a direct bearing
on tho total capitalization and value
of the company's property because any
future determination OF freight and
passenger rates must fake cogui2ance
of aud be 30 some extent dependent
upon fair return On eaDital amnlavadI