The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-12-04
GOVERNOR SEES FLAWS I'M
RAPID TRANSIT CHARTER
Refuses Endorsement Of Pending Bill and
States His Reasons Company Will
Reply With Facts
PINKHAM'S ACTION DISAPPOINTING

Pubic utilipes comnifTdn, read at the
meeting OF tho commission YESTERDAY
has como out publicly il opposition 70
y the proposed extension OF the charter
Of the Honolulu Rapid Transit Compa-
ny, as contained IN the bill passed by
the last Legislature after a series Of
public meetings and moro public dis.
cussi0n than had even before been Civ
On a Legislative measure IN Hawaii. The
Governor now disagrees radically with
his predecessor, Governor Froar, and
nisaRreca with his own endorsement OF
the bill as given before the house com.
lnittee on territories jast ono year ago
today.
Twelve Months Ago
A year ago today speaking before
the committees Of congress which had
the bin for the chartcr extension under
consideration, Governor Ifnkham said,
among other things:
Ny belief Is that the people Of the
Territory and the commercial organiza-
!. lions were 80 thoroughly IN interest in
the matter that there Il no question, l
believe, that they realize that we have
projected the public In every possible
way, and IL could criticize il the pro.
posed charter extension bill II would
only be IN some luinur manner that
probably Is not essential
In reply 10 Representative Houston.
chairman Of the committee, who asked
him: sGovernor, you have given this
bill your careful considerable. have
you motif he said;
g / have read Il very carefully, = and
then, having received the assurance OF
Governor Frcar that his conception Of
the operation of the sinking fund
clauses was correct, added: ~ approve
the bill SO far as have been able
TO analyze IL do not say that have
gone into II in way that 1 might.
I'D he reenonsible for il like Governor
Frear. But there Is no reason why
snopld doubt his wisdom In the mat.
ter.
Serious Doubts Today
But that was on December A, 1913.
This December he says, in reply to a
request from the chairman Of the pub
lie utilities commission that he en-
dorse the bill in order to secure favor.
able action on IL at the short session,
to allow the planned extensions and
improvements Of the rapid transit to
proceed:
W." can not conscientiously comply
with the request Of the utilities COM
mission and president and manager Of
the Honolulu Rapid Transit Company. z
A Missing Million a
The Governors refusal is based on
an analysis he has had made Of tho
books Of the company, which, in bis
4'sypinlen. show tiat the r3dipapy has
4 practically withheld from the Territory
is interest under the terms Of the char
ter, amounting to $113f,944 How the
Governor arrives at his opinion and
his figures are set forth in his letter,
concerning which L. Tenney Peek, presi-
dent Of the Rapid Transit Company, in
acknowledging the letter, says.
a Delicate Insinuation
III would be Of value TO me to
learn whether or not a copy Of your
letter has been, or will be furnished 20
any committee or officials in Washing
ton, IN order that J may also send n
copy OF our proposed reply TO the same
people, our object being TO secure the
enactment Of the new bill, BY MEET
Ing EVERY OBJECTION THROUGH
THE PRESENTATION OF THE EX-
4 AL FACTS upon which the propricty
q the penutng legislation firmly rests.
me Governors Letter
fhe Governor = letter says:
moverh0r finkham = letter is as
tIoilows:
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
Honolulu, Hawaii, NOV. 80, 1914, Z
:. n. :. Williams, Esq
Acting chairman, Public Utilities
commission, and 5,
Y. Tenney Peck, ESQ,
president Honolulu Rapid Transit
and Land Company, Honolulu, 7.
II.
lp reply TO your joint request that
take steps TO urge the approval by
Congress, through II. 4, 9022, Of act
lSo, session laws OF 1913, ] beg to
quote from my letter Of October %,
1914, addressed TO EFesident Peek, as
follows;
You will undoubtedly recolleet that,
when | appeared before the congress
sional house committee on territories,
stated that until ! had seen and
analyzed the statements and figures
upon which the act was based and
their eheft, could not give an opinion
on the proposed extension OF the fran,
ehlse as desired by your company, and
also that tho committee had IN the
text OF the act, NO. i8O. ~. Ia lBl3. as