Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-01

utility corporations in this territory,
appeared and for one reason or an
other argued agirst the then pending
utility bills. andif any utility bill had
to be passed, lit not appearing that
any OF the committee distinctly favor.
ed any bill being passed at all, II
was further argued that a bill along
the lines indicated by this pro bono
publico committee should be the one.
The present act is drawn on the
lines then indicated, namely. to have
commission with power % to in
vestigate public utilities, their finan-
ces. rates, methods and facilities: t2r
TO publish facts and findings relating
thereto: and t3) to make r"cOmment
dations for changes i'll rates and i'm
prOYementS in service.
These powers above referred to are
the ones given to the present commits
sion with the additional powers slip
ped into the bill by way Of amend-
ment when it was going through the
legislature.
On March q. tho Advertiser had a
long editorial headed "InvtStiga ion,
Publicity and Recommends dn, in
connection with public utility con.
Germs, the main thought being thai
the power Of recommendation without
theopowcr to enforce such recon-
meItdatiOn was sufficient in this ter
Titory. In that same issue Of the Ad-
VefNser. this same committee. repre-
sentfhg the hU@0iulu Chamber of COh'-
MERGE. the Honolulu Merchants AS
Is dciatiOn and the, Hawaiian Sugar
Planters Association. the bodies that
control the political and financial de-
TIMES Of every nan, woman and child
permanently located in this territory.
published an able, elaborate, cXhau5-
tive and very, very plausible brief
With the same end in view, as suggest
ed editorially, namely, Investigation,
publicity and recommendation.
In the Advertiser of April 6, 1913,
appears a draft of bill which mag
inc was the one agreed on between
the governor and the gentlemen on
this committee. This bill, with some
amendments, also finally agreed tC,
passed and became a law.
On April 10, 1913, the Advertiser
published an editorial headed Better
Be Slow Than Sorry" favoring pub
lie utility. bill admittedly suggested il!
part by public utility corporations.
On April IA, 1913, the Advertiser in
long editorial advocated in ali sin
terity that a puL-.c utility bill with
only teeth" enough ito bite off what
can at present be digested," be passed,
leaving to the future geneI atoms the
supplying of real teeth"
On April j., 1918, the Advertiser
quotes the then governor with saying
that Il will Agn the till," tthe pcs,
ent utility act) prov. ding, OF course,
that the amendments did not Radically
change" Qhe emphasis is rine)- 1T
more than believe" | have good rea-
son to believe that the only amend
mentS that amounted to anything were
drawn by Governor FreaT, after con-
sultation with at least one, if not more,
of the members of this public spirited
committee.
Act 1876 of the Session Laws of 1913,
subjecting certain gas, electric light
and power, telephone, railroad and
street railway companies and fran
chise holders to the provisions of the
public utilities act, which requiTes,' OF
course the approval Of Congress to
make it effective, was signed by the
governor On April 80, 1913. Without
the approval of this Act Us by Con
gress, the present public utilities act
will never amount to much, as any
reputable lawyer can tell you. Has
anybody heard CT these public utility
concerns or this public spirited COM
mittee urging Congress to approve
Act 1876? Has Ex-Governor Frear, who
has been in Washington for number
of months, been openly advocating the
approval by Congress Of Act 133? If
so, / have not heard Of it, and / have
been in Washington recently myself.
To get down to the best means OF
carrying out my Interpretation of the
act and also the spirit in which it
should be Undertaken. AS the act now
stands, | would carry out the act in
the manner suggested by the attorneys
Of the public utilities themselves. to,
wit, investigation, publicity and re-
commentator. In nv opinion. this
will undoubtedly help toward inducing
the next legislature to pitt something
besides false" teeth N tho public util-
tiles bill, Even Investigation, public
ity and recommendation" if properly
and efficiently carried ont, will, in my
opinion, make enemies for the com
missioneTs, yet, it is sometimes said,
that man who makes no enemies
makes nothing.
Economy will have to be practiccd
of course. A great deal Of uEnccoS-
sary expense in clerical hir" is at
present, | think, being incurred. In
many ways, the expense OF running
the commission may be reduced.
Thanking you for an opportunity OF
placing myself on record on the i'm
portant matters above referred to, |
beg to remain
Yours Truly,
WI T)L"Ip