Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-05-03
Public Meeting on Rapid Transit Charter Proposals Shows
City Determined to Make Stand for What Deems are
Needed Changes in Draft Put Forward = Sharp Remarks
End in Apparent Good Feeling

What control Of it's streets can the
Rapid Transit franchise? 49,: -. -
What powers to compel extensions
Of lines shall be given TO the public
Utilities commission
These two questions stood out last
night above hundred more taken up
and discussed at the public hearing
called in the senate chamber, Capitol
building, by the utilities commission.
A third question, that Of limitation
Of stock and bond issues, arose with
almost as much prominence and pre-
eipitated some Of the sharpest discus
sion Of the evening.
None of the questions was definite
ly answered last night All the sug-
gestions, proposals and objections
were taken under adyisement by the
commission, Chairman Forbes stating
that the entire franchise is stilNin a
tentative form and that the commits
sion Is not prepared as yet to take q
hardand.fast stand on any point or
points.
Last night the prospect was that
Il will be week or two before the
commission decides exactly what il
wishes in the charter The street
railway company and the city mean.
while are to be consulted on matters
Of detail and probably the city will
take up the franchise draft at some
special meeting. II an agreement can
be reached all around, the draft will
lie sent to Governor Pinkham, and II
he faYcrs IL the next step will be its
submission to Congress in the form
OF a bill, which, if passed, will become
operative as the new franchise prob.
ably about next January.
Sharp lnterehanaes at Meeting.
Discussion last night was interest.
ing throughout the whole of three
hour session and at times il was so
sharp as to be acrimonious. There
were series of crises" between
representatives OF the city and repre-
sentatives OF the street railway com.
nany, each little bout being brought
on by remarks from one side or the
ether which we're received with quick
resentment. The warmest clashes
were between Deputy City Attorney
Cristy and l. Tenney Peck, president
of the company. MI Cristy on sew
eral occasions questioned whether the
present franchise is not q bad deal
for the public, and Mr.. Peck retorted
vigorously, questioning Mr.. Cristy's
figures as-Meii an his conclusions. On
one occasion they looked each other
in the eye for Q couple of long min
utes and made Il a give-and-take bat
tie, but few minutes later, the hear
ing having adjourned, Peck walked
over TO Cristy, smiled and extended
his hand. Cristy shook the. hand of
the corporation president and grinned,
and apparently the incidents passed
off good naturally.
City Makes Objections
II was evident from the first that
the city will have some emphatic OBJ
5ections 70 make against the franchise
draft as il was read last night The
city representatives included the spe.
csal committee of the supervisors.
Judge Hatch, Hoilinger and Arnold,
and Deputy Attorneys Cristy and Car
den. They occupied one big table.
Another was occupied by the utilities
commission, Chairman Forbes, J. N. S.
Williams and n. ]. Gignoux, and its at
torney, James L. Coke. clerk and
two stenographers. Attorneys ID. L.
Wilmington and A. Ia Castle for the
Rapid Transit Company occupied seats
along the senate chamber railing, as
did President Peck and Manager Bal.
lentyne. Ex-Governor Frear, whose
fight for the 1913 charter plan is still
a matter of lively memory. was an in.
terested spectator, but an invitation
from Forbes for him to speak was de
clined. Delegate Kuhio, ex-Super
visor Single, Secretary Brown of the
Chamber of Commerce, Ed Towse. T.
M. Church and others we're called on
to speak and some OF the plain citi-
zens in the ssteerage" back of the
polished rail spoke without invitation.
Capt. David L. Stone, u. S. A., was
present and. was asked to speak. He
said briefly that he had come as di.
rected by the commanding general of
the Hawaiian department to express
the interest Of the department in
street railway improvements, particu-
larly the Fort Ruger and Fort Shat.
ter extensions.
The franchise draft, as amended
during the past few days, was read
section by section and Forbes asked
for suggestions at the end of each sec
ton.
City Wants to Retain Street Control.
The reading had not gone far when
Deputy Garden, speaking for the city,
said that the city wants to retain its
control of the streets and that the
charter should place the Location of
tracks. etc, under the jurisdiction OF
the city. Forbes suggested that such
location should be made las suggested
by the city and approved by the pub.
lie utilities commission" but Garden
objected, saying that this would leave
ultimate jurisdiction with the terrific
rial board, not the municipality.
The same question was raised half
a dozen times during the hearing, and
each time Forbes said that the mat.
ter would be taken under Amusement.
INSANITY