Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-04-06
HILONIERESIS
DEADLOCkEDON
RATEFORPOWER
Traction and Electric Company
Representatives Confer But
Cannot Agree

Deadlock" briefly replied c. e..
Ballentyne, representative OF the Htio
Traction Company, when asked this
afternoon what had been the result OF
the conference between himself and
Frank E. Thompson, attorney for the
Hilo Electric Company, over the pro-
posed amendments TO the traction
company's franchise. The electric
company is opposing some of the
amendments before the Public Utill'
ties Commission, which has been
asked by the governor TO send him Its
recommendations
I'VE could not agree over the price
for power" stated Mr.. Ballentyne.
"The traction company is willing to
pay what il regards as an excessive
price-one and a quarter cents. IL
refuses absolutely to pay more, and
MIR. Thompson would not offer us a
rate of less than one and a half cents,
There was no use In discussing the
other matters in dispute when we
could not agree on this one, so we
called it quits. l suppose it will have
TO be all threshed out before the next
meeting of the utilities commission.
The conference was held in
Thompson office at $50 this morn
ing, according to arrangements made
at the meeting of the commission last
night. -. - -: ..Z r. .->. 49,.
Objections Filed Last Night. ~ .
Last nights meeting resulted inc an
adjournment after the presentation OF
l3 pages Of objections to the amend
ments by F.. e. Thompson, attorney
for the Hilo Electric Company. r.
w. Single and C. G. Ballentyne, rep
resenting the stockholders of the trac-
ton company, were present and at
tempted to answer them. AnalyZed,
the Is pages simmered down to a
question of the price Of power to be
furnished by the electric company to
the traction company. A cent and
half is wanted and but a cent and a
quarter offered. 49,. ~...~.>
The list of traction company stock
holders, which has never been made
public before, was revealed last night.
C. G. Ballentyne. manager of the Ho-
nolulu Rapid Transit and Land Com
pany; r. w. Single, J. T. Moir, H, ".
Patten, Carl Carlsmith and a MT
Johnson" were named. -.
Some of Attorney Thompson's OBJ
jections to the amendments, briefly
stated, are: 4 G... { ....sz
THE primary object of the proposed
amendments is to force the Hilo Elec-
trio Company to either take over the
franchise so long and so unsuccess-
fully haMked about the territory, or
to supply power ,te~the traction COM
pany at such a price as it shall die.
tate. in order to keep it out of the
power.selling field. 81. s~.+.,.. @s
The proposed amendment gives
the traction company all the rights
and privileges Of the electric company
without any obligation on its part to
do anything so far as supplying light
is concerned" Up.
Objection was also made to the
exemption of the traction company
from taxation while it was building up
its business in competition with a
going concern which is paying taxes
and to the Introduction of the fran
chise amendments in Congress with.
out first having the territorial legis.
lature thresb them over.
Referred to Governor.
The amendments were referred to
the governor by the traction company
and by him to the secretary Of the
territory, w. w. Thayer. Mr.. Thayer
put his views in writing and the gov
ernor has turned the amendments and
opinion over to the utilities commits
SIGN, which will have supervision over
the traction company, with request
for recommendations When the com.
mission has passed on them they will
go to the Encouragement.
Then the governor will determine
their fate whether they so to Con-
gress, to the legislature or back to
the traction company for changes. "
Objections to action by the utilities
commission until they can be heard
on the question has been made by the
Hilo Board of Trade and the board
of supervisors of Hawaii Final de-
eision as to recommendations will not
be reached, according to Charles r..
Forbes, tchairman, until his return
from Lo1toi Yoxf xx,onIr@