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

Deadlock, briefly repled T. u
BalIentyne, representative OF the Hilo
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 Utili-1
ties Commission, which has been
asked by the governor TO send him its
recommendations. .
I I'VE could not agree over the price
for power" stated Mr.. Ballentyne.
The traction company is willing TO
pay what 1t regards as an excessive
price--one and quarter cents. IL
refuses absolutely to pay more, and
Mr.. Thompson would not offer us a
rate of less than one and half cents.
Theres|was no use in discussing the
other matters in dispute when We
could not agree on this one. so We
called II quits. | suppose 1t will have.
to be all threshed out before the next
meeting of the utilities commission.
The conference was held in
Thompson's office at $50 this morn
ing. according to arrangements made
at the meeting of the commission last
night
Objections Filed Last Night.
Last nights meeting resulted in an
adjournment after the presentation OF
Is 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. Analysed,
the LIZ 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 cent and a
quarter offered.
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. v.
Patten, Carl Carlsmith and a Mr..
Johnson were named.
Some of Attorney Thompson's OBJ
jections to the amendments, briefly
stated, are:
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 hawked about the territory, or
to supply power to the traction COM
pany at such a price as it shall die.
tate. in order to keep it out of the,
power-selling field.
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
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 thresh them over.
Referred to Governor.
The amendments were referred to
the governor by the traction company
AMI 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
sion, 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 go to- Con
gress. to the Legislature or back to
the traction company for changes.
Objections to action by the utilities
commission until they can he heard
on the question has been made by the
Hilo Board of Trade and the board
of supervisors of Hawaii. Final de-
cision as to recommendations will not
be reached, according to- Charles R..
Forbes, chairman, until his return
from Kauai next week. + ~