The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-03-02

:.
regular meeting yesterday from the
opening to the close of two,honr SEES,
sion, with Commissioner Garden holding
out as the lone minority against Com
missioners Forbes and Gignoux on al
most every question considered.
Garden led of with his dissenting
opinion on the Honolulu Gas Company
investigation, not only holding that the
company is in the street lighting bust
ness and liable to furnish fifty lights
TO the city free, but surprising the
meeting by disagrceing with the whole
majority decision as written by Com
missioner Forbes and neatly rapping II
as "mercly general" and "supefhcial
and cursory.'
AS a dissenter, Garden proved both
stubborn and persistent and through
out the proceedings continued antagon.
istic to practically every proposal Of
the majority provoking several
lively tits with Forbes and with Gig
loux that brought hot words in the
general direction of "the minority"
Forbes Takes a Crack "
Gardens hit at the complete decision
in the gas company case inferred that
the whole investigation which has been
pending since last May aeeomplishes
nothing and brought protests from
both Gignoux and Forbes.
"''I'll take a crack at this in a min
ute, " said Forbes, when Gignoux start
ed to answer Garden in the midst OF
the reading of the dissenting opinion
and at the conclusion the chairman cat
cgorieally disagreed with every state
ment in Garden s opinion.
"This opinion indicates we haven
made a proper investigation, said
Gignoux, land do not feel like pass
ing it to print" ....... ..., =
Garden Again Disapproves s-ga
But Gignoux finally did vote to pas
the dissenting opinion supporting
Forbes and leaving Garden in the rol'
of dissenter, the lone minority .yotini
against the adoption Of his own opinion
This strange procedure came about be
cause Forbes, in his motion to adop
the dissenting opinion, added a joke
that it be passed to print under tn
ban of disapproval.
Gardens stand that the commission
decision is Valueless and incomplete j
summed up in the opening paragraph o
his opinion as Follows: fz4as 4 -
"I respectfully dissent. In SO fa
as concerns the report on the genera
condition of the finances and equipnen
of the utility, the report on its fac
purports to be merely a general exam
nation of the finances Of the compan,
as shown by its books, together with
superficial and cursory tour Of inspeC
ton by individual members of the com
mission through the plant OF the com
pany leaving all question of rates, quail
| ity of gas, examination of mains ant
meters, and the question of the actun
present value Of the property Of tn
company to a subsequent investiga
tiOn.p
Cites q Few Facts
The balance of GARDENS opinion il
devoted to citing facts which, he be
Iieves, prove that the company is il
the street-hghting business, and there
fore obliged, under its franchise, t.
supply fifty additional street light
free to the city. He lays stress on thu
existence Of four gas lights in "Bijor
Alley" which he calls public thor
Dughfare, and the existence of light
over sidewalks in front of certain
stores and saloons. as proof that thu
company is in the street lighting bust
ness. During the discussion Garden ar
gued that it was up to the commission
to go ahead and order the installation
of the free street lights, while Forbe
maintained that, even if the compan!
were liable, it is the duty of the city
and county 10 order the installation, o
make a complaint to the commission.
The account in The Advertiser of tn
commission S majority decision direct
;ng the gas company to close its book
June 80 and render n report brough
letter from the company to yester
lays meeting requesting that it be al
owed to continue with December 81
rs the end of its fiscal year. The com
mission was about to agree to gran
his request when ii disagreed on tn
procedure and the matter was laid oil
he table.
The next subject of discussion wa
letter from J. c. Blair, superiRte nd
mt of the Island Electric Company o
Maui, explaining why his concern ha'
heen unable to give good service to tn
Maui Publishing Company.
Garden Once More -'..
"Let 3 investigate EN-" said Car
len, but he was in the minority
Forbes and Garden voted to have MI
Blair appear at the next meeting am
explain what the company proposes t
10 to satisfy the demand for power il
its locality which is greater than tn
capacity of the plant,
"The steam generating plant of th
company has deprecated so that it i
almost of no value" said Forbes re
| ferring to the recent investigation o
the concern by the commission.
In fixing the hour for the next reg
ular meeting and several special meet
ings, the commission was again divid
I'd. Garden pleaded that half past on
. clock is inconvenient but again b
was in the minority. -
The commission did agree on on
thing-that it had better stop buyin
books, the last consignment of inter
state commerce commission report
costing 5000. Forbes declared that j
he had been present when this pul
chase was authorized he would hav
voted againt it,
JIJfraIcos uTraxolo