Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 168, 20 July 1894 — An Electric Road. [ARTICLE]

An Electric Road.

Tbe Advertiser periodically gets an attack of Tramcarpbobia* and cures itsolf by advocating the esb\blisbinent of an electric car line. Tbia raoruing tbe Advertiser medicine bas been administered by Mr. James W. Girviu, who administers a very pleasant looking dose. Tbo gentloraan in question no more tban the Adverti$er knowa wbat be is writiug about. His unfamiliarity witb tbe atlairs of the Hawaiian TrarnCompany combined witb tbe nnimosity of tho Advertiser against mannger Paine make botb parties describe tbe prospects of an electric road in a totally false aud erroneous ligbt. We sbould be very mueh plensed by seeing au electric road from Honoluln to tbe Pali. Far from injuriug tbe present tramway eompan}-, it would be a great benefit to it, becausa it wonld justify them in abandoning tbe Nananu line of its system —a line wbicb bas proved n eon- j stant loss. Tbo exj>en8e of surrouuding Honolulu witb a perfeot I cable street car svstem would 1 cost so mneh, that tbe people ! undertaking it would be unable to j rea)ize a cent on tbeir investments, and would bnrst in short order. How mueh do these advocates of tbe electric road imagine tbat tbe present Tram—ways Compauy pays in divideuds to its stockbolders? Wouldn’t it be well for Mr. Girvin and tbe semi-official organ to fiud ont first what tbe roceipts of such a road ean be, before figuring ou the cost anu tbo ronte and the color of cars? For their iuformation, we will state tbat tbe Hawaiian Tramsway Company hasu't till tbis day paid raore than a yearly dividend of 21 per caat. Are our capitaiists willing to invest witb suoh prospects in view? Of couraa, tbere is tbe tcmpting t bait of Mr. Waterhouse’s $10,000. Bat ihen, .with that sum hangs a very large and most disastrous if.