The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-07-19

been out OF the possession OF the Cus-
toms authorities and arrived just after
the kahulul lot, and ii opium was re-
moved from those tins per Oceanic and
earth placed In its stead while there, 1t
would have been as easy Or the same
parties 10 substitute the redwood boxes,
filled with brick and straw, for the boxes
sent down from the Station House.
Members OF the committee searched
aud found in the rear OF Chu Bang
Chong's shoe store and Chu On's dry
goods store on Nuuanu street, between
King and Hotel streets, straw and dirt |
of the same kind as found In the above |
mentioned opium containers, also |
bricks, empty opium containers and TIN |
cuttings, as also many empty hall kero- |
sene tins which evidently had earth in /
them.
The Marshal showed receipts for all |
opium and moneys received by him on |
account of opium, and from the evidence |
it appears to us that he, in dealing with
and having the care and custody OF
opium, has used due care and precau-
| ton.
We have been unable to fix the guilt
upon any person, or even TO find enough
evidence to give rise TO u suspicion as TO
who the person may be, but in our opin-
ion and from all the evidence adduced
and also the fact OF the +. I. opium hav-
ing been solely in the charge of the
| Custom House officials, that whatever
was done in the way OF removing the
opium, was done at the Custom House.
! Such being the case it seems that some
| person or persons employed in the Gus
| toms Department must have been In
collision with outside parties.
| TIa RI
the Customs Department do not appear
to be in accord and good deal OF
| friction and bad feeling exists. This, we
think, arises from the fact that the Col
lector- General was allowed the right OF
appointing his subordinates, a practice
| which this committee thinks should not
be allowed by this House.
This committee is of the opinion that
under the existing law the Board OF
Health is alone the authorized custodian
of opium over the Collector-General the
only person authorized to make sales,
such sales being authorized under Sec
ton CIT of the Civil Code.
This committee does not approve OF
the manner in which sales of opium
have heretofore been made to outgoing
passengers on vessels leaving or calling
at this port. We think that receipt
should always be given to the Collector
General for as many tins as are taken by
the person intending to make the sale.
1t appears that such has not been the
case at the Custom House.
Your committee has taken a great
deal of evidence but in no man
ner have they been able to fasten
guilt or cause the faintest suspicion to
attach to or implicate anyone, but We
| hinly bat NO had hQan q
taken care of at the Custom House as it
was and is cared for at the Police station,
no investigating committee would have
been necessary. And your committee is
of the opinion that this lack OF care at
the Custom house has arisen mainly
from the fact that they have not got a
proper room for storing opium securely.
1t appears from the report made by
the Collector-Generalt to your committee
that the Customs department has from
March 81, 1888, to June 80, 1890, seized
4,2O9 tins OF opium and sold 3,415 tins,
: realizing 1927 90, and distributed as
follows: To the informers, 1888 81
to the Government, ~, 63S 9S; leaving a
balance on hand of 794 tins exclusive OF
bogus opium. The Police department
has seized $500 tins, which have been
turned over to the Board of Health and
Customs authorities, except 40 tins, now
at the Station house, and there kept al
the request of the Board of Health.
From what information the committee
, obtained, we are satisfied that large
quantities of opium have been Struggled
into the different ports of the group with
in the last two years, SO much so, that
opium is now as cheap II not cheaper
than it has been for years.
W.. hill ,f,t f1,y he
issuing of an opium license, thinks that
some steps should be taken to prevent
+. the smuggling of opium which as it now
D appears to this committee can only be
4 done by increasing the Custom house
guards, and in paying such salaries as q
man can comfortably live on, and in
: knowing that the appointees are honest
9 and capable and will do their duty care
: fully 1t appears from the evidence be-
: fore us that the Custom house guards
9 are insufficient at times, and the Gus
toms authorities are obliged to call or
e the Marshal for assistance at such times
3 The evidence taken by the committee
a is herewith reported 10 the House, and
o we recommend that it be placed on the
Secretary's table, so that members de.
$ string to read and look over the same
4 may do So All of which is respectfully
8 submitted. A. Rosa, Chairman.
j CECIL BROWN.
e Z. MULLER
S H. P. BALDWIN.
S Whilst agreeing with the majority in
= the main points of the above report,
Q consider that the conclusions drawn ir
two parts of it, against the Custom au
Q thorities, are unjustly severe on them
e and whilst hardly justified by the evi
e dence these conclusions would convey 8
wrong impression on any reader unable
: to refer to the testimony.
1t is hardly fair to say that if the
opium has been kept in a loose manner
I, at the Custom house, it was as much the
i fault Of the Government as of the Gus
e tom authorities, the Collector-Genera
: having stated that he had repeatedly
i asked for proper room to be constructed
r or for a safe to be furnished him to lock
D up the opium in.
| consider that the fault OF the Custom
L authorities, if any, has been too much
n leniency in general, and also with such
q OF the outside officers who have been
L imposed on them by the favoritism o.
the late Ministry, some of whom were
: allowed free access to the opium room.
o l object also to the repetition, in two
parts of the report, of the assertion that
. not even the faintest suspicion could be
a entertained. Whilst not having been
e able to fix legally the guilt of the opium
{ robberies on any particular party OIL
4 parties, yet it seems TO me there is
n enough evidence to justify suspicious,
and | consider that after the pains taker
{ by the committee, and after the large
L