The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1890-05-13
BASEBALL MEN In TROUBLE.

uueApecIcu hii( III ITO SOhoOhoiOA III
favor of an eight foot fence, in the
Hawaiian Government. 1t appears
that the Cabinet propose to insert
as a condition in the charter that
no fence shall be erected more than
eight feet high. But this is not all.
They propose also to insert null
titude of other conditions in the
document, such as regulation of
admission fee to be charged adults
and children, the amount to be ex-
acted for places in the grand stand,
the tariff for reserved seats, etc.
To cap all they insert a provision
intended to discourage profane
language, by making the corpora
ton liable for the bad words into
which the feelings of observers
may betray them at some exciting
moment of the game. Finally the
ministers, who are evidently
nothing if not gallant, specify that
special seats in the grand stand
shall be provided for ladies, etc.,
etc.
What strange fit has struck the
Cabinet, is something which it must
battle the ordinary men to tell. 1t
looks as though in pure charity
they wished for the nonce to give
the chronic GROWERS a real griev-
ance, since they have had so long
to live on imaginary ones. The
rates charged for admission to see
the games are a matter which no
more concern this government than
they do the Emperor Of China.
They are nothing with which the
public has anything whatever to
do. The inhabitants of Honolulu
have no Unborn right to see anna
tours play bali. If the amateurs
aforesaid choose to charge prohibi-
tive rates for entrance to the
grounds, the ministers, like any
other four private citizens, might
regret it as we should, but they
would have absolutely no right
to interfere. The regulation of
the rates, the arrangement
the grand stands, ETC., are
matters which ought to be left en-
tirely to the discretion of the d.
rectors. If the Ministry think the
Government ought to manage these
things, the best way to arrange it
would be to provide that the Cab
met for the time being should con-
stitute ex officio an lrremovable
board of directors, with plenary
powers as to all matters relating to
the Government and regulation of
the corporation. That would short
en- the charter and simplify things
amazingly.
The case with regard to the fence
is somewhat different. the Coy
eminent are the guardians of the
beauty and comeliness of the city,
as they are of its cleanliness and
health. They therefore do not
overstep their rights and indeed do
no more than their duty, in taking
such considerations into account, in
granting charter. For instance,
if the Government granted a char
ter to company to run the busi-
ness of a merry-go-round, it would
have perfect right to introduce
such provisions into the charter as
might be necessary to protect the
public from disturbance and nuis-
ance. If they should go further
and attempt to regulate the rates
to be charged to youngsters for a
ride, they would be entirely out of
their sphere. That is precisely
what they are attempting here
when they wish to regulate in the
charter all the minutiae of business
which concerns the public in no
way. This is an application of the
principle of paternalism which base
ball men are entitled to resist.
Il. NJ. s. Mar1pOsa.