The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-04-13

| prlei sOJOurnef In your DeautlIui
and exceptionally hospitable city
OF Honolulu, l have read with in
terest and sympathy the significant
letter of Mr.. P. G. Jones in your
issue of the 9Th.
The editor of the Bulletin, in the
issue of the 9Th, while in
general terms agreeing with
Mr. Jones, endeavors to shift
large part of the respon
sibily for the increased consump-
ton of liquors to the men-of-war.
Is this right, or fair, or true? /
say no. The editor of the Bulle-
tin was ANXIOUS to find a scape-goat,
and nothing was within his reach
but the officers and crews of the
war vessels that have, for years,
made your property secure and
guaranteed the safety of your fami-
lies. Aye, and have dropped many
thousands of good American dollars
into the pockets of your business
men of all classes.
Your municipal laws authorize
the selling of rum to sailors. Who
is the greatest sinner, the tempter
or he who submits to temptation?
Who received the greatest punish
ment, the serpent or Eve?
would like to ask the editor of
the Bulletin two or three questions:
Do merchant sailors ever drink
spirituous liquors? For every man
of-war that has visited this harbor
the past year, how many merchant
vessels have entered this port? For
every quart OF beer, Or drink of
whiskey, purchased by a men-of-
wars man, how many bottles of
gin Or alcohol have been sold by
respectable merchants of Honolulu
to whslers for purposes of illegal
traffic among the Alaska Indians?
These vessels cannot get their
cargoes of rum in San Francisco
without great risk.
Spirituous liquors are absolutely
prohibited on board y. S. ships of
war. Wines and malt liquors are,
under certain restrictions, allowed
IN officers messes for their own
use (if in moderation) and for the
entertainment of guests.
In respect to the excessive use of
liquors on board U. S. ships, the
Improvement has been so great
during the past twenty five years
that the people on board ship will
compare favorably with any COM
munity on shore, even though that
community be Honolulu.
am told by an officer of the
man of war now in this port that
during the past two months but
ten men have returned on board
drunk. The men, on their return
from liberty, are carefully inspect
ed and their condition noted over
the signature of an officer. Liberty
has been given daily, and when
man commits himself he does not
soon have another opportunity to
help increase the consumption of
Honolulu rum, and lessen the bur-
dens of the permanent residents.
The number of liberty men has
averaged twenty per day, or 1900
in two months; the number of
DRINKS having been ten, the pre-
portion of lnebriety has been con-
siderably less than one per cent.
Can you show a better record in
any district on shore? l have
shown that the men-of-war men
are not the heavy consumers;
neither are the permanent resi-
dents. Who then are? During the
past year your harbur has been
crowded with merchant vessels
from all parts of the world. There
are certain restraints, moral or
physical, on the permanent resi-
dents and sailors, but none on the
others.
Statistics prove conclusively that
the amount of spirituous liquors
consumed in any community bears
a definite proportion to the preva-
lence of crime, disease, unhappy
homes, misery. poverty and suffer-
ing, and he who can discover the
remedy for this great evil will
truly be benefactor to the human
race. G. ANsYL.
Honolulu, April 10th.