The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-10-13

energies, forces down large sections
of its people into the slough of de-
graduation, vice and misery, and
binders the upward flight of its
population toward the higher regions
of morality and civilization"
Let us now for a moment consider
how similar system of regulating
the sale of strong drink could be in
troduced in this country, where the
alcohol demon can no more be kept
out than in any other country, and
it is well-known fact that illicit
liquor selling is here carried on in
every little settlement, and large
part of the consumers would never
think of patronizing these places if
decent saloons were in existence on
the place. The most of the places
where illicit liqur selling is now car
ried on are dirty rooms in the back
of Chinese shops, with the peculiar
odor of Chinese tobacco and other
similar perfumes.
With our present liquor laws the
establishing of such associations can
be effected without special laws, We
have a corporation law which en-
ables people to incorporate for the
purpose of carrying on any business
or undertaking, either mercantile,
agricultural or manufacturing for
which individuals may associate
themselves. (See Sec. |, Oh. 43,
Laws of $780, and Session Laws of
1882, Oh. II, Sec. IA, gives the Minis
ter of Interior the power to grant
licenses to retail spirituous liquors
upon application in writing stating
the name of vendor and where the
applicant intends to establish his
place of business in each district.
This power to grant licenses has
been restrictedly used by the Minis
ter of the Interior in later years,
which is good thing, as the saloons
in the country places were generally
carried on in such manner that the
respectable people of. the district
objected and petitioned to the Min
lister of Interior to have the license
run out; but if an association in
form of an incorporated company,
consisting of the respectable people
of the district or outside of the dis
trict, form under statutes similar to
the Norwegian rules, and the surplus
of such association were to be used
in the same manner, there is not in
my view more desirable manner
known to furnish people with a
luxury which no law can keep
away from them. When the
board of directors consists of the
wealthy and prominent citizens, that
board is not going to have the
saloon run in manner injurious to
their good names, and these men
will see that it is run in such a man
ner that it will not be an undesirable
place for themselves or a source of
degradation for their employees.
The arrangement of supervision of
the authorities would of course have
to be changed in this country, as the
whole country is one community,
while in Norway every little town is
incorporated and constitutes COM
munity by itself, and it's internal af-
fairs are regulated and managed by
chosen body of men. The dis
cretionary power given to the Minis
ter of Interior is another guard
against mismanagement, as he can
simply refuse to issue another
license without giving his reasons
for such refusal, and by such refusal
close the associations operations
when the license runs out, and
licenses are here only issued from
year to year.