The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-08-05
The Government is Asked for

The last steamer from the coast
brought two boxes for Lycurgus
and Fernandes, the liquor dealers.
They were labeled Glassware" but
when they were opened by the
custom house authorities the boxes
were found to contain something
totally different. In fact one of the
boxes contained eighteen bottles Of
essential oils or EXTRACTS" which
are generally used to make spuri-
Gus liquors with.
George Lycurgus was notified of
the "find" but he denied all know
ledge Of the contents of the boxes
and claimed that he expected just
what the boxes were marked
glassware.
1t is not against the law to inn
port this line of liquids but in all
probability Lycurgus will have to
make satisfactory explanation as
to the mistake in marking the
boxes.
The above circumstance has
been freely commented upon by
other liquor dealers in town and
while there is no evidence at hand
to prove the manufacturing of
bogus liquors, the whole affair is
looked on with suspicion.
Without any doubt there is a
great deal of spurious wines and
liquors made in this city as several
reputable wholesale houses are
unable to compete with goods sold
in Honolulu for the other islands
at about 20 per cent. below the
first cost of the genuine article.
This fact worried the dealers,
and one of them started an inves-
tigation, with the result that he
discovered that a great deal of
alcohol was being sold by the
dealers. The knowledge Of this
fact led him to surmise that the
spirits could only be used for an
illicit purpose owing to the quantity
purchased. The alcohol was bought
for 50 a gallon, and, as mentioned
before, it is supposed that with the
use of compounds, a cheap grade
of whiskey was made from the
stuff. A great deal of the bogus
liquor is sold in this city, and
good market is found on the other
islands, where it is sold to Japanese
and others. The profit on it is
enormous, for at the most it cannot
cost more than $3.50 a gallon, while
reputable dealers must pay $3.50 a
gallon duty in addition to the cost
of their liquor in the United States.
In speaking Of the indiscrimin-
ate sale of alcohol a liquor-man
said yesterday: While the legis-
lature was in session during 1890,
a resolution was brought in with
a view to prevent just what is going
on today. 1t was referred to a COM
mittee which brought in a strong
report criticizing the fragrant
abuses of the sale of alcohol. 1t
now appears that the abuse has
been carried on to a greater extent
in spite Of the investigations that
were made at that time.
"There is no doubt in my mind
that essential oils and so-called ex-
tracts and other deleterious COM
pounds are used in the manufac-
ture of bogus wines and liquors
and the same are palmed off on
the community for genuine goods"
The same merchant who investi-
gated the sale of alcohol has writ
ten a letter to the government ask
ing for protection against illicit
makers of liquors. In his letter he
cites an instance where one man
purchased twenty gallons Of alcohol
from a dealer.
The letter has created a small
sensation among the authorities,
and it is understood that the mat
ter will be brought up before the
next meeting Of the councils, which
will be held on next Thursday.
1t is expected that a bill will be
introduced which will place addi-
tional restrictions in the sale of
alcohol and in substance it will be
that only druggists will be
allowed to keep it and sales will
only he made on . doctors cArtifi-
cate or on an order from the min
lister of the interior.
irresponsible dealers have had