The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-06-01
House of REPRESENTATIVES,.


At the beginning of Saturday morn
fng's session of the House, Rep. Robert
son introduced two new bills relating
to land transfers. Read first time by IL
tie and referred to the Printing Com
mittee.
Senate bill No. 4S, relating to duty on
light wines, taken up for consideration
on third reading. Passage on third
reading postponed until the appearance
of the Minister of Finance.
Minister Damon explained that the
reason for not setting the date year
hence for the beginning of enforcement
of the law was for the purpose of giving
all foreign countries fair warning in
order to allow them to adjust them
selves.
Rep. Kamauoha--Why is it proposed
to take the duty off light wines?
Minister Damon-That question will
open up quite a wide field for discus
sion. The importation of strong liquors
has decreased so per cent during the
last ten years, and the importation OF
light wines has increased, showing that
the people are leaving the strong Hq-
ors and taking to the lighter ones. The
experience of England was that during
the Crimean war when Mr.. Gladstone
was Chancellor of the EXchequsr, 1t
was found absolutely necessary to raise
money for carrying on the war. Mr..
Gladstone introduced a measure to in
crease the duties on liquor from 6Z12
cents to So. 80. 1t was found that this in
crease in duty did not reduce the con-
sumption of spirits, and so 1t has re-
manned the same ever since. a few
years after. the British Government
made a treaty with France, by which
the duty on wine was so reduced that
a bottle of the same could be procured
for 20 cents. The consumption of light
wines Immediately increased and the
consumption of hard liquors remained
the same That was Gladstone's eX-
perience.
Temperance people have criticised
me very severely for not introducing a
bill with the phase OF total prohibition.
But l must take the people as l find
them | cannot bring forward a meas
ure of total prohibition that will be
successful [ must introduce a meas
ure that will have a tendency in the
right direction. The present law is that
wines up TO p per cent alcoholic
strzngth shall pay 10 cents duty per
gallon. If 1 can bring, in a measure for
the announcement of the importation
of wine of less alcoholic strength, /
think it is a move in the right direction.
What we want to do is to have a good
article at as low a price as possible.
IL DysFlf 70 no
interests of the Government. When the
bill was first introduced in the Senate,
Senator Baldwin was not in favor of it,
but after studying the matter carefully
he came to the conclusion that it was
one of the best bills that could be in
troduced.
Rep. Rycroft-There is no doubt in
my mind that the bill will pass; but
what we want to get at is why there
should be any delay in putting the law
into effect. 1t is a good one-then why
not act at once instead of postponing it
a whole year?
Minister Damon-I have already ex-
planned the reason for that I should
not like to see any violent change, as
will result from this law if it is put
into effect Immediately.
Rep RobertsOn-To my mind. the bill
is not much in the temperance line, and
perhaps the less said on that subject the
better. AS look at it, the bill is solely
in favor of the California wine growers,
and will have the effect of strengthen
ing our reciprocity treaty, as well as
making our relations with those people
more friendly. If the duty on wines is
reduced it is not going to affect the con-
sumner in the least Taking 10 cents off
on each gallon will not have any Effect
on the retail price. Howe Ter, do think
that it is step in the right direction.
1t is not the require nent of any OF our
treaty relations that there be a post
ponement of one wear. The whole thing
comes down to the question of whether
we can put it in force now. If it is in
favor of the Ca.ifOr Tia people it Should