The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-06-16

in it. The bill includes all liquors moi
made from grapes. Senator Baldwin
considered the bill a proper one, and
stated that he should vote for the pas
sage over the Presidents veto
Senator McCandless was the next
speaker. The President very well said
some time ago that we have right 10
do anything for the benefit OF the health
of this country" Senator McCandless
believed that from the standpoint OF
public health sake might well be pro-
hibited The Minister of Foreign At
fairs had remarked about the figures
from California. So the Senator read
extracts from the following document,
which was the one to which Minister
Cooper referred:
The duties levied on alcoholic bev-
erages under present tariff are:
Sake, which runs II to 10 per cent
alcohol, pays 10 cents per gallon, or say
l cent per degree. Lager beer, which
runs 3 to per cent alcohol, pays Is
cents per gallon, or say, 3 to ) cents
per degree. Ale which runs to ~
per cent alcohol. pays 10 cents per gal
Ion, or say 2 to 21z cents per degree
Stout, which runs say per cent alco-
hol, pays ID cents per gallon, or say
21a cents per degree. Wines of over 20
per cent alcoholic strength, which are
almost entirely imported from Europe.
pay 81 per gallon, or say TO 91a cents
per degree. Product of cereals from all
countries. including the United States,
excepting only Japanese sake, pay for
from 80 to 80 per cent alcoholic strength
$3.50 per gallon, or say to u cents per
degree.
AT present sake, which is entirely an
alcoholic product of grain, pays 1 cent,
whereas the alcoholic products of grain
from any other country except Japan
have to pay a duty ranging from to
Il cents. Under the proposed amend
ment would pay on from II to IA per
cent, 60 cents per gallon, or 4 to cents,
and if over IA and not more than II
per cent, 81, or ; to cents. On all sake
exported from Japan the Japanese Gov
eminent allows a drawback to the eX-
porter, which gives a great advantage
10 the shipper of this article, as com
pared with the United States man. A
rebate of 81 per koku is allowed by
Government, and as kOku is 40 gal
Ions, the rate per gallon figures out 10
sen, or say cents gold per gallon, at
the rate of exchange of so, or equal to
16 per cent rebate on original cost"
Senator McCandless held that it these
figures were wrong the Legislature
would undoubtedly have heard from it.
The members had reason to feel in |
debted to the California wine dealers |
for these figures. The Minister of For |
eign Affairs, while making his argu- |
ment in the House, had said that much |
OF the sake brought to the country was |
fortified with alcohol. This was another |
proof that sake should pay duty ac- |
cording to the alcoholic test. Minister |
Cooper had also said that sake was |
made from a clean, healthy grain. The |
same could be said of whisky when it |
came to question of grains. The Jap |
aneSe Government is giving a rebate on |
every gallon of sake exported. Senator |
believed that this country |
should put on an import duty to the |
extent of that rebate. He was satisfied |
that the sake brought to this country |
is a spirit, and he should vote to pass |
the bill over the Presidents veto.
There being no further discussion, |
President Wilder stated that the queS |
ton before the House was whether the |
bill should pass over the veto of the |
President. The Secretary called the |
roll and the bill was passed over the |
veto without one dissenting vote.
Senator Brown then moved that a |
committee of one be appointed to wait |
upon the President and announce that |
the Senate was ready to adjourn if |
there was no other business to present. |
President Wilder appointed Senator |
Brown a committee of one from the |
Senate to wait on the President.
The Committee on Accounts reported
that the accounts of the Secretary had
been found correct. The report was
Senator Brown announced that the
President had no more business to
bring before the Legislature.
A five minutes recess was then taken
in order to allow the House to give no
tice of its action on the liquor bill.
When this communication was placed
on the Presidents table the Senate
was again called to order. The commu-
nication was read, thus ending the last
act in the liquor bill drama.
The Senators then rose in their places
and at thirty-one minutes past four
President Wilder declared the Senate of
1896 adjourned sine die.
There was a general Misunderstanding
all around, and in twenty minutes after
the Senators had cleared
their desks and gone home.
House of Representatives