Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-05-12
THE MINORITY REPORT.
OF THE LIQUOR COMMISSIONS IN
THE SENATE.
An Interesting Document on the
Liquor Traffic I'm the Hawaiian
Islands-Some suggestions.

fOllOWlnS Is tne minority re-
port Of the Liquor Commission in
full as presented to the Senate
yesterday:
While agreeing in the main
with the general report and re-
commentator of the majority of
this commission there are some.
faults in the recommendations
and proposed acts with which we
cannot agree.
The illicit sales of Saki and
other spirituous liquors are hoped
to be controllable by introducing
IAN act to further restrict the
Illicit vending and sale of spiritu-
Gus liquors" 1t is our humb lie
opinion that such an act en-
croaches upon the liberty of the
subject, and as such is unconstitu-
tional, especially as sections of
this act are similar to Section
l and 5 of Laws of 1888, declared
unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court. We doubt again whether
in practice the provisions of the
act can be carried out in a salts
factory manner. 1t prevents per-
sons, licensed to sell liquor, to
furnish the same in quantities
more than one gallon per month
TO holders of retail merchandise
licenses, licensed victuallers, or to
keepers of bath houses, dance
houses, ETC., and while they in turn
are not allowed to have upon such
premises more than 3 gallons at
any one time, there is nothing to
prevent sales to any store which
does not need a license, (such as
stores of home products only nor
to convenient friend living in
an adjoining yard, who, as soon
as the 3 gallons are consumed
can be called upon to replenish
the long felt want" We are of
the opinion that our existing laws
if only put into force are amply
sufficient to prevent illicit selling,
and we cannot advise cucumber
ing our Codes with theoretical
laws which upon their face are
impracticable and therefore, never
carried out. AS long as a govern
ment legitimatises the liquor bust
ness, such business is certainly
entitled to all the lawful and
moral protection to which its
license and tax entities it. AS
long as there are people who will
drink liquor, there are bound to
be sellers, and we doubt
very much of the success in
recommending an attempt
to devise means to stop
sales at resorts at Waikiki
or any of the suburbs of Honolu-
lu or in fact at any centers of
population within this Republic.
AS long as the liquor business
is legitimatized it would seem
more reasonable for the govern
ment to receive a revenue by
granting licenses in such outside
districts or resorts for the sale of
light wines and beers, and, by the
terms of the license, such places
would be brought under police
surveillance. 1t is fact that we
are not confronted with many Of
the Objectionable features of
saloons and liquor interests as in
the United States. In these ISL
ands the liquor interests are in the
hands of a highly respected class
of citizens who take an interest in
making their business as unob-
jectionable as possible, and it is
worthy of note that no word of
complaint or fault finding has
been brought before this commits
sion in regard to the legitimate
liquor interests and saloons. The
complaints have all been of the
lack of protection to such legitim-
atised interest, by the on-enforce-
ment of existing laws. For tho city
of Honolulu retail licenses should |
not be increased over their pre-
sent number. While approving
of the theory of early closing Of |
saloons we doubt if the practice
would have the desired effect. !
That the consumption of liquors
will be lessened, or that drunken
ness will be less prevalent, be-
cause of the shortening of the
hours, is one upon which there
may be an honest difference of
opinion.
That the early closing of saloons