The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-04-07

Honolulu. The oject of the meeting was
the discussion of an act recently intro
duced by Representative Bond at the re-
quest of Rev. H. w. Peck, and entitled
An Act to repeal an act entitled an
act to mitigate the evils of prostitution
in Honolulu"
There were present Captain Trippe,
w. a. Bowen, Theo. Richards, T. G.
Thrum, Rev. Serene Bishop, Rev. ].
Leadingham, DR.. Hiram Bingham, A.
B. Loebenstein, James McInerny, Will
lie Love, David Dayton, W. c. Parke,
Adj. Pratt, ]. B. Atherton, DR.. Rodgers,
Rev. c. NJ. Hyde, Rev. H. w. Peck,
Prof. w. d. Alexander, Rev. o. H. Gu
lick. w. w. Hall, DR.. Russell, DR.. My
ers, DR.. Smith CU. S. S. Adams, VIII
Prestige, w. J. Gallagher, Rev. 7. d.
Garvin, F. w. Damon, Chaplain Cam
era and DR.. Andrews.
Among the Representatives and Of
ficials were Attorney General Smith,
ards, E. c. Winston, Robertson, Bond,
Hanuna, Kaeo and Rycroft.
The proceedings opened by Mr.. Peck
reading the act and expressing his
views upon the subject, denouncing the
Act TO Mitigate as something which
tended to aggravate rather than lessen
the evils of prostitution. He quoted au-
thorities on the subject and extracts
from a paper read by a prominent at
torney. proving conclusively that the
Act 10 Mitigate does not mitigate pros
titution. but on the contrary, tends to
increase the evil.
The speaker asserted that there were
from five hundred TO six hundred pros
titutes in Honolulu among the Hawaii |
ans. while but forty were registered
under the act. There were sixty Jap |
anese women registered, while there
were four hundred plying an illicit vo-
cation.
Minister Smith interrupted the speak |
er to ask where he obtained his figures |
Mr.. Peck-From ]. D. McVeigh, of the
Board of Health.
Minister Smith-He knows nothing
about it; prostitutes are not in his de-
partment.
Rev. Peck-Just wait a moment and
| will tell you that he does.
Mr.. Peck then detailed the informa-
ton he obtained from Mr.. McVeigh as
10 the manner of bringing in Japanese
prostitutes from Japan. To prove fur
ther that the Act to Mitigate was not
what il was represented, he showed,
according to the official reports, that
out Of 1O7 registered prostitutes in the
city last week, but forty-seven present
ed themselves for examination. Con-
inuing, he said:
The law is practically turning the
Queens Hospital into a lazaretto, or
free pest house for prostitutes. He
quoted several physicians as saying the
law was not effective unless men would
submit themselves to the same sanitary
treat tment
Rep. Robertson asked if the reverend
gentleman had considered what the re-
suit of the repeal of the Act would be.
Mr. Peck said law was now ready
and had been presented to the Legisla-
-ure. This law would prevent hackmen 5
from soliciting for women or procuring .
women for men.
Rev. c. NJ. Hyde said he was not ia
miliar with the law until he saw ma /
i've girl taken away from her home to
be registered. DR.. Hyde read extracts
from a book relating to a similar law
in force in France and England.
Hiram Bingham wanted to be put on
record as being opposed to the law to
mitigate. He was interested in the
for the sake of the Gilbert
Islanders. He had lived among them
and looked after 1,500 of them who
we're here as plantation hands and who
had heard of the Act to Mitigate and
looked upon it as something good. One
Of these people was a registered pros
titute. Those Gilbert Islanders who
had gone back to their homes at the ex3
piration of their contract told of the
law, and it had bad effect upon fe5
males there.
Prof. TheO. Richards opposed the
present law in long speech, and asked
some one TO speak in favor of it, so that
side of the case might be presented.
He supposed the law was passed tn
lIlNS NO1ueu away from prostitution
through shame at having to register =
themselves as prostitutes, but woman
who will paint herself and sit at a
window and solicit trade, not by word
Of mouth, but by her presence, was too |
hardened TO be affected by such law [
DR.. Rodgers said he was glad to hear I
the previous speaker say he knew =
nothing about the shady side of Homo
lulu, for it was evident he did not. AS
an honest man and, he hoped, a Christ |
ian, he must say he was opposed to the S
repeal of the law. AS a resident in Ho. /,
nolulu for seventeen years, and as a !
practicing physician for a part of that !.
time, he knew of the benefits of the J
Act. The previous speaker had made t
the statement that these prostitutes I
nsinuate themselves upon the men; !
they don't The men run after the
women. DR.. Hyde's statements from
he English publication were irrelevant. |
L is folly to say that our law was mod q