The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-04-05
SAX

iiOIi 'NO DOlhNS' lhdl VI 'llt
japanese consumer and that of thc
Minister of Finance.
At the last session of the Legisa-
ture, in what may be called hysteric
effort to do good, and regulate the
morals of certain class in the COM
munity by act of parliament, the duty
on sake was put up to one dollar IL
gallon, which was practically prohib-
itory, and since the heavy duty went
into effect the importation has stink
almost to the vanishing point, only
2,9S3 gallons having been imported
since July l, 1897, to March 81, 1898,
while 159,172 gallons were withdrawn
from bond during the first six months
of 1897 So far the legislation has
proved success. The sake importa-
ton begins to look very dead indeed.
The object however of putting up
the duty on sake, was to protect the
California wine growers, as well as to
correct the morals of the Hawaians,
who had taken to getting drunk on
sake Therefore there should be
corresponding increase in the with
drawal from bond of California wines,
if there has been a falling off in sake.
A glance at the figures will throw
light on this subject. In 1896 there
were withdrawn 163,S13 gallons of
California wines; in 1897 the with
drawal of these wines amounted to
170,419, an increase of 6,606 gallons.
In 1896 the withdrawal of sake amount
ed to 224,S53 gallons: in 1897 it fell TO
159,172 gallons, a decrease of 65,7S1
gallons. 1t is very evident therefore
over in body to become drinkers of
California wines.
But there is even another view ana
that is with reference to duties. In
1896 the duties on sake amounted to
$33,01O; in 1897, they amounted to
$23, 112, chiefly collected before july
LIST. because what has been collected
since amounts to mere bagetelle.
That made the sum of SOL 1879 revenue
for two years The feelings af the
Minister of Finance may be better i'm
agined than described when he dis
covered that his revenue from this
source for the nine months from July
1, 1897. to March 30, 1898, amounted to
but $2,9s3, and no prospect of its look
ing up.
The Minister suggests that the duty
be reduced to sixty cents gallon, but
even that seems too much, and there
are those who propose thirty cents IL
gallon. The calculations of the Min
lister are that at that rate $4,000 gal
Ions would be consumed year, which
for two years would yield an income
to the treasury of 100000, something
very much better than about $1,000,
which is all the prospective income he
has to reckon on from this source iur-
ing the coming two years.
But one must look at the cost of
sake to the consumer. At the present
rate he pays as follows:
Original cost of sake, per gal,.$ AS
Freight and insurance ........ orr
Commission ...... ........... .O7M
Duty ........ ................ 90
This rate the japanese say is pro-
hibitive. The Minister of Finance if
his point is carried intends to let the
japanese have their sake at $1.16H
gallon, which is certainly all the ia
panese laborer can afford. AS has been
said there are those who would reduce
the rate of thirty cents gallon, be-
lieving that the increased importation
would keep up the revenue, this would
give the japanese laborer his sake at
eighty-siX and one-fourth cents gal
Ion, which those who know him, say
he can well afford.
The question in many peoples
minds is what is sake? Inquiry at
the Custom House shows that "sake
is japanese fermented liquor made
from rice, contains from eleven 20
seventeen per cent of alcohol, and is
heated before being drunk. There are
many varieties from the best quality
to the turbid sort drank by the poor
est classes"
The percentage of alcohol is not
very high, and on being heated some
of this goes off by evaporation. To the
japanese sake is as necessary as beer
is to certain European races, and
light wines to the inhabitants of
Southern Europe 1t is quite ques-
ton whether we have been justified in
prohibiting the japanese from obtain
ing sake by putting on so high I du-
ty. We certainly have succeeded in
killing the trade and in losing a source
If ravenua The nrObabilitV is that at