The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-04-06
Senate Committee Reports On a
Bill for Light Wines.
Opposed BY Ministry
House Resolution On introduce
ton Of Bills.
Thirty-sixth Day. April )

Inlfty-SlXJn Day, April >.
The Commerce Committee reported
on a substitute liquor license bill. One
of the important features in the new
bill, to insure the letting of the IL
censes only in communities where the
majority of the residents favor them,
is in the provision that applicants must
first obtain the endorsement of the
majority of the responsible members
of the district. The number of licenses
for each district is regulated by the
number of inhabitants and the road
traffic. With the exception of four
districts the number of licenses for
each is restricted to three. Waikiki,
Moanalua and Kapalama shall be
granted each one in this district, pro-
Vided any are allowed. The licenses
are to be placed at 5000 each.
Senators HOlstein and Schmidt of
the committee say, in recommending
the substitute bill: 'The report of the
Marshal and the respective Sheriffs
show that the Illicit selling of spiritu-
Gus liquors is being carried ON with
out being checked in other districts
and that some legislation covering the
grounds mentioned in the measure
should be enacted.
''The free importation of California
wines, was a temperance measure, and
such licenses as these will insure the
means in the outer districts against
the drinking of such stuff, as now are
illicitly sold''
Senator Baldwin of the committee
reported as follows: II am not in favor
of saloons, but Illicit traffic, especially
in the outer districts, has increased to
such an extent that it seems to be wise
to bring the traffic under better con-
troll and more under the surveillance
of the police by we'll guarded law. The
Sheriffs Of the Islands urge that this
be done. The law proposed is we'll
guarded and no license can be issued !
under its provisions in any district |
except on the approval of the response |
bic citizens of the district in writing" ." |
The amendment to the tax act pre- |
sented by the Finance Committee was |
returned from the Printing Commit
tee and considered. The discussion |
which it provoked was principally on
the definition Of the word "mercan-
tile" in its application in the act. In
4 number of cases under the act as it
was enforced in 1897, it was asserted
that the tax assessor applied Schedule
2 in addition to the tax on purely mer-
;antile houses where business consist
ed in stock in trade and the profits
we're derived from selling such stock
Senator's Schmidt and Brown advOcat-
I'd the passage of the amendment
that under its provisions
he Interpretation and the application
# the section were both clearly defined
md were not left to the discretion of
he Finance apartment. No objection
vas made on their part to the proper
aXatiOn Of businesses, but they held
hat the amendment covered just the
point in dispute and regulated the ap-
)lication of the Schedule as was in
ended by the Legislature in enacting
he law and prevented the exposure
IF private affairs when not called for.
Senator Baldwin was not thorough
Y prepared to vote for the amendment.
He feared that the word mercantile
allowed too much latitude. Many
irms were conducting a business which
was made up of several branches.
In one sense it might be considered
purely a mercantile establishment, in
another it would clearly come within
he meaning of the schedule. For this
'eason the amendment was not suffi-
GENTLY defined.
Both the Attorney-GeneraI and Min
ster Damon were opposed to the am
sndment The former took the ground
hat il would practically defeat the
purposes of the tax act in part as
here would be no method Of determin-
ng what was a mercantile business
f no returns were to be made. The
present act, he argued, called for
return and It was on that basis that
he tax assessor performed his work.
If the amendment, that mercantile
houses should make no statement,
should be enforced the assessor could
make no estimates except on the YO-
untary returns Of the houses them
selves. He suggested that if the Sen
ate insisted on the amendment it
should be so worded that it could be
made to apply only to section 68 into
which it was to be incorporated. Other
ections were included under the head
f Tax Return" and the amendment