The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-10-16
Bigger Menace to Law and Or
der Than Was Realized.
Pauahi Street Deniz ms are Men
High Binders and Toushs.

All the japanese OF the city have not
grasped the idea OF any law operating
here in Hawaii other than those exist |
ing in medieval days in Japan. \
small Oriental community exercises its
own laws and all their disputes arc
settled according to their own code.
Just last week. when gang OF
''toughs'' wanted to- express their dis
approval of certain project. they did
II in their own way. They did Il with
clubs and antique weapons and hacks.
The hacks alone mar the picturesque
ness OF Middle-Age episode. The oc-
casion was this: II appears that a pc
tition was being circulated among the
better class OF Japanese with the idea
OF getting their opinion on the Pauahi
street question. \ Japanese circulated
the paper and got about eighty names
OF some OF the leading citizens and
merchants. That night he was visited.
About forty OF his countrymen called
in kimonos. The introduced them
selves as the proprietors OF the plants
| on Pauahi street. and ostentatiously
displayed their heavy sticks. They
| further stated that they and their
club" owned furniture and fittings
over there valued at about $4,000. not
counting the 500 women. whose value
was not stated. They told this man
that II this project went through. viz.
| If the Rauahi street tenants were
| warned of, they would sew sim Gp IN
a bag and deposit him in the harbor.
His sign should Immediately come
down, and they offered to- confer In
the next room as to- the best means OF
disposing OF him. They left him In
| considerable uncertainty as to what
would become OF him. and they took
away the petition. This mans place
was closed up for few days. In the
meantime the Club (as they are
called on Pauahi street, continued to
| call in hacks upon several signers ot
| the petition. IL was the necessary
policy of some OF these petitioners To
deny the genuineness of their sigma
lures or else claim that through iSnor-
ance OF English they were not aware
of the nature OF the paper they had
| signed. They knew the club" for
several OF them tshopkeepersl have
been unwillingly supplying them with
goods after this fashion: The club
man swaggers into the shop and asks
for credit. He Is politely denied the
request. whereupon he helps himself
There Is no gainsaying such an art
lessly direct method. and the customer
is never billed. Still not one OF :heSe
merchants will say this on the wit
ness-stand. Such Is the intrenched po-
sition of the club that the Marshal
is powerless. even should certain oi
the police who patrol this district car,
TO move against the combination. But
the better element of the Japanese are
aroused: they say that many cases al
sand-bagging and blaCkmail have ter
rorized the japanese community; they
declare that these toughs are on th'
increase because the women who sup
port them are increasing Cthe soldier.
off the transports have been an I'm
mense source OF incomel: they feel the
odium OF the thing and the nationa
disgrace. as the large majority ot the
licensed women are japanese. Tbs
following Is the text OF the papel
signed by these eighty prominent Jap
anese:
For the protection OF the honor %
the japanese name in this country. anS
to preserve decenCy on our publ,
streets and the innocency OF our chill
dren. is 1t not time to segregate pros
titution and place II in some carefully
regulated place without the congesteS
portions OF our city? II Is respectfully
urged that all Japanese citizens wh'
, desire this will subscribe their names
Il
ment of the Japanese in the premises
: is discovered proper steps will be tn
ken to secure the approval and author
/ fry of the Government