The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-16
WAS NOT EXPECTED OR EVEN
WANTED.
Liquor Dealers Meet and Prepare a
Acknowledgements Of Opinions
From Others.

The prohibition amendment to the
Hawaiian bill, was If possible more of
a surprise to the people OF Hawaii than
even the deportation amendment. 1t is
true that a year and a h9if ago a pc
tition to Congress to 4prohihit the i'm
portation of opium and liqhU- was sent
on to Washington. But II has never
been heard of since. Just who sent IL
and how many signed it is fiot generally
known, as ii was gotten up in secret
and was not publicly circulated. At
the time it was gotten up President
Dole expressed his opinion that the
subject was one of the kind that ought
to be left to the people of the territory.
The Liquor Dealers Protective hsSr-
citation, which includes all the VII de-
sale and retail dealers and jobbers in
liquors. held meeting this morning at
the office of Macfarlane & Co. 1t vas
very largely attended. The whole scope
of the probability of the amendment
getting through conference was dis
Cussed. Private letters on the subject
received by members were presented
and rad. A memorial setting forth the
feelings of the association, and as far
as possible of the community, will he
prepared and forwarded by the Austria
liza tomorrow This memorial Will set
forth that the liquor interests here are
conducted along more conservative
tions than in the majority of American
communities. The liquor question is
one that has been threshei oIt in sue
cessive legislatures until now II IS re-
garded as thoroughly adapted to our
peculiar local conditions. Even the tenn
perance and church elements are satis-
fled with the present liquor laws, and
even for the most part, that element
which is not satisfied with them be-
lieves the subject is one that ought to
be left to be dealt with by the terri
torial legislature.
The memorial will further represent
that the number of saloon licenses for
the entire group is restricted to severn
teen, and the license fee is 81 ,020 a year
and licenses in excess of this number
have been frequetly refused. The re-
strictions accompanying the licenses are
severe. No music is allowed in these
licensed places, and the sale of liquor
to women and minors is prohibited. Sa-
looms close at 11:30 o'clock at night, and
all day Sunday. Fines for the violation
of the conditions of the license are Sc
we're, and a second conviction forfeits
the license and the bond of $1,000 The
memorial will close with calling atten-
ton to the corruption and demoraliza-
tion which will follow the enactment OF
prohibitory law which is not called for
and upheld by local sentiment, and an
appeal to the principle that police reg
ulations ought to be left to local gov
erning bodies.
This memorial will be sent through
the California Liquor Dealers Associa-
ton, which has already taken steps to
secure the defeat of the amendment.
While the liquor dealers have thus
taken up the subject from an interested
point of view, the same sentiments are
expressed by many recognized as op-
ponents of the liquor traffic. DR.. S. e.
Bishop says the amendment is absurd,
as it will be impossible to enforce 1t
without a supporting public sentiment
behind it. 1t will lead to corruption.
and above all. is a subject that ought
to be left to the local legislature.
Professor Alexander says he thinks
that with some other amendments it
was put in simply for buncombe, or as a
play to the gallery or particular con-
stituents with no expectation that 1t
would get through the conference COM
mittee. He says he expressed his opin-
ion at the time the petition was gotten
up, and his opinion then was that 1t was
not appropriate to conditions here