The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-10-02
To CHECK
DISHONESTY
Lack of Passport Law
Is Regretted.
CROOKEONESS is COMMON
Merchants Hope for Passage Of
New Statute Regulating
Matters.

The Legislature may be asked TO pass
law to take the place Of the passport law
abrogated by the Organic Act constitut-
ing the Territory of Hawaii The bust
ness community at large has suffered 50
much from embezzlers, creditors and alb
0sccnders, many of them trusted employees,
but more often, trusted creditors, on
whom the business men relied to pay their
bills, that an effort may be made to stop
the emigration. Lawyers DO not believe
the Legislature Will have power to pass
such law.
The law Of the Hawaiian Republic
re ads that Every person who may have
resided on these Islands for more than
thirty days, wishing to leave the Republic
shall make application to the Collector of
the Port from which ne intends to sail
for passport" 1t was provided that
the Collector should grant passports upon
application, except in the following cases:
First, in case Of the indebtedness or obli-
cation of the applicant, to the Govern
ment or to any private individual, of
which the Collector has received written
notice, accompanied by request not to
grant a passport. Another of the excep-
tons was that, In case of written COM
plant being made to the Collector that
the applicant is about to depart the Re
public, leaving his wife or family unpro-
viGed for"
Still another OF the exceptions in the
law against the issuance of a passport
was, IF the applicant for a passport is
defendant in a suit, civil or criminal,
pending before any court in this Republic.
of which the Collector shall have received
written notice"
| This law practically prevented one who
ON ed debts in Honolulu or in the Hawaii
an Islands from leaving the country with
out some intimation being received that
| he was about to depart. The passport had
| to be procured before the steamship COM
Ipanies would issue transportation either
! to the Coast or to Japan. In all cases,
wi ere persons had resided in the Hawaii
an Islands over the thirty day limit, pass
ports had to be procured. The passport
/ book was available to business men and
Ithey generally made good use of it. This
prevented dishonest creditor or an in
/ tending embeZZler or absconder from de-
parting from Honolulu.
! While the law was in force many per-
sens We're loud in their protests against
such a statute being allowed to exist in a
lcCUntry with republican government
They characterized it as a relic of the
Imtnarchical days, and one that should be
wiped off the books.
! on June II the statute was made null
land one was not compelled to take out
a passport before applying for steamship
transportation. The effect of the abroga-
ton Of the law has been that almost VI
to the time of the sailing Of a steamer
Iif there is room on it. n person can pur-
Ichase his ticket, go aboard conceal him
|g.1f he h 4
Iarc aware that he has shaken the dust OF
Hawaii from his shoes, the fleeing one has
put hundreds of miles between himself
land the police authorities and made good
his escape.
Since June II there have been dozens OF
disappearance, mysterious at first. but
soon the facts showed that a shortage in
accounts gross cheat or a lack of funds
to pay up bills, had been the incentives
for leaving for other parts. Some have
been high rollers and have lived be-
,yond their means and salaries and being
durable to square their bills which put in
their appearance about the first of each
month with pertinacious regularity the
iCreditor made his escape before that time
Iof the month. In the last three months
Ibookkeepers young business men. collect
ors, from Honolulu, from Hilo. from the
Island of Maui, and in fact. from every
Island in the group. have been recorded
lin the police books as missing.
/ The business men are determined that
something must be done to rectify exist
ling evils. They give credit in the line OF
their business and are often duped They
ARE willing TO trust Islanders from month
Ito month. This is a concession granted
10y the business men as a whole. Before
the passage Of the Organic Act credit was
gwen for an unlimited period Of time.
II he three months, or quarterly system
was in vogue and generally was recogniz-
led in business circles. When the time for
putting the Organic Act into effect was
1.-THE credit time TO one month and thus put
/ themselves on the safe side. But even
this concession has been proved unsafe
by some whom they have trusted
/ Formerly the Collector Of the Por
|cCuId cancel a passport after he had is
sued it. If he found it was procured by
misrepresentation, or that the permission
20 leave the country would work great
wrong or injustice TO the Government OF
to any individual. When such cancella.
tion was made the Collector was required
|tp give written notice Of his action to the
masters Of all vessels in port
Crime Of the sort characterized as "cm.
|hezzlement. abscondinC. fraud or gros.
cheat has been on the increase in tn,
Islands since June II. Surveillance of the
Police Department has been curtailed by
the introduction Of United States Custom:
kttt
10 close watch on intending defauIters anJ
Others who would give their creditors tn,
slip.
II proper laws Were made by the mex
legislature which would modify the pres
ont unsatisfactory conditions regarding
Ithe departure OF passengers on the steam
|trs. there would be less likelihood of theil
ItinE LEFT in the lurch. say merchants !
prominent business man gives II IS hi.
opinion that concerted action viii resul
IN presenting petition 70 the I.gisIa,
.ture. asking for the Introduction OF sucl
la law or laws.
\ well-known lawyer was asked las
evening for an "off-hand'' opinion on tn.
Subject OF the Legislatures right To 70
INNe the old passport law. Il do NOT he
.EeVe that II such law We're passed tina
.it would be upheld by the courts sal.
he. FOR IL would be an infringement o
To- private rights of individuals O
course conditions here are PECULIAR 70
we have no telegraph by which to over
haul absconders but in San Francisco
a man wants TO flee from justice he ca
buy ticket TO the Islands or to Chin.
land he can escape justice only too easily
To attempt 70 pass such a law in Cali
fornia would raise a great hue and cry
4 Mt Ill