The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-04
AGAINST A
DISPENSARY
Continued from Page IL

her of the electors are opposed to this
law, We deem it expedient that opport,i-
nifty be afforded for full and free discus
SION and TO gauge public opinion there
N, more particularly by reason of the
fact that at the time of the last Terri
torial election, the liquor question was
not mooted in any party platform.
Fifth-To enact under these circun-
stances law so radical and far reach
ing in its effects without first giving the
electors an opportunity to express them.
selves thereon would be unduly arbi-
trary.
Sixth-The Supreme Court of the State
Of South Carolina has rendered a ma
jority decision that the Dispensary law
as existing in that State, is unconstitu-
toral. This was afterwards reversed by
change in the personnel of the bench.
The United States Supreme Court las
declared that those provisions of the
South Carolina Dispensary law which
forbid citizens of the State to imp ort
liquors for their own use are in contra
vertion of the Interstate Commerce
clause Of the United States Cousutu-
ton, and therefore invalid But the
question as a whole has yet to be pass
cd upon by that last named tribunal
Therefore while the matter is, SUP Judi
ca, we think it inadvisable to add a SIM
tory.
Seventh-The unrestricted manufacture
of wine and beer would, it is Thought, ne
liable to abuse, as it would be imprac-
ticable TO watch the disposal of the en-
tire product. which would emanate from
no definite source. The limiting of the
percentage of profit would reduce prices
below their present standard, and might
therefore be expected to increase the
consumption This view is confirmed by
the experience of South Carolina where
statistics show an enormous increase in
the consumption under the Dispansa,v
law, the sales having increased from
about 5000 in 1894 to 81, 421, $40 last year
The condemnation of liquor by the 9oard
of Health would preclude its purchase by
the Government, and would have the ef-
feet of throwing it upon the hands of
the producer, whose only legal alterna-
tive would be the export of II. Finding
no remunerat've foreign market avail
able which we think probable, a pre-
MUM would thereby be offered to Illicit
selling. While the maintenance of any
club house or like place for the distribu-
ton of intoxicants for profit is express
" prohibited. we believe it would be
found impossible in many cases to de-
tect this offense, which might be expect
ed TO he largely carried on in private
dwellings.
Fighth-The tourist traffic in these ISL
ards is an increasingly prominent fea
ture OF local commerce, and the effect
upon it of a Dispensary system such as
that proposed must not be lost sight Of
We are convinced that this traffic would
be seriously hampered thereby, as the
lyrical tourist out for pleasure and rec
reation will not submit to be deprived of
his customary stirulant served in the
way he has been familiar with; and the
/ result win he that a very large proper
I ticn Of the tourist travel will he divert
ed into other channels. In this way
trade conditions so largely dependent
thereon viii he disturbed, involving fl
nanciaI constructions.
| Nintb-It is our opinion that the sum
OF S2h00OO which 1t is proposed to ap-
propriate in order to give effect to the
provisions of this law, would not be ade-
quate for that purpose, or even nearly
so. It might possibly be sufficient to
cover the purchase of stock, the en-
pIoyment of officials and incidental ex-
penses, but it would not defray the ex-
{ penses of additions to the police force if
these were found necessary upon any
/ thing approaching the scale that they
have been in South Carolina. But above
all, when counting the cost. the question
p Of compensate must not be lost sight
Of. Such eminent iurists as Bradley,
! Field, Cooley, Brewer and other Judges
Of the United States Supreme Court,
have declared in language the meaning
of which cannot be mistaken that vest
ed interest cannot be ignored. that the
vested right of property cannot be in
terfered with unless compensation be
given, and that when such rights stand
IN the wav of the public good they car
only he removed by awarding compensa-
ton 10 the owner.
we recommend. therefore, that the
bill he postponed pending the collation. OF
exact statistical information of expert
erce elsewhere, and to enable the electors
= give an expression of opinion on SC
important a question.
S. f. KAIIE.
Chairman.
CLARENCE l. CRABBE.