The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-08
RAYMONDS STATEMENT RUSSEE SAYS PLAGIARISM
Continued from page nve.l

The Legislature of 1896 appointed a
special commission to investigate the
liquor question and recommend the best
system. This commission collected a
good deal of information which was in
corporated into good sized report fav-
orabe enough to the Gutenberg sys-
tenn. Did the majority of the commit
tee read this report? If they did how
many more commissions and years of
studies do they require in order to com
plete their knowledge?
Shall we wait until the last grannie
will know all about the differential
calculus? 1t is stated that liquor will
be cheaper and this will increase
drunkenness. Yes the liquor will be
cheaper it must be cheaper. For a
regular temperate consumer it is a
staple like other staples of food, an in
dispensabe article upon his dinner la
BILE There is no more sense in levying
a tax on him for liquor than for his
bread and butter. AS for dipsoma-
iacs or drunkards, they are sick men
+ and it is absurd to crush them with
/ taxation for their sickness, as much alb
surd as to tax any other sick person
for being sick. 1t is absurd to compel
them to sell their over-coats and the
petticoats of their wives to procure
liquor, which procure they must and
u,
/ 1t will be more to the purpose to
build and maintain a special hospital
for inebriates where they might be car
ed for. Such hospital could be built
and maintained from the profits of
liquor sales.
Every restaurant and hotel, accord
ing to the provisions of the bill, may,
and undoubtedly will keep liquors for
the accommodation of tourists, and
40 CT NNi1
in any way be affected.
The dispensary system was not only
attempted as the majority report
states, in South Carolina, but it has
been in good running order there for
over eight years, becoming so popular
that it has been extended to the neigh
boring state of North Carolina. Massa-
chusetts people fight hard against liq-
uor interests to introduce the same,
Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the
whole of Russia (not certain provinces
as the majority report states) have for
long years adopted the dispensary sys-
TEN, and the reports from all those
countries are more than favorable.
CDr Russell then quotes at consider
able length from letters received from
D. H. TraXer the first commissioner
and organizer of the South Carolina
dispensary system, and H. H. Crum the
present commissioner. The report then
continues).
In regard to the sum of 100000 re-
quired by the bill, it may not be sutfi
cient and l propose to amend it so
as to read $3.50, 600" Considering that
in the course of one year, the most of
the old licenses will continue to sell
liquor, and the fact that the sale in
government Dispensaries will be for
cash only, so that the capital invested
tn
be reinvested. l think the last named
amount will be sufficient for the first
biennial period.
The important feature of the bill is
that it does away with the private pro-
fits in liquor sales. In doing so it puts
a stop upon every sort of pressure exer-
cised by the dealer in order to make
one drink. No more soliciting, drum
ming. forcing, no credit, no dice, and
gambling, no mutual treating, no room
for making the drinking an entertain
ment, no free lunches, etc. And at the
same time no infringement upon the
liberties of any one, since everybody
can easily procure every kind of pure
liquor in any quantity.
In regard to the whole report of the
majority of your committee, as for
merly constituted, I will state that it is
a familiar voice of the Canadian and
United States liquor dealers Convention
held in New York in 1905 This con-
vention appointed a commission to Wis
it the State of South Carolina and re-
port upon the Dispensary Law. The
majority report of your committee is a
rank piece of plagiarism from the re-
port of that commission, and I am as
tonished to know that your committee
could permit the said Commissions
renort to be fOisted upon them.
For all these reasons the minority of
your committee appeals to the highest
patriotic and humane feelings Of this
representative body and heartily rec
ormends the passage of the bin as it is,
with but a few small amendments.
Whatever further amendments NAV be
necessary win he shown by experience
ard such amendments may be safely
LEFT to the next Legislature
Dated this 9Th dav Of Anvil 1901
NICHOLAS Russell,
Member of the Committee on IntoXi"
CantS,