The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-05-23
DR[WERY'S
Defence
Beer Makers Say
They Do Not
Fear.


the lines for their battle against
the Honolulu brewery. there n in the
ranks OF the brewery people no feeling
OF danger but instead one OF conf
dence. Whatever the result, the fight
will be a hard one and the brewery
people have their battle ground chosen.
The fight will be upon the interpre-
tation of the law of 1887, which grant
ed the right to license "A brewery In
the law occurs the clause FOR a term
of fifteen years" IL is upon this that
the Anti-Saloon League depends for its
victory, but that point Is the very
one which gives TO the brewery folk
their confidence In the outcome OF the
struggle when 1t comes The reading
which they have and which makes
them sure of success, is that there shall
be a license for fifteen years under that
law, II the builders Of the brewery ask
for IL. This, 1t is commended was meant
by the man who drew the bill, as a
member OF the Legislature. TO protect
the brewery, as, II it held a license for
fifteen years. there could be no inter
ference with vested rights by any au-
thority.
The next clause prescribes the
amount of license which shall be paid
for each year that the license shall be
issued, and it is under that clause that
the brewery today has its license which
grants Ii certain rights for one year.
The contention of the men interested
In the brewery Is that they have the
right to take out a fifteen years IL
cense IL they wish. for the law simply
gave the Minister the privilege of is
suing the license for that period. or for
one year IL the licensee preferred, and
so they claim there is no ground for
the fight against them. Manager Hook
ing OF the brewery said yesterday af-
ternoon:
"It is very hard for me to discover
just what the enemies of the brewery
are after. They cannot hope to close
the brewery within sixty days; that
would be good fighting time, and with
in that time the licenses of the Primo
saloons will expire. and according to
the decree OF Judge Estee they may not
be reissued. The fight then becomes
ore simply against the local institution,
for the foreign beers will be imported
and they cannot stop them or their sale
either.
"In effect 1t becomes matter like
sending around Of a petition asking for
the closing of such firms as Hackfeld
q Company, Peacock & Company or
Shaefer a. Company. Those firms i'm
port liquors and sell them. Some of
the firms have saloons at which there
Is liquor retailed. The brewery does
not do that for IL does not own q sin
gle saloon or the license for one of the
saloons. The law will close more than
score of Primo saloons in its course.
a,
the brewery will have to struggle for
any share of the business of the city
and Islands. There will be no gain for
temperance by the closing of the brew
cry, for the beer will be imported from
the mainland and sold in the saloons
against which no such fight is being
made. These will not be interfered
with according to the outlook, so that
you see the fight gets down to one
against US pure and simple.
II was not surprised to see the names
of the Rev. Mr.. Westervelt, the Rev.
Mr.. Rice and Mr.. Richards as making
the fight against us, for they are of
course doing what their people expect
Of them, but l was very much sur
prised to see the name of Mr.. Bowen,
for he Is q business man who should
be able to see the inconsistency of such
struggle against us. 1t seems rather
queer to find the Anti-Saloon League
fighting hand in glove with the sellers
Of hard liquors, and saloons which are
In the center of town and from which
the greater amount OF whisky is sold.
Yet that Is the very condition as IL now
stands. If the brewery can be closed
the profits will go outside the Terri
tory and to the owners of saloons who
import beer from the mainland.
I'VE maintain and have the evidence
o. the police department to prove it
for MS that there is very much less
drunkenness where the people have
beer and do not have to go up town
and drink hard liquor. II they do get
into the saloons. Here the people get
the glass OF beer that they want and
go home and to bed, while IL they have
| to go up town and visit some of the
saloons they will take more than one
or two drinks, and their condition Is
| the worse for IL.
We are satisfied that the Govern
ment will protest it's own licenses and
are not allowing such matters to trou-
bic us. We will make hard fight be-
! fore we give up, however, and will
make 1t possible for the people to see
| Just what is to be accomplished for
the good Of the people and what for
the saloOnkeepers, by the closing down
! of the brewery