The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-05-29
REspECTABlLlTY AND PROGRESS.

Much is heard of the need OF keeping
a seanort town wide open" but 1t is
evident, from the Bremerton dispatches
that the Navy Department takes dll-
ferent view. Everything went IN
Rremerton and vice and crime ran riot
in the effort to make the place interest
ing to sailors. Things soon became 700
interesting. Men were ropped anu
murdered, drugged and dshgured, ana
when any left Bremerton, after having
enioyed its "wide-open privileges, the9
carried little of value with them ex-
cept their lives. 1t did not take the
Navy Department long to act In de-
fence of its enlisted men and now the
vessels of war that were wont TO go
there for repairs, go to Mare Island in
stead.
The truth is that the wide-open policy
is a dangerous asset for almost any
small city. seaport or otherwise. There
are some few places, like San iran
cisco. that grew up in spite of it; but
San Francisco, being at the start the
main camp in a vast mining region and
in its later analysis the master of the
only trade entrepot on a long stretch
of fruitful coast, could not help grow
ing. Even vice and crime could not
hinder its advance. But small place,
the growth of which depends upon the
favor of capital, the good opinion of
ome-builders, the attractiveness which
IL has to health seekers and reputable
tourists: or a small place which lives,
like Bremerton, by the favor of the
Government cannot sacrifice its good
name without running it's prosperity.
Its good name is not only greater
than riches" but it Is the producer of
riches.
For many years past, Hawaii has had
the largest income per capita in the
world. Its wealth was greatest when
its laws against vice were most rigid
and were most relentlessly enforced;
when saloons We're few and heavily
taxed; when crime was infrequent and
the standards of public morality were
highest. The richest city per capita in
California, Pasadena, is without
saloon or a questionable resort of any
kind; Brooklyn grew to be a city of
over million inhabitants without
recognized tenderloin and it's wealth
and prosperity are. those of a metropo-
lis. Doubtless a seaport without a ten
derloin displeases sailors, but when did
a city ever live on the money squan-
dered by seamen in their cups? Prob
ably the globe-trotting sport and
blowsy adventures would prefer to
have the town wide open when they
come, but to whom is their coming a
benefit-these people who stop off to
make expenses" Go the length and
breadth of America and the resorts
which are most reputable make the
most money. collect and keep the most
wealth. When Long Branch and Sara
toga fell into the hands of the gam
blers and sports their material decline
began. In the neighborhood of vice, |
property loses in value in the possess
sion and exploitation of vice cities lose |
in wealth unless there is some geo
graphical and commercial reason !
which keeps them up in spite of their |
offences. |
Honolulu's appeal for the means of |
further growth and development is !
made to the capitalist, not to the faro |
banker: to the tourist who comes to !
see the places of interest, not to him |
who comes to get drunk and land in |
jail: to the man whose health needs |
buildingsup, not to one who comes to |
tear 1t down: to the farmer who comes |
to raise crops and not to raise the |
devil. AS for the adventures Homo /
lulu can well spare them for its own
good.