The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-05-27
RtsPECTABIuTY AND PROGRESS.


Much is heard OF the need Of keepini
a seaport town wide OPEN" but it
evident. from the Bremerton dispatches
that the Navy Department takes a dit
ferent view. Everything went IL
Bremerton and vice and crime ran rio
In the effort TO make the place interest,"
ing to sailors. Things soon became tex
interesting. Men were robbed ana
murdered, drugged and disfgured. and
when any left Bremerton, after having
enjoyed it's ''wide-open privileges they
carried little of value with them ex-
cept their lives. 1t did not take the
Navy Department long TO act In oe-
fence of it's enlisted men and now the
vessels OF war that were wont to go
there for repairs. go to Mare Island m
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 Fran
cisco. that grew u2 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
hone-builders. the attractiveness which
a. mas To heaIth-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 its prosperity.
It's 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 It's wealth was greatest when
its laws against vice were most rigid
and were most relentlessly enforced:
when saloons were few and heavily
taxed; when crime was infrequent and
the standards OF public morality were
California, Pasadena, is without
saloon or a questionable resort Of any
kind; Brooklyn grew TO be a city of
over million inhabitants without a
recognized tenderloin and its wealth
and prosperity are those OF a metropo-
lia- Doubtless a seaport without a ten
derloin displeases sailors, but when did
a city ever live on the money sauan-
defed by. seamen In their cups? Prob,
ably the globe-trotting sport and
bloWsy adventures would prefer to
have. the town wide open when they
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 I
blers and sports their material decline
began. In the neighborhood Of vice.
property loses in value; in the posses !
ZION. and exploitation of vice cities lose {
n 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 {
'urther growth and development is e
made to the capitalist. not to the faro
banker: to the tourist who comes to
zee the places OF interest. not to him Il
Who comes to get drunk and land in j
all; to- the man whose health needs !
building up. not to one who comes to :
ear it down; to the farmer who comes
% raise crops and not to raise the
ievil. AS for the adventures Homo
ulu can well spare them for its own I
rood. I