The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-07-25
JAPANESE
INTERESTED
One Local Paper Wants
TO Dictate as to
Laws.

The japanese are taking an active
interest in public affairs in this Ter
ritory, and in matters of local policy,
as is shown by the article from he
Acknowledgements Daily Chronicle,
printed herewith. Also, they express
their views in the most unmistaka BILE
way possible. This article on the Sunday
law, for instance. occupies the entire
space given by the paper in question
to it's English section. and without
doubt expresses the views of a very
large section Of the local Japanese
community. Maybe it is in some sense
their answer to the prohibition by
Governor Carter of the incorporation
of the local japanese Buddhists The
article itself follows:
THE SUNDAY LAW MUST BE
ABOLISHED.
Zone of the differences of the Ha-
waiian Islands from other lands is
that we have an annoying law entitled
The Sunday Law On this special
day in Honolulu, all government Of
fees, banks and even post and tele-
graph offices, stores, workshops and
all other business. places are ordered
closed, and the government strictly
forbids people to work on this day
TT is certainly funny thing for the
people coming from other countries to
see the Sunday Law strictly enforced
in the town of Honolulu. Perhaps it
is one of the funniest laws in the
world
mot only in Japan but everywhere
else it is acknowledged as a day in
which the people can amuse them
selves, and whoever has no chance to
seek for pleasure, or to get what he
wants on the other days in the week,
can do SO on Sunday. So. the small
stores and all other retail business
places, it is said, make big profit on
this day and as matter of fact they
are of very great convenience to buy
ers who live away back in the coun-
try and only have a chance to pur-
chase on Sundays.
But Hawaii is quite different from
this, and as the government forces
them to close up on Sunday, the people
are put to much inconvenience.
There are many disagreeable things
III nd Wctie. anu especially liiIS HouIldciy
law. This disag agreeable law is so that
not only can people not amuse them
selves mentally or physically, but it's
influence is harmful to the commercial
and mechanical enterprises, and thus
leads to the decline of prosperities of
the island territory.
This is strictly true of the islands
in Honolulu where we are
supposed to be the headquarters of the
commercial and mechanical enterprises.
Now, suppose that the Sunday law
is abolished, and every one allowed to
open stores as usual. and more espe-
cially shows and theaters, etc. are per-
mitted to open on this day, there will
be many people from the neighboring
to visit the city on every
Sunday, and then the streets of Homo
lulu will be full of people, with these
visitors. and all business will be BOOM
ing
Nevertheless, the law forbids them
from doing business on Sunday and
we hear no voices of people on the
street, even the vehicles pass around
in small numbers. and what we can
hear is Gospel hymns or Bible reading.
But if we look into the back scenes
of society we will find that this law
is an extremely disa greeable one for
the people who do not believe in hymns