The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-02-22

The first matter of Importance which
the committee took I'D was the then
existing condition at Iwilei, and upon
this they held numerous meetings,
consulted with officers of the govern
ment including the High Sheriff, made
a careful examination of the methods
adopted on the Continent and in other
parts of the world in dealing~with the
Social Evil, and also of the laws ap-
plicable to the subject in this Terri
tory. The committee came to the con-
cluSiOn, and so reported, that the SyS-
tenn adopted in Iwilei had no warrant
in law, but found, much to their sur
prise, that the Act to Mitigate, Section
81 of the Penal Code of 1862 and the
laws amendatory thereof, had never
been repealed and had been recently
Incorporated in the Appendix to the
Revised Laws, prepared by commits
sion of which two of the judges of the
Supreme Court We're members, and
adopted by the Legislature of 1905
They recommended that this act be
repealed, and Senator Dickey, one of
the members of the Executive Commit
tee. introduced a bill for its repeal
which passed the Senate, and was
favorably recommended in the House,
but failed to pass because of the pres
sure of business at the end of the
session. AS a result of the agitation
the 'Iwilei experiment. so-called was
abandoned, and no further attempt has
been made to revive it.
We again call attention to the ex-
istence on the Statute Book of the Act
to Mitigate and to the fact that un-
less it is abrogated by the Edmunds
Act, which is at least doubtful, that
no Jnd ir,fn
ed to be in force.
The committee has had under con-
sideration throughout the year ques-
tons arising under the liquor laws in
various phases. We have called to
the attention of the authorities in a
number of instances, the Illegal sale
under the existing law, and as a rule
prompt measures have been taken to
enforce the law. We wish, however,
to again call to the attention of this
committee the unsatisfactory character
of the existing law licensing dealers in
Intoxicating liquors. The Act, as we
understand it, was drawn in good faith
by leading members of the liquor trade
but we are assured that some of the
very men who drew it are not salts
fed with it in operation. In practice
it has been productive of fraud, and
its evil effects are being seen through
out the islands. It is quite possible
that it may have diminished the num-
Der of illegal drinking places in Ho-
nolulu, but we doubt whether it is
entitled to any considerable credit on
that account so far as moral effect
on the community is concerned
We have devoted much time and
consideration to the gambling ques-
ton. We have consulted with the au-
thorities, and have taken the matter
up on several occasions with Governor
Carter, seeking to devise some method
to mitigate the terrible evils which
gambling is bringing upon this COM
both in drawing from the
poorer class of the people money which
should go into the sustenance of the
lives of themselves and their children.
in corrupting their ideals of life by
in place of patience and
industry, feverish dream of getting
rich easily and quickly,-and in the
quite important particular of its cor
ruption of the public service through
the participation, either directly or in
directly, in the enormous profits of
on gambling games. We
with interest the fight of the
Advertiser on the leading white
gambler, and we know from evidence
which is indisputabe that the result
of that fight was the temporary ruin
Of his business and the suspension of
a game which had been yielding very
great profits, 80 per cent of which |
were set aside for protection
L is more difficult to reach the more |
important che-fa games, primarily be- |
cause the white gambler trusts no
body and the actual money is present |
at the game, whereas the Chinese, by |
the system of confidence Wnlcn they |
have devised, make it very difficult to
reach the offenders, and the chief
banker had intrenched himself in Off |
c1al influence so strongly by contrib |
ltlng money in political campaigns |
and by division of his enormous profits.
1t would seem impossible to secure
my adequate cooperation from ne !
police. We finally came to the conclu- |
sion that the only efficient method was !
privately and publicly to awaken pub
ic sentiment to the evil and we re- |
olce to see that the present grand /
ury has struck courag eous and effec-
i've blow at this infamous blot on orr
,iviliza ton.
We have also taken up the subject |
If the sale of obscene pictures with
he County Authorities and Mr.. Rath.
The worst offender was convicted |
md fined by Judge Whitney. but there
s still much which might be done in
his field. in which it is not easy to
determine how far the law is applica-
lie and how far it is susceptible of en-
orcement.
The committee has had various minor
matters brought to their attention with
which they have dealt, mostly with
ut any need of reference to the Elk
cutive Committee. They regret that
hey have not been able TO accomplish
more in field so fertile. so full of
eed, but they rejoice TO see some
igns of awakening to the necessity
purer moral tone a higher con-
option OF official duty and a more |
1renuous enforcement Of salutary
AVIS.
Respectfully submitted,
DAVID /. WITHINGTON
DOREMUS SCUDDER ;
FD T0W-ELN