The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-07-27
JAPANESE
INTERESTED

| ritory, and In matters OF local policy.
as is shown by the article from the
Hawaiian-Japanese Daily Chronicle,
| printed herewith. Also. they express
their views In the most unmistakable
| way possible. This article on the sunday
| law, for instance. oocupiee the entire
| space given by the paper In question
to its English lection, and without
/ doubt expresses the views OF q very
| large section OF the local Japanese
| community. Maybe 1t Is In some sense
| their answer to the prohibition by
1 Governor Carter OF the incorporation
OF the local Japanese Buddhists. The
| article itself follows:
THE SUNDAY LAW MUST BE
| ABOLISHED.
"One 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
Nday in Honolulu, all government Of
4 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.
1T is certainly funny thing for the
people coming from other countries TO
see the Sunday Law strictly enforced
| in the town Of Honolulu. Perhaps II
is one OF the funniest laws In the
| world.
| mot only in Japan but everywhere
| else 1t 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 80 on Sunday. So. the small
| stores and all other retail business
places, it is said, make a big profit on
this day, and as a matter OF fact they
are Of very great convenience to buy
ers who live away back in the coun-
try and only have q chance to pur-
chase on Sundays
this, and as the government forces
them to close up on Sunday, the people
| are put to much Inconvenience.
There are many disagreeable things
in Hawaii. and especially this Sunday
law. This disagreeable law is 50 that
not only can people not amuse them
selves mentally or physically, but its
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
| especially 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
| plantations 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 disagreeable one for
| the people who do not believe In hymns
and Bible reading, and so, they usually
shut themselves up in rooms and gam
| Bile and drink heavy which no doubt
| causes great deal OF the crimes.
mot only that, but when the law is
| disregarded by the people. and Gov
ernor Carter says: There is too much
| disregard here for the laws then he
recognize the breaking of this law by
many and 1t is time to abolish 1t en-
tirely and make the people free from
| this annoying statute.
Moreover, IL the law. which prevents
| work on Sunday. as the Governor said,
lis not caused by religious motives.
| but based on the fact that the work
| men must have a certain amount of
recreation then 1t is much better to
| abolish the law. Because so long as
| there is no law enforcing them to work
| on Sunday. the workers will have
! enough amount of recreation accord
ing to their desire, and they will also
| have more chances to spend this day
| in a happy and amusing way and not
| shut themselves up in the rooms and
practice all these evils such as gam
| bling and drinking which usually gives
| much trouble to the government and
| more injury to the communities.
Furthermore. the Inconvenience and
restrain of the Sunday law is not only
this, but by closing up the post and
telegraph offices II stops these impor-
| tant institutions OF communications
and there are many instances of this
law annoying and restricting the pub
lie.
ITO attempt to obstruct the nations
progress by a law is certainly against
all sense and reason. The closing up
OF the post and telegraph offices on
Sunday may not be on account of sun
day law, but we kick just the same as
II Is not n right principle.
THE eommunlcational institutions
will be more important the more the
country advances and they should not
be allowed to stop even minute. In
Japan as well as the other countries
they keep these institutions open on
sunday holiday and even the New
Years day, and In fact for the full S65
days of the year II II "A proper way
for a commercial people, HAWAII IL
contrary 10 this fact Ia closing up on
this most important day.
Beside this, there are many more In
convenience IN this sunday law which
We earnestly wish our bright ana up
| i0sdate men iH once ana IN business
circles 90 consider more carefully
A halfal This aul Huns..Fttt a.. 80