The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-08-19
THE FIT" PERSONS.

and applications for wholesale licenses
were made in their place
THE FIT PERSONS.
As License Inspector, I reported ia
vorably on all but one. That one was
for a retail license at Koloa, and the
property owners consent was INSULT
cient. But in reporting favorably on
these. 1 told the board that it did not
necessarily follow that my personal
opinion was that these licenses should
be granted. The law permits licenses
to be issued only to fit persons. AS
Stunning, as the law does, that the bus
mess is fit business, I reported that
these applicants were 1T persons to be
given licenses.
A NO-LICENSE PLAN.
My own opinion was then, and is
now, that the best way to meet the
situation would be TO issue no licenses
of any kind whatever. I am not a
prohibitionist. But believed that by
issuing no license whatever. the condi-
tions OF the old days would be re-
stored. Those conditions were these:
A great many people sent to Honolulu
for the supplies they kept in their
own homes. These were sent TO them.
Every Chinese store, and every Japa-
nese store, too, for that matter, kept
liquor and sold it-illicitly, it is true.
But in selling I, they were circum-
spect. The danger to them lay in SELL
ing too much to one customer. A
drunken customer was a danger TO
them, because it attracted attention
the attention of the police as well as
other attention that nigh prove dan
gerous. For holidays, the Portuguese
would club together and send for a
keg or a barrel OF wine. Or one of
their number would send for it and
retail 1t out to his neighbors. Occa-
sionally the Chinese storekeeper was
caught and fined. So, too, was the
japanese, sand the Portuguese.
LITTLE DRUNKENNESS
''In all there was a good deal OF
liquor consumed in the. aggregate.
What was not ordered from other is
lands was sold illicitly. Anybody who
really wanted liquor could get it. But
there was very little drunkenness.
People had to seek the liquor instead
of the liquor seeking them. The nat
ural demand was supplied. But the
demand was not artifciaily stimulated
and increased. There was enough dan
ger in the illicit business to keep 1t
down to moderate limits. There was
not enough money in 1t to make 1t
factor in politics. In those days, as
near as can be estimated, there was
about $4,000 a year spent in liquor on
this island, as against $4,000 that we
know of during the last year.
LIKE THE OLD DAYS.
'"Why, during the month that the. is
land was dry there was very
return to the conditions Of
the old days. There was more money
in circulation in general channels of
trade than there had been for two
year. Dealers of all kinds spoke of
1t. A Chinese tailor told me that men
who had owed him for two years be-
fore, paid him. Several merchants
spoke to me about 1t. They said 1t
was easier to collect their bills than it
had been for a long time.
1.-The women noticed it and spoke Of
it. After the first pay day during
that period, the Porto Ricans, just
at Kapaia. When they found it closed
they went in a body to Nawiiiwili. not
what was up. They
found the saloon closed at Nawiliwili.
Their wives were delighted and said
20.
NOT REALLY A DROUGHT.
ut must not be understood that this
dry month was so parching to the is
land, either One steamer brought
packages of booze to Ma
wiliwili, ordered from Honolulu by as
many different men; and there were
other steamers and other places. One
of the dealers called my attention to
the fact as an evidence of the damage
done by this month of no licenses.
When I told him that / didn't see that
packages addressed to
different men was any
more detrimental than If it had all
come addressed to him, he seemed
hurt.
Thus my own opinion was, and is,
that it would be better for the COM
munity to issue no licenses at all,
letting conditions revert to those of
several year ago, when the direct or
der trade with Honolulu supplied
part of the demand, and, generally
speaking, that part least liable TO
abuse; and the Illicit traffic supplied
the remainder of the demand without
it, without making it an
element in politics to demoralize
them, under conditions that kept the
traffic down to the lowest point of de-
nand-a system that, as experience
showed, resulted IN infinitely less
than any other system
here has.
A STRIKING CONTRAST.
GAS showing the striking contrast of
he two systems, the first day that
he new wholesale licenses were is |
sued there was an immense amount Of |
drunkenness and debauchery in Ma
viliwili. Portuguese, natives and Por- |
o Ricans all went there. Though |
hey could not drink the liquor |
IN the premises where they bought 1T,
hey could go just across the street
Ind drink it; and they did, and there |
we're numerous drunken, quarrelling, |
lighting men, in consequence. We have
therefore, already had the demonstra-
ion that where liquor can be bought
openly in any quantity drunkenness,