The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-09-14
WHOLESALE MEN
AND BLIND PIGS
LICENSE COMMISSIONERS DIS
CUSSING MEANS OF CLOSING
ILLICIT DENS.


The wholesale liquor dealers Of the
city were well represented at the meet
ing of the board of License Commits
sioners held yesterday afternoon in
the Throne Room of the Capitol. Al
most every firm holding a wholesalers
license sent a representative in com
pliance with the request of the conf
mission for a conference on the SUD
iect of blind pigs and the matter
was discussed at considerable length
Whether or not the blind pigs" are
in any more danger now than they
were before the meeting, is however
a matter of doubt.
Chairman Ballentyne opened the
meeting and stated the purpose for
which it had been called. He pointed
out that the illicit sellers of booze
necessarily had to get their stock
somewhere, and naturally the whole
salers would be supposed to know
something about such purchases. He
urged that the wholesalers mad an inr
terest in protecting their retail GUS
toners from the business Of the blind
pigs" and felt that they should CO.
operate with the board in some degree
for the stopping of illicit selling.
While a number of the wholesalers
thereupon took up the discussion and
the matter was argued from many
points of view, the general con-
census of opinion seemed to be that
the wholesalers are not in the greatest
measure the offenders in the matter
of keeping up unlawful stocks, but
that the jobber and retailer, who under
the present liquor law may sell in any
quantity without holding a wholesale
license, enjoy the bulk of the question
able trade.
William Lishman, of Macfarlane's,
expressed the sentiments of a number
of the wholesalers present, in declar-
ing that the blind pigs" could in d
large measure be put out of business
by granting more retail licenses. he
did not think the policy of keeping
legal saloons out of thickly populated
districts, like Punchbowl for instance
was a wise thing to do He thought
that the retailers would look out for
the Illicit dealer as a matter of sell
interest
David H. Lewis, of Lovejoy & Com
pany, did not side with this view. He
believed that there will be blind
-, pigs as long as there is a cnance TO
|, save the price of the license fee, and
, that there will be persons willing to
take the risk of being caught.
Then the discussion swung off onto
:, the shortcomings of the new liquor
law, and this much abused act came
in for another round of drubbing OF
the same old lines. The retailer MAJ
too many privileges which encroacl
- on the wholesalers preserves, was the
talk; and the restaurant keeper ha,
the best of it over the retailer, in thai
he may sell liquors practically as free
ly as a regular saloon, and vet does
not have to pay so much, and has NOR,
leeway.
: Chairman Ballentyne tacitly admit
, ted that the board was up against i
J.. in some points which had been men
- toned, but suggested that there coult
g be an improvement assured when /
n came time for re-issuing licenses, AM
that some persons are likely to &c
h some hard bumps when they want
renewal of their privileges.
: There was good deal more tall
"A along the lines above mentioned blu
the net result of it all was not yer
= apparent. 1t seems reasonable to in
fer, however, that the License Com
\. mission will not get any very materia
assistance from the wholesalers in tn
matter of blind pig hunting.
Clarence H. Cooke, the newly az
q pointed member of the commissio
was present yesterday for the mrs
in time, and the board reorganized, an
n appointed J. A. Gilman as permaneI
3. secretary to fill the place Of A.
n Campbell, resigned.
4. o~p-G-