Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-07-26
GEO. DAVIS ROASIS
THE LICENSE BOARD
Is Wroth At Refusal OF
Commissioners To
Let Him Argue


DDS Of the Liquor Board and it's usur-
patton of Power that the creators OF
the Board never intended it should
have were the subjects of PHILIPPE by
George A. Davis yesterday afternoon
in which the attorney publicly ex~
pressed his private opinion of thu
Board, its personnel and its unameri-
can methods.
The refusal of the Commissioners to
allow Davis to argue case was the
casus belli. The Board should have
known better than to try to prevent
Davis from arguing. He argued, any
now, and wound up by threatening to
take the matter into the courts and
compel Chairman Clinton G. Ballen-
tyne to be in attendance on the court
vesterday,-a proceeding which he
said might prove somewhat inconven-
lent for the gentleman but which he
thought would have a salutary effect.
The Board adopted its usual tactics
Of shutting off debate by going into
executive session, compelling the iratc
attorney to betake himself to the cor
ridor, where he stood under an open
transom and delivered himself of a
caustic denunciation of the Commits
sioners which must have been edify-
ing If somewhat disturbing to the
aforesaid officials.
The meeting was intended to be al
open one, before Davis scared the
hor ,nt1
attorney appeared before the Board to
represent Chung Tong Chong, whose
application for a saloon license had
been turned down Davis wanted to
urge rehearing, and insisted on pre-
senting oral arguments why his client
should be granted one. Nothing do
ing, said the Board. Davis persisted,
put the License Board, which has been
in the habit of running things to suit
itself and listening to nobody unless
it happened to feel in the mood, de-
clined to allow him to argue. accord
ing to our method OF procedure oral
argument is not admitted in petition
for a rehearing," said Ballentyne."
Davis wanted to know where they
found anything in the law to prevent
attorneys appearing for petitioners.
He had drafted the law himself and
ought to know. Ballentyne insisted
that attorneys had no right to appear
in case like the one under considera-
ton.
"The constitution of the country
gives them the right" shouted Davis.
IF you persist in this course, you will
md that general attack will be made
on the law and the Board"
Chairman Ballentyne said argu-
ments for rehearing must be in
writing. Davis said he wanted to sup
plement his reasons by oral arguments.
The Board would have none of them.
This is the first time in my life that
the right to argue has been denied
me-" said Davis.
Commissioner Gilman was the first
member of the Board to make break
for cover. Il move that we 60 into
executive session. he said.
Davis got in one Parthian shot be-
fore the motion could be put.
well, l will be heard later. Mr..
Clinton G. Ballentyne And when |
inconvenience to you. 1t will be in
the courts, and every day while am
being heard l will compel your at
tendance, Mr.. Ballentyne. The power
will be with me to subpoena every
member of this board to attend. This
may Inconvenience you, Mr.. Ballen-
tyne, but the effect may be salutary
before get through with YOU"
And with this defiance the angry
attorney left the room and went out
into the corridor, where he proceeded
to express himself in loud tone OF
voice concerning the methods of the
Commissioners.
The Board devoted part of the time
to an attempt to make it little more
difficult for Senator Charlie Mccarthy
TO carry on his business at the Critic
rion. An objection was raised to what
has always been one of the most pleas
ing features of McCarthy's place, the
serving of noon-day lunches to. the
patrons of the establishment. The
Board wants to put stop to this. 1t
was not stated what business rival OF
McCarthy's is making the objection.
Another feature of the place that the
Board looks on with holy horror is the
wholesale selling. McCarthy's license
does not limit the amount of liquor
that he may sell, but the Board thinks
to get around this by forbidding him
to deliver any goods and also wants to
make him place doors and screen in
the wholesale department SO that the
public may not be shocked by seeing a
man walk in and order bottle of wet
goods for family consumption. These
matters We're not finished at the meet
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