The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-06-22

prohibited by law. We think this con-
stitutes an entrance within the mean
ing of the law and should be so con-
sidered.
Reasons against granting a license to
the present applicant even if a saloon
should be continued at that point: -
l. From the hallway just above re-
ferred to. and near the opening into
the saloon, is another opening on the
Eva side of the hall into what is
nominally a reading room and cafe.
This so-called reading room and cafe
constitute what is practically one
room, and they are called 'nominally"
a reading room and cafe because they
are neither treated nor used as is Gus
tomary with such rooms. The Alakea
street entrance to this room is treat
ed similar to entrances to saloons, by
being screened in an effort to obstruct
the vision within. The windows are
also blinded as are those of saloons.
Within we have not at any time seen
even as much as the proverbial sand
witch or cracker on the tables. Nor
have we seen patrons engaged in read
ing. Repeatedly, and that on Sunday
the bartender busy plying back and
forth between this so-called reading
room and cafe and the saloon with his
tray loaded with bottles and glasses.
They have seen the men seated about
one of the tables of this nominal read
ing room and cafe drinking the con-
tents of these bottles with nothing else
than the drinks in evidence. OF course
we understand that you might forbid
any reading room and cafe in granting
the license this time. We do not be-
lieve there has been either in any le-
Ultimate sense in the past. There has
only been a deliberate subterfuge re-
sorted to in order to circumvent the
law. We submit that a saloonkeeper
who has been disposed to violate the
spirit of our recent law, and, we think.
the letter too, is not a party to be
safely trusted to continue in a traffic
fraught with as many evils and ac-
companied by as many temptations as
is that of the liquor traffic.
2. Drunks on occasion loaf about his
place on Sundays and annoy us when
waiting for street cars after church
services. When transports are in on
Sundays crowd of sailors sometimes
hang about his doors On one occa-
sion, especially, our women were very
grievously annoyed by a trio of maud
lin DRINKS, one of whom made a de-
termined attempt to engage them in
conversation This fellow even per-
sisted in following them across the
street when they crossed over in an eff
fort to be rid of him. Again, we sub
nit that saloon proprietor who has
had such hangers-on about him on
Sunday, and who has run such a So
called reading room and cafe as already
indicated, SO as to give good reason for
believing that his place furnished the
liquor which caused the nuisance, is
not the right kind of party to continue
in the liquor traffic, no matter what
the laws are or how great the restric-
tfons.
8. We seriously doubt whether
sufficient number of the signers on his
petition in the present instance are
bona fide signers of their own free
will and understanding. In the first
place, we know of one instance where
he obtained a signature without the
man realizing what he was doing. Nor
was the manner in this case legal, for
the reason that the man had not the
least intimation that there was a no.
tary public present. We submit that
since there was this one case there may
have been a good many others. In view
of this fact and possibility, we think
it incumbent on him to prove that he
didn't obtain a necessary margin of
his other signers in the same way.
Again, we know of cases where off,
Gals or corporations signed his peti-
ton for their corporations without such
having been consulted in
the matter. In Some of these cases
we know members of corporations who
are strongly opposed to such action,
and who say they do not believe the
would have given their
if such had been asked. We
do not think that in matters of this
kind the signatures of corporations are
counted until such corpora
tions have acted. The petitioner would
hardly wish a protest counted against
him from a corporation without that
having acted. We feel we
have a right to ask as much concern
ing the corporations represented on his
petition.
Thanking you for the privilege of a
hearing, and praying your due consid
GRAFTON of the contents of this commu
nication, we are, very respectfully,
OF CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii.
By a unanimous vote of the congre- |
CATION.
j. NJ TEMPLETON
J. n. TAGGARD,
w. McCANDLESS
WALTER c. WELDON,
w. L. HOPPER,
Elders;
G. D. EDWARDS,
Pastor.