The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-22
SENATOR DICkEY
On TEMPE FRANCE
The New Liquor Law Explained
at the w. C. T. U. Meet
ing Yesterday.

admirable resume of the new liquor law
was presented by Senator c. IL. Dickey,
who has always taken an active part
in temperance legislation. The brief
paper was free from technicalities, but
every point was clearly defined, but
as to its good and bad features. For,
while the new law was regarded as
decided advance, giving evidence of a
steady and healthy growth of temper
ance sentiment in the community, 1t
was not, of course, pronounced tiaWiess.
The meeting was held in the pariors
of Central Union church which were
filled, every seat being occupied. An
invitation had been extended men to
be present, and several had responded.
A detachment of the older boys of the
Kamehameha school occupied front
seats. Senator Dickey was especially
explicit in expounding the new law to
these future voters, who gave close and
respectful attention.
The meeting was called to order by
the president, Mrs. J. M. Whitney, who
also conducted brief devotional ex-
ercise. Reports were submitted, that
of the treasurer showing that the funds
ON hand amounted TO $101.11. A sum
was voted to help defray the pubilca-
tion of digest of the new law, which
Senator Dickey has prepared at the
request of the Anti-Saloon League.
In presenting the topic assigned him,
Senator Dickey. discussed it with the
most admirable fairness, showing no
personal rancor, treating it as an abb
stract question, from a purely legal
standpoint.
He said: sTi many respects the new
liquor law is an Improvement on the
old" Among the advantages which he
cited were: the appointment of COM
mission to issue licenses, the abolish
ment of club licenses and 5th class IL
censes, the publishing of notice OF
hearing of application, making more
clear the forbidding of minors from
being on saloon premises, forbidding
the sale of liquor to women and not
allowing them on saloon premises and
making more clear the definition of a
restaurant.
1.-THE old law he said, "made the
issuance of license obligatory, If the
applicant had fulfilled the provisions
and was not a minor, felon, etc. No
matter where it was proposed to put a
saloon, so long as it was not WITHIN
$50 feet of a church or school, the
license could not be denied. 1t could
be put down among the finest resi-
dences in Makiki, or Nuuanu, or among
the crowded homes of the poor in ka-
kaako. or in any other undesirable
Mace. The appointment Of a commits
sion does away with all this, and with
proper selection of the members
much of the evil can be eliminated.
."The commission has power to grant,
refuse to grant, suspend, remove reg
ulate and control any license.
..The present board of Honolulu can'
for instance, refuse to grant licenses
on the streets Immediately around the
market where half a dozen saloons
now stand, ready to absorb the earn
ings of the laboring man when he goes
to market. after getting his pay on
SATURDAY.. to buy food for his family
This commission may. if 1T will, aDate
this nuisance and leave us a clean mar
ket where at least part of the laborers
WAGES will be spent for necessities.
Applications could also be refused
for saloons in other unsuitable places
where children pass daily to school, IN
residence district, or where labor Is
apt to be demoralized by their presence
II was pointed out that. invested with
surh powers, the personnel or the COM
mission was of the greatest impor~
tance. and that it behooVed every oho
having the good of the community d.
beart to use their influence to secure
the annointment of honest men. AS
the temptation to accept orlpes "ouiu
be very great men of sterling charac>
ter only should be selected.
The fees for saloon licenses have oeen
increased from $500 to $3.50 a year The
original bill put them at $1,000. but II
was amended to $3.50. In Honolulu
hotels pay the same and restaurants
nav $500, but if they sell after hours
or ON Sunday, they must pay $3.50 ad-
dftional Hotels must have twenty iur-
nished guest rooms in Honolulu, ten
in Hilo and Wailuku, and elsewhere
five.
Trnon the latter point Senator Dickey
Continued on Page Tnree')