Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-12-04
CAMP QUESTION IS
UP TO Legislature.
COMMITTEE Is Appointed
To Draw Up
A Law
Big Meeting HELD
IN SENATE CHAMBER
Bringing of Race Question Into the
Dispute Is Deprecated and
Educational Campaign
Is Urged

The same expedient, and as a means Of
dealing with said question e In.
tcrval before the next mee y the
Legislature. OF further on We or
ordinances to regulate tho nd oc'
cupancy of such bnilding1 panese
of said character ashave been
erected and are now stand.
ing In close proximity to any of our
public schools. and to regulate or pre-.
vent the erection Of such structures
elsewhere In the residential districts
OF our city, unless by the consent of
the owners and occupants of neighbor.
ing premises.
I'VE favor the adoption Of the prjn.
ciplc. (already engraftcd upon the law
providing for the sale of intoxicating
liquors,) of permitting the owners and
occupants Of neighboring premises to
exclude from, and prevent the con.
struction in, the locality of their homes
and property, Of buildings of the char
acter, and intended for the uses afore.
said"
The above paragraphs are extracts
from resolution passed last night al
meeting of the Improvement clubs of
Honolulu, called by the Central I'm,
provement Association in the Senate
Chamber at the Capitol, for the pur.
pose of considering what action should
be taken relative to the Japanese
boarding camps being erected In Ma.
kiki and other residence sections of
the city.
The resolutions were presented by
c. w. Ashford, vice.president OF the
Kaahumanu Improvement Club, who
In the absence of the president, acted
us spokesman for the club. Ashore
went over the ground thoroughly, ex.
planning the conditions which had led
to the calling of the meeting, and said
that 1t seemed as though 1t should be
possible to provide some legislation
covering the matter Of Japanese camps
In the residence districts II the pres.
ent ordinance should be declared In.
valid.
There has been, unfortunately
more or less effort to bring the Ques
ton Of race itno this argument" con
cluded Ashford "Such should not be
the case. II may be that the japanese
VIII be the ones most directly affected
by this proposed legislation preventing
the erection of lodging camps. but
that Is only a circumstance, and the
race matter should be left out of the
argument. What we object to are the
cheap lodging houses, no matter By
what people they may be erected"
Ashford then presented his resolu
ton which stated that, during the past
few months. number Of "unsightly
and probably unsanitary structures dc
signed and used as labor camps" have
been erected In the residence portions
of the city, that they have decreased
the value Of the surrounding property
have increased the fire risks, and hav,
In other ways made the districts unde
sirable to live In.
II therefore urged that steps he TAX
en- to provide such legislation as shall
insure the abatement Of the alleged
nuisance.
Deputy District Attorney w. l.
Whitney said: AT the request of thu
Governor | have been preparing /,
meet the exigencies of this case from
the Territorial standpoint. This Is |
difficult matter to handle. The Su
preme Court, In the famous California
laundry cases. has handed down "A dc
cisiOn that the granting or withhold
ing OF license cannot he left In tn
hands of any man or body Of men
such as the Board of Supervisors. Tn,
Board of Supervisors has no contro
over the Territorial Treasurer an
therefore can have nothing to do witt
the granting of licenses
A. q. NJ. Robertson: II was yer
much interested, during the reading O
the minutes of the last meeting, Il
hearing of what DR.. Scudder said cor
corning the necessity for waging
campaign of education. But | do no
agree with DR.. Scudder that the can
paign of education should be carrie
on among the Japanese. The educf
ton should be undertaken among tn
Anglo.Saxon people of this commur
ity who employ Orientals In trade
where they come in competition wit
a better class Of home makers.
s. Sheba, editor OF the Hawaii Shin
pc, was called upon to give his idea
on the subject. Said he: II do nc
question the necessity for stron
law in this matter. But believe tha
law and education should go hand !
hand. Just as there are white peopl
who will lease out their land for tn
erection of lodging houses In order I
make money, and lawyers who will tt
TO prove the law against such lodgin
houses unconstitutional, so there al
Japanese who will erect lodgin
houses for the purpose of maxim
, money.
THE better class Of japanese M
doing all that they can to prevent III
japanese lodging houses from goin
into the residence parts of the cit
There is no doubt but that a car
paign should be carried on among Il
Japanese. We would support Il, @
the other hand, the white people shou
do little educating among those
their own people who have SO HIT
civic pride that they will lease the
land for lodging house purposes"
- Sheba's talk was received with a