The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-01
WHAT A CRAFT
It WOULD Be!
Coelho's Bail Bill Opens Up
Vista of Many Fine
Pickings.


troduced into the Senate by Senator
Coelho came before the Judiciary Com
mittee and the members had had an
opportunity to read between the lines.
one or two of the sugar baron members
and an attorney or two came to the
conclusion that they could Just as well
pass the bill, close up their ordinary
business and seek the support of the
executive for appointment as bail com.
missioners, because they could make a
better and surer living out of the COM
missioner, job than many Others in
which they were interested.
In fact, the more they studied the
bill, the more they were convinced that
the bill if passed, represented a gold
mine, and that the commissioner might
look for fees aggregating a couple of
thousand dollars a month. The more
active the police in making arrests, the
greater the troubles among people re-
sultlng in issuing of warrants and at
tendant arrest, the more gambling that
went on in the community, if the de-
tectlves could only locate them all and
lug them to the station house, the larg-
er the aggregate of fees. In fact, it
was suggested that the bill might prove
a means of greater graft than has ever
been afforded persons holding public
Office
1t is said that when the proposed bill
was analysed that the committee had
for reference the police court calendars
for Honolulu for week before them.
1t was a fairly good week as far as
arrests went. There were gamblers
galore on those lists and assault and
battery cases, and the drunk list was
unusually large. There were persons on
the calendar who had to defend them
selves against the charge of theft, rid
ing bicycles at night without a light,
violating the liquor law and calling
each other bad names
Now this bail comm issioner bill call
ed for fees for setting bail in misdea-
meanor and felony cases, $3.50 Tor the
former and So for the latter That is
when Joe was brought in drunk last
evening, and he wanted to get bailed
out, it would be necessary to get a
hack and send an officer out to Mr..
Bail Commissioner s house to have bail
set, which would be Sc Mr.. Bail Com
missioner affixed his signature to the
document fixing the bail at Sc. The
mere fact of fixing the bail cost Mr..
John Doe $3.50. That was the commits
siOner' fee. The hack and officer re-
turned to the station and John was
that for Sc he could now get
out of Jail. Then he would have to
call up friend or man who makes
a business of having cash on hand to
lend to arrested persons as bail money.
Probably some one would advance the
Sc cash to the station clerk, for which
courtesy John Doe would pay the lender
80 Of IS cents-say so cents. That
ran his bill of cost so far up to So.
The next morning John Doe appeared
before the police judge and receives
fine of So and costs, 81, which makes
the fine 81, which he must pay over.
Therefore his little drunk has actually
cost him in cash, 81. Of this 81, the
sum of $3.50 has gone to the Commits
sioner's pocket, 80 cents to the money
lender and 81 to the government.
Now take the case of bunch of
gamblers. Detective Mederos brings
in a batch of ten Chinese gamblers who
were tempting Dame Fortune in the
game of pai-kau The bail is usually
$40 each. cash. The bail bill, however,
states that the commissioner shall set
bail in each and every case. Therefore
each of the ten eases must be laid be-
fore Mr.. Bail Commissioner, who sets
bail for the ten All Sans at $40 each.
For each case he receives $3.50, or go
for the bunch, just for scratch OF the
pen.
There are always well-todo Chinese
with a gold-flled canvas bag to bail
out their cOuntrymen. It's an old es-
custom that when this money
lender advances $40 cash for bail the
bailee pays him 81 for SO helping him
out. That makes the bill of cash paid.
out already $3.50. Then the next
the Judge fines each of the An
Sans S. and costs. 81. or Sc. That
makes the total cash outlay just $3.50.
Of this, $3.50 goes down into Mr.. Ban
lender, and Sc to the government.
the matter from more sides than one,
saw opportunities for graft. Under
such conditions an Inscriptions ponce
official and the bail commissioner
might see great financial possibilities IN
the bail bill The police could bring IN
dozens of gamblers, the more the mer-
rier. The gambling huis would agree
TO the little plan, that $3.50 would be
little enough for the chance to extend
the business. Under an agreement
gamblers by the dozens could be run
in and with insufficient evidence the
following morning in court would be
discharged. All that it would cost the
PLAYER would be the $3.50 for bail fee
and 81 for the use of the money. A
division of fees. under an INSCRIPTIONS
method of handling the act, would OPP
crate to the advantage of all con-
cerned.
During the month of February the
fees of the bail commissioner would not
have been less than $4,000. which would
mean $4,000 per year. The argument
NAV be made, however. that when a
bunch of ten gamblers is brought III