The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-05-31
BETTER WORK
IN OTHER WAYS
Women Decide Their Services
Will be More Useful in Real
Work for Cause.
STRAW VOTE ABANDONED
Difficulties to be Overcome Too
Many for the Result to be
Gained for Prohibition.
(From sunday,a Advertiser. }

(trOm sundays AdVertlser,)
At meeting of the women inter
ested in obtaining straw vote of
their sex in Hawaii on the prohibition
question, held at the Royal Hawaiian
Hotel yesterday, the idea of taking
such vote was definitely abandoned.
The matter was thoroughly discussed,
a report of a committee of five ladies
being presented outlining the only
matter of taking the mock election
that would prove accurate or infuen-
tial, added to which report being the
reasons why such an election would be
impracticable at this time.
The meeting was presided over by
Mrs. Walter +. Frear, with Mrs. W. L..
Bowers as secretary, About fifty
women were present, all told. The
plan or outline of the proposed cleo
tion was presented In accordance with
resolution passed at a previous meet
ing and is given below:
A lengthy discussion of the submit
ted plan followed, after which the
committee was asked for a recommend
alton, which they rendered in the fol-
lowing language:
"The committee unanimously recon-
mends that on account of insurmount-
able difficulties discovered in their in
vestigation of the subject, the plan of
attempting a straw vote of the women
of Hawaii on the prohibition question
be abandoned. +"
The matter was then put to the
question which resulted in large vote
| against the adoption. AS the action
upon this matter was the sole purpose
for which the meeting was called, 1T
was then adjourned.
An adjourned meeting was imme-
diately called at which Mrs. Harmon
Hendrick presided, Mrs. Bowers acting
as secretary. Mrs. j. NJ Whitney
moved that the committee be given a
vote of thanks for the definite and
thorough manner in which their inves-
tigation had been made, which was put
and carried.
The vigorous discussion that follow
ed showed plainly that the reason for
not accepting the plan was the opinion
of the meeting, that owing to the lack
of necessary time it would be impos-
sIble to obtain a large or representa-
tive vote on the prohibition question.
The plan of procedure which was
presented by the committee with the
reasons for its present lmpraeticability
is as follows:
GAS there seems to have been in
the minds of many considerable confu-
sion or uncertainty as to what this is
all about the committee would make a
brief statement regarding the history
of this movement of women. In March,
when congress seemed about to resolve
upon a plebiscite on prohibition for
Hawaii, delegates of over thirty organ
izations were asked to hold meetings
of their separate societies to vote on
the question Shall we join with other
organizations in sending cable to con-
gress asking that the women of Hawaii
be allowed to vote at the proposed
plebiscite on prohibition.
| "Meetings were accordingly held in
the short interval of day and half,
much interest was manifested and the
| presidents or delegates Of thirty-fouT
societies sent the above cable. Know.
ing that the request might not be
| granted, it was in the minds Of some
that mock election or straw vote
might be taken anyway, as a means of
obtaining interesting information, and
if, as it was believed, the large ma.
jority of Island women should favor
prohibition, as a means of moral in.
fuence.
"The request sent to congress was
not granted A considerable number
of women having shown themselves in
terested in the subject, meeting was
called last Monday of the officers OF
some forty organizations of women, in
order to get the opinion Of women who
might thus be considered widely repre-
sentative of the community. About
fifty women were present. At this
meeting by an almost unanimous Vote
the following resolution was passed:
Resolved, That it is the sense OF
this meeting that an organization
should be formed to secure the regis
tration of women of Hawaii who lex
cept as regards sex) are qualified in
all respects as voters; and that a vote
of the women so registered should be
taken at a time and place specified
upon the question of prohibition as sci
forth in the joint resolution of congress
April 6, 1910; and that, for the purpose
of considering and acting upon the
question of forming such an organiza
tiOn, a meeting of the women of Ha
wall, qualified as above stated, is here
by called to be held Saturday morning
next. May 2s, 1910, at 10 O'Clock, al
the Hawaiian Hotel; and further thai
committee of five be appointed by
the chair, of which she shall be chair
man, to arrange such meeting and Il
prepare plan of action to be sub
mitted to such meeting
"The committee appointed in ac
eordanee with the resolution passed
was Mrs. W. +. Frear, chairman; Mrs
f, J. Lowrey, Mrs W. L. Bowers, Mrs
May Wilcox and Miss Rose Dawson.
"Two meetings Of the committed
have been held, one of them including
consultation with Mr.. Mott Smith
secretary of the Territory. It is du,
to the information given by him thai
the committee is able to present the
following plan for obtaining the sug
gested straw vote of the women o.
Hawaii: