The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-11-18
Privilege Granted Hilo Clubmer
Is Cause Of Comment-First
Criticism Modified.

(Mail Special to The Advertiser.)
liILO, November 1.-THE apparent
granting by Treasurer Conkling of a
so.cnlled club liquor license to the No.
mura Hotel, on Richardson street, stir.
red up considerable feeling among those
Interested in the liquor traffic and those
concerned with control thereof, when
the news began to circulate recently.
The matter reached the liquor license
commissioners in the torn of kick
from tho Matano Hotel proprietor, who
wanted 10 know why his competitor
the NomuIa Hotel, could get 5000
license, while he himself had to pay the
full pmouut of a regular hotel license,
namely thousand dollars.
On the face OF it there was consider
allie cause for dissatisfaction. First
of all, the common experience in the
Territory has been that. with the ex-
ccption of few bona fide and well es.
tablishcd clubs, the so.called liquor
licenses have been sought by clubs,
which were such only in name the club
being n mere su5terfuge which was re-
sorted TO for the purpose of getting .
cheap license. Such clubs extended
their membership to any one who had
the price Of drink, and it was feared
tina. tie club which had its headquar-
ters IN a Japanese hotel, might be Il
brd of Just that color.
In addition to this the license con.
nisf'oness tclt that the treasurer should
have consulted them about the matter,
before he issued the license Then
there was the further objection that
in issuing the license, on charter, the
treasurer had set TO nought the well
established aud universally praised pol
icy Of The Local license commission not
TO grant any liquor licenses in IIilo
beyond those which are already in ex.
istCn,c.
Not 3s Bad as Seems.
An investigation of the matter shows
however, that the ease is not rs bad
az it seemed ut FIRST. In the first place
The Climb, the Namato Club is its name
is quite evidently bona fidc club. s.
llHtA, the well known merchant, is the
president, and the rest of the offices
are held by prominent japanese. The
club s charter extends over a fifty year
period. There are sixty members on the
roll already, and the membership has
been limited to l25. The initiation fec
is ten dollars and the dues $3.50 .
month, all OF which shows an entir,
absence of sham or subtcrfuge. tn,
club rooms are spacious and handsome
and compare well with those of other
local clubs.
Hopes Test viii Come.
Treasurer Conkling, in answer to AZ
inquiry made to him in regard to tn,
matter by the editor of the Tribune
writes in part rs follows:
1.-The club license law is matter fol
the courts TO settle, and | hope Hill,
will try il out. There is serious
doubt that the amended liquor law il
supreme.
'Rogardng the Yamato Club incor
poration, ! must say that | am Statistic,
from the occupations of most of tn,
members that they had perfect righ
to band themselves together for tn,
purpose of social club. They have N,
license to sell liquor. They have pal,
a tax for the privilege of dispensing i
among members.
"Now as to the justice OF granting
a charter TO the Yamato Club, ! wa
informed that Nomura had made an ap
plication for "A hotel license and ha,
been turned down. This is not so; h,
never made an application.
NO Evasion of Law.
'Thc application for charter cam,
in the regular way. Knowing the pro
tosts which had been filed with m,
against granting the same, | investi
gated tA' matter and found that Their,
was no evasion Of the liquor law ap
parent. The names of the signers O
'he application were bona fde an,
among them men Of the Japanese com
wunity holding responsible positions il
your rity. besides professional men an'
ucwspupermcu, visited the clul
rooms They looh like many other clul
rooms y0u aud ! know Of In the Terri
tory Vita che assurances Of the mel
talked with was satisfied that
bona njr club was Intended The char
irr wUH ttrrruInu approved hy mo an'
took Iis IHUuur cmre. The paymen
nI ihr iHn or,rTrl ONO time after th
. OIL.