The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-05-30
- = .
Booze Again

DY the strongest kind Of circumstantia evil
- dence. says the Maui News, booze stands
convicted in the matter of the Lahaina horror
Two young girls were the innocent victims. The
police say the fire was an accident. No one can
be held responsible. Though the coroners jury
is satisfied that the blaze started from cigaret
of a drunken man, the man cannot be held In
fact nothing can undo the thing that has happened
1t does no good to blame anybody. 1t is true
that the FIRE may have started in some other man
ner, but even if it did that does not explain why
hn, able bodied man, who was able to save himself
could not also save his two unfortunate wards
But the man not able bodied. He was drunk
Booze was the murderer. If it didn't touch the
spark that did the fatal work, it did tie the hands
of the natural protector of the two poor children
There are a number of things about this war
which we will confess we fail to follow, but the
apparent desire of the Central Powers to add
Greece to the list of their foes seems like the
limit
> Surely Secretary Brown Of the chamber of COM
mcrce has been misquoted when he is made to
suggest that the frontage tax be abolished If
Bond issue &c foated 10 secure road money. The
frontage tax law is one Of the few progressive
features of the municipality and the indications
are that Honolulu is beginning to catch up with IT.
*****
Theodore Roosevelt kept the dictionaries of the
nation busy yesterday when he sprung his bar
sinister" offensive against the Hyphen. 1t was
Mark Twain who put into the mouth of Tom
Sawyer the remark explanatory of the bar sinister
that it belongs in the coat-of-arms Of every lead
ing family 81 don't know what ii is, but they all
have it," said Tom. .
If confirmation comes of the news cabled from
Toxic to the Hawaii Shnpo, that President Yuan
Of China is stricken with apoplexy, the political
situation in China will be less complicated
The personality of Yuan Shih-ka dominates China
md his personal influence has had more to do with
more people during the past few years than that
Of any other man, not excepting Kaiser Wilhelm.
~ 49,
Last year Honolulu spent $4,000 on road
work, according to figures quoted by city Off
cial. The mayor now wants to float bond issue
for $75O,OOO for further roadwork. Does this
mean that we will get three times much for the
loan fund as we got from the tax money spent?
And if SO, where is the roadwork we got for our
$4,000? If it could be located and measured
we would be in better position to consider the
bond issue question.
The Advertiser has received communication
charging Supervisor Logan with nearly all the
crimes of the decalogue and all because he has
suggested leasing the public baths at Kapiolan
Park. Our correspondent makes the mistake of
supposing that Mr.. Logan advocates leasing the
baths for private use. His idea, on the contrary,
is to return to the old system, under which the
baths were run for the benefit Of the public for
the first few wears of their ownership by the city.
There is no scheme on to close the place.
-
Those Honoluans who SO vigorously announced
their patriotic intention of keeping the Old Flag
waving on the Pacific will soon have the chance
of seeing the Rising Sun waving over the Korea
and the Siberia, as it is today waving over a few
others Of what was the American merchant
marine Great is the New Freedom When the
next time comes to make an effort for the sus-
pension of the Coastwise Law will it be termed
unpatriotic to desire to travel to the Coast on
the Siberia? She will be the same ship on the
same run as she was when it was considered
highly patriotic duty to make use of her.