Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-15
PROHIBITION AND HAWAII.

Few more significant developments have occurred
in the business life of the territory than the retire
ment from the wholesale liquor business of certain
large business firms. A good many years ago one
of the aBig Five" abolished its liquor branch and
within the past few days news has been published
that another has decided TO quit this line. and is
now concluding arrangements for such abandon
ment Furthermore, the last OF the wholesale and
plantation agency firms which has carried whole
sale liquor branch is seriously considering dropping
this portion of its business.
No reason of morals or ethics is given for such
abandonment it being stated that the causes are
purely economic The businesses no longer pay, due
TO several developments. Nevertheless il is an un,
deniable and undenied fact that the steady growth
of prohibition and temperance sentiment is one OF
the main factors in making theIwholesale business
in Hawaii no longer inviting from the standpoint
of profitable enterprise and the economic factor
here is largely influenced by ethical reasons.
In Hawaii as in every state in the Union keen
business competition tends eliminate the drinker.
Businessmen recognize that their employees must be
temperate, and more and more they are applying
the same rule to themselves. The tendencies in so
cal life are all against the drink habit.
In a Honolulu club we are informed, the receipts
from the bar and buffet have been cut almost in half
within a YEAR The club was the center Of no par.
ticular temperance moyement-its members merely
are using less and less liquor. Recently saloon
license for a seemingly desirable and popular loca
ton. was sold at surprisingly low figure, consid
ering the fact that saloon licenses restricted
in Honolulu that the present holders of them have
a practical monopoly on the retail business. This
is another instance show that prohibition for Ha
waii is coming, and the liquor men know It.
4 plebiscite in Hawaii on the question of prohibit
ton would have very different results now from
those of seven years ago. At that time the liquor
forces were entrenched, powerful, defiant with
plenty of money and plenty of brains at command
for flleir campaign. Not so today
They are on the defensive now, losing trench after
trench. In the last few years the growth of dry
territory on the mainland has pointed Enthusiastically
to the not fardistant day when the nation will be
"all-whte" either by adoption of constitutional
amendment. by state vote, or by local option.
The favorable report of the house judiciary COM
mttee yesterday the proposed constitutional
amendment is strikingy significant. 1t means that
the Democratic party is preparing to make prohibi
ton a party issue. That is what Bryan has been
fighting for throughout most of 1916. If the Re
publican party had been wise. il would have seized
its own opportunity. Democracy. with the proof
of the recent election that progressyism brings il
victory in the western and states is not likely
to turn downsuch an instrument of aid as espotlsal
of the prohibition If this amendment goes
10 the state legislatures for ratification it will start
with certain 23 ont of the necessary 36 states fer
23 are already dry" More than 60 per cent of
the country's population lives in these states.
The constitutional amendment must be passed by
4 two-thir1s vote of the house and before be-
inc submitted 10 the states 1t may be beaten al
the present short session of Congress but there is
little doubt that nj the next session, pressure of