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 big 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 it is an I'M
deniable and undenied fact that the steady growth
of prohibition and temperance sentiment is one OF
the main factors in making the wholesale 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 to 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
cial life are all against the drink habit.
lin Honolulu club, we are informed, the receipts
from the bar and buffet have been cut almost in half
~
ticular temperance moyement--its members merely
are using less and less liquer. Recently a saloon
license, for seemingly desirable and popular loca-
ton, was sold at a surprisingly low figure, consid-
ering the fact that saloon licenses restricted
in Honolulu that the present holders of them have
practical monopoly on the retail business. This
is another instance to show that prohibition for Hal
wai is coming, and the liquor men know it.
A plebiscite in Hawaii the question of prohibit
tion 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 their. campaign Not so today.
They are the defensive now. losing trench after
trench In the last few years the growth Of .'dry"
territory the mainland has pointed Enthusiastically
TO the not far-distant day when the nation will be
"alwhite" either by adoption of a constitutional
amendment. by state vote, or by local option.
The favorable report of the house judiciary COM
mittee yesterday on the proposed constitutional
amendment is strkingly significant 1t means that
the Democratic party is preparing tolnake prohibit
ton 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
It's own opportunity. Democracy, with the proof
of the recent election that progressiysm brings it
victory in the western and coast states is not likely
to turn down such instrument of aid as espousal
of the prohibition cause. If this amendment goes
tohe state legislatures for ratification it will start
with certain % out of the necessary So states fer
90 are already "dry.' More than GO per cent of
the country's population lives in these states
The constitutional amendment must be passed by
a twothirds vote of the house and senate before be-
ing submitted to the states. il may he helten 1T
the present sholt session of Congress but there IS
little doubt that at the next session, pressure of