The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-01-26
REPORTS ON LOCAL a
VICE CONDITIONS
!. Spill CHAMBER
Sharp Differences Of Opinion De-
yeIop When Question Is
Taken Up
Nclnerny Comes To Support Of
Position Taken BY Super
visor Horner

Sharp difference Of opinion on the
vice situation in Honolulu, marked by
warm but brief exchange Of remarks,
developed at the chamber Of commerce
meeting yesterday when consideration
was given the majority and minority
reports presented by the chambers
committee appointed to investigate
[wilei and kindred problems.
The chamber authorized its commit.
tee to call a public meeting, If IL sees
fit, to discuss the vice question from
the point Of view of the two reports.
By a close vote, the chamber de-
cided against dropping the entire sub t,
iect on motion to reconsider authori.
zation of the public meeting. The pur.
pose of the motion to reconsider was
to permit motion to accept both Of
the widely divergent reports, without
comment and table them. ....
Opinion Widely Split ..... hi. 49,.
Out of the difference of opinion on
the merits of the two reports develop.
! ed the issue on which opinion again
split--whether or not the chamber of
Il
vestigation of the vice situation and
make an effort to secure better laws
and a better enforcement of law.
The two reports were considered,
without being read--one, the majority
report, recommending continued anti
vice campaign and an effort to secure
the passage for Hawaii of the Iowa
Injunction Act as a means of more
effectively combating commercialized
vice and the other, the minority re-
port, favoring the opening Of Iwilei
and opposing the enactment of an
abatement law. So. .. &sl y
Supervisor Horner, the lone minority
member of the committee and author
of the minority report, opened the dis.
I,cussion with the statement that: ~
"The expression of an independent
| idea or opinion around here earns a
man a lot of cheap abuse from the
press. As long as I live in Honolulu
shall always expound my ideas regard
less Of this little cheap abuse. " He
ended with an explanation of why he
advocated reopening Iwilei, licensing
prostitution and why he opposed the
suggestion of working for an abate-
ment law. NsN al
w. r. harrington answered Super
visor Horner with the statement that
editorial opinion in the press was as
much an expression of one side Of the
issue as anything else and as much en-
titled to be expressed. p. w.
McInerny Backs Homer
Then James ID. McInerny spoke in
favor of Supervisor Horner 8 stand, his
remarks being met by brief burst of
applause. Here the motion was put
and carried that the committee be au.
thorized to call a public meeting on
the vice question. IT,. " ., H..
The question whether or not this
action implied the adoption of the ma
jority report favoring an abatement
law was raised. Mr.. McInerny made o
motion that both reports be accepted
and tabled, explaining that the purpose
of the motion was to end further activ-
ity on the part of the chamber of COM
meree in the vice situation. 1t was
pointed out that authorization of the
public meeting precluded Mr.. Nc
Inerny's motion and George W. Smith,
president, ruled that the motion to
table was out of order. To permit q
vote on Mr.. McInerny's motion to table
the question, q motion was then made
to reconsider the authorization of q
public meeting. 1t was lost by mar
row margin, not however, before some
decided differences of opinion were ex-
pressed.
One or two members took the stand
that an abatement law would be
means of blackmail while others op,
posed this view. Speaking in favor Of
the chambers dropping the entire sub,
ject, J. @. Cohen said: ~ 49, Il.
tThis whole situation is like cess.
pool and the more we stir IL the more
it stinks. RI 49, 49, :,
81 believe it is a cesspool," answer
ed Mr., harrington, 'tbut like all cess.
pools il ought to be drained" h
But let s not put blanket over the
cesspool, - replied Mr.. McInerny, "and
think we have ii safely out of the way
and covered up" .a .
"The chamber of commerce should
never have taken up this vice question
in the beginning" he continued, "and
we should drop it now" ..... ~ ~.
The meeting was .slimly attended,
while the meeting which authorized
the special anti.Vice committee and
started it to work was large meeting,
which fact was pointed out by F. G.
Atherton.