Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-04-12
PROHIBITION AND THE TOURIST

1OEo.OFu, I.d"dlI, AIfTIi -, ISIi.
Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Sir: Does Honolulu want tourists
- does she want prohibition?
She cannot have both
This view is taken by one who
comes in contact with more tourists
than any one man in Honolulu ana
therefore hears their likes and dis
likes. The one Kick from tourists is
there is not enough doing here. net
enough life TO keep them any length
OF time. They say II is true We have
the finest climate and most wonderful
scenery in the world but the scenery
does not work at night, and the eli
mate gets monOtonous if there is no
life to go with it. Therefore the tour
list who has brought his motor and golf
clubs to spend three months stays
only that many weeks and returns to
California TO finish his vacation.
Now comes the prohibition question.
| will state rilht here that do not
even know the taste of liquor; have
never drank a glass Of intoxicating
liquor in my life nor do | intend TO.
but look at this in different light
than some whom | know. This is "a
free country and some people hate to
have things forced upon them. Now
the tourist is out to spend his money
but wants value receive&. The only
life in town at the present time after
dark is the roof garden at the Young
hotel. Heinie's Tavern and the Moana
hotel II We have prohibition these
nlannc nj of
then the only place for the tourists
to go after dark is to bed. But will he
stand for it? l don't think so. He
doesn't have to. He can go elsewhere,
which they do.
| agree that good roads is a great
asset for tourists but there are other
things. For instance, If the $4,000 We
spend by the Promotion Committee
per year was partly spent here trying
to please and Keep tourists that come
here and making boosters Of them.
The Country Club has been a wonder
full help in entert aiming our tourists.
Haleiwa hotel has done her share, but
how long could these two places exist
without their liquor privileges. l find
that the deacon of the church or the
minister when going on their vacations
arc not looking for prayer meetings.
would suggest that if Honolulu
wants tourists she should prepare for
them, get amusement piers where they
can hear Hawaiian music and dance.
The tourists all claim that they hear
more Hawaiian music on the mainland
than they 90 after they get here. The
business people Of Honolulu. should
boost everything that is in line to
entertain the visitors and not be try
ing to take what little they have away
from them. :. is not only liquor
you're driving out but everything that
goes with it pertaining to pleasure,
and as a resort we cannot afford to
lose the tourists.
The idea of not being able to get a
drink in Honolulu would not keep
many people away but the absence OF
life that goes with it would finish this
as a tourist resort.
We should profit from what has
happened to Seattle end Portland.
They have always enjoyed a good sum.
mer. Tourists stop at these places as
way stations for the Alaska trip for
eastern tourists. Last season i saw
several large hotels and other enter:
prises that derived benefit from
tourists had to so out OF. business; the
tourists all going to Victoria, which
also has gore dry. When the universe
gdes dry am i'll favor of prohibition
but not until then. ] am only one OF
many businessmen whose meal tickets
lie with the tourist trade. i own no
sugar stock.
LEWIS STABLES & GARAGE,
s..~. I.y e. H. LEWIS, Mgr.
(The writer of the above evidently
has not seen the recent statements by
businessmen of both Seattle and Port
land that business in both these cities
has improved wonderfully since the
states went "d,y." Seattle, N partic-
ular, has just voted to go "drier" than
ever because business has been so
much better than under the wet
regime. This is a matter of statistics,
not opinion. it is also a matter OF
proved figures that prohibition helps
instead of hurts tusiness-the general
run of business, not few only
Editorl
nopc Aa0IIr THE CHICKEN