Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-04-13
COMMITTEE WORKS
ON PROHIBITION
Senate Military Affairs Body
Makes Changes in Plans
to Meet Emergency

Senator Castles prohibition meas
ure, Senate Bill 124 relating TO social
clubs, will be tabled by the military
committee at his own request In its
stead Castle will introduce a new bill
to give the treasurer greater control
over club licenses than the former bill
provides.
Castle is willing that the last para
graph of Senate Bill 12S. relating TO
saloon licenses and saloons, shall be
withdrawn. In its place a new para,
gIaph has been suggested by Chairman
r. A Cooke of the liquor license board
to allow summary suspension of all
licenses without allowing a certain
length Of time for hearing. -"
These are the changes in the liquor
situation which developed at q meet
ing of the senate military committee
this morning, and which the commit
tee will take under consideration. Rep
resentatives of the liquor interests and
members of the license board were at
the meeting this morning. IT, /. a
Absolute Control 10 Opposed !
Attorney r. w. Breckons, represent.
ing the liquor men, was their chief
spokesman. Breckons directed most
of his argument against giving into
the hands OF the liquor license board
such absolute control as the proposed
bills provide. !, ... 20,
Breckons held that the changing
nature OF the boards personnel, as
well as the divided opinion on what
may constitute war or an emergency
made the bills unfair to the liquor
people, who had property rights in
THAR business that should be. "consid.
cred. h.. .ss-..s
Breckons drew several pictures OF
what might happen-one or two of
which appeared to strike those at the
meeting as rather far fetched. He
held that the commission had no spe-
cial power which gave it the right to
decide what an emergency is.
What 10 Emergency
Some board may come along here"
he said, (which decides that bright
sunshine Is an emergency. Straight
way the board will vote to close up the
saloons because an emergency exists
The attorney cited other instances
when the board might hold that an
emergency exists. and other people
could rightly disagree with them. II
certain members of the anti-saloon
league should get on the board he was
sure that most anything would suffice
TO back up the order.
Chairman Cooke stated it as the
feeling of the liquor board that the
board cannot work holus.bolus on pro-
hibition matters III the Legislature
wants prohibition 1t should enact it.
regulative powers.
81 don't think the legislature has
the right to vest powers in a commits
sion such, as Senate Bill 125 would
provide" said Breckons. Il do not
think 1t is legal. If 1t passes and 1 1
should consider an emergency did not
exist l should certainly advise the ,
liquor interests to fight it; If | did be-
lieve there was an emergency should
advise them to obey it as good Amer
lean citizens. / want to be fair with
both Sides ..>...ll:r ~. .
Stands for Appeal Right
But shall man with property in !
terests be bound to abide by the |
boards decision OF what is war. epi-!
demic, or emergency, without appeal"
Chairman Cooke did not think the !
law preventing appeal would be abus-
ed by the board. Breclxons thought
that would depend entirely on the
board itself.
.e'The papers have said" continued
Breckons, that the saloon men have
been forced to propose such an offer
as has been made to this board, but
as matter Of fact it was discussed
e considerable time antedating the war
situation. | suppose that If war
comes about as many bartenders and
saloon keepers would go to fight as
will church members, and do almost
as well at 1t. e.. .-.... ..-...#s
d. II. Lewis of Loyejoy & Company
gave his opinion that any request not
to sell to young soldiers would be
obeyed by not only saloons but whole
sale houses as well.
Lewis said the main trouble, how
ever, was from the blind pigs; that
more drunkenness is found about them
than from any saloons or wholesale .
houses. -..
Would Eliminate Word "War"
w. c. Peacock suggested that the
word war" be left out Of Castles bill.
but Castle thought that would take
cut all use OF the measure at this time.
A little later Peacock suggested that
liquor houses be caRyassed to see if
the importation of wines could not be i
cancelled for the present. Wines, he
thought were the cause of most of the
trouble in the lower districts of the
city. u
Senator Coney also voiced strong
feeling against the cheap wines that
ire brought to Hawaii, which, he de-
clared, have ruined lot of lives.
Chairman Cooke expressed the feel
ng toward the end of the meeting that
here is no more reason for closing
he saloons today than there was a
month ago and Breckons agreed with
lin heartily. .". /
10 Suggested ..s
The suggestion made by Chairman !
Cooke as provision for Section 2131 !