The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-03-06


N proposed abatement by injuhc-
tion law now before the legisla.
ture, men and women of Honolulu
crowded the Opera House last night to
hear leaders Of the community discuss
in plain terms the problem Of com
mercialized. vice in Honolulu and the
means that must be taken to eradicate
the evil. ..lF
Straight from the shoulder, without
mincing Of words, the speakers dealt
with the business of prostitution, ex,
posing the rottenness, the evils, the
dangers Of the s0-called segregated dis
trict asa solution Of the problem and
driving home fact after fact in support
Of the proposed law.
The FIVE speakers in support of the
bin, selected by the vice investigation
committee of the chamber OF commerce
under whose auspices the meeting was
held, were w. F. Frcar, former Cover.
nor; DIR. w. c. Hobby, s. G. Huber,
United States district attorney; Wal
lace r. harrington and James A. Rath,
head worker Of Palama Settlement.
Judge Dole presided mt the meeting
and introduced the speakers. In call.
ing the mass meeting Judge Dole said
that it was TO be free for discussion on
both sides of the subject and invited
anyone with views in opposition to the
proposed law to express them. DR.. F.
III. Schurmann was the only one. He
read a brief statement in favor of q
segregated district as the solution of
the eonhmercialized vice problem.
Objections TO Law Answered g.,
Governor Frear, the first speaker, de.
fined the issue in the question as one
between segregation and eradication,
and after pointing out the evils Of seq
regation, ably answered many of the
objections that are usually made to
complete eradication, and especially to
eradication by means of an, abatement
by injunction law. E
Doctor Hobby dealt with the subject
Of segregation as a means of dealing
with commercialized vice from the
medical point Of view, and showed the
failure of segregation as means Of
controlling disease. :.
Mr.. Huber explained the workings
OF the abatement law and then re-.
futed in no measured terms the state
ment of Doctor Schurmann that red
blooded men required restricted dis
trict. His speech was an eloquent one
and punctuated by frequent applause.
r Mr.. Harrington spoke on the text
"What Are We Going To Do About
It9'''' and Mr. Rath quoted copiously
from statistics showing that abolition
of prostitution as compared with
segregation greatly bettered health
conditions, j..
Before the close OF the meeting f.
J. Lowrey made motion, which was
unanimously adopted, that the mass
meeting endorse the action of the bust
ness community in recommending, to
the Legislature the passage of the
abatement by injunction law now be,
fore that body. Governor Frear in
opening the discussion on the pro-
posed law, said:
Frear Defines Problem ''-fs .
There should be no misconceptiou
Of the Issue involved in this problem
as we, discuss it and is best at the
outlook that we define the issue.
This is not a problem of sexual
intercourse. The problem of sexual
intercourse is a problem of higher
order and larger Significance, an
Issue relative to but distinguished
from the present problem, and one
that is solved rather by personal and
private effort through moral and reli-
gious education than by public effort,
a. question for the individual to crap
pie. .v3.. -.
This is a problem of commercial.
lied vice, of prostitution as a business.
II is practical problem, public
problem that, involves the health, the
order the Improvement and the fair
name OF our city. :
The two problems arc closely re.
lated and often confused. But the
present problem, that of commercial.
lied vice, stands clearly before us,
definitely outlined on definite issues
and productive of two concrete plans
offered for its solution. =,
Issues Unclouded .'....l f.
"The solution does not involve II
difference of opinion as between the
idealist, the moralist, the religionist,
as some call him, ON one side and the
so-called practical man of affairs on
the other. There is no clouding of
issues in this manner. lr|."
"Both sides Of the issue in the prob.
lem before us are men of affairs,
practical men with q practical purpose
In view and both agree on the funda-
Inentals of the problem The issue
finds both sides clearly agreeing what
the conditions are that must be met
what the dangers, what wrong from
these conditions and what the end il
that is sought, But they disagree on
the method 70 be followed in solution
81 the problem.
Tonight, in considering the abate
ment by injunction law now before thu
legislature, we are weighing the meritl
hf the two sides fthe issue on fnefhod
For II is on the method Of combating
the evils and the danger Of commercial
- tk..ft