The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-04-14
TATTOOING IS BIC BUSINESS'
 IN HONOLULU
By CHARLES P. ARNOT

NOAuSSA AC3o GoSsAA NUAECSVVAAuCntI
 Honolulu, April l4.-(UP)-The slender kid in Navy whites made wry face and shivered slightly as the electrical tattoo machine set up a rag guzz-
 "No worSe'n goin' to the dentist" he grinned to buddy waiting next in line.
 The needle in the hands of a shy lad with brown eyes was tracing a multi-colored floral design on the sailors right forearm. The letters in the center spelled out the leg end, '"To My Dear Mother"
 In front of the small establish ment stood 18 other young men some in Army khaki, the majority in Navy whites. All were waiting patiently to have the young tattoo artist or one of his three assistants ply their skin art on chests, legs or armS-wherever they preferred.
 Annual "Take" of $5OO,OOO
 This particular sidewalk estab- lishment, known as "Miller's Tat too Emporium" is operated by 15- year-old Eugene Miller, a dark skinned native of Hawaii who is the worlds greatest and youngest tatto artist" A large sign above his modest shop says so.
 It is one of Honolulu's eight tat- tooing parlors where B operators are making the electrical pain ma chimes buzz golden flow into their coffers.
 Almost overnight, Honolulu has gained the dubious title of the worlds tattoo center. Conservative estimates place the annual take" at more than $500,000, with an av- craze of nearly $60,ooO per estab- liShment.
 The scene at young Miller's shop was typical. The stream of custom CTS is never-ending during daylight hours. The shops are always filled with waiting customers.
 One estimate fixed the daily num- Der of tattoo victims here at 300 to 5000, who pay an average of $3. For small, simple designs the price may be as low as 50 cents. But it costs $20 to $25 to have a big, elaborate leg or chest job.
 65 P. c. in the Navy
 Most of the patrons are service men and migratory workers, whose fancy for skin engraving" ranges from such sentimental designs as the one Miller "carved" into the arm of the young sailor to shapely women-clothed only enough to pass the Navy's ban on nudes.
 A recent survey showed that 65 per cent of the customers were non- commissioned Navy personnel. 25 per cent enlisted men in the Army, and the rest war workers.
 About 80 per cent are in their late teens or early 20's. Racially they are about 90 per cent Caucasian, five per cent Filipino, three per cent Oriental and two per cent Negro.
 Their reasons for submitting to the tattoo needle vary. Among Navy pSsonnel, the evidence of tattoo See,s1E to convey that the wearer is salty" or seagoing veteran. Many sailors prefer simple designs such as the letters "USN' through the center of an anchor. This is SUD- posed to represent apparent devo- tion to their branch of the service. Souvenirs of Hawaii
 Others said they wanted the skin markings for Identification purposes or as souvenirs-such as, Hawaii 1944'. or the representation of sinking ship with the words, "Re member Pearl Harbor." across the side. A few want tattoos to show thev are regular guys" and couple of those in Miller's line said they were there "just to kill time.'
 Few cities have ordinances regu- lating the art of tattooing. Hono- lulu's regulations pertaining to tat too parlors went into effect in June, 1942, but do not deal with the health aspects. They merely provide that operators may be issued permits if they have no previous police rec ords-to safeguard that prostitution remains divorced from the tattoo ind"strv. and vice versa.
 Honolulu has found it not SO much problem-of mortality as of health, although a recent health de- pertinent report said there had been relatively few reports of infection due to tattooing.
 It is simple enough to acquire a tattoo-if you have the price. But oetting rid of one is another mat ter. The only way a tattoo can be removed Is by cutting away the skin and grating on new skin from an- other part of the body. Pain and considerable expense are both in- volved.