OCR Interpretation


The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, July 17, 1915, Image 2

Image and text provided by University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI

Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014689/1915-07-17/ed-1/seq-2/

What is OCR?


Thumbnail for 2

THE MAUI NEWS, SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1915.
THE MAUI NEWS
3C
Entered at the Post Office at Walluku, Maul, Hawaii, as second-class matter.
A Republican Paper Published in the Interest of the People
Issued livery Saturday.
MAUI PUBLISHING COMPANY, LIMITED,
Proprietors and Publishers
Subscription Rates, $2.50 ter Year in Advance.
KAHULUI RAILROAD CO'S
Merchandise Department
will J. COOPER,
EDITOR AND MANAGER
SATURDAY,
JULY 17, 1915.
opp on run wrong poor.
tt-
2
Zeal, judiciously directed, is a mighty fine thing for any reform
movement, but in excess it generally works backwards. In another
column we reprint a letter to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, written by
Dr. John V. Wadman, superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League work
in the Islands." Of all the workers against the liquor evil, who have
ever made Hawaii their field of operations, Dr. Wadman has undoubt
edly been the strongest. And much of this strength has been owing
to the fact that he has not been blinded by his enthusiasm, to obstacles
to be overcome. His frankness and fairness have won for him the sup
port of men and women, who, while admitting the social havoc wrought
by alcohol, and holding no brief for the liquor interests, have been luke
warm on the usual drastic program of the reformers, and repelled by
their fanatical intolerance of any opinion other than their own. Dr.
Wadman has never seemed to be of this type. Also he is about the
last time one would expect to see impugn the motives of others. And
when he does this in no uncertain terms, as instance the letter referred
to, his friends must suffer a severe shock.
Dr. Wadman's attack has been most unfair to the new members
of the Maui license board. To condemn them as he does on the strength
of their permitting liquor houses to do business for three hours dur
ing the forenoon of the Fourth of July, would not have been expected
of a man of his calibre. If one but stops to think about it, there is no
particular reason why saloons should be closed at all on the Fourth. As
to the drunkenness and disorder, which the Doctor alleges, "on good
authority'" disgraced central Maui, he is mistaken. There was not an
arrest made on the day of the races and Sheriff Crowell declares in
most positive terms that it was probably the quietest Fourth in the his
tory of Maui. There is plenty of evidence on this point should Dr.
Wadman care to look for it. It would be interesting to know who Dr.
Wadman's "good authority" was.
In asserting that Maui is going backwards in reference to the liquor
traffic' Dr. Wadman is not simply unjust to the license board, but he is
casting a reflection upon Maui that is unfair and untrue. There is a
very general concurrence of opinion that at no time in the county's
history has there been less liquor consumed than at present; and the
gratifying feature of it is that the restrictive measures, that Dr. Wad
man so zealously advocates, are much less responsible for this happy
state of affairs, than is the general enlightening of the community. As
one liquor dealer expressed it : "The liquor business is dying a natural
death."
Without commenting on the Doctor's individual attack on each of
the new members of the board, it is quite astounding that he should
presume to intimate how any member of the board will cast his vote
when it comes to the matter of granting more saloon licenses, as he
does do. In fact the letter is full of surprises, particularly to those who
have looked upon him as anything but a zealot, and who know some
thing of his past work.
Of course our readers will understand that references to the Fourth
of July really refer to July 3rd the day that Maui celebrated.
ts 8 tt tt tt
MAIN ISSUE OVERLOOKED.
The Maui board of supervisors, in its wisdom, has seen fit to place
its tabu on Sunday movies. Probably not very many persons in Maui
care much one way or the other, unless it be the picture house managers
or the ultra conservative element of the church people who believe in
making people conform to their interpretation of Christianity by law, if
they can't do it otherwise. But there is a much more serious phase of
the moving picture question that neither supervisors nor church seems
to be troubling their minds about in the least, and that is the character
of the films which are being shown.
A few weeks ago a gang of young boys in Lahaina held up, in
most approved fashion, with revolvers they had stolen, an old China
man, and robbed him of several dollars. When rounded up by the
jjolice, it developed that a regular Jesse James gang of young outlaws
had been organized, of which fifteen or twenty boys were members,
and that they had much more ambitious plans in the hold-up line, than
the simple robbing of a Chinaman. School teachers and others declare
that this affair was due to nothing else than the suggestions these boys
had obtained from the Indian and cowboy type of pictures they had
been seeing. An instance is also cited of from the same district of a
domestic rupture alleged to have been due to the false ideas a young
Hawaiian wife got from the movies of up-to-date family relations.
Now, a community should be much more concerned about the
moral effect of an institution upon its members, than as to the parti
cular days of the week in which this influence is exerted. Just what,
if any restraint should be put upon the moving pictures, is a question
that will doubtless never be solved to the satisfaction of everyone.
Doubtless few of the pictures that are-shown on Maui have any parti
cular influence either for good or bad upon the large majority of persons
of mature minds, who see them. These persons get some entertain
ment from them, and stimulation that is probably not harmful. Should
they be deprived of this because some children and weak minded per
sons may be hurt by them? And if so, where is the line to be drawn,
and who is to draw it? It is the old question of censorship again that
has never been settled and probably never will be, but it is very much
more to the point than the Sunday issue.
n tt tt tt tt
TWISTING THE DEMON'S TAIL.
The Maui board of liquor license commissioners is to put a ban
on treating in drinking places by anyone, and thinks it has pretty well
reached 'the extreme of radical. But the Hilo board is doing a few
radical stunts also in the way of curbing demon rum. In seventeen
new rules just adopted, the Big Island board, among other things puts
the tabu on : dirty glasses, towels, or other saloon equipment ; obstruct
ing screens; blind entrances; treating by bartender; games or shaking
dice; music, pictures, chairs or tables. Besides this, all liquor com
j)ounds must have a big red label pasted on the bottle, all wholesale
stores must register the name of every customer, and no alcohol spirits
shall be kept on the premises.
n tt xx tx tt
In the sudden death of his wife on the Coast, Phil. B. Danky,
waterfront reporter for many years cj the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, will
have the heartfelt sympathy of every newspaier man in the Territory,
as well as of his many other friends. Mr. Danky had been married
less than a year, and his wife was visiting her mother on the Coast.
Mr. Danky did not have time to start for her bedside after learning of
her illness, before a second cable brought the news of her death.
tt tt tt tt tt
Some men are so strong for peace that they are willing to scrap
DISTRIBUTORS
OF
Round and Hexagon
Bronze Rods,
Brass and Copper Pipe,
Hard and Soft
Sheet Brass,
Flat Soft Rolled
Sheet Copper,
Spring Brass Wire.
Telephone No. 1062
Kalinhii, Maui, T. H.
a
tor it any day at the drop of a hat.

xml | txt