Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 70, 9 December 1893 — Lock the Stable When the Horse is Stolen. [ARTICLE]

Lock the Stable When the Horse is Stolen.

The above old ‘ saw’’ seems to be the rule according to whieh our Custora House conducts its business. Last Thursday the officers of the Anstralia were surprised by a visit from the Custom ofiicials who made a most thorough search of the vessel looking iuto every corner and scrutinizingevery cabin and every berth from the Captain’s to the stoker’s. The reason waa that tho night previous (Wednesday) to the search 150 tins of opium were landed at the O. K. K. wharf and the knowledgo of it sharpened the zeal of the oflicials. i Would it not be a good suggestion to make future searches tho day prior to the removal of the stufi’ instead of the day after. That reminds us that the Provisional government's oflicials have been unusuallv slack iu seizing opiam since they got into oflīce. Never in the historv* of Hawaii has ; opium been as eheap as it is now, ! aud the demand so limited. ?4.00 for a tin is now the quoted price, but bnyers are very scarce. There must be something radica11y wrong somewhere and our supernaturally virtnoas rulers had better get a move on and break up the ring “whieh is now coutrolling the market and—ruining the business.”