The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-07-03
Dcpopulat1on--One of its Causes.

al do not presume TO set myself up as n Mentor to the gov
eminent but I cannot help thinking that better means might
than those relied upon at present. An act ought to be in force
compelling every one To show an honest means of earning n live
lhcd for the devil finds some mischief still for idle hands
70 dc" and II people were compelled To work all day, they
ing ava and induiging in every other species OF debaurhery.
On ono land in kcolau, where ava drinking is INDUCED IN al
most every night To excess, there were five deaths within the
last few weeks, and, I need not say, not M birth. Now what
effect, or II any, ava drinking may have in producing or agra
That IL Is one fruitful source of mortality ! have no doubt
throughout the country. is had enough. and demoralizing
enough but Il is not a drop in the bucket when compared
the house Of n so-calei prophecies, in the country, TO which
n q " or : pn and aS q nGastss a ase h insascd Il fn.N weessi
and participated In by the authoritiesin the neighboThood. Here
ava, which has become almost IS indispensable as his daily
food. Now as all ava is consumed in the country. the prod1e-
ton and sale ofit does not add one cent TO the wealth OF this
nation bu, il adds materially to its Incidence and demoraiiza-
The extract above quoted is from a letter to
this paper written by DIR. a. Kennedy, the force
and truth of which is becoming more and more
apparent. 1t is not the opinion of one medical
gentleman only, but of every physician who has
had an experience of sufficient length to justify
him in coming 10 n conclusion. 1t is not only the
experience of those who reside upon this island,
but of those living upon the other islands of the
group. \ gentleman travelling upon Hawaii
states that he refined up alta house on a frequented
road, and, surprised that no one appeared, dis
mounted and entered the house, finding, to his
surprise, twelve inmates, male and female, some
nude, others nearly so, but all under the influence
of ava, having arrived at that condition known
as 80 dead drunk"
To any one ~sceptical or interested in this mat
ter, we say, visit the fish market on Saturday
afternoon, or take your stand on the corner of
Maunakea and Marine streets, and see for your
self with what regularity natives visit the fish
stands, and then the ava stalls or shops. Upon
King or Nuuanu streets horsemen and women
can be seen with their package of fish, and the
equally priced root Ottawa, which is intended for use
ON the Saturday night and Sunday following. See,
as others have seen, the beastly condition to which
its use reduces those who partake of it. Drunk
on Saturday night, stupid and quarrelsome on
Sunday, and untitled for work on Monday, is the
experience of those habituated to its use. Like
all who become victims to intoxicating drinks, the
upon. The revenue derived from its sale must be
large, if We can judge from Its cost, and from the
spirited bidding for licenses when offered. One
may well ask, why its sale and use are permitted,
when the enforcement of laws now existing would
c~urtail, if not, prevent Its abuse.
IL Is unlawful to sell or furnish Intoxicating
drinks to a Hawaiian ON any of these islands, and
no license is granted to retail them even to whites,
outside of this city yet, forsooth, licenses to sell
ava are granted for all the islands. Why this
inconsistency? Is it, as is reported, because
some sorceress or kahuna wields a power above
the law? What is the law thus set at naught?
The Minister of the Interior may grant licenses
To any person of good character; the hcenser
shall give the Minister a bond with surety or
s%uretes, by which he binds himself to sell no ava
to the statute that he will preserve
every certificate on which he may Lave sold ava,
shall be open for inspection to those Curl
jus in such matters that it is not lawful to sell
iva to any other persons than those buying it in
Quantities exceeding ten pounds for expectation,
'r to duly licensed physicians and surgeons, or to
! person ,rho has a certificate from a physician or