The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-04-27
THE PACIFIC
Obertisrr.
APRIL q.

SATURDAY Y. APRIL p.
The decrease of the aboriginal population of
these Islands has been the theme Of writer's for
many years, and some have gone so far in the
expression of their views as to predict the entire
extinction of the purely Hawaiian race in the
first half of the coming century. Among the
writer's who have published their opinions on
this point we will mention the late Mr.. Wyllie,
who held the portfolio of the Foreign Office from
1874 to 1864 period Of over twenty years.
That gentleman, after a careful and diligent
comparison of the ratio of births and deaths for
a series of years as shown by the somewhat inn
perfect census returns of twenty-five years ago,
and from such other sources of information as
he could procure, and taking into the ~computa-
ton the various subjects bearing upon the social
customs and general health of the people, gave it
as his firm conviction that but a handful of the
native people would be left in 1925, if, in fact,
they were not entirely extinct. We may well
ask. were the grounds for such a prediction well
founded
At the rate of decrease going on in Mr..
Wyllie's day, such a hypothesis appeared reason
able, and the blotting out of the Hawaiian race
seemed but a question of time measured by a
few short years but there are now indications
to be observed, dimly, it may be, that the tide
of desolation is about to be stayed, that it will
soon take a turn, and that the doom 30 often
predicted will be averted from the original inha-
bitants of the land. 1t is asserted with consi-
derable confidence, that in certain districts the
births are beginning to exceed the deaths, and
should this happy turn of affairs extend through
out the Kingdom, all the fears so often expressed
will prove to have been without proper grounds,
or that saving causes which did not exist at the
time, have sprung up since their utterance.
If it shall appear, upon further observation,
that the births are generally beginning to exceed
the deaths, to what cause is the happy result to
be attributed? At first glance, it would appear
that some great and beneficial change has been
wrought in the social and general habits of the
people, and that sanitary laws are becoming
( generally better understood. The thousand
perils that environ the lives of children in civil
lied lands (where nearly one-half die in early
chiIdhood) exist here in much less number, and
in greatly modified form. In fact, it is proven
bal that our climate is exceptionally favorable
to the health of children, and that but a 1.-THE of
the care devoted to their comfort abroad lie nee
essary here. This being the case, but compare
lively little in the way Of legislation upon sani-
tary matters, 30 far as they affect the young, is
necessary, but that little should not be wanting.
1t would, We take the liberty to suggest, be a
wise step on the part of the Administration to
solicit an expression of opinion on the subject of
health and preservation of life among children
by the leading medical men of the country, these
opinions to be embodied in the form of essays,
and given in plain and popular language, easily
to be comprehended by all and to be translated
into Hawaiian. We are sure that in this way
valuable hints and information would be fur
nished, which might, if necessary, be submitted
to the Legislature and enacted into a law COM
pulsory upon all parents or others having the
charge of children and youth. We feel that we
ought to go still further, and state it as our con-
viction that IT is THE DUTY of the Ministry to
take up this subject in earnest, and arm them
selves by legislative sanction with the necessary
power to enforce all needed measures which a
thorough examination by medical men and those
experienced in the nurture and training of chill
dren shall show to be best adapted to preserve
the lives and promote the health Of these little
ones who cannot care for themselves, and upon
whom the future of the Hawaiian race depends.
Every possible legal measure bearing upon the
subject Of the welfare Of the children and youth,
consistent with the constitutional liberty Of in
dividuals, should be adopted. AS the object
sought to be accomplished ii all-important, let
the policy adopted be thorough-it must be 80
to be eficient-and let il be carried out with i'm
Partially. Let each of us do all in our power
20 rapnoya xubatoyar ohoFr, of;ora ,-o ,,,, otooryo
in the way OF the tide apparently now so hap
PLY turning in the right direction, and the sad
forebodings and gloomy predictions We have 50
often read and heard will soon become a thing of
the past and be forgotten. Whatever may be
the fate of aboriginal populations in other lands
when brought in contact with a higher plane Of
civilization, we think it can be shown here,
under the above expressed conditions, that
the apparent anomaly will not hold good but
that, on the contrary, Christianity and Civiliza-
ton WILL preserve the Hawaiian race from
extinction.
Religion, Civilization and Humanity have
seen the process of decay going on for years;
now, that the matter seems to be ~mending, let
them arouse, and spare no effort to make amends
for the apathy of the past The path Of duty
is plain let there be no hesitation to enter upon
it and walk in it until the broad plains and
fertile valleys of these Islands shall TEEN with
population, as in the days of Cook-one hundred
years ago-a population of native Hawaiians
of a new generation, whose blood has had new
infusion from the ancient stock Of India
In conclusion, it is well to give the following
statements, believed to be correct The present
population of Honolulu is about $4,000 ; num-
Der of children in schools 1900 the births for
some years in this district have exceeded the
deaths, and the same is said to be the case in
various other districts. We hope ere long, to
give some interesting statistics on this subject
from a reliable source. The census, to be held
at the close of this year, will show US what we