The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1883-11-23
INTEMPE RANGE.

EnfNuEs
The effect of the new liquor law
upon the native population becomes
daily more apparent. The records of
the Police Court show an increase
of drunkenness within the past twelve
months, and it is noticeable on the
streets. We have examined the Po-
lice Court records of 18th November
1881 and 1888; on each previous
day there had been holiday and a
regatta. In 1881 the natives were
not allowed to purchase liquor and
there were seUen cases of intem-
perance brought before the Police
Court GU the 18th November. On
the same day, last week, there were
t,oenty cases, an increase Of almost
taoo hundred per cent IN taco gears.
Do the records of the Court repre-
sent all the cases that occur? No
they do not represent one quarter of
them. 1t was very generally re-
marked on the occasion of last week s
holiday, that there was more intem-
perance among the natives than had
been seen for years. Many of them
escaped the clutches of the law by
being driven home. Young girls,
under twenty years of age, were seen
unable to walk.
His Honor the Chief Justice, at a
recent meeting of the Y. M. G. A.
said that, within the past twelve
months, crime had increased among
the natives, and he attributed it to
their increased consumption of Ii
quor. Rev. A. Forbes, at a more
recent meeting of the same institu-
tion said, that drunkenness was in
creasing, on the other islands, among
the natives, that they now buy their
liquor by the case and carouse till it
is gone, when they get more. 1t is
known throughout the kingdom that
liquor is sold on all the islands,
where there is no license to sell it.
What is being done to prevent it?
Nothing. In Honolulu there are
temperance lodges, but do their
members try to prevent intemperance
among the natives? The Y. M. G. A.
is now doing good work in this
cause, and has recently provided
free entertainments, especially for
young men. Does this association
reach the natives! No.
n n
Some change should be made in
the present liquor law, which re-
mains in force till 1st January 1885.
1t will be no easy matter to make
a change since the natives have once
had the right of purchasing all the
liquor they want, or rather do not
want. If the law cannot be re-
pealed, the quantity of liquor con-
sumed can be reduced by regulating
it's quality. A bottle of brandy can
now be purchased for dollar the
duty on that bottle is half a dollar !;
it has to be manufactured, or we
should rather say concocted; the
concocters make a profit; there is
freight to be paid there is the profit
of the wholesale dealer and the profit
of the retail dealer. All these
charges come out of half a dollar ;
what, then, can be the quality of
the liquor consumed? Why is the
stuff not analysed? The Govern
ment at least have power to take
this step. If it be imperative to sell
liquor only of good quality, and
even at higher prices than at present,
then some reform would be effected !;
the natives could not purchase as
much as they do now, and it would
be less hurtful to them.
n
Here is something for the great
and good Mr.. Gibson to take in
hand; here he can show his love for
a "simple and ignorant peoples"
here he can employ his time and
intelligence better than by issuing
paltry protests, or by Haunting ''gay
feathers of meaningless uniforms
before the mocking eyes of real
power and prosperity We will
conclude with a few more of his own
words, when he was not the Premier.
'sShall we wait for the prompting
and example of the respectable
priest and levite before we succor