The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-11-01
Temperance Reform.

Temperance Reform.
+ In the northern part of the Sea of
Japan, some forty miles distant from
the large island Of Ezo, lies tiny is
land called Okushiri. It's soil is fer
tile. Trees of varying proportions
cluster thickly over it's surface. The
agrieulturist and the lumberman
might find profitable occupation there.
But the chief pursuit Of the people is
fishing. Every spring great shoals Of
herring approach the coast, and the
fish are easily captured in such guam
titles that this one bountiful dispen-
sation Of nature suf6ces to feed and
clothe the inhabitants from year end
to year 8 end.
Living thus in ease and plenty the
people might be expected to develop
qualities usually incidental to such
circumstances, and they appear to
have fallen pretty freely into the vice
of drunkenness. In 1885 there we're
some 26O souls in the island. They
possessed only four fixed nets. They
lived in houses thatched with coarse
grass they had scarcely any roads,
and they could boast only single
school. Yet they consumed annually
$4,000 worth of sake in addition to
shochu and other strong drinks. In
short, these common fisher folks spent
upon intoxicating beverages more than
81 per month for every unit Of their
number, including women and chill
dren. The same ratio Of intemper-
ance applied to the whole Of Japan
would signify an annual expenditure
of $5O0,000, 900 on Intoxicating bever-
ages alone. In the face Of this reck-
less outlay for liquor the people often
suffered severely from hunger and
cold during the winter, the price of
rice ranging very high in the midwin-
ter months and the dwelling houses
being ill adapted to exclude the in
clement atmosphere. The local au-
thorities prevailed upon them to adopt
a system Of storing provisions against
times of scarcity, but their resources,
reduced by payments on account OF
sake, were insufficient to accomplish
anything effective in that line.
These circumstances induced some
bold men among them to openly de-
nounce the excessive use of alcoholic
beverages as the cause of all the peo-
ple's suferinSs and to preach the ne
cessity Of applying to useful purposes
the funds thus squandered. The cru
sade provoked violent opposition, but
in 1884 the inhabitants were induced
to enter into the following agreement
Covenant made by the people Of
Okushri Island and concerni 9 the
sale and purchase of alcoholic bever-
ages and the use of the same in the
Island of Okushri.
This land which we inhabit is a
lonely island in the Pacific Ocean. Its
inhabitants, numbering ninety fami-
lies, find almost their only means of
amusement in drinking alcohol. Nine
out of every ten are addicted to sake,
the sums annually spent upon which
aggregate heavy amount.
Debtors are unable meet their en-
gagements, and some are even COM
PEELED to depend on official aid for sup
plies Of food. We are threatened
with misery, and some extraordinary
measure is necessary to save us. Fru-
gality must be the rule of our conduct,
and every kind of excess must be
avoided. We, therefore, hereby re-
solve to abstain from the luxury
which we relish above all others,
namely, sake, SO as to terminate the
importation Of the liquor into the is
land. The money hitherto devoted to
the purchase Of sake shall be applied
to lay in stocks Of rice and other grain
as provision against future want on
the one hand, and to increase the capi-
tai available for fishery purposes on
the other.
signatures of the promoters.
Dated July, 1884.
Article l. We, the inhabitants of
Okushiri Island, jointly and sever
ally, in accordance with the covenant
hereby signed, do pledge ourselves to
abandon wholly the said purchase and
use of alcoholic beverages.
III Okushiri Islanders.
The consequences of this covenant
were marked. 1t was vigorously OBJ
served. Even Government officials,
whatever their rank, had to give up
sake drinking when they visited the
island, and as matter of course every
dramster who could not reform was
compelled to take his departure. Or
der thenceforth reigned completely
and prosperity came with rapid strides.
The population increased fvefold in
five -Uars and the capital invested in
the a7s.iiing industry tenfold: Reed
thatches were replaced by shingles.
Four granaries were kept full Of rice,
and in addition each house had store
Of it's own. It is stated that there is
now stored in the island rice suffi cient
to support the people for three or four
years, even though the herring fishery
shoul fail entirely. Roads have been
constructed in places where nothing
Of the kind existed before. The prin-
cipal school has been greatly improved
and several branch schools have been
established.
New lands have been brought into
cultivation and hemp to the value OF
$4,000 is grown annually for the man
ufacture of fishing nets, which, before
the signing of the covenant, had to be
imported entirely from the mainland.
Statistics also show marked decrease
of crime, and so famous did the sue
cess of the experiment become that a
large community Of settlers in the
neighboring Island of Eco pledged
themselves to q covenant similar to
that of Okushiri and with similar
happy results. Finally we may add
that when the five years originally
contemplated by the covenant expired
it was renewed for another term of
FIVE years despite the opposition Of an
influential local oficial.-Fron, the ia
pan Mail.
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