The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-11-30
A JAPANESE COVENANT.
How All the Families on One Island Took
to sobrIety and Prospered.

How All the Families on One Island Took
to sobrIety and Prospered.
In the northern part of the sea OF
Japan lies tiny island called Okushiri.
Its soil is fertile. Trees of varying
proportions cluster thickly over its sur
face. The agriculturist and lumber
man might find profitable occupation
there. sBut 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
quantities that this one bountiful dis
pensation of nature suffice to feed and
clothe the inhabitants from years
end to years end. Living thus In
ease and plenty the people might be
expected to develop qualities usu-
ally incidental to such circumstances,
and they appear to have fallen pretty
freely into the vice of drunkenness
In 1885 there were some two hundred
and sixty souls in the island. They
possessed only four fixed nets. They
lived In houses matched with coarse
grass; they had scarcely any roads,
and they could boast only q single
school. Yet they consumed annually
three thousand dollars worth of sake
in addition to shochu and other strong
drinks In short, these common fisher
folks spent upon Intoxicating bever-
ages more than one dollar per month
for every unit OF their number, includ-
ing women and children. In the face
of this reckless outlay for liquor the
people often suffered severely from
hunger and cold during the winter,
the price Of rice ranging very high In
the midwntcr months and the dwell
ing houses being Ill adapted to exclude
the inclomsnt atmosphere
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-
pies sufferings, 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 an agreement pledging them
selves to wholly abandon the sale, pur-
chase and use Of alcoholic beverages.
The consequences of this covenant
were very marked. 1t was vigorously
observed. 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. Order thenceforth
reigned completely, and prosperity
came with rapid strides. The popula-
ton increased five fold in five
years, and the capital invested in
the fishing industry ten fold. New
lands have been brought into cultiva-
ton, and hemp to the value Of two
thousand dollars is grown.annually for
the manufacture of fishing nets, which,
before the signing Of the covenant, had
to be imported entirely from the main
land Statistics also show marked
decrease of crime, and so famous did
the success of the experiment become
that large community of settlers in
the neighboring island of Eco pledged
themselves to covenant similar to
that of Olxushiri, and with similarly
happy results. Finally, 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 OFF,
cial.-Japan Mail.