The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-01-30
A GROWING EVIL.

1t has often, and very truly, been
stated that within the small area OF
the Hawaiian Islands there is pre-
sented every phase of every sociO-
logical problem that has thus far
been enumerated. With our mixed
population and the combination of
occidental civilization and oriental
standardization, the people of this
country are brought face to face
with interesting, peculiar and too
often, deplorable conditions in the
social life of the lower classes that
call for serious deliberation and
prompt action.
Since the advent of the japanese
to this country there has been
growing under the very noses of the
good people OF this city an evil
that has assumed such proportions
that it cannot be passed by as
matter of minor Importance or
one that will gradually right itself
under the beneficent influences of
our enlightened civilization. We
refer to the large increase of the
japanese prostitutes in the city.
We appreciate fully the false
modesty that leads many people to
hush these matters up and desire
that public attention should not be
brought to bear, but we also believe
that the time has come when some
thing. should be done to at least
mitigate the evil as it exists in
Honolulu today. As was shown in
an interview with one of the better
class japanese, published in this
paper a few days ago, the japanese
of the merchant class have become
thoroughly aroused, and very ma
turally desire the cooperation of
the white residents in taking some
action to improve the present con-
ditions.
For evidence of the increase of
this evil our citizens have only to
refer to the statistics of the Board
of Health taken under " the act to
mitigate" and a still more repul-
sive proof exists in the manner in
which these icentious people are
gradually crowding themselves into
districts that have been put in the
more respectable portions of the
city. When the recent report of the
Labor Committee of the Planters
Labor and Supply Company was
read, the question was asked;
What becomes of the japanese who
leave the plantations and do not
return to Japan? Fully one
Of these men can be ac-
counted for as idlers who are living
on the earnings of Japanese women.
They are banded together in an
quite as strong and
far more formidable from a moral
than any Japanese So
ciety that exists in this country
There seems to be no recourse to law
oy which these people can be kept
out of the country. There is large .
already here and each lot
Of japanese brought into the coun-
,ry adds new members to the list.
Conditions have reached such
point that the people of this coun-
Try, and particularly the citizens of
can no longer close their
yes to the situation. 1t is a prob
EN- that strikes home to the fathers {
and mothers who have any thought
or the moral atmosphere with 4
which the young men and women =
# the city are daily brought
n contact. The Board of Health,
reating the question from ,
'urely sanitary standpoint, finds
hat it is reaching magnitude
hat demands a different DISPOSE :
ion than has been made in the
asst, and the PRONUNCIATION of laws
nat will provide for the segrega- D D
on of these people to certain t