The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-04-11
REFORM AMONG
ALL NATIONS
Oahu Association in Convention
Japanese and Chinese
Reports.

| The reform movement has spread
| generally throughout the various
churches of Oahu, evidenced yester-
day in the reports presented before
| the Oahu Association, which convened
| in the Kalihi church and remaiAed ir
session throughout the day. Repre-
! sented at the convention We're the
Portuguese, Hawaiian, Japanese and
| Chinese Christian churches, the rep
resentatives of which discussed 'The
attitude of our churches and people to
reform movements" reports of es-
pecial interest being presented by the
| Japanese and Chinese.
| The japanese report dealt princi-
pally with the question of promiscuous
bathing together of the sexes in the
! public lighthouses, this system being
| kept up here in spite of promises of
| reform made. The report stated that
the manner of conducting the Japa-
| nese lighthouses in Honolulu was
worse than the manner in Japan,
where strict laws now forbid the bath
ing in common practise. Some of the
houses here have provided separate
tubs and rooms for men and women,
but the majority do not, some of the
proprietors being desirous of keeping
UP the present system because many
! Hawaiian and Chinese patrons of the
baths visit them out of curiosity, re-
garding the sight of men, women and
children in a common tub as nov
city. To correct the evil the report
recommended asking the Supervisors
to pass prohibitive ordinances.
CHINESE REFORMS.
The report of the Chinese church
was made by Mo Man Ming. who di-
vided the evils among the Chinese
under four heads viz, the social evil
gambling. drinking and opium smok
ing. Concerning the former he stated
that the matter could be handled here
as it was in some of the large cities
of China.
Gambling" he said, sis a bad habit,
and We are thankful that the law now
keeps it down. and saves many from
this temptation. The Chinese do not
gamble all the time; at New Years is
the worst time. We believe in this
reform. and want it kept up.
Drinking has never been great
evil among the Chinese, but here in
Hawaii there is the new danger Of
learning to drink wine and beer as
the white man does. We wish to save
our young men from this bad habit.
We do not want to add to our own
Chinese bad habits those of the white
man. We will work with the Hawai-
ian against the saloon.
"Opium is our worst enemy We
must work hard for this reform. 1t
is taking away the life and vigor of
our people.
There is an association against
opium in this city. The members
promise to have nothing to do with
any opium business, buying or sell
ing: to help to free smokers from the
habit: and promise never to smoke
themselves.
There is a Chinese plantation in
Maui the laborers on which are all
Chinese, and the manager is also a
Chinaman. Because of this anti-opium
society, he has made rules that no
opium will be allowed in his camp.
He will take no profit from the opium
business.
The work of Burbank. in plant re-
form, shows us how we should work
for reform among men. 1t is hard;
out of thousands only one plant may
t'e secured. but he keeps at it, until
the good is increased to thousands.
have heard that Hawaii is called The
Paradise of the Pacific or. as we
Chinese would say, a Little Heaven
Continued on Page Four)