("Huihalekuai", Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, December 9, 1865)
KA NUPEPA KUOKOA; GREETINGS:—Here is the news from Maui: a cooperative store for every district of the island. One thing is largely being heard and discussed among the people at this time, and that is the banding together of all people in this district to build a store.
People no longer want to farm or work in this or that way. Farming is hard, they say. A person will not get rich quickly doing manual labor. Rapid wealth and prosperity come by way of a store.
It is lazy people who are starting this effort. This is what they tell the ignorant and gullible: “You should join us so that together we can all build a store. Then you will quickly become rich and have a great deal of clothes and money. Farming is not profitable. It is hard work. Look at the haole shopkeepers. They are wealthy in no time at all.”
A district with 300 people can raise $10 from each person to build a store. And in a smaller district, it would be proportional to the number of ignorant people there. These gullible people suppose that each one will get hundreds of dollars for the $10 invested in the cooperative store. What do you think, wise ones? My prediction is that the architects of this plan will manage the affairs and may see some benefit. However, ignorant masses will be fortunate to get back the $10 they put into the cooperative store. With regards to the editors.
BY PUNIOLE.1
Kaupo, Maui, November 14, 1865
Note: For more on stores in Kaupo, see the article "Kaupo's many stores".
Below is the article in the original Hawaiian:
Huihalekuai.
E KA NUPEPA KUOKOA E; ALOHA OE:—Eia ka mea hou ma Maui nei, o ka hui Halekuai ma na apana a pau o keia mokupuni. Hookahi no mea i lohe nui ia, a i kamailio nui ia ai hoi iwaena o na kanaka o keia wa, oia hoi o ka hui o na kanaka a pau ma keia apana, a kukulu i halekuai,
Ua pau ka manao ana o na kanaka i ka mahiai, a me na hana o kela ano keia ano. He luhi ka mahiai wahi a lakou, aole e waiwai koke ana ke kanaka ma ka hana lima, aia no he halekuai, alaila waiwai koke a kuonoono.
Na kekahi poe kanaka palaualelo i hoomaka i keia hana. A penei ka lakou olelo i ka poe naaupo puni wale; “Pono e hui mai oe me makou, e kukulu i halekuai no kakou, alaila e waiwai koke ana oe, nui ka lole, nui ke dala, aole waiwai o ka mahiai he luhi loa ia. E nana i ka haole mea halekuai, aole e emo nui ka waiwai.”
Ma kekahi apana, ekolu haneri kanaka, he umi dala no ke kanaka hookahi, alaila kukulu ka halekuai, a ma kekahi apana emi mai, e like me ka nui o na kanaka naaupo ma ia apana. Ke kuhi nei keia poe puni wale, e loaa ana i kela mea keia mea o lakou he mau haneri dala pakahi, no kela umi dala i hookomoia ma ka hui halekuai. Pehea ko oukou manao e ka poe noonoo? I ko'u manao, o na luna nana i hoomaka i keia hana, e lilo ana ia lakou ka hooponopono o keia waiwai, o lakou paha ke pomaikai iki ana, aka o ka lehulehu naaupo e pomaikai iki ana paha lakou ke loaa hou mai kela umi dala i hookomo ia e lakou pakahi, ma ka hui halekuai. Me ke aloha i na luna hooponopono.
NA PUNIOLE.
Kaupo, Maui, Novemaba 14, 1865
Footnotes