The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-02-27
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
PER 'HAzE.-No. :.
SAN FnANcl,co, Feb. .,

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. D, 1860.
The withdrawal Of the steamer .iHoaiaAa from the
Honolulu route, which has been decided ON and car
rucl into effect, is a step backward, which will be
much regretted by those who have at heart the pros
Pcrity 81 the Hawaiian Islands The reason assigned
Is a want Of support from the merchants and travel
ing public Ola the route. While the MaLO, with the
all Of the small United States subsidy received, is
enabled 10 pay her way aud perhaps earn something,
the -noHiI1a, by receiving no subsidy and "A smaller
patronage, becomes "A heavy expense. Another rea-
son which may have operated in the final decision, is
the unfair and auti-steamer regulation officially pro
mulgated by the Hawaiian Board Of Health, by
which passengers arriving from san Francisco by
steam in ten days passage, are compelled to remain
on boarl for several days after the vessel goes along
side the wharf.
Now it is wise and proper to take reasonable pre-
cautions to guarl against the introduction of the
smallpox, and in case Of the disease being ON board
Of any vessel, to place her in the strictest quaran-
tine, and to keep her, and all her officers and passen-
gers there til the disease is brought under control.
But to adopt a rule, the effect of which is To damage
the interests Of a costly enterprise, though there may
have been no such intention in its adoption. is not
wise. 1t Is the same as if the Colony of Victoria or
the Government of Mexico should pass a law prohi-
biting all passengers from san Francisco To land un-
der fifteen days from that port, or the Granadian
Government should prohibit any passengers landing
at Panama or Aspinwal in less than the same time
out from New York or San Francisco. The effect
would be the same in each of these instances-pas-
sengers would not travel, to be subjected to such an
noyances, and the interests of the various steam
lines would suffer. And yet there is as much reason
why those governments should enact such regula-
tons as the Hawaiian.
Ii must be admitted that il is a difficult thing to
regulate health matters SO as to be entirely free from
objection; but it would seem possible to devise some
method by which the health of the town may be
carefully guarded, without threatening the with
drawal Of the only steam line we possess. If the
Hawaiian Government values this steam line, let it
repeal this ordinance, and adopt some less arbitrary
but equally protective system. There is only one
sentiment expressed here ON this subject.
n similar case Of executive shortsighteIness oc-
CURED at Victoria, a few years ago. The Govern
ment adopted Il regulation that no passengers should
be allowed to land without a permit from the Gus
toms. All went on quietly till one Sunday, the San
Francisco steamer arrived with a hundred passen-
gers, who under the new regulation must stay ON
board till Monday, as the customs officers could not
attend to them till then. The Postmaster came down
to the wharf and the express cart backed up to the
-N@-@ 80 49, -'''ANs fHNA NNN ,'IhAAh AL1bACL ~
the passengers could land. "Not till Tomorrow
was the sharp answer Of the official. Every well
sir" replied the Captain, L" the mails can go ashore
only when the passengers do.' The Postmaster
started off for the Governors sswith a flea in his
car but soon returned with a permit for the pas
sengers to land. The result was the obnoxious or
dinance was soon repeated.
The Smali-rOy
Is rapidly decreasing in this city, and has so far
abated that it can not be considered as dangerous as it
was some weeks ago. The change is undoubtedly
owing to the system of vaccination established and
to the increased cleanliness and precaution observed
among the lower classes, among whom chiefly the
disease has prevailed. The Board of Health in this
city has been the object of severe censure from the
press, and it has done good, as it has resulted in
using every effort that authority and medicine can
accomplish in checking the disease.
Yours, &c. ii. NJ. VI. !