The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1883-01-04
JuNIus AND PROGRESS.

for the pains he has so kindly taken
to point out to us and to the public
"cvidenccs of the progrcssiveness of
the present government" 1t is sell
dom that our inquiries are answered
ut all, and schooner still that they |
meet with such prompt and polite
consideration. This unusual and
unexpected treatment moves us to
tender our special thanks to our
learned friend, and in this public
manner testify our deep appreciation
of his condescending kindness.
Here we would have rested the
matter, feeling we had done all that
common courtesy required towards
one who had conferred OH us q
favor; but lest the noble Junius
should smile in his sleeve and think
in his heart that "thc little BuILE-
TIN is gifted with a certain amount
of credulity that he would do well to
restrain or lest the garrulous
Gozettc, who is so blind as to be un-
able to see that 'rcply" in the
Elele, should again accuse lis of be-
ing "gulled by the insinuating and UNI
reliable A1rertiser," duty to our
selves constrains us to take
cursory review of those wonderful
''evidences of progressiveness"
enumerated by Junius.
No doubt the " Department of
Foreign Affairs" did it's duty by for
warding to "every Consular Agent
of this Kingdom" certain declara-
ton, refuting ''statements concern
ing the labor traffic in these
islands," but it did no more than
that Department has been in the
habit of doing from the days of
Wylie. Even the credulous Junius
says 'sit is not much"
In what way has the "general
health of the nation" been improved
by the action of the present govern
ment7 The "general health" here in
Honolulu has usually been much
impaired during the wet season, for
several years past, by typhoid fever.
If the present season, so far, is
comparatively free from that cause
of suffering and death, does Junius
wish us to believe that the improve
ment is due to the fact that the gov
ernment have had under considera-
ton scheme for the sewerage of
the city? A previous Board of
Health was admittedly responsible
for the introduction of the smallpox
epidemic of 1881, but we are in no
way convinced that the present
Board would have done any better
under the same circumstances. Has
any ship brought smallpox into our
harbor or roadstead during the in
cumbcncy of the present Board Of
Health? And have they by their
'strict measures prevented its get
ting ashore Junius doesn't show
very much respect for truth when he
says, "Thc former Boards literally
did nothing but pay out salaries. :"
Was it the present Board who put
mp the original buildings at Kaka-
ako? Junius would have us believe
SO! The less he has to say about
s'paying out salaries" the better for
his own cause. 1t is believed that
too close scrutiny of that parti-
cular matter will not make the pre-
sent Board appear in the most
favorable light. No one questions
that progression" has been made
in that direction. 1t is good thing
that "thc present Board have ell
gagged DOCTORS" and it would have
been well If the same Board had
not, by their treatment, driven one
or two others out of the country.
DO you, Junius, know why one Of
the Kauai doctors left the Kingdom
two OF three weeks ago! Our volu-
bic friend does not specify parti-
cularly those "grcat improvements
made in the management of lcpers," I"
but is good enough to tell us that it
is the ''intcntion to gather them
the lepcrs-"all in" This is pro-
per progressive step, but we cannot
SO qualify that preliminary ''pro-
gressive" move, namely, the public
announcement of the 'intention,"
by which lepers were afforded an
opportunity of concealing them
selves, which opportunity has been
duly improved by many. Accord
ing to Junius's showing, the Board
of Health must be an uncommonly
progressive" body of men, for he
says that they ''are just getting to
work after being seven months in
otlice!'' What q lively Boerd