The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-11-15


dom. Ovcr-crowding of buildings,
lack Of domestic cleanliness. want Of .
sewerage, and supcrabundancc of 7.
Notwithstanding sunlight and ,
preventing free circulation Of air
are probably the chief causes which
have contributed towards this change
for the worse. Assuming this con-
clusion to he correct. the Govern
mcnt-includng the Legislature
along with the EXccutiyc--arc
largely blamablc for our high death
rate; for sewerage and preventing
the ovGr-crowding of buildings are
certainly matters which come within
the province of Governmental action.
Some unrcasoning and unreasonable
people go so far rs TO charge Gov
crnmcnt with the entire responsible
lity of our poor sanitary condition.
This is both unjust and foolish
When Government has fully per-
formed its part, much, very much,
still remains for the people to per-
form. 1t is a fact that people, par
ticularly the more ignorant, are
prone to look too much to Govern
mcnt and too little to themselves.
Men are slow to learn the extent to
which their dcstinies are in their own
power. They are apt to be aston
ished if told that nine-tCnths Of the
calamities which aillict the human
race are directly and obviously the
work Of mems own hands. They
are inclined to confound the feeling
which we all respect, that of cheerful
acceptance of the inevitable, with
that other kind of resignation to
evils which are not inevitable, which
is mostly lazincss and apathy, and
the prevalence of which is one of
the most characteristic distinctions
between the savage and the civilized
man, We are deeply convinced that
no thorough and complete sanitary
/ Improvement can bc cffcctcd--what-
ever Acts may be passed or what
ever power conferred on public
oilicers-unlcss II real and intelligent
interest in the matter can be created
among the people ut large. In the
! first place, it is almost impossible, in
free country, to Get laws effcctually
put in force where they interfere
with the profits on convenience of
individuals. unless those laws are
supported 10y opinion. In the next
! place, whatever legislative and ad-
| ministrativc measures can do for
| public health--and they can do 4
great deal-they can never supersede
the necessity for personal and private
care. To provide pure water for
drinking is of no avail, if those who
are meant TO consume it prefer less
innocent fluids. TO purify the at
mospherc from foul vapors will not
make people healthy, if, when they
have got clean air. they shut it out
of their houses. To erect public
baths will not produce cleanliness. if
| people do not care to use them. The
/ State may enact laws, the Authori-
| ties may execute them to the best of
their power, inspectors may travel
about, medical men may draw up
reports, but people cannot be made
! cleanly or healthy against their will
or without their intelligent co-opera-
ton. The opportunity may be far
/ nished by others, but the work must
be done by themselves. For this
reason, sanitary instruction is as
essential rs sanitary legislation: in
! deed, more so; for. if in these
matters the public knows what it
wants, sooner or later the legislation
/ will follow; but the best laws, among
n free people, are waste paper if they
are not understood and appreciated.
The Importance of this matter, of
awakening the people to proper
sense of what must be done 10y
themselves, cannot be over-estimated.
To arouse earnest concern and per-
sistent cooperation among the heter-
ogeneous masses of Honolulu may
be difficult, an almost impossible,
| task. Nevertheless, the dictates