The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-09-24
THIS is A FAIR REPLY.
FRANK LETTER ON QUARANTiNE
FROM 4 KAUAI MAN.
The Case Of v. Knudsen-How They
Happened to Say Eighteen Days
Reasonable Argument.

EDIroR STAR
We OH Kauai think that we have
been unjustly censured for sending
Mr.. Knudsen back to Honolulu
Articles have appeared in both THE
STAR and the 4d0erhSer on the
subject. The writer in the latter
says: HE had complied with all
the strict demands vi the national
Board of Health of this city, which
is the only authority in health and
quarantine matters; he had been
through a tedious nine days quar-
antine," etc., etc.
Now the present writer was OIL
the wharf when Mr.. Knudsen land
ed, and the facts are these: Mr..
Knudsen had no certificate, permit,
statement or written document of
any kind whatever from the Board
Of Health or anybody else, giving
him permission to land or stating
that he had had even a one day
quarantine. We had simply his
;. own statement that he had quaran-
tined himself in his daughters
house for twenty-five days, all ex-
cept six days which he had spent
aboard the steamer.
We asked him if he ha6 been
disinfected, and he answered that
he had washed himself with a
solution Of carbolic acid. When
asked if he had drank any of it,
with a sickly smile he said no"
The Sheriff asked him over and
over again if he had permit from
the Board of Health to land, which
he at first evaded, but finally an
swered no" The steamer had a
a clean bill Of health signed by DR..
Day, which said nothing about Mr..
Knudsen, however, who had only
his own statement to back him up.
Mr.. Knudsen did his own quaran-
timing, his own disinfecting, and he
himself was his only permit to land.
We had all this from his own
mouth. He didn't claim that he
had permit from anybody or any
right to land, but said II come
asking permission from your COM
mittee to land. If you say so
aboard again | will go right on
board again." and kept repeating
II have had a twenty-five days
quarantine"
A public meeting was called and
communication by telephone had
with all parts Of the island from
Waimea to Kilauea, and the unan-
imous opinion was that he should
return to Honolulu, not having
had an official eighteen days quar-
antine, and our committee was iu-
structed to inform him to that eff
feet. This committee was not self
constituted at stated in one of the
Honolulu papers, but was appoint
ed by unanimous vote of public
meeting representing all Kauai.
Now as to another matter. When
we at our public meeting at the
time the cholera first broke out in
Honolulu, decided not to allow any
passengers to land from Honolulu
without an official IS days quar-
antine, we acted on the best author
ity and information at hand. The
four Government physicians on
this island were unanimous on the
subject and all the medical works
at hand supported Our conclusions
In the North american Re0ie70 of
October, 1892, Surgeon-G General
Walter Wyman is authority for the
statement that the general govern
ment of the United States with the
approval of the President, issued a
circular on Sept. Ist, declaring a
twenty days quarantine of all YES
sells arriving with immigrants from
any pert. This was on account of
the cholera epidemic in Europe at
that time. Now, we thought we
were doing right in doing as we did
And if we are all wrong, we think
it is partly the fault Of the Honolulu
Board of Health. If they have re-
cent information to the effect that a
five or six days quarantine is sufii-
cient, and that all the medical au-
thorities up to short time ago
were wrong about it, think they
should have so informed their Gov.
eminent physicians on Kauai, so
that we might have known better.
Another matter, the Board OF
Health has all along declared, that
they did not wish to force either
passengers or freight on us Of the
other islands. But things seem TO
be taking different turn, with all
the circulars, ETC., ETC., that have
been showered at us this week
and the loading down Of the Clau-
dine with provisions and passen-
, gers and sending her off to wind
ward without waiting TO see if the
people on those islands wanted
them or not.
They intimate that they are go
ing to do the same with us or
Kauai, and that if we do not re-
ceive them it will be on our owl
responsibility.
All this l say does look little
: like forcing things, and seems tC
me hardly right. Nobody wants t.
dictate to the Board of Health
! what they shall do in Honolulu
= but when they go to making rule:
! solely affecting us on the otheI
. islands, and which may be matte
of life and death to us, l claim b!
all that's right under heaven w
!, should have some say in the matte
especially when they tend to re
, lax rules which we think are 70
our protection.
II Yours truly,
VoX PoPULI.
. Kauai, Sept. goth.
II Knights of Pythias.
4 n y.