The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1895-09-30
Maui Reart From

Health by the committee for tho
Board of Health for the island Of
Maui:
w o. SMITH, ESQ, President Board
of Health, Honolulu,
SIR--At the meeting OF the COM
mittee of the Board of Health for
the island Of Maui, held at Kahului
on September tho 21st, 1895, your
circular letter, dated September 16,
1895, Monday, $3.50, was taken up
for consideration, and after discus
sion |, as secretary Of the commit
tee, was instructed to reply as fol
lows:
The COMMITTEES for the island OF
Maui fully acknowledge the ability
and the earnest action taken by the
Board of Health OF Honolulu in
their dealing with the cholera cpl
demic on the island Of Oahu, and
their careful consideration of regu-
lations to prevent the transmission
of the disease to the other islands,
and sympathize with the B ard 10
the amount of intelligence and
arduous work that has been devoted
to the controlling of the dread dis
ease, and fully admit that the Board
have Opportunities to Judge" what
is best. But in reply to your circu
lar letter, this COMMITTEES must deny
that we have ever held extreme
views" or in any way attempted
"dict alton" as to the action OF the
Board Of Health. We do, however,,
claim that we are the best judges of
the situation here and, while we at
all times defer to the better judg-
ment and experience of the Board
as to their general regulations, we
claim the right, under the authority
vested in us by the Board, to add to
such regulations and further pre-
cautionary' measures our local stu
alton or requirements may necessi-
tate. On the subject of quarantin-
ing passengers (and now making
special reference to the passengers
on the steamer Claudine), this ma
ter was fully discussed on The arrival
OF the steamer here, aud the com
mittee found that quarantining was
out OF the question. Where to quar-.
antine was the difficulty. The race
track at Kahului was mentioned,
but it is situated in a low, marshy
place, and with the exception Of a
few stables has nothing in the way
oil accommodation. 1t is but few
hundred yards from Kahului,
through which the passengers would
have to be transported, aud would
not only be effectual as a guarantee
station, but from temperature and
aud noxious surroundings would
probably be the direct cause OF fever
among the unfortunate passengers
confined there.
Outside Of the place referred to
we have nothing available. We are
not as happily situated as our Hio
friends with their lovely island 10
the bay, forming as complete a
quarantine location as any on tn.
islands. The only quarantine posi-
BILE here is a quarantine on the vessel
10 the harb,r OF Kahului, within
short distance Of the shore. Such
quarantine in case of sickness on the
vessel would be a direct menace to
the community.
The Board Of Health OF Honolu
evidently do not understand our
local circumstances. We have no
city or city limits. We have
population, the majority OF whom
live in scattered habitations on the
banks of our streams and in the
vicinity OF our water courses. We
have but two doctors in the district
of Wailuku, and should the cholera
once obtain a loothold the inevitable
end under existing conditions would
be dire calamity. We have not in
any way threatened armed resistance
to the carrying out of the regula-
tons OF the Board of Health, but
have carefully considered the local
naoassitias and fail to con IN mh %