The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-11-01

IN NNMiNNNN NANNI NNNfINI INV
transferred ne saprpms military CON
mana herr 10 ColDpel i,aPbsr genea
: kins had. several days prssIousiy b.
guessed IN wfisins, the co-opsratiou
u tho board 81 Health IN sanitary
! vork and he placed the resources ~
B tho command ~ he sefyioe This r..
. quest especially referred to the camp
/ over which Colonel Barber had charge.
But General King ala not pat ~ resi-
the question VI the right Of che Board
: 10 regulate sanitary matters lie sim.
|. ply asked Tor assistance. and cooper
, alton
Colonel Barber. ON the goth. had re
fused to see the agent of the Board.
and shortly afterwards meeting him
by accident. told him he would not
tolerate any interference by the Board
or the civil authorities. Subsequent
and after the ranking commander here
had requested, az We have already said.
the corporation Of the Board. and the
President of the Board, upon that re-
quest visited the camp Colonel Barber
) treated the President and the order Of
his military superior in the manner
detailed In the columns Of this paper
I on the 2sth.
b Colonel Barber Is now the military
commandaDt here. He has distinctly
taken the ground that he will permit
. no interference by the Board OF Health
In the sanitary regulations Of his
camp. He absolutely denies the right
70 Of the Board to attack filth and disease
= in his camp even II his men are sick
y and dying. That is he denies their
o legal right, under either local or ma
n tional laws. He claims the legal right
n to be the sole Judge OF the sanitary re-
Iquirements OF his camp, although the
health and lives of the people OF the
!, city also are involved. He has there
fore, defied the Board
II Colonel Barber Is not correct in
his position. he Is liable to fine and
Imprisonment for violating our local
" laws. II he Is correct, the sooner II Is
plainly understood the better II will be
for us ALL
= We are excluding any sentiment or
u sympathy for the emaciated and dying
= men in the military hospital. That
Q takes another aspect Of the case.
j. We raise simply the plain colorless
g question OF legal right Here is an
issue and, Of course. 1t cannot be com
promised.
g The question should be submitted to
n the Government at Washington at
! once. The supreme power of Boards
n OF Health over military camps Is adj
/, mitted in the States, and conspicu-
Gus example of 1t is seen in the author
! ity exercised by such a Board in Jack
IL sonyille, Florida, over $4,000 troops
But as II Is disputed mere. the matter
should be referred TO the suprem.
authority. Let us concede that Colonel
" Barber has convinced himself that he
is right in his position. Instead of
= letting the matter float in the air. let
IL be promptly settled by the War De
! partment. What may be good law In
g the States, may not, for some special
e reason be good law here. Let us find
'e II out.
II The measles and smallpox are di-
h seases which affect the natives. Can
II any military commandant allow his
camps TO become infected with these
l. diseases. and then snap his fingers at
lie the Board Of Health? II the command
he ant differs from the health authorities
is his or their opinion to prevail?
These questions must be treated
without sentiment. The issue has been
clearly raised and must be settled.
~ The Special Agent here Of the Wash
- iington Government has not, for some
n upon the legal rights of either party.
;, II he has not authority in the premises.
= there is every reason why he should
10 obtain instructions from Washington
:, weeks ago when anyone who took a
! practical interest in the American SOL
n der, might have known by casual in
a spection of the camps and the slgnif-
% cant odors carried from them to resi-
= dences at a distance, that mischief was
o in the air, and trouble was at hand.
"a What should have been done, sever
~ al months ago. should now be done
10 promptly. Let us find out what the
9 War department has to say about It
A. We venture to hold the opinion that
DO II will not think long before 1t makes
up It's mind. Let us see.