The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-08-11

~
NJ pprmIssion fof n Japanese minister
~ vlest the quarantine station the las,
eoy w two before the expiration of the
uuasUnsip> period TOT the purpose of
osvsns spiritual and other advice 90 the
eOmlerants. Tho petition wns prompt.
b denied by unanimous vote, ne In
serferine with all precedent In auaran.
tine matters II was strongly op.
psscd by Agent Reynolds and super
intcndent McNeixh.
The special report of George Man
eDn ~ agent for the Board Of Health
at waikiki on conditions In that dis
trict was nes, read, as follows
To the President and Members Of the
Board Of Health.
Gentlemen; beg leave to again
bring before your notice the serious
uUodition of affairs at the waikiki
marshes. Since my last report on the
matter. made some six months ago,
matters have gone from bad to worse.
The almost total absence of rain since
then has resulted In the drying up of
the ponds TO such an extent that in
two of water. barely covering a rot
ting. fostering mass OF Shiny vegetation
from which foul odors arise at all
times, especially at night when the air
ID still This is particularly the case
on the lands owned by John Ena,
fronting on the Beach road. formerly
used as salt ponds. Complaints come
To me from people living in the vitin-
ity almost daily, saying that life Is
made almost unbearable to them by the
foul 'otl0rs constantly in the air but as
the b0arfl Is well aware, ] can do moth
ing In the matter. ! submit to your
honorable board. however. whether the
time has not arrived when the board
should not exert its powers and con-
demn the entire district as unsanitary
and a menace to public health. In sup
port of this view I might add that
within the past two or three months
some half a dozen new cottages have
now that a commencement has been
made more will soon follow. ! have
personal knowledge of some who in
tend to build in spite Of existing con-
ditions, while others are only awaiting
the favorable action OF this board to
inaugurate still more extensive i'm
provements on their holdings. Does
the board intend that the same condi-
tiOns which now obtain at Kewalo
shall be repeated in Waikiki?
With regard TO the hog nuisance:
This is a separate and distinct nui-
sance, but none the less does IL require
prompt attention. | have had good
deal OF trouble in inducing the Chi
nese to build the necessary troughs
and covered boxes for the disposal of
the refuse from the pens, but l can do
little with the japanese. They do not
seem to understand our ideas of sani-
tation. their necessity or their respon-
sibility for the general welfare. 1t is
all very well to say. why don't you
arrest these men and punish them?
What good does II do. They hire law
yers to defend them. or the lessons dc
for them. There Is SO much red tape
to be gone through, so many notices
to be served, so much evidence to be
worked up: the witnesses are baited
and badgered in the courts to such ar
extent that they would rather stay
home and suffer than assist the Ofh
GERS of the law. Even II a conviction
could be obtained in the lower courts
an appeal follows, necessitating fur
ther attendance OF witnesses, etc.
only to result in the final dismissal OF
the case because the officials have 9TH
er and more important cases to attend
to. II the Board OF Health officers
could be given power to attend tc
these cases in a summary manner, as
il done in other countries, these nui
sances could be abated in short order
Take my own case as an example o.
present conditions. When the lots OF
which we built were placed on the mar
ket there were no hog-pens within
several hundred yards. There are nov
seven families living within stone
throw of my house. and in a week o
80 there will be two more. These fam
lilies represent about forty souls in all
No family has expended less thar
5000 in improving their homes, AM
some considerably more. Is 1t righ
that the lives of this little colon.
should be made miserable, their prop
critics unstable and their health
constantly menaced just because
japanese, who pays little or no taxes
wears no clothes TO speak of, and is o
no earthly use to the community
chooses to establish n row of pig-pen
across the road and within $50 feet o
their doors? And whose is the respon
sibility for this state of affairs, ant
does ii not rest entirely with th'
Board? Does not this state of affairs
almost justify the decent people living
in such neighborhoods, who have spen
their time and money In building NJ
nice little homes, in taking the Law
into their own hands and destroyini
every vestige OF a hog-pen, as has beel
suggested to me as the best remedy?
Again, travel to and from Waikiki
is increasing; ! may say that 1t ha
doubled within the last year. The mil
itary headquarters at the park create
much travel and teaming over tn
road; street cars run every quarter o