The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-02
NATIONAL
CAPITAL
Island Men and Things
Discussed.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
How Hawaii's Fight With the Plague
is Regarded at Washington.
Personal Notes.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-(Special |
)-On Monday. tae
18th inst, General Hartwell enter
tained at dinner at the Metropolitan
Club General George e. Davis, the
Military Governor of Puerto Rico.
There were present at the dinner DR..
Wyman, the Surgeon General of the
United States Marine Hospital Serv-
ice; Major Dutton, the author of
valuable work on the Hawanan volca-
noes; Lieut.. Battles, an aide on Gen
eral Davis staff; Mr.. Hedemann of
Honolulu; Col. Hopkins of the United
States Court of Claims; General Bach
eldor, Mr.. w. o. Smith and Mr.. w. n.
Armstrong.
General Davis had come to Washing
ton at the command of Congress in or
der to testify to the condition existing
in Puerto Rico, and he had little time
at his disposal; but he was greatly in
teTested in the comparison of the con-
ditions of the Industries between Ha-
wall and Puerto Rico and in the polit-
ical and social situation of the Ha-
waiian Islands. Fortunately, he man
aged 10 give General Hartwell an even
ing, although he was in great demand
among prominent people as he Gts41os;
today Enc ' eIy best authority oil the
conditions and needs of the million of
people who inhabit Puerto Rico. His
conversation regarding the industrial
conditions of those people and the re-
lations of labor and capital on their
island was unusually valuable. He
stated, among other things, that there
should be some relief to the over
crowded condition of the people, and
he earnestly hoped that they might be
induced to emigrate to places where
their labor would be in demand
| DIR. Wyman, the Surgeon General OF
the United States Marine Hospital Ser
vice, lives at the Shoreham Hotel, and
talks freely and often with Mr.. w. o.
Smith regarding the sanitary condi-
tions of Honolulu. AS DR.. Wyman has
the supervision of the entire United
States coast line in all quarantine mat
ters and as the order of the Secretary
OF the Treasury, issued on his recon-
mendation, Is final, it is of the utmost
importance that he should be we'll in
formed regarding the local conditions
and the geography of the Islands.
Hawaii is generally regarded as q
single spot in the Pacific and the av-
erage reader regards the existing
plague in Honolulu as a pestilence pre-
vailing all over the Islands. There is
therefore, tendency to regard any
importation of articles from Hawai-
into the United States as importation:
from infected ports. Should action be
/ taken on this general belief it would
n result in the exclusion of Hawaiian
sugar from the United States at tbs
= present time, and that certainly woulC
: precipitate great commercial disaster
- DR.. Wyman is a man of rare intelli
}, gence and Judgment. 1t is fortunate
for Hawaii that the ex-President of th'
Board OF Health is here and able L
= consult with him freely and give hin
= the most detailed information regard
) ing the sanitary measures followed b,
the Board or Health in Honolulu, ant
Ialso to point out clearly the distance
of the sugar plantations from the in
d fected district of Honolulu and the i'm
Iportant fact that if that port continue
to be an infected one there is still n
danger whatever in the export of su
: gar from the other Islands, or eve
= from the Oahu plantations, provide
n the port of Honolulu is strictly quar-
antined. The value of a Representative
. of the Hawaiian Government and ais
of the Hawaiian business interests
obvious, when the plague causes criti
;, cal conditions which must be consid
= cred and studied at distance of te
. thousand miles. The sensational re
: ports sent from Hawaii may indicat
to the general reader that the local at
. thorities cannot cope with the difficu
= ty; but when the highest authority {
this Government can command dali
= the best information regarding all {
the details of the sanitary condition
of Honolulu and can be made to VI
derstand and appreciate the integrit,
-e the skill and devotion OF the Board {
" Health and the energy Of the Citizer
/ in intelligently fighting the plague,
~ shows the value Of an intelligent rel
RS Iresentation of the business interests
1.-The Islands al this u1ape Nh officer