The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-24
TRADE P|LIKIA
Business Hardships of
Quarantine.
J. G. RothweII Writes of the Injury
Being Done the Average
Trader in Honolulu.

Editor Advertiser: The public Of the |
Territory of Hawaii have before them
a problem of unusual gravity and ser
iousness, in the present visitation of
bubonic plague; a subject worthy in
deed of strict attention and earnest eff
fortQn the part of every individual.
Persons OF every nationality and
class have devoted much time and ener-
gy to the general stamping out of the
disease, acting in conjunction and har-
mony with the Board OF Health and the
Citizens Sanitary Committee, with
the result that The plague is practically
conquered, and can no longer be con-
sidered 10 be epidemic, condition that
should lend encouragement and add
to the effort of those who have been
and still are engaged In The suppress
SION OF the scourge, which now appears
to be Iuliy under control, certainly DIS
relates to the epidemic form.
But there are olner considerations
pressing wnlcn although not as urgent,
call for immediate attention; indlca-
becoming current among those whose
| financial and trade interests are being
| dangerously imperilled and menaceu,
men whom the present quarantine
| regulations bear upon with perlious
| erect to their commercial existence;
such men are giving and are expected
to give the time of their paid employees
| to the general cause without complaint,
but unless some RELIEF soon be given
many of them will be compelled TO re-
duce their staff of employees, with the
result that they will not then have men
available for inspection work. 4,
So far as can be learned, not solts
tary case OF plague has been traced u
the shipment of goods of American OF
European origin, and there seems tc
be no sound reason why the strict quar-
antine, which bears so heavily on the
merchants of the city, should not bt
Immediately lifted or greatly modified
That there is danger in shipment o.
Oriental freights has been proven, anC
the precautions against this class o
goods are not questioned, except tina
they have been woefully insufficient
but even in this merchandise, 1t ha1
OF been satisfactorily shown whethe
, or TO the disease has been communi
Gated by fumigated, or unfumigatet
goods, or both; nevertheless during tn
past few days Oriental merchandise ha
been pretty thoroughly distribute
'rcm the wharves to all parts Of tt
town.
The vital question is, what is tn
danger from goods of American an
European origin, and is it still neces
saryto tie up the island trade so Tight
as to seriously menace the financia
standing of all purely mercantile in
terests, and to persist in course tina
is bound soon to result in disaster t
many? 1t is not recorded that an
cases have resulted among the whal
laborers who have handled the man
thousand tons of freight on tn
wharves: the only cases that could POI
sibly come under this head are one c
two among the laborers who had bes
engaged in handling goods at the A n
warehouse, but it has not been sh IN
that these men did not contra ct the a.
ease bv accounting ard partakIng
some of the eatahles in Chinatown. ar
in view Of the immunity of the men c
the wharves the inference IS fair tn
these particular cases We're so comm
nicated.
To continne to enforce regulation
under present circumstances as The
are row beino enforced. is only TO ~
vertise conditions that do not exis
and others, particularly abroad w
rert9inlv rot consider us in any hett
situation than we represent ourselv
to he.
The time has come for Us to do bus
ness with one band md fieht the MOS
with tho other ord the SUGGESTION
now made that II is in order to en1ar
the schedule of goods that nav he saf
" distributed in accordance with t
dictates Of evnerienre ard the mere
stiles If trade ard to withdraw II
reasonable restrictions. which can on
rosult If longer continued in financi
disaster.
J. G. ROTHWELL.