The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-26
IN EARNEST
Position of Sanitary
Committee.
Reply to Letter From Board of
Health : Concerning the
Hotel Stables.
Honolulu, H. l., Feb. "A, 1900.
c. B. Wood, President Board of

Honolulu, H. l., Feb. "a, 1900
DIR. c. B. Wood, President Board of |
Health.
Sir: We have the honor to acknowl- |
edge the receipt of your communica-
ton dated February 23d in reply 10
ours of the 22d inst.
We regret that in your letter and the
public discussion of the same by the
members of the Board of Health YOU
and they should have deemed it a fit
occasion for sarcasm or considered the
letter an impertinent one.
This committee is too much in earn
est, and its members individually and
the people of Honolulu as a whole.
have too great interests at stake, both
financial and personal, to warrant a re-
ply in the same vein or to befog the
principle at issue by discussing side
issues.
In all matters involving medical or
scientific knowledge relating to plague
this committee accepts absolutely the
diagnosis and the decision of the med
zeal members and assistants of the
Board of Health.
In all matters in which the Board
has material private information, this
committee will await and abide by the
decision of the Board.
But in matters involving neither pro-
fessional nor private knowledge we do
not admit that we are barred from ex-
pressing our judgment co-equally with
the Board; nor that there is improprie-
ty in communicating our views to the
Board, urging action or criticizing in
action.
The Hotel stables had passed the
professional knowledge stage. The
Board had declared that two of its
employees, both of whom had been pres
emit in the building, one sleeping there,
had died of plague.
The Board had no secret knowledge,
Every fact bearing on the subject
known to the Board was known to this
committee and to the public
| We beg to state that it was unneces-
sary for you to cite to us reasons justi-
Tying the burning of the buildings men
| toned in your letter. This committee
heartily approves such burnings.
| The sole object of the committee in
referring to these buildings was to
point out that the Board had heretofore
pursued a policy of burning buildings
in which there had been no plague,
simply because by reason of proximity
or other circumstantial or inferential
evidence they might have become in
fected by rats or other unknown
source.
That is to say, the Board has not re-
quired proof of infection before burn
ing, but has adopted the safe policy of
When in doubt burn the house."
In the case in question there was no
doubt; no inference; no circumstantial
evidence. The direct facts, positive
and admitted, were that two plague
cases had come out of the building,
which was incapable of disinfection.
| In no other case had such a house
under like circumstances been pre-
served.
You say that the Board have not de-
cided not to burn this building.
We submit that the whole tenor of
the public discussion of the subject by
the Board and. it's action and inaction
warranted the committee in drawing
the conclusion that such was the de-
termination of the Board.
The committee believed that it had
reasonable ground to think that the
Board did not intend to burn. It had
| earnest convictions that public inter-
ests required a continuance of the pol
icy of burning heretofore acted upon
by the Board.
Under such circumstances it was the
right and duty of the committee to
present it's views to the Board, which
1t did in good faith, in words strong
but courteous.
1t had the right to expect an answer
in like spirit.
This committee will continue indi-
vidually and collectively to assist the
Board by every means in it's power to
subdue the plague.
1t will also, whenever it deems it
proper, present its views to the Board
and urge their adoption; and will also.
IL unhapplly, 1t become necessary, ex-
erclse the right of criticizing any &C.
LION OF 1allure to act on the part of the
Board which it may deem against pub
lie interest.
In conclusion, this committee urges
with all earnestness that if the Board
has not already adopted such a policy
1t will now adopt as it's policy the fol-
lowing, viz:
" Burn every house, incapable of
dlsinfection, in which case of plague
originates, or in which it has remained
long enough to create a reasonable
doubt as to infection.
CD Burn every house which, by
reason of proximity or other reason
fected.
tS) Let the decision follow as close
~ as practicable after discovery of
each case; and action follow promptly
each decision.
Believing that il these suggestions
are theoretically and consistently car
RED out, they will, in conjunction with
a rigid quarantine system stop the
plague in Honolulu, if anything will,
we remain,
Your obedient servants.
CITIZENS SAN. COM.
By LORRTN A. THURSTON.