The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-01-29
NEW NOTIONS
An Engineers Plan for
Sanitation.
Believes Chinatown Can be Made
HeaIthy--Rapid Transit for Sub
urban Homes Needed.

Editor Advertiser: To an i'm
partial observer, the proposition to re-
/ build in a new location district where
/ the Oriental population may live and
conduct business appears worthy of the
most serious consideration. That such
district may be made both sanitary
and attractive is exemplified in the
/ Chinese portions of the Foreign Con-
! cessions of Shanghai and Other Asiatic
cities.
Taken in hand at this time it is per-
/ fectly feasible to so construct a district
that sanitary inspection may be easily
carried out. overcrOwded localities
prevented. and laws economically en-
/ forced. To attain these ends il is neces-
sary TO adopt an approved style of con-
structiOn, the essential features OF
which must be observed throughout the
| enure district. The essential features
are: air space; openness TO sunlight;
access TO inspection; easy removal OF
| refuse: Limitation of number OF occti-
pants.
/ A type of such construction is obtain
ed by building houses in compounds.
Each compound consists of a frontage
of 4 or more stores between 2 of which
/ is a passage to concrete paved area
way. This area-way is surrounded by
eight or more houses opening upon II.
A wagon-way round the three sides OF
the compound gives access to the rear
Of the houses for the removal OF refuse.
/ The houses may be two or more stories
in height, but are only two rooms deep
and light and air thus secured. A gen
eral type having been decided on, the
details are easily modified to meet the
needs of residence, business or manu-
facture.
fl is an open question whether sani-
tary ends are best served by connecting
houses of this class with sewers or by
the periodic removal of offal and refuse
in closed receptacles and its conversion
into useful products. All modern sani-
tation recognizes the futility of at
tempting to finally avoid the pernicious
effects of sewage by dispensing 1t in
running streams or the open ocean
Unquestionably, the only method OF
finally disposing of this material is by
J chemically breaking it up into products
which will not breed life or disease.
There are well recognized methods OF
accomplishing this, but they are use
less except in localities where effec-
tive regulations for the collection OF
refuse material are enforced by the
government.
There is probably no outlying part of
the world where Anglo-SaXons live UNI
der such insanitaTy conditions as in
parts of Honolulu. In a considerable
portion of the center of the city every
available piece of ground is occupied
by cesspools and small cottages rest
ing fiat upon the ground. These vine
covered, tree-shaded out-houses and
cottages present an attractive appear
ance, but it is a matter of surprise that
epidemic has not yet taken its place
! among them. No system of sewerage
will remove from these localities the
danger of disease arising, under favor
able conditions, from the saturated
! condition of the subsoil. These places
need air and sunshine as much as
Chinatown, where the inevitable COM
ing of disease was merely FASTENED by
more crowded population, hence
greater supply of refuse in equal areas,
and a more rapid approximation of
the subsoil.
The gaining of livelihood renders
it necessary for the greater portion of
the occupants of these cottages TO live
within easy reach of the business por-
ton of the city. Inspection accom-
plishes little with these people as they
already willingly adopt all sanitary pre-
cautions that existing conditions will
allow. The only aid that can come to
this class of population is cheap, rapid
transit to outlying districts where the
price of land is kept within reason
} able limits and cheap, healthful homes
are possible to people with small
incomes.
Yours very truly,
w. F. G. HASSON.
, Honolulu. January 26. 1900.