Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-02-24
tOARD'S BURNING POLICY
President Wood Responds 10 Citizens
|, Sanitary Committee.
Radical Policy Not Departed From - Committee
Has Made Mistakes Statements Of Fact
Made Of Hotel Stables.

II
22d, citing reasons why in the opinion
of the Citizens Sanitary Committee
the Hotel stables should be burned
forthwith, has been received. In reply,
allow me to express the Boards graft
hcation upon the assurance that 1.-The
Citizens Sanitary Committee does not
assume to dictate to the Board of
Health as to what its course of action
shall be in individual matters coming
before It,"
The argument Oh the Citizens SAM
tary Committee appears to be that in
previous cases the Board has condemn
ed and promptly destroyed property
suspected of infection by plague, with
out any direct proof of infection, and
has in addition destroyed neighboring
property because of its proximity to
the suspected locality, and that this
course has prevailed repeatedly and
become a settled policy of the Board.
and that therefore no variation from
this policy should be allowed. Fur
Their, 1t is argued, that in the case of
the Hotel stables the evidence of in
lection is more conclusive than in
many previous cases, some of which
are cited as examples.
In reply, allow me to state that the
Board has in no instance ordered the
destruction of property without first
making careful survey of the premi-
ses and weighing all the evidence
which could be obtained as to infec-
ton. In a great majority of the cases
the evidence has shown that at least
one person has been sick upon the
slept upon the premises that floors.
furnishing, clothing. soil and cesspools
had become soiled through discharges.
In many cases the person was found
dead or dying upon the premises Many
or the cases occurred in general dis
trict known to be infected. Where ad-
joining premises were included in the
condemnation proceedings II was not
alone because of proximity to an in
fected place, but also because of init
mate connection through flooring. par
ty walls, continuous roofs, back yards.
piles Of rubbish and old lumber. adj
joining cesspools, common conditions
OF Nth and intimate association of
inmates.
Referring to the four instances cited.
as examples, allow me to correct sew
eral mistakes:
1. There were only three cases of
plague In and adjacent to the Ali
building In Block 10, on Nmanu
street. but the Board considered this
sufhcient ground for condemning the
entire block containing sixty buildings
as being infected with plague, and II
was burned"
Inc Board has traced toBlock 10, d.
rectly and indirectly, eight or ten cases
OF plague. The ,hree cases referred to
above were all found dead on the prem
ises. Block 10 was, as proven by the
reports of all the inspectors who
went through 1t. one Of the most in
sanitary in the city, and the close
crowding of the buildings and sheds.
cesspools, privies, stables and kitchens.
together with the intimate connection
OF all, through rotten flooring on the
ground and dark, narrow passages.
maze the task Of u,sinfecting any
portion except few brick buildings.
by any other means than fire, utterly
hopeless. In this seething mass of |
NTH were living between 1000 and |
1900 human beings
2. IL. Ahlos store, on Nuuanu
street and Chaplain lane, was con-
demned and burned. The reason was
that 1t was across the street from the
Ali premises, and two doors mauks
OF building previously DESTROYED and
In which there had been plague case"
AMOS store was across the street"
from Block 10. Just described, and two
doors from house in which a man
was found an hour before death from
plague. after, no one knows, how many
days illness, and no one can find out.
after how much contamination of soil
In the neighborhood. This was not tho
FIRST, but the second. case to occur in
this block OF houses.
subsequent history has shown that
had the BOARD hpen omninntapt e., a., |