Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-02-27
THE FREIGHT PROBLEM.

That the Japanese merchants should
be heard from in connection with the
Board of Health's regulation touching
food stuffs is to be expected Con-
sidering the financial interests effected
and the large number Of people depen-
dent upon the mizo, seaweed, mush-
rooms, dried fish and dried vegetables
imported from Japan for daily diet,
the japanese have been very conserva-
tive in their requests. Had the re-
striction consequent to the plague hit
the Americans as hard as II has the
Japanese we doubt whether the sltua-
ton would be accepted with better
grace.
II is very hard for the controlling
element to appreciate what losses The
Japanese have suffered from the China
town fire, or what serious losses and
difficulties. will result unless some re-
vision is made in the regulations which
prevent further traffic in the national
foods of these people. The average
citizen going over the list Of neces.
sary Japanese foods Is disposed to
laugh at the idea that mizo "a mixture
of rice and beans) seaweed, mush-
rooms, dried fish and dried vegetables
are necessary to existence. Residents
Of the United States cant understand
why the authorities should make
special effort to supply Hawaiians
with poi.
The fact still remains that the COM
fort and contentment of over 10000 of
Hawaii's population depends on
ability to obtain these peculiar foods.
No officials or people can arbitrarily
change national diet however odor-
ferrous and distasteful these articles |
Of food may appear to Americans and |
Large Japanese mercan-
tile firms have been established which |
have the same right to recognition as
the American grocers.
To continue present conditions
means ruin to many merchants and
serious discomfort among laborers on
The plantations.
The authorities cannot view the sit
iation with indifference. The food
,tuffs now here can be destroyed, by
he government making proper finan-
,ial return to the owners. So far as
snown. no plague cases have been
raced directly to the use of japanese
GODS, and If 1t be true that these foods
'laced on the unpermitted list of i'm
'orts have been used at the detention
amps 1t would appear that the ques-
Ion Of destruction merits further con.
liberation.
Whatever Is done with the goods
low here the Bulletin doubts the ad-
or authority of Hawaiian
fficials putting a stop to the importa-
ion of Japanese foodstuffs. Our traf-
C with foreign countries is controlled
4 Washington a. the present time.
commercial demands of the present '
ay are that traffic shall be assisted. =
OF checked. Imports from clean
orts In Japan, though the imports be :
ne unpermitted class, have the same t
ght OF way at the port of Honolulu !
nat our sugars have in ports of the
Iainland.
Hawaii's duty is not to refuse i'm
orts but to make such provision as is
ade in other ports of the world for C
'operly disinfecting such materials as a
ay be considered source of danger n
The Japanese freight proposition is h
lie important feature of the traffic "
'oblem for which the Health authori- II
es are bound to devise new scheme c.
action. This cheme must be laid 81
ong the lines of greater freedom of f.
ada In