The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-04-02


business ability In their private Affairs
but in handling the public business
they have shown themselves without
any sense of responsibility Of the
grave duties they were called upon
10 perform Three members Of the
Board are reported to have rendered
their designations TO the Governor
Had these three. and all the other
members Of the old Board taken this
action long ago that action would
have met the hearty approval Of the
people They were long ago weighed
in the balance of public sentiment
and found wanting as public servants
Not alone have ali these things emu
mersted been permitted by the Board
OF Health but other things equally as
Objectionable to the people have been
done. Medical members Of the Board
have been members OF medical firms
and they have placed their business
partners in the best paid positions in
the gift OF the Board This has been
done right along and people have felt
that II was wrong. IL not illegal
The action of the Board in pro
nouncing the case of the Japanese wo-
man suspicious" before anything de-
finite was known was not only q
blunder, II was a crime and deserves
the severest censure. Upon what
authority was ii pronounced "suspt-
cious?" Certainly not on the author
ity OF DR.. Mays, the attending physi-
sian Was il on the authority Of the
so-cailed bacteriologist who came
here as a young medico in an emf
grant ship only very few years ago?
Was 1t on the authority Of recent ar
rival from San Francisco whom his
partner member Of the Board has
wanted appointed the bacteriologist?
Is It possible that the Board does not
know that bacteriology Is a science
in itself and that the great majority
Of practitioners have only a theoreti-
cal knowledge of the science? Do not
the medical members OF the Board
know very well that when a medical
student takes up Histology that he
finds the attending work in micros-
copy the most difficult of anything in
his medical course? Do they not
know that even after several years
of work VIA microscope twenty
things>put under the glass will look
just alike and only the man Of long
years of study and practice can de-
tect the difference between microsco-
pic germs. Psychologists are not
turned out of school at an early age
or graduated from men of limited
practice south OF Market Street, San
Francisco. They are the result of
years of patient and untiring work in
the laboratory by men who devote
their lives to that branch of medical
science. Then upon what authority
does the Board of Health say that this
is suspicious" case.
In talking Sunday Dr. Raymond gave
the case of the Board of Health away
when he said that they were out Of
funds. 1t would appear that the whole
purpose of asking members of the
Legislature to be present was to en-
deayor to commit them in advance to
large appropriation and q continu-
ance of the Boards autocratic powers.
In the absence of city and county
government the Board Of Health has
gradually had its powers added to
until they have been for several years
past almost unlimited. Was it because
ii feared that it's wings were to be |
clipped that the Board hoped to create |
another plague scare, One year ago
the power Of the Board was SO abso- |
lutte that 1t even made regulations for |
Bidding a man TO change his place of |
abode without permit Of tie Board. |
Thus a man boarding at Waikiki |
could not come down town without a |
permit from this august body. Is it |
any wonder that people want no more
Of il. and that they have grown sus-
pioious OF the Board and of its every
action? Under it's regulations of one
year ago all civil law was practically
suspended and mob law prevailed.
Yes. the members have not the con-
hdence OF the people and they should
resign, resign at once. and the Legis-
ature should pass a bill creating q
health officer and defining his powers