The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-25
JURY
FINDS MUCH
TO CONDEMN
Continued from Page 81

Continued from Page 81
where, so that the cells may be ready
for the use of more prisoners. We con-
denim the practice of the police depart
ment being made to act as public admin
istrators, and having TO take charge of
and keep in their possession for an un-
limited time large quantities of furni-
ture, liquor, etc.
! We recommend that a receiving hospit-
al be placed in the police station, in
charge of competent surgeons, and that
! a regular hospital ambulance be main
! tanned for that purpose alone We con-
denim the system of having misdemean-
ors, petty larceny and malicious mischief
cases brought before the grand jury.
They should be disposed of in the police
court and would not keep a prisoner
some six months awaiting a hearing.
| We heartily approve of the new police
| call system about to be put in, and feel
sure that it will be of great assistance
| to the department, as well as a better
protection to citizens. We would respect
| fully call the attention of the Federal
grand jury to the fact that there is sull
a large amount of Illicit distilling going
on in and about Honolulu, and that, al
| though the attention of some of the Fed
eral officers has been called to it by the
police department, they have not seemed
| to pay any attention to. the information.
| We also suggest to the judges of the
police courts that they inflict more Sc
we're sentences in the many vagrancy
cases. In giving this class of people
| the limit of the law, we think vagrancy
VIII diminish. We find that the appro-
priations for the police department, so
slaughtered by the last Legislature that
| it has hampered the present efficient po-
| lice officials in not being able to give the
citizens the police protection they are
entitled to. We find that sums of money
are constantly being paid out of the pri-
vate resources of the high sheriff and his
deputy, in caring for the public safety,
and would suggest tina. the auditor be
more liberal with the police department
emergency fund. We recommend that
the police force be increased, as the pres
ent force is not sufficient. We find there
are twelve mounted police, SIX doing day
duty and six niglt duty. Each watch
doing duty from the tramway car stables
| at Palama to Kapiolani Park, including
Nuuanu as far as the tram terminus.
Punchbowl and Kakaako, thereby leav-
| ing that portion of the resident section
of the city from the pumping station on
Beretanta street mauka, and to Punahou,
without any police protection day or
night.
A tour of inspection was made, accom-
panied by the deputy sheriff. on the night
of October 18th, and many nototious
| places were visited. We feel that the
police force is doing everything possible
| in their power to patrol that part Of the
| city where so much vice exists, with the
| limited number of men at their COM
mand We would call the attention of
the Board of Health to the unsanitary
condition in and about Palama, and espe-
cially around the Chinese theater on Lii
liha street. The odor arising from nu1-
sances is very nauseating, and very dan
gerous to the community. We think that
a general cleaning up of this part of the
| C.,y would be in der 1t seems to This
| jury that if the last legislature had at
| tende'; Il their duties as public servants
and looked more to the protection Of our
citizens and the public welfare IN general
that these facts would not exist.
AS many of the cases brought to the
notice of the grand jury originated in
Kewalo and Kakaako, the jury visited
these localities and inspected two of their
tenement houses and their surroundings
| AS rain had recently fallen the streets
were found to be in wretched condi-
| ton. They should be drained and graded
/ by the government wherever it has juris-
diction, and where claimed as property
| of private persons or corporations, they
should be improved thereby at the COM
pulsion of the Board of Health. as they
constitute not only a nuisance but are
a menace TO the health of the entire
neighborhood Under the present law
| the Board of Health authorizes the con-
struction of dwellings, upon ground that
has been raised to level of four feet
above tide datum, but it does not COM
| pei the filling of the streets upon which
| it abuts or of adjacent property. The
result is that hundreds of people are liv-
ing amidst unsanitary surroundings. The
grand jury therefore recommends that
the streets in the neighborhood of the
junction of Queen and South streets and
makai thereof be put in a passable and
sanitary condition, and that in the future
| dwelling house permits be withheld as to
lots in low lying districts until the sur
roundings thereof shall also have been
put In proper sanitary condition. AL
| though but little money comparatively
speaking is expended upon the streets
OF this section the road taxes thereof
alone amount TO hundreds of dollars each
year, while the total assessed value of
real estate for the year 1900 exceeded half
a million dollars, and taxes collected for
| the same period exceeded s. 400. which
| figure will show a large increase for the
current year
| In this district, poles carrying light or
! telephone wires We're found to be placed
outside of what would be proper curb
| lines, thus obstructing the free passage
! OF vehicles in the present roadway. Two
| large frame tenement houses were in
| spected in this district, which We're occu-
pied by people of a half-dozen different
nationalities. Violation of sanitary and
| other regulations were noted which have
since been called to the attention of
owners, agents and proper Territorial
authorities. With the regard to the
building laws of the Territory, the grand
| jury found that the administration there
OF by the Department of Public Works,
while in compliance with their letter.
was TO q large degree ineffective in that
while building permits are only issued
upon the approval of plans and specifi-
cations first filed with the department.
/ actual inSnenfinr1 nf