The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-26
h-MEDy BLulpERs.

The petition about tdro and poi which
was dismissed so cavaliory by Mr.
Reynolds at the last Board of Health
meeting was not such "a very absurd pc
tition after ALL The star sometime ago
made mention about poi at the settle
ment and there was foaming at the
mouth over the matter. f. looks very
much as if there was something
seriously wrong about the poi supply
and as If some one had blundered very
considerably.
Whose fault the present condition of
affairs is, it is probably difficult TO find
out but the undoubted fault lies with
the executive officers. They ought 20
know and are supposed to know the de-
tails of contracts. Without saying that
the lack of getting proper guarantees
or of giving or favoring contracts with
parties who are men of straw, means
that there was any intent to fleece the
Board, or to put he Board in bad
position, it remains as a very serious
indictment against the efficiency Of the
officials whom the Board is employing
The case, as was shown in The Star
yesterday afternoon, is a follows. The
Board asked for bids for the supply of
poi for the settlement. Bids came in
from various sources. The Board upon
the report or commentator Of it's exc
cutive officer accepted "A bid from
man of straw. AS long as "paiai" was
cheap it was furnished, as soon as
paiai became dear it was not furnished,
g., AZ
it had no penalty text which could be
enforced against its defaulting contrac-
tor. This is by no me ms the first time
such a thing has happened The board
of Health has had a somewhat similar
experience, and found its hands tied
because of the failure to have bond
Naturally it is not the business of
those who make the contract from the
producing side to suggest a bond, but
one would think the veriest Jay"
would suggest bond to the Board who
was making a contract,
However there the thing lies. The
settlement has not got and cannot get
it's proper food supply, viii h the ter
ritory pays a heavy AK for The fault
and it is a very serious fault, les with
the executive officers. The manage.
ment is a very ticklish affair ana 1t
requires exceptional ability to run such
an establishment. 1t is perfe ,tly SAFE
to say that those in charge have not
exceptional ability, indeed this IS 81 own
when to make an appu-clt savlr g.
which was of course a gallery play
hundreds more of dollars are going to
be thrown away to purchase inadequate,
supplies Of a favJrite and necessary
food. The Star believes that the mem
bers of the Board If Health, ana espe-
cially it's new President. desire u have
the best work ana the most adequate
care taken of the unt7rtInates VINO
have to be detained at the settlement,
but to reach this point they should
look carefully over the material that
they use and see if Their lumber is
sound.
AS was stated the other day in these
columns, the conditions of life at the
settlement are bound to bring about
discomfort No ruling body is bound to
listen to hypOcOndriacs indefinitely
But when they make complaint, even
unjust ones, it is wise 10 investigate.
The conditions at the settlement are
peculiar, The executive Oft 2ers Of the
1Gard are practically onnipotent at
the settlement There is practically no
appeal. When a man complains in the
public press, it is Tery easy for the
executive officer to brand him as a mall
content and discredit him The Star
holds a letter now which dcpr7catas any
mention of the author FOR fear Of CON
sequences
knowing these conditions The stan
suggested the other daJ !he entire sus-
pension of the executive officers Of the
Board, and a proper and thorough in
vestigation by a commit &c of The af-
fairs at the settlement. 1t would clear
the air and enable some system salts
factory to those inside the settlement,
and those who have to administer those
affairs there to be formulated. AS long
as officials stay on, so long will there
be a section of the settlement which
will want to curry favor with the
powers, and as a fact does curry favor
with the practically irresponsible
powers will be stigmatized as Ambrose
Hutchinson was the other day before
the Board of Health