The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-12-11
CEMETERIES
ONCE MORE
A Committee Will.
Investigate
Them.

"A curious instance OF the Celestial
tricks that are vain" came before the
Board Of Health at its weekly meet
ing yesterday afternoon, which was
attended by DR.. C. B. Cooper, presi-
dent; Fred C. Smith, NJ. p. Robinson,
Dr. w. Fl. Mays and r. &C. Winston,
members; DR.. ]. S. B. Pratt, chief
health officer; C. Charlock, secretary;
| and Miss Mae Weir, stenographer.
Edmund p. Dole, attorney appeared
on behalf of the Chinese cook employ
| ed by Judge Dole who had got himself
| pinched by standardization. This
| Chinaman became the father of a child
| born here, whose birth he neglected to
register within the statutory time.
When he wanted a passport to go. to
| China with the child 1t became neces-
sary to produce certificate Of the
| child's birth at the Secretary Of the
Territory's office. This must be had
from the Registrar of the Board of
Health, but the child's birth has to be
registered HrSt.
To AVOID the penalty of being be-
| hind time with the registration the
father post dated the birth of the
child. AS however, he gave the true
date at the Secretary's office, there was
a conflict between that and the regis
tered date shown in the certificate.
Mr.. Dole applied to the Board for
the mans relief and it was voted to
allow him to register the birth correct
ly and give him a certificate
QUESTION OF CEMETERIES.
The following letter from the city
sanitary officer was read:
Gentlemen: Permit me once again
to bring up the question of either clos
ing the cemeteries within the city linn
it's to further burials, or of so regulat-
ing them that the present very insani-
tary and dangerous practices be stop
ped.
II felt that hasty action should not
be taken and that the different keep
ers should be allowed to remedy the
conditions existing as far as lay in
their power, and that the organizations
controlling these cemeteries should be
allowed to take the initiative and of
their own accord to close at least the
crowded portions of their holdings, and
for that reason they have been allowed
to go ahead and we have seen to 1t
that all graves were at least the re-
quired depth of six feet and that the
burial was made at that depth.
"a record has been kept of each in
terment since the first of September,
showing each case where anything out
of the ordinary has happened. 1 find
that in this time thirty-seven collins
have been disturbed, some actually
chopped in two and part of the remains
reburied beneath the new one. Some
of the cemeteries are SO low that when
graves are dug to six feet, the coffin
will be entirely submerged in water.
This has happened not only once but
five times in three months, and no
move has been made on the part Of the
organizations controlling these bury
ing grounds to stop 1t.
"A cemetery which so far has not
been brought before the Board as q
place necessary to be closed is the ma
tive Protestant plot at Kalihi, Haul
helemano. Two burials have lately
been made at this place and in each
case it took two full days to blast a
grave out of the rock. AS you all
know, unless some means is taken to
arrest decomposition changes in the
body, this is entirely too long for 1t to
remain above ground.
Trusting that the Board will see fit
to take some action in this matter, I
remain, Very Respectfully,
&C. H. TRACY,
"City Sanitary Officer and Inspector of
Cemeteries"
President Cooper remarked that the
question of cemeteries had been before
the Board for long time. 1t did not
seem to be advanced from what it was
several months ago. He thought the
matter should be referred to a commit
tee to ascertain II something definite
could not be done.
On motion the suggestion was adop-
ted and the president appointed DR..
Mays, Mr.. Robinson and Attorney
General Andrews as the committee.
WEATHER BUREAU.