The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-04-05
THE BOARD OF HEALTH
IS WITHOUT A HEAD.
Governor Carter Accepts DR.. Coopers Resigna-
ton as President. .Board Advises Him to
Retain His Membership.
DIR. MAYs's STATEMENT.


In view of the financial stress, tn
Board of Health set to work in mos
loyal spirit to reduce its estimate
down to the figure mentioned by Gov
ernor Carter and has come within
few thousand dollars of doing So /
the item of S2S,OOO for the Kalaupapi
store had been omitted. as the Boar,
advised, our estimates would hav,
reached below the proposed limit. TIL,
money for the upkeep of the kalau'
papa store is in no sense an asset OF
the Health Department. 1t is handed
us by the Government, passed on t.
the store, and returned by the store t.
the Government. A gives money to b
b turns 1t over to c, and C hands II
back to A again. What has this to
do with the running expenses of the
Health Department? The fact is. this
idea of the Government conducting q
general merchandise store is wrong. Ii
should be dropped, and some merchant
allowed to start a store there to stand
on its own bottom.
The Legislative appropriation for the
Health Department for the twelve
months is 100000. Deducting the Ka-
laupapa store item it is only $685., 900.
This amount has been reduced 40 per
cent; for instance, straight cut of
about 20 per cent has been made in
the salary of every employee. With
this we have SO managed that both
the Government Physicians and the
Free Dispensary have been retained. l
have been strongly opposed to looping
off the Government Physicians, who
for what is often a trifling pittance
from this Board, attend to the destitute
sick Throughout the Islands. The
hand to mouth, and to leave then with
out medical help seems to me almost a
criminal proposition. SO with the Free
Dispensary here in town. With the
hospitals all closed against them, what
are the destitute poor to do? At the
Dispensary they can get medical adj
vice and medicine free.
In my opinion we do not go far
enough in fulfilling our duties towards
the aborigines of these Islands, whom,
it is no eXaggeration to say. we have
supplanted. In the Great West, the
Federal Government began thirty years
ago to issue regular rations and blank
cts to the Indians, whose lands and
our people had taken
possession of. 1t is part of the White
Mans Burden that our nation has
borne and is still bearing.
To some extent the same obligation is
IN npnn1a wi
try we have taken. Shall we then en-
terrain the proposition to deprive them
even of medical aid when sick and dy-
ing? l feel certain that this Board will
never consent to the abolition of either
Of these two institutions.
The Health Department has cut it's
estimates As per cent. What have 9TH
ar Departments done? Which Depart
ment is most entitled to point with
pride" as the phrase goes, to its zeal
IN the work of retrenchment? The
Board of Education, which receives a
arger appropriation than We do, has
made a reduction of about 10 per cent
The Treasury Department has cut
about 80 per cent. The Judiciary De-
oartment 20 per cent. The Police De-
partment 81 per cent The Attorney
Generals Department 3 per cent. The
Fire Department 43 per cent. In men
Joining these reductions, no reflections
ire intended of course upon the action
IF the several Department authorities,
who have done all that was asked of
hem. But it will show how strange a
lelusion they are laboring under, who
-hink this Board has evinced a reluc-
lance TO cut down expenses.
One word as to the possible effects
IF these reductions. We have cut down
very close to danger point. AS custo-
never overlook our grave responsibility
'or the welfare of the community. We
have to protect against disease a
tropical city, with a population over
Oriental in character. We
know by past experience what an
epidemic will do here If 1t once gains
headway. 1t is liable to spread like "A
)rairie-tire. If eternal glance is the
price of safety, we are not expected,
The citizens do not ask us to denude
ourselves of the means TO maintain
,lty under the able management of
lur President, DR.. Cooper. Is now In
nigh state of efficiency, The town and
Is suburbs, Its highways and byways.
Is purlieus and alleys It's tenements
md cellars, and all the thousand and
me nesting-places of disease, are all
sharply watched ana guarded, Relax
his watchfulness, and who can tell
low soon viii be- upon M the pestlcnee
hat walkoth IN darknoss2
We have been reluctantly compelled
% reduce tho number If our inspectors
rom n % s, This may do for a time,
lut I would feel more easy H. In the
OF financial AFFAIRS that
he next few weeks may bring forth,
he oorps ~ Inspectors may be- restored
o its number, W, H. MAYS,
COOPER 10 GARTER