The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-04-18
POLITICS
IN HOUSE
CONTINUED From Page One.)

continued from rage onG.1
ed and then suddenly reconsidered.
What will be done with it today will
depend upon the mood of the House
at the particular moment when it will
be up.
Morning Session.
A report from the special committee
named to investigate the conditions of
affairs at the Iwilei washhouse was
presented as a first course for the
House members yesterday morning, be-
ing a roast of the condition of affairs
and hard, steady boost for the pro
prietors of the steam laundry.
After quoting figures to show that
the country was receiving $500 a year
from the washhouses less than it cost
to maintain them, the report said:
Your committee visited the laundries
April 5th and found there a condition
of disgusting filthiness. The first room
visited was occupied by Chinese, some
of whom were eating, some preparing
food, and one man was reclining on
ing and smoking opium. A visit to
the other rooms of the building show
ed practically the same state of things.
Food is cooked and eaten in the rooms
where the washing is done, and in sew
eral washing rooms there was a bunk
or bed. Some members Of the COM
mittee assembled to the rooms above
the wash-room, used for sleeping
apartments. These rooms were dirty
and filthy.
In the report of the Superintendent
of Public Works on page 1873 is the fol-
lowing:
1.-The interior of the wash-rooms IS
regularly scrubbed out, but in spite of
this, it is almost impossible to keep
the buildings in thoroughly sanitary
condition due to method of washing
clothes, adopted by the Chinese; pre-
vious to being put into a boiler, each
garment after being soaped, is twisted
into shape similar to that of rope,
then swung in the air and thrust
against a table top, which operation
results in suds and filth being deposit
ed about the walls and ceilings, leav-
ing the several apartments in a very
uncleanly condition"
The buildings are in very bad repair,
the sills, floor joist wooden flooring
and siding are badly rotted out. The
roofs need reshingling and it seemed
to your committee that to repair these
buildings properly would require al
most their reconstruction.
Your committee wishing to be thor
poughly informed upon the laundry sit
uation in Honolulu, visited a steam
laundry plant, on South street and
found there that the process of wash
ing and ironing was carried on in
clean and sanitary manner. At this
laundry there were about sixty people
employed on the day of our visit. Most
of these are Hawaiian and Portuguese
women and girls The manager of the
steam laundry informed your commit
tee that owing to the assistance given
to Chinese by the Territory it is i'm
possible to compete with the Chinese
in the laundry business, in spite of the
facilities afforded by the use of ma
-chinery. If however, the Territory
should discontinue to assist the Chi
nese, the steam laundry would be able
by reason of the increase of business
to do laundry work much cheaper
than at present.
FINDINGS.
Your committee find as follows:
First. The Government laundries
are in filthy and insanitary condition,
and a source of danger to the public
health.
Second The Territory is engaged
in assisting the Chinese washmen at
a large annual loss.
Third. The Territory is being de-
prived of revenue by reason of being
engaged in the laundry business.
Fourth. The buildings used by the
fc, I'm,
"a state of bad repair and it would cost
a large sum of money to place the
same in a sanitary condition.
Fifth The Territory by spending
the public money in assisting a pri-
vate enterprise is competing with citi-
zens in an unfair and unlawful man
-ner.
CONTEMPLATION.
Your committee respectfully recon-
mend.
First That no public money be
3 spent after July /, 1907, upon the Gov
eminent laundries at Iwilei.
Second. That the present laundry
buildings be taken down, and the land
upon which they stand be leased in
small parcels preferably for laundry
purposes.
A LAUNDRY BILL.
In connection with the matter, Shell
don, the chairman of the special COM
mittee, presented a bill to regulate the
laundry business of Honolulu by elm
mating the Government washhouses,
making it necessary for all who de-
sire TO conduct laundry to apply for
permission from the Superintendent of
Public Works, filing with the applica-
1tion q plan of the premises, showing
heating apparatus, water and sewerage
and giving description of the prem
Uses. a fee of So must also accom-
pany the application, upon receipt of
which the premises are to be inspected
by the Fire Chief and Superintendent
of Public Works. If the premises APP