The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-04-03
BOARD Of HEALTH
AND CIVIC FEDS

An unsavory subject. that Of the al
legged countenancing of the social con-
ditions in Iwilei by the Board of
Health. general allegations to that
effect having been made by the Law
and Order committee of the Civic Fed
Grafton. was taken up by the board at
it's meeting yesterday afternoon. The
allegation was denied in the reply to
the Civic Federation committee from
the president of the board. authorized
by the board, the reply stating in effect
that the Board of Health was doing
only its lawful duty.
All the members of the board were
present at the meeting. among those
listening to the discussion being Rev.
E W. Thwing, Theodore Richards.
Chief Detective Taylor, and a few
/ others. A question arose at the be-
ginning of the meeting whether the dis
cussion should be a public enc. which
was decided by vote.
The findings and recommendations Of
the Civic Federation committee. sub
mitted to the board and read We're:
THE Law and Order committee OF
the Civic Federation on its first meet
ing after reorganization finds itself CEN
fronted by conditions in Iwilei very
much as they existed in 1905 when the
Federation took such a determined
stand against the evils there. We find
that the Federal and Territorial stat
utes governing the offenses committed
there are still wholly d.sregarded.
I'VE recognize. too, the difficulties
under which the officials labor. upheld
as they have been by a certain amount
of popular sentiment in favor OF 'regu-
lation of vice.
'As to Iwilei with its permitted pub
| lie brothel. there is not even the sx-
cuse that the laws are bad. only that
! they are relatively imperative Hence
we have the remarkable spectacle OF
sworn officials not only disregarding
statutes at the base of Divine and
human law, but making their violation
easier, safer and incidentally more fire.
quent. That this 'expedient' meddling
with law is done with good intent we
can not doubt.
This committee distinctly disavows
any intention of charge or imputation
of graft in connection with any of the
departments of the government con-
nected with Iwilei. 1t recognizes the
personal worth and the public services
Of the men in charge, but it strongly
denounces a system which must almost
inevitably lead to graft on the part Of
under officials and must at least sub
ject them to needless temptation"
On the above findings the committee
recommended that the board cease
their cooperation with the open vice
and that the United States Attorney
and the County Sheriff proceed at once
on crusade against it and abolish it.
PINKHAM'S TART REPLY.
In his reply to this, which was sane
toned by the board. President Pink
ham resents the use of the word Co
operation by saying: Your unsub-
Stimulated charges as to cooperation
and possibilities of graft can only arise
from most morbid, long-distance
imagination for your assertion is con-
trary to fact or any possible probable
ity."
By law quotations and arguments
Pinkham defended the course taken by
the board, claiming that their only in
tention and effort is to protect the
general health of the community. As
to the carrying out Of the law. the
Civic Federation is referred to the
Grand Jury.
The Federal and Territorial Grand
Juries are the lawful channels bv which
the people directly guard their interests
and their morals" states the reply.
Both the Federal and Territorial
Grand Juries have very recently thor
oughly investigated the whole subject
of your communication. hence. had not
the methods pursued by the Board of
Health been in the best interests Of
the community. these bodies would
have recommended different action"
MEMBERS UNINFORMED.
The opening of the discussion found
the individual members Of the board
very much in the dark as to what the
board had done or was doing regard
ing the whole question. Pinkham had
left after reading his letter. being
wanted in court as a witness in the
labeas corpus case in which the board
s interested, and 1t had been Just about
iecided to leave the whole question for
another day when the president return
cd. He then explained what the board
vas doing, which was very little.
chief Taylor explained the position
If the police towards the denizens Of
ne tenderloin and the attitude Of the
mes dealt with towards the regula-
ions. being questioned by DR.. Baldwin.
Neither Theodore Richards nor Rev.
lr- Thwing had anything to say, al
housh suggestion was thrown ont
nat Mr. Richards say something To
make more definite the broad charges
the Civic Federation findings. Al
ogether the discussion showed marked
etlcence on the part of everybody.
LAUNDRY PERMIT REFUSED
An application for a laundry permit
ias made by a Chinaman located on
ne corner Of Kukui and Maunkea. but
n accompanying report on his prem
'es by Building Inspector Keen cooked
lhatever chances he might have had.
ne report stated that the building was
ne OF the dirtiest in the city and unfit
or almost any purpose. The applica-
on was refused.
Inc routine reports from the various
apartments showed that the rat and
losquito campaigns were going on IN
easingly and that the other regular
'ork of the department was proceed
lg satisfactorily.