The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-05-09
H|LO HIS A BIC
KICK To REGISTER
Quarantine IS Hurting Touris'
Trade and Disturbing the
Big Island.

HILO. May 4-IIiIo has very big
kick to make. and she IS making 1t
with no little vigor. Because She had
four cases Of contagious disease, the
last one on March -, the whole Island
of Hawaii is still under federal quar-
antine. and Hilo is suffering very
severely. Her tourist trade has fallen
off one-haIf and her big new hotel IS
nearly empty except for the regular
boarders. for the average tourist has
lively fears of a quarantine. He fears
quarantine much more, as a rule, than
he fears disease which may bring it
about.
The quarantine is a federal one. The
local agents of the territorial board of
health took prompt action when the
outbreak Of disease occurred. They
duarantined and cleaned the block in
which the trouble was, and after a
week without further pilikia, they
called off the quarantine. But the
United States Marine Hospital Service
declared a quarantine of the whole
island. for sixty days. According to
the custom of the service, sixty days
is the time limit for quarantine, and
Hawaii is awaiting the expiration of
sixty days since the last case,-though
the period of danger passed in five
days.
In the meantime the Claudine has
been withdrawn from the passenger
service. as far as passengers leaving
Hilo are concerned, and as she does not
dock in fIilo, those coming from Homo
lulu have to come ashore in boats and
get ashore by a leap on to the wharf.
The Hilo wharf has no steps, and the
landing is worse than that at most of
the little ports where passengers are
sent ashore in boats.
\ feature of the quarantine much
criticized is its application to the kona
side Of the island Kaiiua, for exam
pie. is really farther in a practical
sense, from the locality that was al
fected on Match -, than IS Honolulu.
It is easier to get from Hilo to Homo
lulu and takes less time, for the ordln-
AIRY traveller, than to get from HlIo TO
Kaiua Yet because Of a few cases Of
disease in HjIo six weeks ago, citizens
OF Kailua are in quarantine Just the
same as those Of HiIo. One effect has
been to cause complete stoppage Of
Inter-Island deck travel from Hawai-.
Uncle Sam is not paying many Of the
expenses Of this quarantine. This Is
another peculiar feature Of II which
arouses criticism. Tie intending pas
senrer. must be examined and passed.
bv physician before they are allowed
aboard a steamer, and they must pay
for the examination themselves, out
side Of Hilo. The doctor is allowed to
collect a reasonable fee at all places
except Hio, which is a port Of entry
and has a salaried federal quarantine
officer. for examining passengers. The
fee is 50 or $3.50 at the various ports
along the Kona and Kau coast.
There is no complaint about the size
Of the fee. for often the doctors have
to make considerable trip to examine
passengers. But there j. complaint
that the fedora. authorities do not pay
the doctors for the expenses of the
quarantine. which nine people out of
ten think Is wholly absurd anyhow.
IL Uilo fees are charged for fumi-
cations ~pf oriental baggage, and other
large shipments. Passengers are exam
med bv the federal officer however,
without charge to them. There is no
difficulty about getting passage or
lpaz-ing the island