The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-02-08
POLITICS PALYS
HOB WITH LAWS
No Building, Milk, or Sanitary
Ordinances Because They
Might Cost Votes.
(From satnrday s Advertiser. }

(From Saturdays Advertiser.)
There seems to be a prospect that
Honolulu will have building ordnance
commensurate with her needs in the
near future. The supervisors are at
work on such an ordinance now and the
agitation started in The Advertiser bids
fair to bring forth some results.
When Building Inspector Miehlstein
first took office a year ago he called the
attention of the city fathers to the
necessity for building ordinance and
prepared a rough draft which he sub.
mitted to Supervisor Aylett, who as
chairman of the health committee of
the board, is supposed to have charge
of such things But Aylett had not
| got over the idea that he was in office
for the sole and express purpose of
playing politics and as he could not see
where a building ordinance would
strengthen his political fences, he paid
no attention to the matter.
Aylett's excuse for passing up the
building ordinance at the time was
that he could not see the sense of pass
ing any such ordinance when all fees
collected must go to the Territory.
| Therefore the ordinance went into a
pigeonhole.
Since that time desultory attempts
have been made to secure some legis-
lation, but no one seemed to have sufii-
cient interest to put the matter through.
From time to time the necessity for
some legislation which would lessen the
danger from disastrous fires has been
pointed out, and on each occasion those
upon whom it fell to provide such leg
islation let the matter slide.
AS a matter of fact Quinn is about
the only committee chairman who has
accomplished much during his session
in office. Logan, as chairman of the
finance committee, has devoted most OF
his time to trying to keep the expendi
lures within the available incom,
though he has taken a prominent par
in the work of the committees of whicl
he is a member.
The Milk Ordinance.
The milk ordinance has suffere'
severely from the effects of too muc
politics. There has been strenuous oh
lection to almost every proposed provi
sion from the small Portuguese dn
Hawaiian dairymen, who have insiste
e that the ordinance is being framed 70
k the benefit of the rich man and, shoul
= it become law, would put the sma
S fellow out of business. This argumen
a was brought forward when the frs
q ordinance was up for consideration, an
u it has made its appearance PERIODICAL
ever since. Exception is taken to I'll
u ,.,,ss., ttor cfnIN
lc the provision that milk must be keI
- below a certain temperature, that mil
ers must wear white aprons and thi
g, g, milk must be aerated.
The ordinance. builders have now go
70 ten the temperature to a point whe
n milkmen say that no temperature clau
N would do just as well as the one pr
70 70 posed, but there will probably be
f. whole lot more tinkering before Il
re proposed ordinance will be brought
ii state of perfection where its faith
will dare parade it before his cOnst
IN tuents.
IF Fire Department.
at All efforts at securing any subsra
re tial aid for the fire department ha'
nr so far been fruitless. A determine
e. effort has been made to secure an e
he gne house for the Kaumakapili sectic
ne of Chinatown, and a lot has alreat
mt been secured from the Territory. B
nd no appropriation has been available
IN the lot is vacant,
5h There is hook and ladder tru'
On resting peacefully in the Beretan
We avenue engine house hut there are
ne funds to put it into commission.
:, Inspector Miehlstein has been We
lu industrious since he took office, but
ny has been greatly handicapped by t
We lack of an ordinance which would e
nu able him to enforce provisions for sa
~ itation and safety; Chief Thurston h
NJ kept the fire department in eXcelle
er condition and there has not been a d
w astrous conhagration in years, but I
ne city is only partially protected, becar
Sh there are insufficient men and apparat
'lu to cover the ground. The milk insp
tor has been energetic, but the legis
ton under which he is working is
very vague that he does not know j.
A. how far his authority extends.
iE The roads have received their f
share of attention, but the other
,ho partments of the city have been l.
Nv IN shift for Themselves