The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-05-10
.HILO HAS A BIC
KICK TO REGISTER.
Quarantine Is Hurting Tourist
Trade and Disturbing the
Big Island.

HILo, May 4.-Hilo has a very big
kick to make, and she is making it
with no little vgor. Because she had
four cases of contagious disease, the
last one on March %, the whole Island
of Hawaii is still under a federal quar-
antine, and Hilo is suffering very
severely. Her tourist trade has fallen
off one.half and her big new hotel is
nearly empty except for the regular
boarders, for the average tourist has
| lively fears of n 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
quarantined 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
| llhWull ID dNaiblHR LhO b4BlIdbAOh VI
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been withdrawn from the passenger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 Hilo, those coming from Homo
lulu have to come ashore in boats and
get ashore by 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.
A feature of the quarantine much
criticized is its application to the Kona
: side of the island. Kailua, for exam
pie, is really farther, in a practical
sense, from the locality that was af-
fected on March %, than is Honolulu.
1t is easier to get from Hilo to Homo
lulu and takes less time, for the ordin.
, airy traveller, than to get from Hilo to
Kailua Yet because of few cases of
disease in Hilo six weeks ago, citizens
of Kailua are in quarantine just the
same as those of Hilo. One effect has
been to cause complete stoppage of
Inter Island deck travel from Hawaii.
Uncle Sam is not paying many of the
expenses Of this quarantine. This is
another peculiar feature of II which
arouses criticism. The intending pas
sengers must be examined and passed
by physician before they are allowed
aboard a steamer, and they must pay
for the examination themselves, out
side Of Hio The doctor is allowed 10
collect a "reasonable fee" at all places
except lilo, which is port Of entry
and has a salaried federal quarantine
officer for examining passengers. The
fee is 81 or $3.50 at the various ports
along the Kona and Kau coast
There Is 40 complaint about the size
Of the fee, for often the doctors have
10 make considerable trip TO examine
passengers. liut there Is r complaint
That The federal authorities do not pay
tho doctors Tor the expenses Of The
quarantine, which nine people out 0f
ton think 4 wholly absurd anyhow,
Ia lilo foes afa charged far fnmi-
cations Of oriental baggage, and other
large shipments Passengers are eGam,
ind Ny tic federal ohIeeG however,
without charge 10 thorn