The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1910-05-14
HilO Has
Big Kick
Quarantine Hurting Tourist
Trade.

HILO, May 4.-Hilo has a very
big kick to make, and she is max
ing it with no little vigor. Because
she had four cases of contagious di-
sease, the last one on March %, the
whole Island of Hawaii is still un-
der federal quarantine, and Hilo
is suffering very severely. Her tour
ist 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 quarantine. He fears quaran-
tine much more, as a rule, than he
fears a 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 the disease oc-
Cured. They quarantine and clean
ed the block in which the trouble
was, and after week without fur
ther 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 Gus
tom of the service, sixty days is the
time limit for quarantine, and Ha-
waii is waiting the expiration of
sixty days since the last case,-
though the period of danger passed
in five days.
Inthe 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been withdrawn from the passenger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 Honolulu 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 ports where
passengers are sent ashore in boats.
A feature of the quarantine much
criticized is its application to the Ko-
ma side of the island. Kailua for ex-
ample, is really farther, in practi-
cal sense, from the locality that was
affected on March %, than is Ho-
nolulu. 1t is easier to get from Hilo
to Honolulu and takes less time, for
the ordinary 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
a 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 it
which arouses criticism. The in
tending passengers must be examin-
ed and passed by a physician before
they are allowed aboard steamer,
and they must pay for the examina-
ton themselves, outside of Hilo.
The doctor is allowed to collect a
reasonable fee" at all places except
Hilo, which is port of entry and
has salaried federal quarantine Of
ficer, examining passengers. The fee
is 50 or s2.50 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 is
complaint that the federal authori-
ties do not pay the doctors for the
expenses of the quarantine, which
nine people out of ten think is
wholly absurd anyhow,
In Hilo fees are charged for fumi-
cations of oriental baggage, and
other large shipments. Passengers
are examined by the federal officer,
however, without charge to them.
There is no difficulty about getting
passage or leaving the island.