The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-01-18

ments damned in back of the Asahi
theater and owned by Chun Kim SUIT
who has the reputation, among the au-
thorities, of being one of the trouble
some Chinaman in the city, owing to
his insistence in breaking what few
sanitary rules there are.
Conditions Bad.
1t is impossible to consider the tene-
ment question without considering the
fire and sanitary conditions together.
In the Kim SUIT buildings the conditions
in both are very bad. He has fenced
in his entire group of buildings with a
high fence and should a fire break out
inside, the firemen would have the
alternative of breaking this fence down,
by which time the fire would undoubted-
ly be beyond their control, or carrying
the hose through two-foot doorway
which would result in the same con-
sequences There is no law to make
hIm take that fence down.
Between the two buildings, which are
hardly two feet apart, he has erected
another fence which would greatly
hinder fremen in case of a confagra-
ton.
A fire in this building would CON-
municate itself to it's neighbors (only
eleven inches away and sweep Bere-
tania avenue. The supervisors might
then pass resolution of sympathy for
the propertyowners.
Kim Sut has built drain pipes from
the roof down to within three inches
of the ground. Taking into considera-
tion the fact that this building is in
the middle of the block, and that there
is hardly an alleyway leading to the
street, it can easily be seen that the
purpose of these pipes carrying the
water to the street) can not be fulfilled
To make matters worse, the end of ev-
cry pipe is turned under the house
where the water collects and is at
present standing. There is no law to
make him lead those pipe to the gut
| tiers.
| Sunlight Excluded.
| The second stories protrude directly
over the porch in such manner that
not bit of sunlight enters the diminu
/ tive court below. This court, hardly
twenty by eight feet, is the playground
for thirty children. There is no law
to remedy this.
On a maze of roofs covering one
4 story outhouses a mass of papers, rub
bish and garbage has collected, al
though the buildings have been occu
pied but nine or ten days and the paint
is not yet dry in places. If there be
law to make him clean it up, the
owner has disobeyed it.
| Inspector Cook of the board of health
has been repeatedly threatened by
Chinaman, among them the proprietor
of Chinese bakery. Some have told
him that they have pull enough to have
| him dismissed.
No Building Laws.
Honolulu is unique among commercial
centers of the world in having no work.
able building laws. The fire limits are
described by statute as: "That part of
the city of Honolulu which is bounded
as follows, to witt By the waterfront;
thence along a line eighty feet west
and parallel with the westerly line OF
Maunakea street to point eighty feet
makai of King street; thence westerly
along a line eighty feet makai," and
so forth. Here is another extract from
the building laws: every building
or structure within the fire limits OF
Honolulu shall have the external walls
thereof constructed of brick, stone, con
crete, iron, or other approved freproOi
material" Then follow innumerablt
provideds' that make the law joke
Most of the rules that govern thu
building of the houses are regulations
of the board of health and a serious
question has now arisen as to whethe
the board of health has the power t,
legislate and if it have the power t.
enforce its rules.
For the lack of laws on the question
there is nobody to be blamed except thu
supervisors who seem to have consist
emily shirked the duty of framing al
ordinance after being repeatedly warn
ed, because it means more work an,
study than drawing up an ordinance
regulating the number of times da,
to wash cows face.
For the numerous instances of wha
laws there are being broken is a matte
where the blame can be attached to
great many officials.
|