The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-03-31
QUARANTINEN0W
DEPENDS ON
POI BILL
Port Will Stay Shut as
Long as Senate
DaIIiCS.
HASTE NECESSARY
Board Of Health Darcs
Not Allow Shops
to Reopen.
HASTE NECESSARY
lFrom wednegdayls Advertiser.l }

lFrom wednesday AuVertlseI.J
Just what it costs city to tolerate
a group of men who refuse to abide by
the dictates of sanitary decency, or to
eoncede point in favor Of health au-
thorities in the face of serious cpl
demie is about to be felt by Honolulu.
notwithstanding that Washington has
cabled Doctor Ramus, chief quarantine
officer OF the port, on his own request,
authority to raise the federal quaran-
time on the thirtieth of March, it is now
probable that he will continue it in
force for probably a week longer, to-
gether with all the delays and trouble
that action entails.
The reason will be found in bill
which, as the "Poi Bill" has been
permitted to lose its first impetus in
the legislature and settle down in the
slow rut of all proposed legislative
measures.
The situation arises through the in
ability of the board of health to keep
the screws on the Chinese poi shops,
with their attendant filth and lack of
sanitation except in the face of an
epidemic threatening the public health.
Now that the cholera epidemic is
about to be declared officially thing
of the past and conditions have reach
ed the stage where the two health
departments can safely remove quaran-
tine restrictions it is found that unless
the federal quarantine is maintained
for a certain time, the board of health
lacks the legal authority and excuse
to keep the Chinese poi shops closed.
When the "Poi Bill, now in the
senate, is enacted into law, the board
may regulate the poi shops and con-
tinue to extend protective hand over
the staple food of the Hawaiians. What
the removal of the quarantine regula-
tions will mean before the enactment
of that bill and the consequent free
dom granted to the shops to do as they
please was fully discussed at board
meeting yesterday afternoon, where the
most expert medical authority IN the
city upheld the board in its theory
that the disease was transmitted to
eight different foci at the same time
through the medium of poi. Doctor
Ramus, also at the meeting, fully con-
CURED and agreed to maintain the fed
eIal quarantine until such time as the
bill is passed and the board can control
the shops.
What It Would Mean.
"The board would be in despieable
position,'' said President Mott-Smith
at the meeting, eff it permitted the
poi shops to open ONCE more and there
would be a recurrence of the cholera
once again in eight more different toel
We can not in justification to the pub
lie and to ourselves permit this action
TO be taken"
Attention was called again, as it has
been called before, to the fact that
after the supply of possibly eontami
mated poi was shut off there was moi
one new foci of disease with the ex
eeptiOn of a sporadic case in Kaih
valley. This sudden halt in the mids'
of the disease after it had spread mys
teriously and violently to all parts Of
the city in a few days, as suddenly a!
q thunderclap, is accepted by those no
blinded by ignorance of modern med
zeal practise or by prejudice or animos
ity towards the board Of health as al
most conclusive evidence of what
would happen again if that embargo
was removed permanently.
More Political Play?
There was a great deal of official in
dignation expressed at the meeting AM
elsewhere yesterday over the actiol
of the senate in delaying the poi bil
after the house, after full discussio
and public hearing had placed upon
its emphatic stamp of approval.
Senator Chillingworth, chairman Q
the committee, has announced publ
hearing on the bill for tomorrow aftel
noon at two O'Clock after the bill ha
been in the committees hands almo'
a week. Just what additional info
nation is expected to be derived froi
this public hearing is doubtful afte
Doctor Hobby and other authoritie
equally competent have told the legi
lature just what the city is up againi
in plain terms and with plain facts this
dozen public hearings for the pu
pose of giving the Chinese poi dealer
q chance to complain could not owe
ride.
The clerk of the health commit,
of the senate, no less a parsonage tha
Willie Crawford, practically the agel
for the Chinese in all gambling al
other difficulties with the authoritie
is being looked at sidewise when p
bills and delay are mentioned in Il
same breath.
Facts and Figures.
The report of T.. d. Blanchard, 70,
commissioner, on the poi shops Of Hon
lula, a document covering ifty page
was presented and read at the meeiiI
yesterday, furnishing the board with
deadly weapon against all those 81
eepiible % hard, cold logic who miRl
care, for political OF other reasons,
get 10 the way Of tho progress OF q
qoi bin,
IA The Introduction Of hls repoI
Blanchard said
AIhe Chinese shops, almost 8ithol
azeepilan4 NeFa found ID mosl d
faiHfaTf condition, IN 4 great maio
~ af eases, The sleeping quarters 81