The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-04-18

after the defeat Of his man and his
own defeat, one Of the consultations of
the convention, went 10 the president
or the board of health and Informed
him that II Simerson did not at once
withdraw his candidacy for the position
of deputy sheriff in favor of his, Achi Is
candidate, he (Achi) would proceed to
slam the board Of health. And slam
it he has in all the devious ways known
to the underground politician, finding
means to inspire perfectly innocent peo.
pie who never knew Achi. with the most
Troublesome heartburnings over the
board of health.
Answers Editorial.
President Mott. Smith last night
answered the editorial in The Star,
which has first expressed the trend of
the excuses for the attack on his de.
partment.
"Every State board of health in the
co1ntry,'' he said, "finds the necessity
imposed upon it by the system of Amer
lean government to play politics with
the legislature to get the appropria-
tions and legislation it needs. If the
board of health has to play politics
with the legislature to get those ap-
propriatlons and that legislation, it
seems to be criticism on the legisla-
tlre Why not wipe out the legisla-
ture7 If the surgeon-general of the
United States has to "play politics, "
as he does, in congress to get the APP
propriations he needs for federal CON
troll in Hawaii or Timbuctoo, or any
other place, why that seems to be a
criticism on congress and why not
wlep out congTess9
ffThe Stars use of the word poll
tics is a clever one. 1t says sit has
it wants. When that is politics we
do it, but it is not for political
reasons, but for the public health.'
Referring to the accusations brought
against the department for not daring
to "refuse jobs to politicians, no mat
ter how ignorant" they were, he said:
"Politics has never entered that
phase of the case until lately, when an
understood agreement was formed by
which the board of health and the Re
publican central committee investigates
the qualifications of any Republican
who applies for position in it, but
that is as far as it goes. His 'qualifi-
cations, so far as the board is con-
cerned, do not refer to his political
ones, but to his ability to handle the
job for which he applies. If RepIb
lican and better Democrat are the
candidates for the same position, the
better Democrat gets it. There are
Democrats in the service now. The
understood agreement embodied the
idea that the central committee wolli
recommend none save those in every
way qualified to hold their positions.
FThat the committee looks after
their politics rather than their fit
ness is not true; that the inspectors
do party work to the practical excll-
sion of all other work is not true. Be
fore the last campaign l made it plain
to the inspectors and every one else in
the board of health service that tn eir
participation in politics or an attempt
to participate as connected with the
board of health would mean their in
stant dismissal.
81 did not propose to limit them.
saw no reason why ! should not permit
them to meet the obligations or eurtail
their civil rights as American citizens,
iuse because they were inspectors in
the board of health.
Washington's Opinions.
"We have been operating under obso-
lete laws and restricted organization.
Many of our laws were enacted in 1862
and have never been amended. In 1902
Charles Hemenway and myself drafted
the pure food laws and what other sani-
tary matters pertain to them.
''When ] was in Washington l had
number of conferences with Washing
ton officials ON our health system in
these islands, and those officials stated
that it was best west of New York,
being particularly pleased over the
three main features.
"The first of these was the system
of government physicians, by which
twenty.seyen qualified physicians are
on the government payroll, something
not equaled by any other part of the
United States. Compare this number
to our population of l9l 900, and then
figure out the New York system, with
its population and area, and either way
! it can not compare with ours. For the
suppression and discovery of contagious
diseases the system is ahead of anything
else in the country, by verdict of Wash
ington.
"The second point is our system of
vital statistics, which has reached a
stage that is equaled by few States,
most eommonwealths just beginning in
this matter All data possible on every
marriage, birth and death that occurs
in the Islands is gathered and tabulated,
and proves of inestimable value.
"rhe third pont is the system of
sanitation. We have in the Islands
twenty sanitary inspectors, and the
system under which they work is being
still further perfected and enlarged by
this legislature, Again compare this
number with our population and size
it mp with New York s accomplish
ments. No other community or com.
monwealth in the United States cares
for its INDECENT sick as Hawaii does,
most Of them leaving ii to charity.
This is Washington S opinion.
Segregation.
''If the Star had investigated lit.
tie before It made its remarks on the
board not daring 10 enforce the segre.
cation laws in regard TO lepers, it
would have found out that under the
new law we have 10 give lepers hos.