The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-08-18

= based on rumor ~ most de- =
y structive 10 honest effort; while 4
4 on the other hand faith IN the =
= honesty and effort Of those IN =
X charge Of health matters, hard y
4 as II may be 10 maintain under
4 personal aggravation, IL con
4 structive and useful and Of =
= lasting benefit TO the people =
= individually and collectively in
4 the cause Of health and santa =
= tion. - From the annual report
X OF President MottSmith of the \
= board of health. +
\ 4
= X X y X X y = X X X y + + X 4
With the sentiment expressed above,
President Mottsmith yesterday con
Guided his annual report to the Gov
ernor and to the members Of the board,
formally announcing his resignation as
president Immediately afterwards and
preparing to relinquish the work he has
performed SO ably during his incum-
bency,
The report is a lengthy one and
complete in every detail and had it
been made public previously would
have been telling broadside at the
defenses of those of his critics who
have INDUCED in obstructive criti-
cismn instead of constructive. En-
phatic opinions ON the conduct Of san
itary affairs, and actual statistical
facts showing that the board has been
conducted with those opinions in mind,
form no inconsiderable part of the re-
port, but on the other hand, it did not
appear to be written as either a de-
tense of the board s work or a per-
sonal defense of the man who wrote it
and with the exception of the last few
paragraphs, President Mott Smith has
preferred to let any and all contro-
versies die out with his resignation.
In one instance, to quote from the re-
port, he said:
When insanitary conditions arise
which are menace to the public there
should be but little sympathy for the
landlord or tenant by whose act or neg
lect the danger is created But little
heed should be paid to the complaint,
Il did not know, following a period of
Il did not enquire OF did not care;
or the charge, you are running my prop
erty and depriving me of the use and
enjoyment thereof. Conditions are
created which are favorable to the dis
semination of disease. Whose interest
then is paramount9 That Of the public,
or that of the landlord or tenant In
criminality, what is the difference in
degree between the person who sets a
/ common poison and one who creates or
allows to be created, house, building,
or tenement conditions by which the
| poison, known as disease, is spread
among the pnblic9
'HThere is a growing realization in
the community that the public, in its
interest of self-protection, has the un-
/ doubted right to assert itself in mat
ter of this sort and to demand action,
/ drastic action if necessary, from legis-
| latures, administrative officers and
courts. The time is coming, and should
come, when the technicalities of right
| of enjoyment of roperty, due process
of law, and personal liberty, win be
| overborne by the right of the public
to self-preservation. And our legisla-
lures viii finally see to it that right
is enforced by direct and salutary
means.
At present this peremptory and alb
| solute right is recognized and enforced
as to persons afflicted with contagious
disease 1t is applied in part to persons
creating conditions predisposing the oc.
| currence of disease and sickness, but as
to that, it is surrounded by such an in
fnity of technicalities that the main
point to be secured, protection of public
health, is often lost in the maze. -
| Mr.. Mott-Smith adds to this, the fol.
lowing: "The time has come when
differences of opinion, personal annoy
ances. personal grievances and personal
and limited ideas of sanitation should
be fused in a general and intelligent
discussion of the greatest and best
things for the better health in Ha
wall"
What Was Done Here.
In discussing the work of the sani.
tary corps, Mr.. Mott,Snith says:
Gin 1910 the sanitation department
made 510;767 inspections in Honolulu
4 Alone This included the installation OF
Il 1881 sanitary fixtures, the abolition OF
1856 insanitary fixtures, 1920 roOml
scrubbed, 26,472 minor nuisanees abat
ed, 424 cesspools or vaults pumped, $50
dug, 265 repaired, 284 abolished, IA
buildings connected with sewers, 430 Is
! days special work, besides a number OF
other matters. This work was done By
six territorial and two city inspectors
under the efficient management of Mr.
Charlock assisted by F. B. Cook.
''Much of this work is not of ths
show kind, and much of it has beer
necessary because Of the laxity anC
easy-going characteristics of the public
But few prosecutions have been brought
It has been found that abating a nui
sanee through the process of court il
anything but expeditions while othel
methods, which involve argument, per
suasion and explanation, bring mucl
more satisfactory results. The benefit
are also more lasting-the educationa
value aud the absence of unreasoninl
antagonism. Necessarily force must b
used at times"
There Is also appended to this
similar summary Of the work done OF
Hawaii and in Hiio by d. s. Bowman
which includes, the examining micro