Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-12-19
TENEMENT EVILS.

Editor Honolulu Star Bulletin.
Sir: Your editorial on tenementS
has started a few Of our citizens think
ing in theFright direction as to moral
conditions surrounding these over
crowded districts that have become so
on account of a large number OF LABOR
ers coming in from the plantations.
The situation is particularly serious
among the Spanish and Filipinos. The
tenements that have seemed TO thrive
the best in the past in vice and WICK.
edness are the All I>eOng Block ana
Camp Two, besides others in that dis
trict tiat are catering TO the lowest
types of humanity and flourishlng 10
every sort OF WiCkedness that can De
imagined.
The people Of Honolulu are ignorant
OF the facts that exist IN their own
city though doing their best to carry
out the principles OF democracy which
our fathers have so faithfully fought
for and they little realize that within
their own beautiful city are condl
tions almost as appalling as IN Bel
GUM. 1t is not on as large scale,
but the fact remains the same that
and women are exposed TO vice OF
every description, due to these over
crowded tenements. We have IN no
nolulu, We are sorry TO say, a type ol
manhood, or human vulture Woulo DC
a more suitable term, that Is constant
" preying upon the feeble minded and
the morally weak mixed races thaI
exist in these tenements.
A strong and united effort should
be put forth to get these laborers PACK
to the plantations and to successfully
accomplish this we must refuse 10
help them financially and the board OF
health should insist upon the health
regulations being complied with, <for
| believe there is law that requires
so many cubic feet Of air for each
person.
Honolulu's black spot for the breed
ing of immortality is the tenements'
Some of them are so old and so shaky
that it is even dangerous to go up the
steps. have seen people in these
tenements using old oil cans over
which to broil their fish and this on
the rickety back porches of the old
buildings. If a fire ever broke out, 1t
would be almost impossible to get all
| the tenants out The sanitary condl-
lions also are most awful or rather
the, unsanitary conditions.
The owners of these tenements In
the majority Of cases are wealthy
people and some who have a large
part to play in our municipal affairs
and some are even pretending to be
in sympathy with Christian and So
cial welfare work. Those who have
mortgages on these properties as well
as those who own them and are reap
ing financial gain from a condition OF
things as appalling as the tenements
of Honolulu are not entitled to be re-
garded as decent, respectable Ameri'
can citizens. :.
Our future! depends upon the chill
dren of today. = We are giving our
young men for the principles that cur
country has stood for and is standing
for today. The stars and stripes
must be upheld for they stand for the
land of the free and the home of the
brave" Our children, the future gen
Grafton, must be safeguarded. The
little ones in these tenements are
daily seeing things that are going to-
weaken their moral standard.
The tenements are anything but
good economic investments. They
are harboring and nlolding future
criminals that will cost the taxpayers
of the community thousands, yes, mil
lions Of dollars. There is nothing that
justifies their existence. The board
of health is paying thousands of dol
lars for the fight against tuberculosis.
If a group of private cottages or even
double cottages could take the place
of these old tenements we would have
taken a big step in our fight with
tuberculosis. In Camp Two l dis.
covered that number of the horrible
tenements had been pulled down and
respectable cottages built. but there
are still number of "reminiscences of
old Camp Two though they are al
most ready to fall down and are teem-
ing with every conceivable form Of
vice that could be found within four
walls. But the little cottages have
attracted a good type Of people and
if all the tenements were replaced
with these cottages it would certainly
be marvellous Improvement, If part
Of the money spent in fighting disease
could be spent for the prevention OF
disease. how much better ar invest
ment it would be and as AN ounce Of
prevention is Yorth a pound Of cure |
sc would we find the expense, would
decrease in like ratio. "a. The large
number of inc1rables and tubercular
nafidntS aro Rafhorad from fheSo
tenements.
appeal to the intelligent and Chris.
tian citizen not to ignore conditions
that are at our very door. Distant
fields look green and money sent tc
foreign countries for Red Cross work
and for the suffering of Belgium IS
we'll spent and these good causes
should have our fullest support and