The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-07-12

y The BIENNIAL meeting Of the Queens Hospital
corporation on Saturday last, was an occasion of
unusual interest, being the twentieth anniversary
of it's foundation, and thus a~fording n fitting
opportunity fol n Retrospective view of the
SOcicty's operations. This has been well i'm
proved in the reports, which we print in full in
another column, of the Treasurer and Secretary.
Some Of our readers may remember the first
steps that were taken towards the establishment
of this institution, of which our citizens and the
Island community are now so Justly proud.
They will recall, with 4 sort of melancholy
pleasure, how Kamehameha IV.-every inch a
King, and truly one Of natures noblemen-went
about day by day among all classes, foreigners
and natives, soliciting subscriptions for this
national bcneficence. And now, after the lapse
of twenty years, when the Hospital has proved a
greater SUCCESS than could have been anticipated
in 1859, VIC may truly. say that the King. and
his Queen-who is happily still with us-builded
wiser than they knew, and that the Queens
Hospital stands to-day n fitting memorial more
eloquent than carved stone, of the reign of
Kamehameha IV.
From the report of the Treasurer. it appears
that during the period under review no less n
sum lull G-OffDOO.t- HIKE DtCu cApCuui0 TI4H
that the cash ON hand il S5G6s
'"' Wv o" t%enta = O,JzU.GO One OF the
s'"'' funds for the support of the Hospital
is the tax Of two dollars imposed by law upon
every passenger arriving here from abroad, and
which must be paid at the Custom House before
n permit can be obtained 10 land baggage. This
tax, ut first but trivial in amount, has in these
days Of increased travel become of no little i'm
p~ortance, the sum of SIS, 1926 from passengers
and scamen's taxes, having been received during
the past two ycaas. But although the stranger
arriving here is thus called upon to contribute to
the maintenance of the Hospital, he ia not en-.
titled to claim any benefit from tho institution,
should he become sick and destitute. In that
ease hc must look to the sympathy and aid oil
some of the benevolent societies of tho city
notably the Strangers Friend Society, com.
posed of ladies'. The funds of this latter body
are but limited at the best, and we have reason tC
think that they have been heavily taxed of late
Tho two dollars per head exacted from passenger,
is really n species Of 8 taxation without repre-
sentation,' and under the present hOurishinl
condition of the Queens Hospital it seems ONLY
lust and reasonable that that class which in tht
aggregate contributes SO considerably to it
maintenance should, whenever the necessity
arises, be entitled to some of its benefits. w
beg to commend this view of the subject to thu
consideration of the Trustees.
The report of the Secretary is quite full, ant
contains some valuable suggestions, PARTICULAR.
in reference to the inevitably growing paucit.
of life members from whom to select the Board o
Trustees. We say inevitably, for unless n neV
interest is aroused in the welfare of the institu
ton, and the " solid men - Of the country ar
induced to subscribe as life members, the ~scarcit.
of material out of which to form q toard o
Trustees in accordance with the charter will ere
long become a serious difficulty. But VIC trust tina
the well worded appeal of the Secretary, who, wei
as the Treasurer, has performed the gratuitou
Iabors of Office with zeal and eficiency-will NEE
with the desired response.