The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-07-11
THE LEPERS.
Two Members of the Legislature
Give Interesting Accounts
of Their Visit.

with announced LnaL the Honor
ables A. Young and w. 0. Smith
would give brief account Of their
visit to Molokai.
Mr.. Young gave a short descrip-
ton of the leper settlement proper
and stated that while the lowlands
were dry and dismal looking the
surrounding country was pictures
que. The lowland was covered
with rocks, but if it was cleared
and supply of water brought
from the surrounding mountains,
there was nothing to prevent the
lepers from raising all the taro
and vegetables necessary for their
use.
When the legislative party ar
rived in the morning, they were met
at the wharf by a large crowd of
the lepers, composed of men,
women and children, everybody
was dressed neatly and looked
contented and happy. The band
commenced serenade that favor
ably impressed the speaker; he
afterwards discovered that num-
Der of the boys had received their
training while members of the Ha-
waiian Band from Professor Ber-
ger. 1t seemed strangely incon-
SFuous to him to see the peo-
pie enjoying the strains of a
brass band when their physical
plight was considered. But that
day was an exception, as the lepers
expected the committee and looked
glad to see them. He thought that
the committee were the saddest
men on the island that day. Mr..
Young then gave brief deserip-
ton of the lepers, and said that
there were hundreds in all stages :;
some looked perfectly we'll, while
others were marred beyond recog-
milton. The speaker visited the
quarters for the boys and found
that they were crowded together,
the mild cases with the serious
ones, but owing to the kindness of
Mr.. Baldwin, additional houses
would be built soon, and that bad
feature will be obviated by classi-
flying them.
The same objection applies to
the girls, but their condition can
not be changed until the Govern
ment provides larger quarters.
Mr.. Young spoke in strong terms
of the Catholic sisters; he said
they were doing a grand work that
could not be obtained with money.
Judge Dutton was praised by the
speaker for his humane efforts to
ease the sufferings of the unfortu-
nate exiles. Mr.. Young said this
man had given up his liberty to re-
main on Molokai to treat the
lepers, and had evidently made up
his mind to remain there for life
doing his noble work.
He was IN favor OF segregation,
and that it must be applied with a
firm hand as the welfare of every
man, woman and child in the
islands demanded that precautior
: against the dread disease.
A FEW FIGURES.
Mr.. Smith gave but brief adj
dress, and confined himself almost
strictly to figures. The speaker
commenced by giving history O.
the Settlement Segregation was
first commenced in 1863, at which
time it was seriously thought o
locating the settlement on Thu
island but, in 1866, it was decided
to select the present settlement OF
Molokai. Since 1863 there hav
been 4557 lepers sent there, 1874 o
whom were males and 1858 wer
females. At the present time Their
are 1115 afflicted ones on tn
island, which sum includes 4
white people and % Chinese, tn
balance being Hawaiians. Durin
the last two years there were sen
to the settlement 372 lepers Will
366 died during the same time
Mr.. Smith mentioned that almos
one-tenth of the entire revenue c
the country was used by the Boar
of Health for the maintenance {
the settlement. It cost the CO.
eminent $243,0O0 for the suppo
of the lepers for the last two yea
which averaged about $3.50 yes
for each person..
Mr.. Smith, like Mr.. Young, spoil
in the highest terms of the servi,
rendered by the six franciscan 81
tiers. They go on with their mob
work in quiet, day in and day Of
and year in and year out, and a
never heard of by the outsit
world unless somebody like hir
self who had been there spoke
their Christian efforts.
The speaker said the complain
made by the lepers were very re
sonable and were related to t
committee in a manner that was
once impressive. Mr.. Smith sa
his visit was one of the saddle