The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-07-07
The Lspers Maka Known Their
Wants to the Legislature.
They Complain That the Rice
Furnished the Settlement
Contains Coral and
Broken Glass.

Molokai, on Sunday morning, July
Sd, is published below;
VIM. II. Tell, Superintendent, in,
troduced the committee of the Legis
Iature to the hundreds Of lepers
assembled around the lanai. He said
that the committee had come to
listen to their complaints, and they
were prepared TO hear them.
Hon. w. 0. Smith, chairman,
addressed the assemblage as fol-
lows
We have come as a committee sent
by the Legislature 10 investigate
your condition. and find out your
actual wants We are anxious about
your welfare. The Legislature and
your fellow citizens have given You
their aloha uui-f" Aloha " from the
andience Before coming here, /
called moon your Queen, who desired
me to give Won her aloha. Her
Majesty the Queen wished us to do
as much as lies ia our power TO pro-
mote your welfare and Tighten your
burdens. But you must remember
that the Legislature is bound under
the laws of the kingdom. We cannot
break the laws Shouts of Polo
lei."I
Hon. G. P. Kamauoha, secre-
tary of the committee, spoke as
follows:
Dear friends, we have come to in
vestigate your pilikia. TIE com
mittee of the Legislature have come
in compliance with your wishes. We
as committee are powerless to carry
out ali your wishes, for we are bound
to respect the laws of our country,
therefore you must not feel disap-
pointed and dissatisfied If some of
your wishes are not carried out. The
nation looks upon you all with SYM
pathetic eyes, and the Board of
Health is doing its utmost to appease
your sufferings, both mentally and
bodily. You are all anxious for q
redeemer 30 come and cure you OF
this dreadful malady. That is also
our desire. Il shall be our happy
duty to report to the Legislature that
we had most pleasant meeting with
you all.
Noble Baldwin addressed them
in Hawaiian thus:
y sm not one of the committee, but
| have come not only because / am
anxious about your welfare, but also
because / am interested in the
Bishop Home for girls. I have a
real aloha for you all, but at will
delight me greatly is to soe a de-
crease in your numbers in the future.
We shall attend to your wishes.
D. Kalauhala Pa, the spokesman
appointed by the lepers to repre-
sent them, then assembled tempo,
rary rostrum, and from there de-
livered the complaints in a touch
ing and impressive manner. Mr..
Pa is a facile speaker, and it is
pitiful that such a gifted orator
: should be burdened by the hor-
rors of leprosy. He began thus /:
Committee of the Legislature and
kind friends, aloha: On behalf of
the 1000 and more lepers at this leper
colony, / would extend to you our
most cordial fluctuations. / have the
honor to represent my fellow lepers
on this solemn occasion. Now, Com
mittee Of the Legislature, give ears
to our complaints. Our hope is in
your honorable body. 1t is said that
we must "look towards the nountSir
from whence cometh our salvation
We look to you for salvation, anC
we hope that that time has now
come. Our committee has prepared
the following complaints to be pre-
sented to you for your careful con
sideration;
/. That the houses erected by the lep
ers at their OWE expense shall be thu
property of the friends or relatives of tn
deceased lepers, and not to be taken ar
bitrariTy by the Board of Health. We d
not deem it iusti6able for the Board c
Health to take possession of houses c
deceased lepers without consultation wit
or permission of relatives or friends {
the deceased.
2. That the lepers and kokua be pei
mitted to plant kalo, potatoes, ETC., 6
Waikolu on the same basis as at Kalat
papa, and that the Board of Healt
should not claim one-half the of taro, Ell
cultivated. We are permitted to cult
yate lands at Kalaupapa, and the Boar
of Health does not share with us, but tt
Board insists or sharing with our pros
ucts at Waikolu.
g. That branch hospital be opene
at Kalihi, Oahu, where mild cases
leprosy from Kalaupapa and other plac,
can be treated. There is nothing th
we are anxious SO much about asour r
covery from this curse. Some OF "
may entertain the idea that We ha'
been dumped here like 80 many pigs
fare the best way we can. The Cover
ment has expended large sums OF none
Tor our support, and the Government, v
know, does not intend to leave Us he
as outcasts. "Ohi hapaku ka ia KapaaU
gathered mercilessly were the fishes
Kapaau) would answer the manner
which we have been brought hithe
The expenditure of large sums OF mon'
Tor the alienation of q thousand sou
from the pangs of sorrow and grief is n
money wasted. / have been two yea
here and from experience l can say tn
tais place is so windy that it would b'
ne ne the remedial properties OF medicin
LUIS place is too cold for sick poop
none OF you would like to remain 10
IN TINS place, am sure. For these re
sons we hope that branch hospital
hailhl be erected and let doctors c
pertinent on the lepers.