The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-14
THE INCURABLE HOSPITAL is
URGENT.
Correspondent Tells Why Council of
State Should Act in the Matter, Not
Waiting for Legislature.

EDITOR STAR:LThe Council Of
State has shelved the item of $4,000
for a hospital for incurables because
Attorney General Cooper thinks the
object is not sufficiently urgent to be
considered by it under it's present in
structions and authority. 1t is pro-
posed to let the matter go over to the
next legislature.
Following this, it is hard to determine
Mr.. Cooper's idea of just what consti-
tutes an emergency. In bills 2, 3 and
4, now before the Council of State,
there are not less than sixty eight
items that could wait for the legisla-
ture with very little Inconvenience or
loss. There are considerable appropri-
ations for fire hydrants and new hose
wagons that could wait; a number Of
road items that are not urgent some
Of the items in the department of the
Attorney General can not be consider
ed as emergencies.
! In five years, consumption in Homo
lulu has increased nearly fifty per cent.
In the past four months there have
been more deaths from it than from
plague. The outlook is as unsatsfac-
tory as it is possible to make it. In
the past five years the increase in con-
sumption per annum has been over nine
per cent. Last month there We're
| ItWenty-one deaths from this disease:
the highest monthly rate of 1895 was
| twelve. Can any man say what the
| figures will be one year from now :
Consumption is contagious and will
! breed consumption as rabbits multiply
rabbits. The only way to handle it is
by segregating the patients in some
place pleasant and healthful as can be
! to them, i. e., removing the infection
from the people at large.
| Mr.. Jones moved in the Council of
State to table the item. Has Mr.. Jones
studied the mortuary reports of the
last five years and seen therein the
tenormous spread of consumption in Ho-
nolulu? II not, the writer would advise
him to do so at once and then consider
whether or not this item for the hos.
Ipital for incurables is not only urgent
but pressing and vital necessity. Mr.
Achi seconded the motion to table
Since the first of last April more thar
one hundred of Mr.. Achi's countrymel
have snccumbed to CONSUMPTION in Ho
nolulu, and most of them under tn,
most distressing circumstances. In tn
ensuing period of one year it is fair t,
suppose that there will be one hundrc,
Eiore, and that they will die under cir
cumstances as pitiable as their unfor
tunate predecessors, if the stand O
Mr.. Achi in regard to the hospital OBJ
tains generally. =
II is simply question OF Whether tn
Council of State considers the saving o
a few dozen lives by protecting tn,
community and affording slight com
fort to some hundreds OF dying peopl
an urgent matter. Mr.. Cooper doe
not; the community and all the island
probably do.
1t occurs to me that the appropria
tion is urgent. More than that, I be
lieve it is almost criminal for the Coun
Gil of State to withhold support at thi
moment to the hospital for incurables
In place of $3.50 the Council shoul
/, sert an item of 100000 for the per
manent endowment of the hospita
Citizens of Honolulu, Maui, Hawai-
and Kauai could then join hands an
make up the second sum of $100 900 fO
! buildings and equipment. I believe tn
l Legislature would pass the item at tha
2 figure. I believe in that body ther
would be no objection from any side t
it. The only point is the injustice an
l danger of delay. No one knows wha
5 the next six months may bring fort
! in the way of incurable diseases saV
! that consumption and typhoid feve
l are on the increase. DIR. Wood, in h
speech to the Council of State, as goo
as said he anticipated an epidemic
! the latter. 1t does seem that a della
0 in this matter may subject the cou1
try to more serious consequences tina
{ a few members of the Council of sta
: are willing to suppose. X.