The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-12-14
KAHNS LEPROSY BILL
GEORGE PRATT KNEW ALL
ABOUT IT.
The Measure Thought to be Very Likely
To Pass Unless a Strong Fight
Against 1t is Made.

Mysteries multiply around leper Pratt
while he waits to be sent back to San
Francisco The latest is in the fact
that he appears to have known the de-
tails of the Kahn leper bill before they
were published. In conversation with
those who have had to do with him
Pratt has explained all about the Call
fornian Congressman's measure to
make Molokai a national laZarretto and
il seems that he had inside information
about the matter.
Kahn's bill provides that all lepers in
the United States shall be sent to Mo-
lokai and that the settlement there
shall be a Federal leper station. This
means that the United States govern
ment would assume the burden of man
agement and pay all the bills. This
would be a relief to the Territory of
Hawaii, but after paying the bills for
fifty years during which the costs were
bigger than they are now or are likely
to be again and after foreseeing pros
pect of getting rid of the settlement al
together many citizens of Hawaii say
they would rather pay the bills to the
end than have Kalaupapa permanently
turned over to the lepers of the whole
Union.
The Kahn bill is thought very likely
to pass, by those who have given the
matter attention 1t is regarded as a
measure that will appeal to members
of Congress from all over the union as
a very easy method of getting rid of
a grave difficulty. The settlement at
Molokai has a worldwide reputation as
a model one and a very large one, and
the representatives of every state that
has any lepers will think at first sight
that Molokai is just the place to seno
them. Against this natural senti-
ment," said a local physician, ''it will
be very hard for the small new territory
to fight. Our influence is small to over
come such sentiment. From the point
of view of a man in the States the
scheme must appear like very natura
one, but to us here it looks different"
The difficulties in the way of the
scheme are already talked of by those
interested. The problem of transpor-
tation would be difficult one, as M
steamship would want to take lepers
Another difficulty would be in the OBJ
jections of lepers to being removed
There is no doubt that white lepers il
the United States would spend theil
best energies in some very vigorous OBJ
jections before they would submit t
being sent to live among the Thousand
afflicted natives at Molokai, many o
them worse sufferers than the averag
white man becomes in many long year
after he has the disease, for native Ha
Waiian blood is very susceptible 20 lie
prosy These difficulties may help Ha
waii, it is stated, in her fight agains
the bill.
Pratt's knowledge of the details of tn
leprosy bill and of the fact that Kahl
had prepared it, before this informa
tion reached here in the press dis
patches is regarded as another indica
ton that he had opportunities to con
suit with some of the leaders of tn
movement in San Francisco to hav
Molokai made a national lazaretto.
he had not talked with COngressma
Kahn he appears to have talked wit
some one who had consulted with Kah
and knew his plans.