The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-04

ana Seaslck, forty members
~ of the Senate and House of
the Legislature of Hawaii
returned at midnight. Two
days were spent in investigating the
conditions of the unfortunate people
who are compelled to stay on that Is
land The Legislature left Friday
flight on the w. G. Hall.
The trip to Molokai was hard one
for the members of the House and the
Senate, at least foe those who were not
sailors. but the return trip was much
harder. Nearly all were more or less
troubled with NAL de mer and many
legislator wished that he had let ms
brother worker go in his place.
Testimony of a score OF witnesses
was taken and the evils existing ae
nresent were clearly brought out Lep-.
ers gave the testimony and the COM
mittee visited personally all Oh the puD
lie buildings and the store "heie
made thorough investigation
Others of the committee went TO the
..szt.Ie,,,ept at Kaiawae, while others
uant TO the water works supply care
f,,l and searching was the investlga
t;nn and no stone was left unturneo
In tbair search for facts. The hospltai
intended for the use Of anyone SICK OF
ha,nIass was poorly ventilated Inc
yaiIs are of rough painted boards ana
tho rooms were devoid Of any 1urhi-
t,re In the hotel adjoining ana IN
tended as an auxiliary to the hospltai
tho rooms were about eight feet by ten
feet in size. with painted interiors
,rhev were clean and though not tur-
nisFed were inviting. There are elgn-
teen of these rooms, all openlnp oul
on a lanai which runs compieeeV
around the building.
A visit to the taro patches reVealeu
the fact that there was about hlty
acres of land under cultivation ano
this was not enough to supply the SET
t1ement If water is made avallapie
tbere is ABOUT 300 acres of good ieVei
land suitable for raising taro II thls
were done it would pe possible to take
care of the settlement so far as tdro
;s concerned, and a great saving In rice
.rd flour would be effected Tor the
Board of Health.
THE water works are situated on the
cid, of the pail about 800 feet ABOVE
the sea level and about four pl1reH uis- rs
tant from Kalawao and conslst o1
email cement reservoir which catcnes
the water from two or three sinaii
streams wholly dependent upon the
surface water. From this an eight
inch pipe leads down into the Vailey
and this is inadequate for the nuHoer
Of neople. Even this was not doing It's
fpll duty, for when the coHIliltee
reached the reservoir the screens pro-
tecting the mouth of the pipe were
stonped up with leaves and moss anu
onlv about a two-thirds head OF wa
ter was running down the main.
: Tbis win be remedied by laying
larger pipe and putting into place
screen that will be self-cleaning.
investigation at the Board OF Heaith
store showed that a fair supply OF sta
ple articles were kept on hand ana lhsse
the prices were not exoroltant, III
many instances being below the prices
obtaining in Honolulu
various charges were proushl
against Superintendent Reynoios oy
,epers. their chief cause OF compiaiii'
being that he was negligent IN aleeho-
ing to their wants when they were
made known to him.
The investigation was carried Oh Gu,
tirelv in the Hawaiian language, ana
when the committee convened in Bere-
tania hall it was packed with lepers OF
eli ages. The legislators were warmly
welcomed and were looked upon as
souree of relief from the present con-
5itions The fact that they We're care
full in going to the bottom OF all com.
nlaints seemed to gain the respect OF
the lepers, who took every opportunity
to assist them. -,
IF the laws are enacted which the
members of the House and Senate
stand pledged to enact, the lepers VIII
he given an opportunity to govern
themselves before July l, and the re-
cutie of their self-government Will -oe
watched with interest.
As a fitting close TO the two days OF
toll the members of the committee and
the press had some exciting expert
ences when taking their departure from
the island. A heavy trade wind mad
been blowing nearly all Of yesterday
and tbe surf made it impossible for a
sroaI1 boat to land from the steamer.
when it was fousd necessary to get
word to the captain to go around TO