The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-19
THE LEPER INVESTIGATION.


of Hawaiian Senate and House of Rep
resentatives on Leper Settlement" has
been printed. 1t consists solely of a
transcript of the stenographer's notes
of the testimony taken by the commit
tee on it's recent visit to the settle
ment. Whether the committee intends
TO present anything further or not in
the way of recommendations or an
analysis of the testimony taken, is not
known. The testimony taken was nee
essarily, from the character of the wit
nesses and the conditions under which
it was taken, much of it, of a rambling,
irrelevant inconsequential and indie
cisive character. 1t is clear from
reading CT the testimony that in the
case of most of the witnesses, the do
1ninating thing in their minds was their
own particular inconvenience or their
own peculiar likes and dislikes. There
was scarcely a single witness who on
any phase of the inquiry, took either
a clear or a broad view of the subject.
OF course this was no fault of the COM
mittee nor are the witnesses themselves
TO be censured or held in contempt for
this. The committee had to take such
testimony as it could get and examine
such witnesses as offered or could be
secured. The witnesses themselves
live in a narrow environment and
would naturally speak of those things
which they felt most.
But these are things that must be
carefully considered by the Legislature
in basing any action taken on the re-
suits of the investigation made, and it
would have been a great aid both to
the legislature itself, and to the public,
in forming just views and opinions
from the evidence, if a careful digest
of the testimony taken had been pre-
pared by the committee. This digest
should set forth the purpose of the in
Vestigation, the facts sought to be
learned from the witnesses, and sum-
mary of what was actually shown.
The testimony of some of the witnesses,
as is clear from the stenographic re-
port, is absolutely valueless because
the witnesses themselves were unable
to give intelligent testimony. On the
other hand the testimony of other wit
nesses is clear on points on which they
pretended to have knowledge, and in
1elligible where they were expressing
views and opinions. A proper digest
of the testimony would sort these out
and bring within reasonable compass
everything really of value to the legis-
lature.
The first request of the petition from
the lepers upon which the committee
based its investigation was for a COM
plete transfer of the management of the
settlement from the board of health to
% the lepers themselves, and it is clear
that a large part of the committee was
predisposed to grant this. Now sum-
mary of the testimony on this point
would be invaluable 1t would show
that while many of those examined
favored it, scarcely one had any de-
finite, not to say intelligent, idea of
how the community expenses which
such an arrangement would entail
could be met This is no reflection on
them. 1t is hard for those who are out
side the settlement to see how it could
be done. Mr.. Emmeluth went into this
subject quite fully in his questions, and
made clear that to his mind the way
TO meet it was by devoting the rental
value of the occupation and use of the
community property to the payment
of these community expenses. But it
was made perfectly clear also, that this
idea had not occurred tC any of those
favoring the change of management,
-
them favorably when suggested to
them. In fact it was one of the faults
found with the present management
that those who were using community
property for their own profit were re-
quired to pay the board of health
rental for such use.
A general characteristic of the testi-
mony is it's indecisiveness. No two
witnesses quite agree. And yet out OF
the mass of testimony there are some
things which seem to be pretty well
established. One of these is that the
little community there, all members of
which have a common burden and a
common sorrow, is rent and torn by
jealousies, and cliques and social dis
tinctions, and envy and bitterness as
few communities are. This very fact
in the opinion of some who gave tes-
timony would prevent the local self
government, asked for, if there were no
other difficulties in the way. Another
Thing which seems to have been pretty
clearly brought out is that there are
a number of details in the management
and control of food supply and distri-
button which could be improved, and
which if they were improved would re-
move just cause for most of the com
plants made, complaints which if now
justly made appeal strongly to human
ity and sympathy for they touch the
very basis of life
Another thing inferentially shown by
the testimony is either that there is a
practically total lack of vital statis-
tics kept, or that the committee wasted |