The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-28
United IN
OPPOSITION
Wilcox Leper Bill
Is Without a
Friend.
BOARD OF HEALTH
DEEMS 1T ABSURD
Supt. Reynolds Believes it Would
Cause Trouble Among Ha-
waiians at Molokai.

From those who have to do with the
care of lepers in Hawaii the opposition
to the establishment of national res
eryation at Molokai as proposed by
Delegate Wilcox. is even more bitter
than by laymen who have had little in
innate acquaintance with the disease.
and look upon the matter only from
commercial standpoint. The Hawaiians
are also against the wild scheme Of
Wilcox. and are beginning 10 wonder
what their delegate intends to do IN
Washington.
Those members Of the Board of
Health who were willing to discuss lie
matter at all. were much opposed to
any national interference with a clearly
Territorial affair. and every member Of
the board who was questioned yester-
day took a stand in opposition to the
legislation proposed by Wilcox.
superintendent Reynolds. who is IN
charge of the Molokai settlement and
who has been more or less intimately
connected with the care of leprosy for
twenty years, characterized the bill as
an outrage.
ITS abominable.' he said yesterday.
What does he mean. anyway. by such
a measure. 1t would simply make the
Hawaiian Islands a dumping ground
for lepers from everywhere. AS it is
now Hawaii has a bad enough name he
cause of the settlement, but this would
make il ten times worse. Even in Hon
olulu the people believe that the whole
island of Molokai is given over to the
lepers, when in truth they have but
very small portion. II would be the
same way if this bill passes with the
people in the United States; they would
think that the entire island group Is
given over to lepers. Our people now
are as contented over there as it is pos
sible 10 be under the circumstances, and
to bring a lot of Iepers OF other nation
alities here would cause lots of trou-
BILE. and disturbance. For that matter
from reports I have heard I believe
some of the States have just as many
llepers as we have. There are less than
a thousand now. and some of the States
are said To have that many. 4 tract
should be set apart in each State for
their segregation. and Hawaii not made
the dumping ground for all the States"
For the past five years, even before
annexation. there was an attempt 10
make this a national leper settlement,
but it has always been bitterly opposed
and now that the disease is Decreasing
it would be manifestly unfair TO make
Hawaii the receiving station for thu
United States"
Dr. w. L. Moore of the Board Of
Health did not believe that Delegate
Wilcox could have been in earnest when
he introduced such a bill, or else that
he had been imposed upon in some
way.
THE very idea is absurd" said the
doctor yesterday. Wilcox surely was
not aware Of the probable result when
he introduced such a bill. Making Mo-
lokai national reservation would give
the Territory a black eye from which
IL could never recover. 1t would cor
talnly keep away all tourists or
wealthy people. who might want To
make their residence in the isla Ids.
People In the States have misconcep-
ton Of the islands. as il is. but this
would be the very worst thing that
could happen. I believe the physicians
or business men should take some steps
TO counterfeit the influence Of Wilcox =
bill. The commercial organizations
would be the proper ones To protest 20
Washington. for this is a matter that
vitality affects the Territory a whole,
and not one class
IF the bill passed and the law went
into effect. il would probably place the
settlement under the supervision OF the
Marine Hospital service. Special steam
ship vessels would have TO be provided
for the transportation OF lepers, for the
regular steamers would hardly care 70
,ndanger their business by doing so.
AT present the unfortunates on Molo-
kaI are as contented and happy rs -