The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-04
Wards Of THE TERRITORY.
THEIR TRIALS AND TROUBLES
TOLD TO COMMITTEE.
The Independent Members Make Many
Promises-Home Rule May be Pro
vided-Demands of Lepers

Last night at 1880 O'Clock the In
Island steamer w. G.. Hall arrived
from Molokai with the legislative COM
mittee which had been making an in
vestigation into conditions which exist
at the leper settlement. The legisla-
tive representatives passed two days
and a night In acquainting tn smselVes
with needs of the lepers and eXamn-
ing conditions al the various places OF
the settlement.
The recent petition which was pres
ented to the legislature from the lepers
was made the basis of the investigation
and the witnesses were questioned as
to their belief in the various measures
for relief which were sought. Some
thought that several of the clauses
were not advisable The majority
favored the petitions.
In addition to this the lepers were
given an opportunity Of expressing any
ideas and Offering any suggestions re-
| garding the improvement of their con-
dition. Most of them favored the APP
pointment of competent leprosy experts
who could reside at the settlement
Many Of the complaints made were
against the details of management
Most of the complaining was against
Assistant Manager Freary who is a
leper. AS a rule the lepers acquitted
the superintendent Mr.. Reynolds of
being the cause Of their troubles. Many
of the charges We're trivial while others
are considered important Mr. Rey-
nolds was not called upon to make any
statement and not until the reports will
have been made will he be given an
opportunity to refute anything, as the
committee thinks this would perhaps
be more satisfactory to him.
Saturday and Sunday We're passed at
Kalaupapa and Kalawao. Owing to
there being too heavy sea the com
mittee could not be taken off at Kalau-
papa yesterday so the boat had to go
around to Waikolu where the passen-
gers were taken off in boats
Although nearly every body was sick
on the trip over no time was wasted by
the various committees in getting
promptly to work Saturday. Early i'm
the morning the passengers We're land
ed at Kalaupapa and went to the resi-
dence of the superintendent A portion
of the committee took horses and rode
over to Kalawao where the Baldwin
Home for Boys is situated, while the
majority of the Legislators remained at
Kalaupapa to conduct the investiga-
ton. BY o'clock Beretania hall was
crowded by the lepers who came to
testify, as well as to listen to the pro-
ceedings. John Emmeluth and George
r. Carter conducted the examinations,
although the other members also ask
ed questions occasionally.
d. K. Kalauokalani of the senatorial
committee stated to the lepers the OBJ
jects of the investigation and the rea-
sons for the visit of the legislature.
Thomas K. Nathaniel one of the le-
pers replied on behalf of the members
of the leper settlement; in the course
of his remarks he said that they had
brought what they considered neces-
sary reforms to the attention of the
legislature and they hoped that their
IrNt~ Cd Ia 81 ar-
ed. w. X. Makakao was another signer
of the petition who spoke urging favor
able action upon the petition. He said
that they asked the legislature to do
what was right for them and to give
that relief which other bodies had fail
ed to do.
The first subject mentioned by the
petition favored government by the
members of the leper settlement. I'VE
| believe" continued the speaker, that
| if this prayer is granted various diff
ferences which have existed before
would not occur.
In reply to a question the witness as
serted that he had nothing personal
against Reynolds the superintendent of
| the settlement and nothing officially ex-
cept the allegations contained in the
petition. The witness was asked re-
garding item No. 5 on the petition
which asked that the cloth allowance
reason for wishing this was that the
prices charged at the settlement store
which was run by the Board of Health
were prohibitOry; that it was cheaper
| for the peoDle to send away to their
! friends at Honolulu or the Coast and
make the purchases outside. He claim
! ed to know of many people who had
been sent to the settlement by the
Board of Health, who were all right or
else had been cured of the leDrosy af-
ter they had remained at the settlement
! Among these peonle he named ]. Kama
nj, j. H. Immiher, ], X, Waialou C.
Trapes, Kapahu Silas Carter, Annie
Makanoe, Annie Gaiser, w. Kaha, and
MOohi.
The witness favored the importation
of ava. 1t was a stimulant which was
very beneficial to those addicted to it's
use. 1t costs too much to obtain the
material at the settlement now. At
this point in the investigation the
crowd of lepers were asked their senti-
ments regarding this ava and all voted
unanimously in favor of 1t.
At the afternoon session the first wit
ness sworn was r. NJ. Kaaoao, a leper
who had been a resident at the settle
ment for five years. He had heard the
testimony of former witnesses and
agreed with it, Four or FIVE physicians
used to formerly examine them all but
Oiiiy lOuI VI lle ItSluenLS were pro-
nounced clean but they were still at
the settlement as nothing had been
done to secure their release.
The witness stated that he was no
Catholic and he did not approve en-
tirely of the work of the Franciscan
sisters at the Bishop Girls Home. Ere
quently their friends would be i'll at
the home and when they would go to
inquire for them they would be refused
admission by the sisters. Another rea-
son for complaint was the refusal to
permit the lepers to hook upon the
bodies of the dead friends He knew of
no girls however who were detained at
the home against their will.
witness proceeded to detail some
thing of the high prices which he claim
ed were charged at the store. Two
months ago he went into the store to
purchase potatoes and was asked
cents a pound for them. The price of
cloth was also at an exorbitant rate
w. X Makakoa was next sworn. He
was leper and had been ten years at