The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-04

most probably thinks that the whole
island Is occupied by the settlement
This Us not the case. II is only "a small
promontory and three or four valleys
which form the settlement The rest
of the Island is owned as pasture land,
forest land or arabic land. How Is re
preventative Kahn going to acquire a
title to this private property? As Far
as the settlement itself is concerned u
will bear very much additional popula-
ton. There are now Jt the settlement
i'm the neighborhood IF l,2O0 people.
These can live compo"t8b'y, especially
as they are accustomed TO similar sur
roundings of sky, earth and sen. But
put another 200 people on TO that pen
insula and it would be undIly crowded.
If the United States wishes to make
a leper settlement Of MolONai, it viii
first have to acquire the land for the
purpose. The United states 80 'ernment
cannot grab any portion Of it, any mere
than it can grab Boston Common or the
Plaza in San Francisco. There can be
no conhscation of private property.
Congressman Kahn's bill is based up
on lack of information. He evidently
has no conception of the subject upon
which he is legslating. He sees
chance of gaining both popularity and
consideration. He has taken up a sub
ject of which he knows next to nothing
and is boosting it up TO the utmost of
his ability. Not only would the esta-
blishment of a States lazaretto be most
disastrous to the mercantile and COM
mercial interests of the territory, but to
mingie gentle Hawaiians with tough
foreigners would be the height of an
objectionable mistake which could only
occur among those who could not and
did not understand, and proceeded deli
berately to commit in their blindness.
Fortunately it has dawned upon some
people in the United States that the
1900 unfortunates whom the Territory of
Hawaii supports constitute but a 1.-THE
of those who are afflicted within her
dominions. The Philippine islands, a
portion of the dominion of the United
States have about 10000 lepers in the
midst of their population. No effort
had ever been made to segregate those
suffering from this disease and the con-
sequence is that it is increasing instead
of decreasing on those islands. Does
Congressman Kahn propose to bring
10000 Filipinos to Molokai settlement
in furtherance of his bill2
Again how many lepers are there in
the United States, exclusive of those in
Hawaiian Territory and the Philip
pines? Who can tell? Leprosy in its
ncipient stages is easily concealed, but
even then the number of lepers known
to physicians must be far in excess of
the numbers now at the settlement.
We may inveigh against the bill as
muchas we like, but unless we can have
the members of the House and the SEN
ate see the matter in the light of the
injury that they are doing not only to
us who live here, but to the possession
which has been added as brilliant to
| Columbias crown, we have little chance
of winning. To the average man on
the mainland, the idea of getting rid of
very unpleasant, and a very burden
some class of people will appeal as a
very satisfactory solution Of a difficulty.
What we, the inhabitants of the Island
Territory, we who have devoted our
lives to the advancement of our body
polite may think is a matter of small if
of any moment.
But there are men in Congress who
know our conditions, men who know
that not only would Congressman
Kahn's bill injure the territory almost
/ irrevocably but would also be detrimen-
tai to the United States. If these men
will only use their influence this terri
! bly, menacing bill would be relegated to
the limbo of forgetfulness where it
most certainly belongs.
! conn Il