Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-07

Designed to Protect Wealthy Natives,
but 1t Has Led to Corruption.

| Honolulu Correspondence New York Sun.
| Hawaiians read the sensational accounts
1 in the mainland press of rich mems de-
| baucheries and Of fortunes squandered in
| a fortnight and smile. Particularly to the
more Intelligent and the weather. natives
! the subject Is one which affords considera-
, bic amusement. They passed through the
! same stage at one time. Wine suppers,
| carousals with actresses. lavish gifts to
friends-all these many years ago We're as
! frequent in Honolulu as in New York city.
, That was before the spendthrift law. also
relic Of the missionaries, but still on
statute books Of the island. held many a
! rich native in iron bondage f1rmer than a
prison cell. Needed though it may have
I been in it's day, the spendthrtft law is one
1 which next may be called to run the gaunt-
let Of constitutionaiity, for IT deprives the
victim not only of his property, but of his
liberty. with little regard for due process
of law.
This statute has ever been a tender point
with the natives, who have long since
learned, to their sorrow. that they cannot
trifle with fortune, even though 1t be their
own, as do the scions Of millionaire fami-
lies of New York and Chicago. Such prod
igality has characterized some Of the
wealthy citizens of the states would mean
In Hawaii the appointment OF guardian,
who would not only control the property,
out also the person Of the liberal spender.
The Hawaiians are not a thrifty people.
Many acquired fortunes by the enormous
increases in the value of land and from the
extensive sugar plantations in the early
days. Their money, easily acquired, was
put into circulation again in the same free
and easy manner and the wild festivities
Oh some of the natives threw the good mis-
sionaries into CONSERVATION. They saw the
work of long years wrecked unless they
could put stop to the mad pace of the
natives. The spendthrift law is the result.
1t was a good law, perhaps, in the hands
Of good people, but unfortunately it did
not remain in such hands.
The wild extravaganza and lust of the
natives was checked. A man who spent
more money than his income permitted
was promptly placed under the control of
a guardian, who limited his expenditures IS
he saw fit. The law gave the courts author
ity to place in a guardianship trust any
man who was drinking more than he
should. or spending a greater amount of
money than his income permitted. The law
was made to cover almost any case OF ex-
travagance or foolish expenditure. and
hundreds of men were forced into 'spend-
thrift trust" which now crowds every court
docket. The estates under this control
amount to hundreds of thousands of dol
lars. No one was exempt from the provfs-
ions of the law. II a man was drunkard,
or spent more than his income, on the APP
plication Of an interested party he could be
restrained. Inscriptions guardians or
these estates have waved fat and rich.
while their wards are still living. No one
was exempt: even the kings OF the oio mon
archy were liable to be placed under re-
straint. and old Lunalilo was permitted to
reign but his royal expenditures for wine
were limited by the guardian who con-
trolled his fortune.
The reaction has now come. The court
dockets are beginning to be filled with APP
piicatfons from men who want their guard
ianship terminated and their keeper dis
charged. that they may be allowed to
spend the remaining portion Of their fortune
themselves. Americans and people OF other
nations are included In this law. One case,
that OF q Sootchman named Love. was par
ticulariy strong. His guardian, an attor-
ney, had been getting more from the es-
tate than did his ward. This ward had
amassed q competence Of nearly 100000.
which he expected to enjoy In his old age.