The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-02-07

Ieprosia, to which all the lepers in the
United States should be sent.
What has Hawaii ever done that
she should be inflicted with this?'
asked prominent Hawaiian planter
who is stopping in Washington. 1--WE
have enough trouble in handling oul
own Iepers without assuming the bur-
den of all those which can be picked
up in the states. Leprosy is a dread
! full disease" he continued, "and yet
most people have a far greater horror
of being near leper than there is any
real reason for. would not hesitate
in the slightest to shake hands with a
leper. in fact, have done so. Leprosy
can be contracted only through con-
tact by the mucous membrane, or
through some sore or cut.
For this reason the lepers in our
leper settlement are allowed to marry
and bear children, and there are only
two instances, 1 believe, where the
children of lepers confined in the Ha-
waiian lazaretto have had the disease
transmitted to them. They are taken
away from the parents when they are
very young and kept in isolated es-
Establishments until it is seen that they
are free of the disease.
Nevertheless, we have in the ISL
ands all we want to take care OF in
this line. Our authorities are also
constantly on the alert to find those
among the general population who
have become afflicted. Every effort is
made, naturally, when a man or wo-
man finds that he has leprosy, to keep
the knowledge from the authorities,
and among the pure blood natives es-
peciaHy all sorts of schemes are re-
sorted to to escape detection"
WATER FRANCHISES.
Another recommendation of the SUBJ
which is being vigorously
protested against is private legislation
by Congress relating to water fran
chises in the Islands. The major por-
ton of Hawaii is dependent upon irri-
CATION, and good land which has water
available for irrigation is of great
value.
Water rights are as valuable as they
ire in any of our Western arid States.
rhe usual method of the government |
has been. when any proposition has
come before it, to allow the construc-
ion of irrigation bitches or storage res
.rvoirs on the public domain to hold
public auction and sell the right to
he highest bidder, subject to such re-
trictions and conditions as the govern
nent sees fit to prescribe.
The Senate committees report, how
yer, recommends the passage of H. r.
!, 1897, which grants over the heads of
he Territorial government an extreme
Y valuable irrigation franchise without
Iearings were held on this Hawaiian
itch bill last session before Senator
'oraker's committee, and Mr.. Foraker
imself introduced a resolution provid-
rs lHC III ILLS CetSS
hould be submitted for the approval
the Secretary of the Interior of the
United States.
An examination OF the testimony ia
earrings in Honolulu last summer
hows also that permission was given
y the committee to parties interested
D present any testimony desired after
Gems that subsequently a petition
rom all the planters residing along the
ne of the proposed ditch, protesting
gainst the enactment of H. r. II, 997,
'as presented to the committee and !
'as printed as a part of the report of
he committee, but was later, at the !
lstance of one of the members of the
ommittee. stricken from the report
8 this protest is considered strictly '
to the question. the people {
ere who are interested in Hawaiian S
fairs are wondering what has become
: this unanimous petition
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
The Chinese question is another sub
ct upon which business men living in
awaii would like to see some action
ken. :
"Of course, there is an overwhelming ,
.ntiment in the United States in favor !
the exclusion of Chinese labor" said
lie Hawaiian gentleman above quoted,
but it certainly would be a vast bene-
to the Islands if we could in some
ay get more Chinese Iaborers and
.rvants there. This report of the Sem
e committee speaks about the neces-
ty Of excluding Cheap Chinese labor ;,
'hy, have had to pay $1.25 and $3.50
I'D a day and board for my Chinese,
Id 1 have difficulty. great difficulty, :,
getting enough of them at that, :
hile IN IN