The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-01-16
PEOPLE
SHOULD
SPEAK
Mass Meeting in
Opposition to
LaZarettO.
Henry Waterhouse Urges
That Action Be Made
Unanimous.
Gatherings to Protest Againt Rec
concentrations as to Leprosy
Should Be Held.

Every means possible should be
tried, and that Immediately, to show
to Congress that the people OF Hawaii
proposal that Hawaii be made the
dumping ground for the lepers CT the
United States" Henry Waterhouse,
who is the chairman of the committee
OF the Chamber of Commerce, which
has under way the memorial in opposi-
ton to these recommendations of the
subcommittee of the Senate Commit
tee on Pacific Islands and Porto Rico,
cannot mince words when talking of
the leper question. He continued:
81 would advise that the people all
over the Territory, in every town and
village as we'll as each city of the
group, should get together in mass
meeting and voice their opposition to
the plan. The carrying out of this sug-
gestion would mean unutterable dis
tress to our own unfortunates. as well
as business disaster, and our people
should try every means to arouse the
people of the United States against the
carrying out of the proposals. The get
ting up of great petitions is an easy
matter, and might not have the desired
effect, but if the people should show
their feeling by meeting and taking
strong action, 1 believe that it would in
dictate that there is only one opinion
here, that the people would feel that
the carrying out of the plans of the
commission would brand the Territory
as unclean and result in great wrong.
THE Chamber of Commerce viii send
on a strong protest, but this is not all
that should be done by any means.
The business men should not be heard
from alone, but the people of the ISL
ands should make it plain that any such
action would mean the depression of
every industry and would undo the
business of the entire country. This is
the material view and is not stronger
than the sentimental one, that these
unfortunate people should be cared for
by those who are familiar with their
tastes and habits, and by those who
Il should be sorry if there should OBJ
tain in the United States any other
feeling than that the people here de-
sire to take care of their own sick, and
that we are willing to make sacrifices
for their we'll being in so far as aid
may be given to them in their state. l
hope to see the people of all the ISL
andS aroused and taking steps to have
their dissent known at Washington"
+. c. Winston of the Republican Cen
trail Committee who was one of the
first men to suggest that there be held
great mass meetings throughout the
Territory, is of the belief that in this
way only may be secured the express
sion of the unanimity of opinion which
viii impress Congress with the neces-
sity to go slow and weigh we'll every
argument before taking such radical
steps. He said in discussing the ques-
ton that he hoped that there would !
be meetings which would place the peo-
pie on record as opposed to any such
action, and that the meetings could not
be held too soon to have the desired !
effect.
Others seen united in the expression :
that there should be more than a
memorial from the commercial bodies. |
that the people should speak and should !
take every possible step To prevent the
recommendation from being
enacted into law.