Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-13
LEPER COLONY IN HAWAII
Senate Committee Recommends Federal
0Oatrsl Of Settlement.
URGES CHANGE IN THE CONDITIONS
Interest OF Lste queen In Renta
Nearly Half Million Dollars and
Feel that she Has
Equitable Rights.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-The senate com
mittee on Porto Rico and the Pacific coast
met today to receive the report Of the sub
committee appointed at the last session Of
congress to investigate conditions In the
Hawaiian islands.
This subcommittee consisted Of Senators
Mitchell lore.), Burton (Kan.), Foster
Cwash.), Cockrell (MoJ and Blackburn
(Ky). The last two named did not visit the
islands. but Senator Blackburn Joined in
the recommendations, numbering twenty
six.
The visit to the islands was made last
September and covered twenty-five days,
during which time forty-three meetings
we're held and 176 witnesses were interro-
gated.
The investigation was general and COW
cred all questions with which the govern
ment possibly could be concerned, including
the laws. local and federal, and their execu-
ton; the public lands, labor, the planta-
tions, the harbors, taxation, the lepposy
settlement. Queen Liliuokalani's claims and
other subjects.
The condition Of affairs in the leper set
Element on the island OF Malokai excited the
l~lveliest interest.
The committee made a quite thorough
inquiry concerning this settlement, which
is under territorial control, with the result
that 1t recommends that the MANAGEMENT
Of the colony be transferred to the Marine
Hospital. service, with headquarters in
Washington. and that a general leprosaro
or retreat for all the lepers Of the United
States be established on that island.
At the time of the visit of the committee
there we're s4s leper patients in the settle
w-A-N l. --NN- a. -
are many hundreds OF other cases OF
leprosy in the territory. In the last year
on the Molokai settlement there were IA
deaths and sixteen births in the colony,
eight Of the children born being illegit-
innate.
Much diversity OF opinion was found in
the territory as to whether the control OF
the settlement should be retained by the
territorial government, Though all the
territorial officers were found to be IA
vorable to such retention the committee
takes strong grounds in favor of a change.
and in this connection freely discussed
the conditions with reference to morality
which prevailed, saying:
Your committee has been somewhat sur
prised to find that under existing manage
legitimate and Legitimate cohabitation is
permitted in the settlement. Marriages are
| SuHeTeu 10 De CeleDfdteQ DetWeen leDTOuS
men and women, regardless of their phys
ical condition. Children are born in the
settlement of leprous union and as a result
OF concublnage, and, strange as 1t may APP
pear, the reading officials seem not only
to regard all this as permissible, but pro-
test vigorously aginst a system of segre-
cation that would prevent 1t.
Further along the committee says that
unrestricted i~llegitimate association is per-
mitted by the authorities and adds;
The only attempt, seemingly. to abate
or minimize this evil is by counseling and
earnestly advocating marriage on the part
of lepers, even going so far in this matter
as aiding divorce wherena ileprous man or
the settlement, so that the husband or
wife thus released from the marriage OBJ
iigation might again be married. toAa leper
or inmate of the leper settlement.
The committee finds that Queen Liliuoka'
lsni had no personal interest in the crown
lands which have been claimed for her. but
only an Official interest during her reign.
Such interest would have entitled her Il
the rental of the lands, and the committed
finds that from the time Of the dethrone.
ment, in 1893, to September 1 last the renta
would have amounted to 1892 ,37s.
In view of all the circumstances the com.
mittee recommends that, as an act both o.
justice and national grace and wisdom
the senate consider with favor, on the line
indicated in this report, the claim Of tn,
late Queen Liliuokalani,. now a loyal pri,
vate citizen OF the United States, and max,
such reasonable provision for her as thu
facts here presented may seem to justify.
The committee recommends the disallow
ance Of claims made by other persons pro
Tossing to be members Of the late roya
family Of Hawaii.