The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-01-16
LEPRESERY FOR
THE MAINLAND
REPORT OF THE SENATE COMMIs-
SION ON MOLOKAI AND THE
LEPER SUBJECT GENERALLY.

This is what the Senate Commission
recommends regarding the leper settle
ment on MoOkai condensed from its
more voluminous report.
The control and management Of the
leper settlement on the Island of Molo-
kai the committee thinks should be
transferred from the local territorial
government to the government of the
United States, to be i'm immediate
charge of the marine hospital service.
The committee believes the Island of
Molokai is in every respect most ad-
mirably adapted as a location for a ma
tional leprOsaria, to which might be
transferred all lepers now in the United
States.
Notwithstanding the large expense
charged up each year to the territorial
government in connection with the care
of the unfortunate people, the principal
territorial officials, including the COVER
nor, secretary of state, board of health
attorney general, and in fact the heads
of every one of the departments, were
insistent upon retaining the manage
ment and control of the leper settle
ment by the Territory. The people of
the islands hold different views on the
leper question to what are evidently
entertained by the members of the sub
committee and apparently much of the
| opposition to the transfer comes from
| the fact that a change of administra-
ton is not desired.
According to the testimony before the
| committee, one out of about every 1870
| of the whole population of the Hawai-
! ian islands is today afflicted with le-
| prosy and confined at the leper settle
ment. 1t is believed, however, that
| there. are very many hundred more
! lepers in the islands than are now at
the settlement, perhaps bringing the
average to one leper to every 100 of
the population. This is the growth of
less than half a century as the first re-
cognized case of the disease in the
Islands was reported in 1856. There
are today nearly 1000 known lepers in
the Territory There are in the United
| States 27S lepers most of them at large
who should, in the opinion of the COM
mittee, be sent to the leper colony.
The United States should be admon-
ished-, by the history of other nations,
says the committee and be prompted
to take immediate and decisive steps to
stay the progress of and eradicate this
| loathsome disease in the Territory of
Hawaii. The very highest and most
advanced scientific skill at no matter
what cost, should be invoked without
this disease, and the remedy, if any, tc
be had for it's cure. While the peo-
PIE anu lOCdl government of Hawaii in
the way of segregation and care of the
lepers, the committee believes a much
greater degree of sanitary precautior
and scientific treatment should be en-
ployed than has been or possibly car
be, by the local government.
The committee was somewhat sur.
prised to find that under existing man
agement of the leper settlement, indis.
criminate legitimate and illegitimatt
cohabitation is permitted in the settle
ment Marriages are suffered to b,
celebrated between leprous men ant
women, regardless of their physica
condition. Children are born in tn,
settlement of leprous unions, and as {
result of concubinage; and strange as i
may appear, the leading officials seen
, to regard all this not only as permissi
bic but protest vigorously against {
: system of segregation that would pre-
vent it.