The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-01-30
LANDS ANO
LtPR0SY
Memorials Which
Go Forward to
Congress.
tFrom Thursdays Daily)

House which have to do with matters
affecting this Territory. were sent for
ward in the Alameda mail yesterday
and viii reach their destination at the
close of next week The memorials are
those touching upon the leprosy and
land questions, and represent the opin-
ions held by the leading bodies of the
community.
TIL ememoriai on the subject OF lep-
rosy is an able paper. drafted by Mr..
w. O. Smith on the eve of his depar-
ture for the Capitol. he having before
that time drawn up the paper touch
Ing on the land matter, and placed II
In the hands of the committee Of the
Chamber OF Commerce. which was APP
pointed for the purpose of dealing with
the matter. The leprosy memorial
deals with the subject at large and
bears the signatures of C. NJ. Cooke.
vtce-president, and j. G. Spencer, sec
Rotary. of the Chamber; F. w. Macfar-
lane and w. w. Harris. president anu
secretary of the Merchants Associa-
ton A. Gartley and ]. H. Craig. pres
ident and secretary Of the Builders and
Traders Exchange. and Clarence L.
Crabbe. chairman OF the Republican
Central Committee. The land memorial
has the names attached of the officers
Of the three organizations which lead
on the other memorial. only. The pa
pers are as follows:
To the Chairman OF the Committee on
Territories, House Of Representa-
tives, United States Congress.
Sir: The undersigned Memorialists of
Hawaii respectfully represent:
That the suggestion that the manage
ment, control and expense of the L-per
Settlement on the Island OF Molokai be
by law transferred from the Territorial
Government to the Government Of the
United States. and that the Settlement
be declared and set apart for a lep-
rosario for the protection and subsist-
ence of lepers from the Territory of
Hawaii and from the mainland of the
United States, meets with their earnest
protest.
Leprosy was introduced into the Ha-
waiian Islands from a foreign country,
and owing to various conditions and
circumstances was spread among the
native populate until it became a mat
ter of great national concern. In the
year 1864 a law was enacted by the Ha-
waiian Legislature for the segregation
and treatment of lepers, since which
time over six thousand persons have
been taken to the Settlement at Molo-
kai and cared for at public expense.
OF the one thousand and ten thus
confined on the first day OF January,
1901, there were:
Hawaiians ...... ................ $50
Chinese -. -. .h............-... "a
WINES =. .r....'.... .............. >
Other nationalities ...........,... II
The task Of dealing with this national
calamity, of the care and treatment of
the afflicted, has taxed the powers of
the local government and the skill of
physicians. The problem presented was
very serious one, and the more so be-
cause of the natural objection of people
to being separated from, their friends,
husbands from wives. and parents from
children, and there were raised ques-
tions which at times threatened the
authority of the Government but wise
and thoughtful consideration for the
wants of these unfortunate people has
enabled the law to be thus far carried
out.
At the Settlement cottages have been
provided for the sick. the home life has
been maintained as far as possible. all
the wants of the inmates being supplied
by the Government at public expense
and a community of over a thousand
persons live there In peace and har-
mony.
1t would be a great wrong to the Ha-
waiians who live at the Settlement to
have people from foreign Countries
unacquainted with them, their lam
guage. habits. traditions and SYM
pathies.-forced upon them. and. per-
haps. In considerable numbers. Fur
thermore. the introduction of such peo-
pie would doubtless become a disturb
Ing element in that peaceful commu-
nifty.
And to send lepers from the United
States to Molokai would be a great
wrong and injustice to those thus sent.
To the great majority OF the people of
4 the United States these Islands are a
foreign country. and to send persons az
hicted with disease to a foreign coun-
try from three to Ave thousand miles
from home. among strange people.
whose language they cannot under
stand. with whose customs. ways anu
food they are unacquainted and unac-
customed. would In any case be out
rageous, but especially with leprosy. a
disease which Ia 80 many cases grad
ually renders the person unable to care
for himself and needing the assistance
of others, and with the depression and
woe that comes from the hopelessness
OF the case.
But what could person from New
England or Louisiana or the North
west do. II brought SO far from home
and friends and associations. and fore
ed into these strange environments and
30 hopelessly and completely buried?
II Is hard 10 believe that the propo-
sition can seriously ba considered by
Intelligent and responsible persons, The
responsibility Is upon each state and
Territory 10 care for It's own sick ana
helpless, and what righi has even the
Federal Government 10 force upon ons
community those afflicted with a loaih-
some dlseaseY
Each state can provide a place for
iis lfpers and ears for them ~ the ooun-
ny and under the surroundings with
which they are familiar where they
can o0i&npnioais with ANA receive the
a 49, a. a.