The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-04-25
VETOES The
.LEPROSY BILL


The Goy.uo. ,.s morning sent the
! fouoWinr veto to the legislature nj
affects the amendments To the sogrega-
tion laws known as House bin No 116 /
! The veto is as follows:
TO the Legislature Of the Territory
| Of Hawaii Herewith I return House I
| bill NO l7G. entitled An Act Amending /
! Sections 1922 and 1925. Chapter a. Of I,
! the Revised Laws or Hawaii, relating T,
| TO Leper Settlement and Hospitals. and /
/ adding "a new section thereto which ,
/ I am unable Co approve.
1T Is unfortunate that extreme legis- /
/ lation OF this character on this sub
! jeCt should Doe .iptated az this time.
! Congress has seen ht TO pass am APP
! preparation of $3.50 GOO for the establish
ment of hospital at MololSai with the
object of studyi.g the disease; and that
this work WII De vigorously pushed
is shown by the latest advices from Or.
| Wyman. United states Surgeon-Gen-
eral, and head of the Quarantine and
Marine Hospital Service. He states
that already preliminary plans have
been discussed and that he expects to
arrive here m the latter part Of next
month.
II recognize that this subject is AN
exceedingly sensitive one with our body
politic-one I'm which there is constant
agitation. Formerly IL was argued
that the examination made by which
2 suspects were pronounced lepers was
incomplete without a meteorological
: test. Provisions was made at an in
creased expense to provide this test,
and the request granted. Since then,
naturally the result of the bacteria
logical test has been potent factor I'm
determining the existence of leprosy
1T now appears that the present
method Of examination is not satisfac-
tory. 1t is contended that liberty no
, longer exists, from the fact that the
present law allows for an arrest If it
is alleged that the person has leprosy,
and I'm some cases this might have been
/ done with malicious intent.
"By the proposed Act it is intended
TO provide a combination of a medical
examination and a court trial. Arrests
are to be no longer made of alleged
0 cases Of leprosy but a citation or sort
of civil summons is to issue to persons
. suffering with leprosy, who shall be
deemed capable of spreading the dis
; ease, to appear before a board of five
, physicians, all of whom must be pre-
/ sent, for the purpose of an eXamina-
: tion to determine whether or not the
person is suffering from eprosy and is
e capable of spreading ire disease.
70 TT is clear that it will be impossible
e To fcGtia a citation IN determine a fact
: when the fact must be determined be-
o fore the citation can issue. The Dis
y trict Magistrate has no discretion in
the matter. He can only issue the
s. citation to person suffering with
u leprosy. If he should take the state
= ment Of a witness and issue a citation
d the attorney for the peron cited could
T. at once attack the same, claiming no
I desire or intent to disobey it, but sim
}. ply that It was not legally proven that
his client had leprosy and, therefore
l. that the citation was issued contrary
) to law.
" 1T is true that there has been little
e or no effort on the part of the Terri
tory to thoroughly study the disease
y or to provide "A hospital for the treat.
D. ment of suspects. The revenues of the
! Territory lave not warranted any sucf
expenditure. If increased appropria
ton can be made the Legislature would
far better by providing for a seconC
physician at the Settlement The carr
of thousand patients is almost too
y great for one man.
| Again, if the money is available, !
seems only just and fair to make pro
~, fn
suitable home for the male, as wei
Il as the female, children of leprous par
n ents. The scelf-sacrlfcing work Of tn
sisters of st. Francis i'm ire care of girl
born of leprous parents, and the fac
that so fe wof the latter have show
40 any evidence of the disease, creates tn
10 impression that possibly it may not b
,a hereditary. In any event it woulu
e seem only right to either segregate tn
n sexes at the Settlement, or provide
q home where all children born Of leprou
NJ parents can be reared free from al
TO contamination.
I'll There are other minor objections t
"a the bill, such as the provision by whic
us all those who are confined In the hos
H. pital for the treatment of suspects ca
st be examined at intervals of not les
III than once a year. Thus even If IN
patient and the Board Of Health ar
u, both anxious for an examination, {
show that the disease has been abateC
~ while such an examination could tax
place, il would be- under this provision
90 without legal significance OF effect,
- This bill simply takes away all pow
b., err and control I'm reference to thi
A., matter from the board Of health, an
as practically prevents segregation.
ne Legislation of this nature Illustrate
an what radical action may be anticipate
~ if this subject is left permanently wit
a. the voters and lawmakers Of the Tel
NO ritory.
Il would not be true to the best II
terests Of those who suffer from tn
diesae or OF the Territory Of Hawa
If / signed this bill or aided I'm its pas