Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-15
FROM CLASSIFIED LIST
Exemption of Leprosy Station
Employees Suggested.
WORK is DONE IN Hawaii
Civil Service Commission to Place
Request Before President.
HARD TO SECURE EIIGIBLES
Nobody Willing to Enter Upon
Examination for Job Under the
Circumstances.
HARD TO SECURE ELIGIBLES

President Taft is to be asked by the civil
service commission and the Treasury De-
partment to except from classified posi-
tons employees Of the leprosy Investigate
ing station in Hawaii. The President will
be compelled to carry out the request, too.
as nobody has yet been found who Is
willing to stand a long civil service exam
ination for job as attendant or other
| employee at a place where leprosy is to be
investigated day and night as regular
business. 1t Is considered doubtful
whether sufficient number Of employees
can be secured even outside civil service
registers. especially at the salaries usually
paid employees of the government in sim
liar positions.
The facts are that the marine hospital
service, which is under the Treasury, Is
now about to open a station on the Island
of Molokai. in Hawaii. for the thorough
study of the dreaded man-ldllipg disease
leprosy.
Buildings costing $4,000 have been
erected and the staff for the beginning
of the Investigations is now being gotten
together.
In Leper Colony.
This investigating station is in the
midst of the most noted leper colony in
the western world-the Molokai settle
ment. The Island of Molokai. long noted
as keeping away from the healthy part
of Hawaii the lepers of that island, is
ten miles square. Congress appropriated
$4,000 to build investigating stations in
the center Of the island if one square mile
Of territory should be decided for that
purpose. Deeds having been given. the
buildings were erected.
The man who Is to have charge of this
uninviting square mile of territory, with
lepers as the only inhabitants within q
radius Of ten miles, is DR.. D. H. Curry. He
is passed assistant surgeon in the ma
rine hospital service. His salary in this
position is $1,000 a year. with extra allow
ances in the way Of Communication Of
quarters and longevity pay. Congress pro-
vided that the man who would accept the
position as director Of the leprosy station
should get double pay. Consequently DR..
Curry, who volunteered for the dangerous
work, will get $4,000 a year and allow
ances. He Is now on his way to Hawaii
from abroad, where he has been attending
the International congress on leprosy at
Bergen, Norway.
His Previous Duty.
Before taking up the study of this most
horrible disease, DR.. Curry was an expert
on the bubonic plague and was stationed
at San Francisco and western points. DR..
Curry will have two surgeons as assis-
tants, and both of these have volunteered
for the work. They are Dr. Walter
Brinckerhoff, who will be the assistant
director. and DIR. Holman. q Hawaiian
physician, connected for years with the
leper work by the Hawaiian government.
They will surround themselves with the
most intelligent force of clerks and at
tepdants they can find and will shortly
| start upon their investigation
Under the law they will get patients
from the leper colony OF Hawaii, and
there will be at the institution at all
times about thirty lepers of all ages and
in all stages Of the disease, being treat
ed by the three experts Of the govern
ment
$4,000 for Expenses.
There is an appropriation of $4,000 for
the expenses Of the institution, and this
will go in salaries, medicines. supplies,
etc. Congress will continue the appro-
priation each year while the work lasts,
and it is the hope of DR.. Wyman of
the marine hospital service that when
the station has concluded its work of
some years cure for the horrible dis
ease will have been discovered.
1t is expected that most of the attend
ants, nurses, ETC., will be secured from
Hawaii after the President signs the ex-
emption order, although DR.. Wyman is
willing to consider applications from
Washington or any other city of the
country.