Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-01-26
NO HAWAIIAN PAUPERs
Condition in Island Territory not
Favorable.

The absence OF beggaFs or any kind Of
mendicants upon the streets OF Ha
waiian cities is one OF the thing
which IL always remarked with sur
prise by strangers who have Travelled
to any extent. especially outside oi
the United States. Although in ths
population of some $4,000 souls
made up of races Of every color on
earth, there are many poor persons
II is q rare thing TO find one begging
from door 70 door or asking aims oa
the street. Occasionally a specimen
OF the genus hobo drifts In on some
vessel from the outside void in the
guise OF sailor, and becomes a con-
spicuOus object on the streets for q
few days, but the visitor may be prae-
ti'ally certai i. should he ch tnce tn
have an appeal made to him for as
sIstanee. that the solicitor IL not a
resident of the city.
The native Hawaiians are very
rarely beggars In any sense. They are
generous to fault, but have a racial
pride which restraints them from ask
ing aims, no matter how dire may be
the necessity. On the other hand It
may be said that suffering from lack
Of food Is not often to be found. while
the climate precludes the possibility
Of suffering from lack OF clothing.
Fruits and vegetables grow every
where with scarce any attention, and
even In the mountain forests the ma
tive Hawaiian can generally II neces-
slty requires. live fairly we'll on wild
fruits and plants Of various kinds.
The Chinese and japanese In Ha-
wall are never besgars. With a very
small exception they are Industrious
~ and obtrusiyely inclined. and gem
orally look after the needs Of their In
capaclated fellow countrymen.
Among Q very few OF the older
Portuguese of which nationality there
are probably 10000 In the territory,
there Ii a tendency towards profess
aional pauperism--a trait probably
brought from Europe. but which Is
severely dlscountenanced BY the
younger generation and will probably
disappear in course OF time.
There are a number Of we'll or
ganixed charitable societies, and elee-
moaynaFy institutions in Hawaii. the
chief work Of which however. IL to
assist the children and women OF the
poor OF the various races. The as
soeiated charities IL doing good work
In this line. while the various Chris
tlen churches have social settlements
established In various parts OF the
Oriental quarter. The Salvation
Army also has a strong corps in Hon
olnlu. and ls extending its work
throughout the other districts. Its
work among the children of the poor
q especially oommendable.
The Territorial Board OF Health
maintains free dispensary In Homo
lulu at which free medical and surgi-
cal treatment ID given TO those unable
to pay for such service, The records
of the dispensary show that for the
most part comparatively few OF the
various natlonallties show any incll-
nation to abuse the privileges afford
ed by the Institution.
II would probably be impossible to
And a community as large as Homo
lulu any place In the world where
there 10 50 little suffering. and In
which the people OF all stations Of
life are so independent and self-re-
speetlng. II Is one OF the things that
the citizens are especially proud of.
and one which u Is hoped will not be
lost In the rapidly increasing inter-
course with the rest OF the world.
WILL j, COOPER