The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-04-22
WOULD CHANGE
HOSPITAL PLAN
Why Don't Hawaiians Get
Benefit of the Queens
Hospital7
EXCESSIVE FORMALITY?
Trustees of the Hospital Want
to Change Contract With
the County.
EXCESSIVE FoRMALITYl
(From Wednesday Is Advertiser }

Inc DOaru OF SUPERVISORY labJ nlRnJ
received from the trustees of the
Queen S Hospital proposal for a new
scheme of handling county patients,
and incidentally, the communication
from the trustees making the new pro-
posal discussed the question of why Ha-
waiians do not like to go to the Queen Is
Hospital. 1t is suggested in the letter
of the hospital trustees that red tape is
responsible.
Mayor Fern opposed the plan of the
hospital trustees, He sent in a com
munication to the board advising that
the present system of taking patients
at $3.50 per day be maintained. The
Mayors communication and the letter
from the trustees of the hospital, are
as follows:
The Honorable Board of Supervisors,
of the City ana County of Homo
lulu.
Gentlemen:-I beg to transmit to you
communication from the trustees of
the Queens Hospital, in which they
ask for an appropriation of $1,000 per
month instead of the $3.50 per diem
stating that they believe the Hawai-
ians will not apply for admission to
the hospital to the city and county au.
thorities and thus the trustees feel that
the hospital is not accomplishing the
purpose for which it was established.
Besides admitting all Hawaiians free
without applying to the city authorities
they will allow 700 hospital days per
month for other nationalities. AS the
arrangement for paying $1.50 per day
was at the suggestion of the hospital
trustees themselves, and as they receiv.
ed practically $1,000 per month since the
agreement was made 1 feel that we
had better leave well enough alone, at
any rate in the financial stress which
we are undergoing at present, there is
chance for the city and county physi-
clan to save a little unless some un-
forseen epidemic crops up. I would
recommend that we keep to the present
agreement at least until July first.
Yours respectfully,
JOSEPH J. FERN,
Mayor.
Honolulu, April 5, 1910.
The Honorable Mayor and Supervisors
County of Honolulu:
Gentlemen: - The trustees of the
| Queens Hospital at this time find
themselves in a rather peculiar position
in regard to the admission and treat
ment of INDECENT patients, owing to
changes in conditions which have taken
place within the past two years.
Instead of receiving an appropriation
from the Territory of stated monthly
sum in consideration of its service to
indigents from all parts of the Terri
tory, the hospital is now paid on a per
diem basis for whatever patients the
authorities of the county of Honolulu
may send to it for treatment, subject,
of course, to certain rules governing
admission which it is obvious must be
conformed 10 in any community. This
is result of the territorial appropria.
tion being cut off, which placed the hos.
pital in a position of dependency upon
the county for financial assistance, pro.
vided ii continued to render needed
service to the poor of all nationalities,
as had always been its privilege and
custom. 1t was not the trustees desire
to refuse admission to indigents who
came from other parts of the Territory,
but it can be readily understood that
without general appropriation the hos.
pital could not assume responsibility
to the poor from all parts of the Terri
tory, especially in view of its straitened
financial condition at the time it was
dropped from its place as territorial
institution.
The arrangements made with the
county authorities have, we believe,
worked out satisfactorily to them, and
the service rendered proved efficient.
There is, however, a development
which is not unexpected and which is
regrettable to a large degree.
We refer to the fact that for one
and another reason the patients of Ha
waiian blood, or part Hawaiians, com
ing under the class of "indigent" have
fallen off in numbers considerably sine,
| by the county. We are in no wise criti
cizing the action of county officials il
reducing the number of patients fol
which the county pays to as low mum
ber as is consistent with the character
of this particular line of work whicl
the authorities are obliged TO attend L
and be responsible for
The standpoint of the trustees in con
sidering the service TO Hawaiians o
the poor class, which the hospital gives
must be taken with reference to th
original intentions OF those who estah
lished the institution and Of the donor
who have made possible its mainle
nance.
There b no question that the prir
eipal donor Qusgn Emma, was pTovif
my primarily for the care OF those O
her own race who could not atior
! proper medical attention aud care /
, sickness, Those of other races WEI
d not barred, but no one would adYAnf
lhe PROPOSITION that when tho h0splil
Nas being endowed by Queen Emm
a., ~ bishop and olAeIs, thai lhol
donors ever expected that Hawaiian
\ would ho shut out heraute they dli nl
reside nn Oahu or heraule they fails
b lo conform 10 regulations Tor admlsslo
Nhlfh ihey could uoi comprehend an
War pulally IerpRnapl 10 them
/ lAntA Nhn aif acquainted Niih lil
nallan fhaiariallslirf gen apIsflal