The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-11-02
"A Question, of Charity

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THE tr6qyiest rom the 'G6Sefnot that he be
i helped in extending assistance to some known
to him, who are without, employment and not will
ing to apply to the regularly established charities,
is easy to understand. Governor Pinkham's pri-
waite charities, however much he conceals them,
are generally known to be large, while his position
as Governor marks him out to ever increasing
number of applicants, whose appeals undoubtedly.
touch his heart. .5;J: ,.a,n,a
Nevertheless, for the best good of all concerned,
il would be better for the Governor to turn over
the cases he has knowledge of to some one Of the
several excellent charities now maintained in the
city, preferably the Associated Charities. The
work Of giving necessary assistance can be per-
formed as secretly by the organized charities as
by the Governor personally, and the pride Of the
recipients need be more offended by taking
from one than from another, even if that other
be the Governor himself. "a
Il The letter of the Governor to The Advertiser
opens up wide question. The inference to be.
drawn from his.request is that he believes the
best methods of assistance to those in need are not
those pursued by the organized charity bodies, but
that money handed him for personal distribution
can be better applied in charitable works. Coming
from anyone of less importance in the community,
such suggestion could be waved aside.
The charitable organizations represented in the
Associated Charities are many and representatives
Is the work of this organization such that those
aided are permitted to suffer in their own self
respect or those of their associates? Is the Gov
ernor better able give real assistance in the way
OF helping secure employment giving practical
advice or encouragement--as the giving of money
is of necessity only palliative-than the Saliva
ton Army, the Associated Charities, the King S
Daughters, or any of the other helping organ
nations: Is the chamber of commerce wrong in
Il IL A. L.,
charitable philanthropic scheme should submit
their plans and objects for approval?
1t would be interesting to have the Governor
expand a bit the last paragraph of his letter,
which is published elsewhere, in which he says
1t is high time the people of this Terri
tory learned their duty to their home pop
ulation and placed corresponding restric-
ton on their lavish contributions abroad
that they may be able to perform their
bounden obligations to this Territory.
While Hawaii has become famous for what the
Governor calls the lavish contributions abroad,
to the famine sufferers of India the food victims
of China, the ones rendered homeless by Japanese
volcanoes, war victims of Belgium, Poland and
Serbia, schools in Turkey, missions in hundred
places and other worthy objects wherever they
may be in all the world, it is equally true that
those in Hawaii who able spend more in home
giving than any equal number of equally able peo.
pie in any other spot on Gods footstool.
In Hawaii, because of the recklessness witt
which the public money is wasted, it has faller
to the lot of the private individual to establish and
maintain the hospitals, the homes for the aged
and the parentless young, the kindergartens the
Fairgrounds; the summerCamps, the dispensarles
the district nurses the various institutions at the
MoOkai settlement and so on Private individuals
the Governor may remember, dug down i'll theiI
own pockets to help pay the expense OF improving
the appearance of the very Capitol grounds. Others
have planted trees along the public highways, have
paid for the cleaning up of public properties, have
established public parks and generally done thai
which elsewhere is the work of the government
" The "bounden obligations" to the Territory 4"
those who are giving avishly abroad have all beer
met many times over. The conspicuous lack 0
performance Of bOunden duties comes in the duty
the public officials owe the taxpayers to give
reasonable return in accomplishment for the take!
F collected.
i Is it the Governors idea that there is a elias!
in Hawaii who should be maintained by others o
the community? What does he want? What doc
he mean2 He has undertaken to scold now lie
him tell us who he is scolding and why he i
doing it.