The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-03-28
DOES NOT
DESIRE NATIONAL
HOME FOR LEPERS
Governor Says Question Of Such
An Institution Has Been. I.
Pending For Years
DELEGATE TO CONGRESS
IS BITTERLY OPPOSED
Reputation Of Islands As Tour
lists Paradise Would Be
Blasted BY Movement

~ ~ IA -------~ -isfPtNjs} ,tAstf vi
iJsShaIl Hawaii endeavor to secure the
establishment Of national leprosari.
um in these Islandsi !.
This question was asked Of Governor
Pinkham, Delegate Kuhio and DR.. NJ
). b. Pratt, president Of the board of
health, yesterday. The morning wire.
less dispatches had carried a report
from Washington announcing that a.
movement Is on foot upon the main
land to. have congress appropriate
money for such an institution, as ex.
perts insist that the disease Il spread
ing throughout the United States and
that there are already $500 sufferers
ut large. s
Ii The consensus Of opinion among
those asked regarding the matter APP
peared to be that il would be an I'M
wise thing for these Islands to attempt
to establish national home For Iepe
either at Molokai or elsewhere In the
Territory.
would Hurt Tourist Business ~
1t was pointed out that Hawaii is
attempting TO build up the reputation
of Hawaii-nei as q pleasure resort for
tourists, a sort Of world playground,
and to become known as the "dumpinI
ground for lepers Of the mainland,O
as one Of those interviewed said yesl
terday, would be fatal to our asgfra.
tions in that direction.
This matter Of a national leprosa-
rum has been coming up Tor years, },
said Governor Pinkham ssIt was dis
cussed while was head az the terri
torial board Of health and even be-
fore. 1t certainly has not had much
chance to die out Of the minds Of
people during the last fsw years for,
II I DO mot mistake, lit has been
brought up from year to year by Soma
one In Washington. j 500 ~ ( \
Personally must decline TO talk
about the suggestion ut all, There is
mueh sentiment here regarding the
matter, and without going more fully
into the subject than /, have should
be at loss to know what would be
the bert course to pussne There seem
to be many things to beimid against
snch an idea, but whether the objec-
tions would 4vanish under closer scru:
tiny 1 am not now able 10 say.n t-
Delegate Strongly Opposed
The Delegate to congress was not so
tcartfpl to guard his statement sas was
| the Governor. ~, - IN ~ NJ 5
Nothing to 1t, !, was the way he
characterized the suggestion. THAT
| question Of national l6prosarium has
lobped mp at every sessiou Of congress
Tor years, and suppose will continue.
to bob mp for years to come unless
those back Of the idea put IL across In
the mean time. II they want such an
Institution ip the mainland, that's
their business, but certainly do not
consider Il is q good idea for Hawaii
to 80 after such an institution. In the
hrst place | believe that We would be
wasting our ammunition in shooting at
srch thing, for the idea is unidentified,
" backed by the same old clique that
wants 20 establish . national conslmp.
tive home and national this and IN
Rationaf that In Arizona or New
'sLst them do ii. We have been
engaged for a number Of years In
building up q reputation for the fair
est playground on earth. We have the
Ielimate, we have the facilities, we have
everything that the heart Of tourist
can desire N the way. Of natural adj
yantaees, and we ARE just beginning to
reap. the advantages of the persistent
eampaign Of advertising that has been
Iearried on by the promotion committee
land other agencies. So a. VI
Not Wanted IL Hawaii
ITO eight for the .establishihg Of
great national home for lepers, a. home
where all the lepers of the United
States would be sent for treatment,
would mean that we-wouId ret rcpu-
tation for being oyerrnn with the suf-
ferers from the disease. For that rea-
SON and for others l am opposed 10 the
idea, and would go out of my way TO
fight IL in congress-. I,
Doctor Pratt, head Of the board Of
health, was reached Mt his home on the
windward side Of the island, ~,
1T is too big a question TO go into
without proper thought, said the doc.
tor "I'd have to think over it for
some time before gave my opinion
upon it. ....>..