The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-09-17
WHITE PLAGUE IS /
GROWING MENACE
N The TERRITORY
Its Threat More Serious Than
That OF Any Other Disease,
Says Health Board Member
USE OF TONNAGE TAX
FUND is CONSIDERED
PaxSon Says Disease Is Spread
ina Rapidly and Action Must Be
Taken At Once To Check Il

dk6H Al UnCe 10 CNeCk IL
" tuberculosis * a greater menace to-
day in Hawaii than is leprosy, or any
other disease
This was the emphatic assertion Of
George T. Dpnison, who has been named
a committee Of on" by the board of
health to sound a note of warming to
the chamber OF commerce by bringing
chamber proposal for the use Of the
accumulated tonnage tax fund, or nt
least n part Of IT. to combat the deadly
white plague Na
The problem Of what TO do to pre-
serve the llawniians from further raw
ages Of this disease came before the
4 hOnrl Of health AZ It's meeting this
week through III" report of President
:. = PaNsOn ~ to conditions as he
found them on Kauai, from which is
land he had just returned. He stated
that conditions there were deplorable
and tuberculosis spreading.
Speaking of the matter Yesterday,
Mr.. DenisOn said that one Of the things
that should be taken mp officially was
TINT of caring for the dependents of
those suffering from Tuberculosis, who
had too much manhood to stop work for
the sake Of their health, but keep on
working and thus added TO the spread
Of the disease among others, while prac-
tcalIy rOndemning themselves to death.
Money Is Needed ~"
What is needed is a sum Of money
sufficient 70 carry the campaign
tgainSt tuberculosis, either through the
.enhi Home, the Palama Settlement or
som" way which will reach the peo-
pie who need hrp,' said Mr.. Paxson
''The only sum available at this time
might be the 800, 900 accumulated in
the tonnage tax fund of the chamber
OF commerce.
"This fund was established in the
first place to preserve this port and
city from contagious diseases, couse-
/ Nmently the use Of tins sum would be
in line not only with the project of con-
serving the health of the port, but of
the entire Territory. There has been
raptd spread Of the disease lately and
heroic measures should be taken to
check il. Z"
expect to take the matter up with
Richard A, Cooke, chairman of the
aS sOou as possible nnI | expect that
some action will be taken which will
result in practical measures for the
abatement of this disease. or course
III seeking to help those needing help
it is possible that there will be some
imp"'ition, but with care this should
he reduced to q minimum. while the
go"d accomplished should be Valuable"
Cooke Mon c,mmit+al
Richard A. Cooke, chairman Of the
health committee of the chamber of
, commerce, was non rummittaI last eve
n'mg, saying that the matter had not
been brought before him officially and
that until the committee of which he
was chairman had hal an opportunity
to consider the matter he would prefer
not ~ make Il statement
- However, it seems to me n matter
Of Importance and it is probable that
the health committee will meet early
, nest week The mHttrr if it comes up
then, will hr acted upon nud the recon-
mendatlOns Of the committee win go
before the directors Of the chamber Of
commerce for final action.
Must Act At Once
President PaxsOn yesterday rciterat-
ei his assertions made Thursday before
the hoard of health regarding the
threatening spread Of the "white
plague in Hawaii In making these
assertions, based on the statistics Of
his Office, he warned the members Of the
board Of health that Immediate steps
I should be taken if winning effort is
to be made to keep the disease from
getting greater holt upon the people
Of th" Islands. He said:
The grave health danger of the Is
lands today is tuberculosis. Our statis-
ties show it Is ON the increase. We r,.lst
begin to wage an effective fight against
the disease if we do not want it, in
crease to get beyond our control -
He addrd that the Lrahi Home was
now 50 filled with patients that It was
not nblc to care for all the applicants
for treatment made there. Much the
sam" condition exists ON the other Is
lands, he Intimatrs. He and uth her r-nm.
hrrs of the Board Of Health sny that
the ideal conditions for fighting the
disease, where the patients can he part
" self supporting, ~" found only mt
TIA" kula Snnltarum in Maui Thrrr
much of the necessary surI.l, o. rggs
and milk as the ripht kind Of food for
tn" patients is produced.
However, all are agreed that rlimatir
conditions of the whole pruup aro
fay Orahlr for IA successful fght ara.nst
tuberculosis, if the fight with each Ia.
tlrnt is started in time
1t Is so thus fight may hr sta ted
III time that Ma Deuis0m intends to trv
to get some It the money of, the
ShPP"l ) Tax fund used for the sup.
port OF the families of the wage earn