Polynesian., 1853-04-16

some OF the districts are fifty, in others a
hundred per cent. higher than they were a
or years ago. For less they will not serve.
This has not been so much the case, bowev-
er, IN those more remote districts where
money is scarce, or the demand for native
labor by foreigners is small; as in parts
| where there is money and labor in demand.
The fact that the average number of DAYS
taught by each public school in 1852 was
less by seven, than in 1851, and less by 81
than, in lS49, is to be attributed to the
increase of teachers wages above referred
TO. and to the increased cost Of erecting and
repairing schoolhouses, the price of building
materials being very high, without CORES
ponding increase ofthe school revenue. When
the funds are exhausted, the schools of course
must stop. 1t could not be otherwise
without involving the department in debt.
The legislature will perceive at once that
the provision made by law for the support
of the public schools is quite inadequate
1t is true the law authorizes the school In
spectors and tax collectors Of the several dis
tricts to levy an additional tax. if necessary,
in order to keep the schools in operation not
less than 200 days in the year; but such
measure, it would be difficult for those
authorities to carry out, and it has not been
attempted. U3.-li zlaii3igaa3 laE.wgl9 tiB
In my report to the Legislature of 1851,
/ pointed out the inequality and unfairness
of the school tax. Being poll tar of 50,
it imposes the burden of the public schools
equally upon the rich and the poor; the
strong and the weak; the young and the old;
and although at the time it was imposed,
perhaps the best that could be done, and
the provision was sufficient, it cannot now
be satisfactory to the. rejecting portion of
the people. l beg respectfully to call the
attention of the Legislature again to this
subject, in connection with the fact above
stated the inadequacy of the school tax
to sustain the public schools, owing to the
great rise ofteachers' wages, andthe increas-
ed cost of erecting and repairing school
houses. An average of l3O days instruction
in each, from 4 to q hours per day, ought
not to satisfy either the government or the
people; especially when the trifling cost of
our public schools is considered. ai .rf
The preceding table shows it to be only
forty cents and a fraction per day, on an
average, for each of the 440 public schools.
S52 3S was the average cost ofeach school,
taught I3O days in 1852, from to 6 hours
per day, and the average amount expended
for each scholar was only S ,65 Poor as
the Hawaiian people confessedly are, they
can surely afford to pay more than this for
an object so vital to their very existence as
people, and fundamental to their progress
In every branch of civilization Less than
the average of 200 days in the year, that is
40 weeks of 5 days each, for school, the limit
designated by our statutes, ought not to be
thought of in making Legislative provision
for our public schools a -5f sdi io
The fact is not to be lost sight of here, ),
that the natives expect the government to
make provision for the entire elementary
instruction of all the children; in fact to
assume the entire business of education. To
this they have been accustomed; for nothing
else are they prepared; and therefore little
can be exacted from them in the way of indi-
vidual effort. From the very origin ofschools
among them they have been accustomed to
look upon education, as concern of gov
ernment, thing that government ought to
support. and to tax the people to the amount
necessary for the obj ect. But having paid
their tax and sent their children to school,
as the laws require, they consider that their
whole duty is. done; and from experience we
know how difficult it is to induce them to
do anything more. n--. - gflhisf 8a 1ai
3 These facts clearly Indicate that some
farther provision is needed for the support
ofthe public schools; and if 1 am not greatly
mistaken, the Hawaiian people are, able and
willing to bear a tax for this object con-
siderably heavier than the present one,
provided it can be so distributed as to fall
upon each in some proportion to his means
To increase the school tax in its present
form would in my opinion, be both unfair
and unwise. But could the general rev.
enue be so increased as to meet the entire
wants of the government, it would be both
more simple and economical, to abolish the
school tax entirely, as a separate provision.
and let the appropriation for this and all
other educational purposes be made directly
from the treasury under an act defining
the amount, and the manner of its .disburse-
ment, in the school districts according to-
the number of scholars in each. NO. .,6aiI
BY such an arrangement, the labor and
loss arising from collecting and disbursing
a separate tax for schools would in great
measure be obviated, and the funds being
Immediately under the direction of the head
of the, Department could be made to ac-
complish much more good than the same
amount under the present arrangement. But
the Legislature will be the best able to
Judge whether the time has come for such a
change or not. .saiaieI Ao $50 = n
Were there a general assessment OF prop
erty made by government, more common,
and | think preferable plan for providing
for the public schools, would be. to require
properly co instituted authorities, in each
district, to levy q tax upon the people of the
d strict according to their means. .toa suffi-
cient amount for the support Of the free schools
of the district. say 200 days in the year.
Such is now the practice n states whose
systems of public instruction are said to be