The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-07-21
WEDNESDAY. JULY 21, 1886.
MORE E0LIY.

SooAse VI pTepaTaIlon anu VIII De
brought before the Legislative As
sembly during the present session
for the purpose of converting the
Reformatory School into Military
and Naval Academy. The bill, so
far, has only reached the honorable
member for Hilo, who will be
directed to put it through; and the
more certain it is to be shown to be
a mad scheme, the more persistently
will it be pressed forward. The
history, objects and working of the
Reformatory School were fully set
forth in this paper some five or six
months ago, and need not be re-
peated now. The appropriation for
its support during the last two years
was $l2,5OO. In the Appropriation
Bill before the present Assembly,
the sum of 5000 is asked for the
the institution. The double allow
ance proposed was an occasion of
surprise to those who knew the re-
Quirements of the institution, and
who knew besides that at no time
during the past ten years was the
appropriation overdrawn, but that
several times, it was considerably
underdrawn. The public wondered
what sudden freak of liberalty had
possessed the Ministers on behalf of
the unfortunate waits of society in
the Reformatory School. The ex-
planation was judged by many, at
the time, to he that some one of
those wild visionary projects with
which the Legislature is being pes
tered, session after session, was
afoot; and that the additional S.
900 was to be counterpart of the
$4,000 absorbed by the Board of
Genealogy. This explanation is
about correct. The crazy scheme to
be brought forward, one of these
days, contemplates the organization
of the boys into military and naval
cadets. This will involve the neces-
sity of additional salaries to the ex-
tent of say about S., 900, with addi-
tional expenditures for arms, ammu-
milton, gold lace, epaulettes, but
tons and all the other accoutre-
ments of a military and naval estab-
lishment, to the amount of some
where in the vicinity of $4,000
more. Instead of spending proper
proportion of their time in outdoor
work as formerly, the boys will be
largely occupied with empty parades
that, instead of inculcating habits OF
industry, will have precisely the re-
verse effect.
The Reformatory School has ar
honorable record, which was wei
maintained up to the time when th'
present superintendent was installed
Graduates of reformatory school
are not, as rule, of the sort to re
feet much credit on their aim
mater; but large numbers of boy
trained in this establishment are t
be found throughout the Islands en-
gagged in various useful occupations
They were trained to work, and be
sides were instructed in the rudiment
Of a solid English education fror
day to day. The principal out-doo
labor consisted in the cultivation {
the taro plant. A very fine banan
plot also occupied part of til
grounds last year. The surplus {
what was raised by the labors of I'll
boys was always sold for the benei
of the funds of the Educatic
Office. The proceeds of the tai
and banana plantations were wor1
some $2,5 800 per annum.
To conduct the institution effic
emily is no easy task. 1t requir
qualified teacher and a practic
agriculturist.
The members of the Board
Education have always exercised .
intelligent appreciation of the r
sponsibilities and qualifications of
reformatory school superintendent
Hence it was that, without exec
tion, these gentlemen opposed Il
appointment of the present incur
bent, whose highest recommendatit
was his mastery ignorance of Il
duties of the position. Had he be,
q competent person to take char