The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-01-08
the REFORM SCHOOL,

The only remedy at present is the
public Jail and the reef. 1t has
been tried. The trial is failure.
They return at the expiration of one
year, their last state being worse
than the first. They chafe because
they know that boys ordinarily are
not compelled to attend school after
16 they are ungovernable because
they are almost men, and have bad
instincts, and little reason. The
least, at all events, that ought to be
done in the matter is this, that when
thus placed in the public Jail, they
should, at the expiration of their
incarceration, be discharged from
the Jail, and not returned to this
school, if past the age of l6. will
say secondly that the influence Of
depraved boy of II years of age,
or more, upon the smaller boys, is
something terrible. Believe me,
this is only too true.
We will see by and by, how much
of this could be remedied by proper
classification, and suitable equip
ment, and moral and religious teach
ing. Within one week, a small
bright boy will be entered along with
returned Jail bird, and the results
are simply pitiful. We have exper-
fenced the ungovernableness Of the
one and 1 have watched the gradual
but certain deterioration Of the
other.
The native boy at Is is more Of
man in strength and passion than
a boy of our own race at the same
age. Nothing but iron bars and a
keeper will safely confine him, and
no amount of moral suasion, will
influence him while he feels wronged,
and long, for freedom. And thirdly
it is unjust on the face of it, to
commit boy, otherwise than is
sufficient, to serve as punishment
for his crime. The whole working
of the institution should make it very
clear, that detention in the Reforms
tory should not be punitive, but
remedial. The principal should be
authorized to shorten the term OF
detention, subject to the approval
and order of the Board, by appren-
ticing larger boys to trades, or by
giving them their discharge as a
reward for good conduct.
The Jail, and not the Reformatory
school, is the place for vicious boys,
who are men in feeling and size, if
not in age. Let us consider as our
End topic the industrial feature Of
the institution. The boys at the
present time are certainly indus
trious enough. But the question is
mooted, as to whether these boys
ought not to be engaged in other pur-
suits, as well. The school is indus
trial, in the sense that the boys do
all their own work, and are daily
employed in the cultivation Of taro
and the banana.
1t is thought that this is not sufli-
GENTLY industrial, and that work.
shops, and a teacher in mechanics
should be provided, and every pro-
vision made for the furtherance OF
the true industrial idea. We have
,, reason to believe that His EXcellency
the President of the Board Of Edu-
cation contemplates carrying some
: such purpose into effect when the
: convenient time arrives.
TO consider the question on its
merits, it is well to observe, that the
competition of the Chinese in the
manufacture of useful articles, anc
the waste that would ensue in the
o hands of such boys as these, has
!, formed the opinion in the minds Of
! some that to employ q teacher il
- this branch of education, and appro
9 pirate money for such an object
. would be waste of time and funds
= If this were so it is certainly fact
- that Honolulu is different from an.
Z other place in the world, and thes
native boys are totally unlike othe
:. aborigine boys.
The other view of the question
the consideration of the purpose o
the institution. If for the reclama
ton of the boys from idleness am
vice, then there can be no waste i
Q educating them, even at expense an
= labor, in such spheres of duty a
" will give them employment on thel
release from their present restrain,
i 1t may be said, however, that thl
feature of the industrial idea coul
be more effectively carried out b
placing the boys of promise in til
$ employ of shops in town for da
70 labor, being returned at night.
s. plan that would succeed admirably
providing that such employmel
could be found for boys of tn
il class, and providing a guarantee fc
a. - La