The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-08-17

/ necessary.
There are to-day considerable number
/ OF young men about the country. well set
/ tied with large and prosperous families
/ who have regular and constant employ
/ ment at various trades, who are products
/ of the Reform School. The Board OF Edu.
, cation has permitted boys to De appren-
T ticed 20 learn trades, and the beneficial re-
( suit thus appears. Had 1t not been for the
restraining influence OF this school it is
I probable that these sober, industrious and
useful citizens would have been worthless
yagabonds-a charge upon the community
and a curse to themselves. II has been
suggested that shops might be erected on
the premises and various trades taught
there, but in view OF the very large ex-
pense attending this for the construction
OF buildings, equipping them with ma
chinery, and then running them, il does
not seem expedient al present 10 change
the present system, and with this very
brief view the committee recommend the
Assembly pass the items as follows;
Support of Reform School .-.... SO 900
Buildings and repairs To same. 5000
,. With respect to the several items.
amounting to $4,000, proposed to be in
serted in the Appropriation bill for private
schools, the committee consider ii is the
duty OF the Government to provide educa-
ton for the people SO far as possible In
fulfillment of that duty, we find an efficient
and well equipped school system extending
throughout the Islands, under the care
and supervision OF the Board of Education,
and conducted at the public expense, fur
niShing means of education in the Hawaii
an and English languages from the ele-
mentary branches to the higher depart
ments, the upper grades of schools in the
cities and towns and Lahainaluna offering
exceptional advantages. only surpassed,
perhaps, by Oahu College Such being the
case, it would be contrary to sound policy
to encourage and assist private schools,
which present nearly the same course of
training offered by the Government
schools. That these schools iniure the
public system, is shown in Honolulu
Wailuku, HilO and elsewhere, where such
institutions as ST. Louis College st.
Adams and Mr.. Atkinson's school and
others, the schools conducted by the Cath
Ollie Brothers in Wailuku and Hilo, draw
of the pupils from the regular public
schools, making the proportionate expense
OF education considerably greater without
amy specially increased advantages No
doubt the instructions in the several edu-
catiOnal institutions referred TO are Of high
class, but the means and methods of in
struction are no better, perhaps not so
good, as those furnished by the regular
school system
In view of the foregoing brief remarks,
the committee cannot recommend the in
sertiOn Of any direct appropriation in aid
of any private school which offers the
same or similar advantages to those fur
nished by the Government schools. If aid
is furnished to any such schools it GER
taInly should be confined to assistance on
the capitatiOn plan.
These remarks also apply to the Hilo
Boys Boarding School, although it has
been suggested that this school stands
upon wholly different basis from that
presented by the other schools, either pub
lie or private. This school has this year
completed fifty years of faithful service.
1t has the important feature of combining
manual labor training with its course of
mental development. IN years past, and
even to the present day, the Government
has drawn from its graduates some OF their
most efficient teachers, but no sufficient
reason appears why it should receive any
special grant contrary to the principle
therein laid down. The whole system of
making direct appropriations and grants
to individuals when the public is not
directly benefited in some way not obtain
able from public sources is bad, and should
commend But the female boarding
schools present wholly different case
Here we find system of education and
training which the Government does not
attempt or pretend to supply. 1t is of the
greatest Importance to the future of the
nation that its mothers should be well and
carefully nurtured in domestic duties and
obligations. The work done by such
schools as St. Andrews PriOry, the Sisters
Of the Sacred Heart KawaiahaO and Maka-
wac female seminaries is of incalculable
benefit to the country. 1t would indeed
be national calamity to have them dis
continued and the system dropped. The
chairman of the committee has visited
these schools in Honolulu, and can only
speak in admiration and approval of what
he saw. But even with these schools the
Legislative Assembly should pause before
making appropriations for mere running
expenses. especially in view of the neces-
sity existing for economy at present. At
the present time nothing further should be
done than granting assistance for perma-
nent improvements, ana this grant of as
sistance from the public purse should in
all cases be accomplished by the right of
visitation.
The committee therefore recommend in
place of the list of appropriations named in
the second list above the following:
Aid to existing female boarding school
for permanent improvements to carry with
it the right of visitation, S15 900.
Respectfully submitted,
w. r. CASTLE,
:. w. KAAI.
Mr.. Brown moved the report be adopted.
His Excellency Mr.. Gibson said he did
not sign the report, not on account of any
serious objection TO its statements, for
leaving out some small structures, and
taking it altogether, he approved of the re-
port. He would differ little from the
other gentlemen of the committee on the