The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-09-17
Superintendent Needham of the
Reform School Explains.
WHY A REFORM BOY WAS WHIPPED
Naughty Little Boys are Trounced With Straps
and Buckles-No Blame Attached The
Board SYengalied-T Teachers Salaries Will
be Increased Inspectors Report.

! The Board of Education met in regu-
/ lar weekly session yesterday afternoon
with the following present: President
H. E. Cooper, Mrs. B. F. Dillingham;,
Mrs. E. w. Jordan, H. S. Townsend, j.
F. Scott, Professor Alexander and w.
A. Bowen.
| Inspector General Townsend report
| ed that he had received complaints
from the Reform School relating to the
mistreatment of a Portuguese boy, All
| Foo, now at that institution. The boy
had been brought up by a Chinaman
and had been put into the Reform
| School for truancy. Kaiole, one of the
| native guards, had beaten the boy with
a strap, and suppurated sore was the
result. Mr.. Townsend recommended
that Kaiole be dismissed at once
Principal Needham, who had been
invited before the Board, was ask
ed to make a statement regarding the
matter
Il am only too glad said Mr.. Need
ham, ito have chance to address the
| Board. 1 must say in beginning my re-
marks that All Foo is a tough charac-
ter. Several times has he been known
to show defiance to the regulations of
the institution. The other day All Foo
and two other boys were caught throw
ing balls against the wall Now this is
against the reouIatiOnS on account of
the great number of window panes
that have been broken. The boys show
ed defiance to Kaiole when told to de-
sist and each received one blow apiece.
Il want to say right here that there
is no other way to control those boys
at the institution. They will set them
selves together and defy authority.
They must be punished on the spot and
no other way will do. | have put them
on bread and water and have had them
in irons and Shackels until they have
begged to get out, but none of these
modes of punishment have done any
good. 1t is very seldom we have to
strike boy. Kaiole has orders to make
the boys mind.
You must remember that the rOughS
of all the Islands are at the Reform
School, and the same methods that are
used to control boys in an ordinary
school cannot be brought into play.
They would have no effect at ALL
Mr.. Needham then told of the trou-
bic Mr.. Brightwell, the new teacher,
had had with the boys. The latter had
been out for drill and when this was
over Mr.. Brightwell told some of the
boys to take the drum in, but did not
remain to see that his instructions
were carried out, as should be done in
every case.
There was soon a great noise on the
outside, and upon Mr. Brightwell going
out upon the Veranda of the school
room he saw the boys wrangling over
the drum and kicking it about over the
grounds Kaiofe was called on to stop
the noise, but would not, saying that
he was afraid to use the strap, he hav-
ing understood from Mr.. Townsend
that that mode of punishment would
not be allowed. Mahakoa, another
guard, was also standing in the gate
way, but he likewise refused to obey
Another instance was given. 1t was
during reading class, and one of the |
well used the strap and the boy began |
When he got as far as the teacher |
wanted him to go, and when the boy |
was told to stop, he would not. He was
given the strap again. At this stage of |
the game one of the larger boys, who !
had been there but a few days, jumped |
up and clinched with Mr.. BrightweII.
was general scramble and the room
tod 1I;-
the fence and began to throw states
and other articles at Mr.. Brightwell.
l telephOned to the Marshal for an of
ficer, and now it remains to be seen
what the Marshal will do about the
matter.
There are many things that crop up
at the Reform School that no one ex-
cept person who has lived right there
can know anything about l would be
fighting if 1 were to haul
Up every boy for every offense commit
ted.
"As to the question of furnishing All
Foo, l think the action of Kaiole was
perfectly right. Yes, there was a bis
er, but there was no mangling. No one
has been hurt out there, and the hurt
n this case was only skin-deep. The
Nlnu OF punishment that kalOle ad-
nInistered was necessary"
]. F. Scott have nothing against
he necessity of corporal punishment
tut do object to cruelty such as Kai-
lie was guilty of
Mr.. Needham-I don't think so; l
hink it was necessary.
Mr.. Scott went on to say that when
lr. Alternately was taking the place of
1r. Needham during the latter's alb {
ence he made a complaint against
SaiOle, saying that he was brutal old '
hap. Mr.. Scott furthermore stated :