New-York tribune., 1897-12-23
MORE FACTS ABOUT HAWAII.
A FAVORITE ANTI-ANNEXATION ARGU-
MENT DEMOLISHED.

THE POPULATION NOT SEMI -BARBARous. HALF
NAKED AND WHOLLY 1GNoRANr"-A COM
PUISoRY EDUCATION LAW LONG IN FORCE.
[Bf TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.l
Washington Dec. 22.--In conversation with
Tribune correspondent recently a Democratic
Congressman who Is a bitter opponent of Ha-
waiian annexation. and whose name is with
held in order not to disclose the identity of
statesman whose affluence Of mislnformation is
so great asked: What DO we want Of Hawaii.
anyhow. with its semi i-barbarous. half-naked
and wholly ignorant popuation?" He seemed
TO think that question was poser. and Will
doubtless continue to think So even after the
annexation debate. with all the revelations 1t
is to make. shall have run It's course.
And yet he could find material which would
teach him better by visiting the Bureau OF
Education In the Department Of the Interior.
He would there learn that. so far as school
education Is concerned. Hawaii is abreast the
foremost State In the American Union. and far
in advance OF most OF them; that education In
the Sandwich Islands to-day is universal. COM
pusory and free.
ALL CHILDREN SENT TO SCHOOL.
In the words OF a recent offlclal statement
by the secretary OF the Hawaiian National
Board Of Education which Commissioner Har-
ris to-day showed to Tribune correspondent;
The law makes 1t obligatory upon all children
between the ages OF six and fifteen years to at
tend school regularly unless excused for sick
ness or some other equally valid cause, and
makes distinction to race color or class.
1t Is entirely optional with parents and guar
dams whether children be sent to public or in
dependent schools. but to school they must go.
and that with at least reasonable degree or
regularity. The theory being that the Govern
ment Is responsible for seeing that all children
within Its Jurisdiction receive a certain amount
OF education. It follows logically that the Gov
ernment should see to It that ajl schools in the
country are in proper hands. and capable OK
imparting the instruction required.
The Government does not undertake to exer-
else direct control over private or independent
without complying with certain statutory re-
Quirements and obtaining a formal authoriza-
tion from the Department Of Public Instruction.
A person wishing 10 open a school must make
application in writing. furnishing satisfactory
evidence as TO moral character and scholarship.
and have the same accompanied by petition
FOR such school In the locality named. signed
by a reasonable number OF those whose children
are expected to attend. The compulsory attend
ance Is enforced by means OF truant officers or
school police OF whom there are more in
each district. or between forty and fifty In all
These officers are mostly native Hawaiians with
an occasional Portuguese. or Chinese In localities
where children OF those nat!onaities are most
numerous These officers visit the schools regu
larry. get the name. OF absentees and look them
up and see that children not in the Government
schools are attending elsewhere. The compul-
sory system Is found 10 work well in practice
and is enforced with very little friction. The
people have been accustomed 10 II for more than
generation past. and accept 1t as a matter Of
course"
RESULTS OF THE SYSTEM.
For more than a generation tho people 81
the Sandwich Islands have been accustomed
TO this system. What are It's fruits? The an
swer Is found In an unpublished manuscript re-
Gently prepared by one Of Commissioner Harrs's
predecessors which was also shown to the cor
respondent. and which Is wholly based on Official
data. The facts are there and cannot be gain
said Among them are the following:
The total population OF the Hawaiian Islands
IN 1896 was 10000 and the total school pop
misunderstanding all the children from six 10
fifteen yeaus OF age-was 1926. OF which
1889 were Hawaiians part Hawaiians or Ha-
waiiaH- born children OF foreign parcntage. The
attendance IN government SCHOOLS was Vttb,
and In dependent or private schools 346I MAX
Ing a total OF l2.5JI. or more than 81 per cent.
1t might not be uninstructive or impcrtinent 10
compare this percentage with that Of Cal!tor-
MA which Is 90. or that Of New-York. which
IS Ca or that OF Ohio which is stll smaller.
In all the Hawaiian schools. both public and
private. II is required that the English language
shall be taught, except where other languages
are specially permitted by the Department 81
Education; and persons not the possessors of
Government certificates. which can be obtained
oFtl ma rfU inn N
are not permitted to teach. Teachers associa-
tions are regularly held and normal instruction
is given. In 1896 there were 42i teachers In
all the schools Of these sixty-elght wert Ha-
waan. slxty-three part Hawaiian. III Amcr!-
cans. sxty-six British fourteen Chinese. thir-
teen Portuguese. and the remainder OF other
nationalities.
In 1896 the nationality OF school attendance
was follows: