The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-09-28


long distances in order to obtain an
education, and this becomes espe-
cially hard upon the very young.
The establishment of a school at
the hotel will not help these people
in any way.
Not only is the location of the
hotel Of no advantage for the very
people who need schools, but the
building itself is utterly unsuitable.
1t is cut up into small rooms, and
contains only one apartment suit
able for a school room, viz. the
dining room. The rest of the build
ing is practically useless for school
purposes. Some Of the advocates
of the scheme talk of the billiard
room as suitable for a school room.
This is not a country where it is at
all suitable to hold a school in
cellar. Moreover the billiard room
is unhealthy and no parent, who
cared for the physical health Of his
child, would allow it to spend four
or FIVE hours dav in such an at
mosphere. One OF the plans for
renovating the hotel was to do away
with this basement entirely on
account of its insanitary conditions.
One of the first things to be con-
sidered in school house is health,
so this cellar school room, which is
proposed, would have to be elimi-
mated from the possible rooms
available for scholastic purposes.
Then again there is the expense.
The hotel is now in want of
thorough repair from top to bottom.
To accommodate 400 children the
Board would have to spend sc, 600.
Now the hotel would not accommo-
date 400 do what you will with it,
unless you pull out all the parti-
tons, which, apart from expense,
would most likely bring the old
building tumbling about ones ears.
But even if it could accommodate
400 children and was in a suitable
location to relieve the pressure now
felt for additional school space
500 would be bagatelle in re-
pairing the place and putting it into
suitable condition for a school.
From the score of expense the hotel
is unsuitable, from plan it is insult.
able and from location it is insult
able.
What the Board wants to do is to
consult the convenience of the
parents and their children, and not
go picking up old buildings at a
bargain. Bargains are the very
dearest things you can buy. Suit
able school houses in the populous
districts of the town are needed to
accommodate from 100 to 200
children. These should be built on
plain model and should be so
designed that unlike the annex to
the High School there will be 10
complaint about injuring the pupils
eyes. Suitable school houses, with
proper school furniture, are not so
expensive aid the Board will find
no grudging i'll money for such
purposes. But the hotel matter will
meet with considerable opposition.
The parents who are now complain
ing about the lack Of school accom-
mediation are thoroughly opposed
to the Boards expending money
upon such scheme, ard consider
it direct neglect Of their particular
wants. If the Board has money to
spend, let it be spent where it is
urgently needed. But" say the
parents, 1.-The officers of the Board
are continually saying that the
necessary funds are not to be OBJ
tanned, Let them drop the hotel
scheme then and coas slider the true
wants of the city and not fancy
school buildings. We want our
children taught to read and to write
and not have to walk miles in order
to get a chance to learn"