New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-27
MR. JOHNSON WAS MISTAKEN.
FACTS AND FIGURES GIVEN BY GENERAL JOHN
EATON SHOW GOOD DEGREE OF

EATON SHOW COOP DEGREE OF
EDUCATION IN TIE ISLANDS.
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBJyE.l
Washington. Feb &-In his speech in the House
of Representatives on Wednesday in opposition to
the a"nction CT Hawaii M Johnson OF indiana ma.
urged as (ne of his reasons the ignorance oil ID"
Hawaiian population How long had II Deeh' ne
asked. since had passed bill TO Keep out the
ignorance Of the old World. and we now propose
TO annex territory in which ignorance Is the RUE
and rot the exception. Mr.. Johnson seems 10 nave
been misinformod In regard 10 the conditoh OF Tue
population Of Hawaii as respects hler"ON ""'
ullteracy. or If the latest official reports pun
,ishoi oy the Hawaiian Government are smsuar'@
Inaccurate and grossly misleading. 4 brief alb
sract of the latest official report on the schooa Il
Hawaii was published in these dispatches some
dine ego. Since then General John Eaton lot
merly United States Commissioner OF Ed"ca'oh'
has prepared article on Education IN Ha"d"
In 1896" from which a Tribune correspondent mas
been permitted to Gull some facts and make some
extracts The official reports on education are b.
enn,al aud hence that for 1896 is the latest one
The school population Of Hawaii includes all
children between the ages of six and fifteen years.
both Inclusive and the total number In 1896 vas
1925 The total number Of pupils IN the "oVern-
ment schools dn all OF which the English language
onIy is employed $685. and the total NUMBER
In independent or private schools was @4e' Inc
total number OF teachers employed in all the Gov
eminent schools was 426 and there were sixt%-two
independent or private schools in which lO' 'cac"-
ers wcro employed. The average GaiIy Attendance
Of pupils varied the different Islands the lowest
being Ss4 per cent and the highest ~' per cent
on these figures General Eaton quotes as follows
from the official report:
The average for the whole group is % per cen.
Honolulu has an average ATTENDANCE vi oop -
an average of ,6 per cent; Columbus; ONO y, per
cent; San Francisco, O. per cent 100; Loo Angson,i,
cally the ours, has . per cent, the Re, hc
parison is made with the states inS'oau ,n st1ll
shows more favorably The State OF New orh
OHIO Of p per cent ana California Of 70 per cent
TO enforce this attendance the Board empioEs
6f,v irnant officers and it Is very evident that the
money spent in this direction has been well eX-
pended.
General Eaton continues:
The course of study resembles very much the
courses in the several States of our Union sewing
IS taught TO the girls according 70 a care.u! &c
been equipped for the manual training OF boys. a
young lady. native OF the Islands eluc cate ia, s'
More than hair Of the pupils are instructed IN
music Under the inspiration Of MrS y ssoca
ton Of San Francisco; free kndeTgartea system ooh
opened in Honolulu IN March. ls ga. ' Sos
been organized II Is believed the system has a
good -, 6 It ,s xa o sufn NAV Ra%e h as
The State should grasp the idea that foImauGh -
favorahiy reported \ regular normal class has
been attached to the High School OF It's members
are British one Hawaiian and one Spanish Inc
report alludes with favor to the quareIy me- o,o
mss OF the teachers held at various centres; also
that es body the teachers Of the H LAVE ibn
future of the state under their control. and they
are, rule, faithfully and conscienuousiY DONG
Teachers' examinations are carefully conducted
with a minimum mark Of s. per cent; second-class
certificates are Tor TWO yeaIs WIN :, fnr
one year. with a minimum mark Of 65 per cent
General Eaton cites several provisions of the ex-
listing school law, as follows:
The law provides th9, nryae or nd{ f0T
establishment must conform 10 sanitary ana
GGEEgnG n'pecon and heir teachers must
have a Government ceriihcate as 10 thtr eou
moral character and to their qualifications 10
The attendance Of all children between six and
public or privete school is obligatory; except
first when there is no school within four miles
child is physically or mentally unable TO attend
third. when the child Is properly INSTRUCTED at
passed required examinations.
The English language shall be the medium and
schools save where other languages are specially
for teachers conyehons and institute TEXT
books furnished by law at cost prices. The
rs.y g i repssasG The fese school i sw Is IN.
tended 70 put the utmost vigor into the adnnistra-
ton and instruction OF all grades Of schools
Mr.. Johnson and other opponents OF annexation
might perhaps say that. while the facts and fig
ures above cited are somewhat encouraging evil
dences Of a disposition TO educate the rising gen
Grafton. the deplorabe fact yet remains that the
masses Of the population cropping in ignorance.
A sufficient and conclusive reply TO such assor
tons Is found in the following excerpt from Cen
eral Eatons valuable and Instructive article
The census endeavorod to obtain an insight not
only into the number who can actually read ana
wauan and any other language. In some cases a
person do all three The result. is forth In
the following. statement. from which may be
Judged the relative illiteracy Of the races:
Per able
Number read