The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-07-30
Col. and Mrs. Parker End Their
Work at Summer School.
INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE PLANS
Talk on Dress-EVening Lecture to
the People-Were Large
Audience.

The close of Col. Parkers lecture
yesterday was marked with consider
able feeling. For three weeks the
Summer School has been in session
and the attendance has been large and
constant. Col. Parker has been a
progressive educator for forty years.
He has devoted his life to this work
and the strength of it is to help the
children. Some of his spirit has ent-
cred into the life of the teachers of
the Summer School. During the three
weeks constant association with them
and exchange of ideas, he has helped
them to see beneath and beyond the
mere technicalities of educational work
as it is most commonly conducted to-
day, and TO find there the life of the
child. He has helped them to find the
soul of the child, eager for knowledge,
responsive to influences and environ
ment Yesterday morning vote of
thanks was enthusiastically given Col.
Parker at the close of his last lecture.
He said that in all his experience he
had never spent a more happy three
weeks. He had found the teachers re-
spOnsiVe and sympathetic and their
work gave promise of great advance
ment Of education. He advised the
teacherz TO meet one another frsBHiy
and discuss their differences. The
prospects are, he said, that the Island
teachers can work out the problem
for the whole United States.
The discussion was principally on
the work for the Industrial Institute.
Col. Parker said that his doctrine is
that educators must get at the people.
There has been a long distance be
tween home and school; education has
been left to the teachers and it has
been difficult to arouse the interest of
the parents. That interest is now
with the school and the parents are
ready to cooperate with the teachers
if they become convinced that the
teachers are in earnest and are ac-
tuated by a desire to help the child.
A general discussion followed for
half an hour and some excellent ideas
were brought out. The subject of cor
poral punishment come up. Col.
Parker said that he did not disapprove
cases, yet he was frank to say that he
had never known an instance where
corporal punishment had been inflicted
that some other form of treatment
would not have been better if the
teacher had thoroughly studied the
child, his nature and characteristics,
and had treated him in accordance
with his nature.
The Islands, he said, are uniquely
situated. They are the netting place
of the Oriental and the Occidental for
a new step in civilization and Chris
tianity. The highest art of the teach
er is to help the weakest. The school
is not for the acquiring of knowledge
only, nor for learning, but for helping
children to be strong.
Col. Parker advised the teachers in
the country districts to interest the
managers of plantations in their work
If the teachers can create in them
belief that they are doing a great
work, the people, the managers. viii
be ready and willing to help to as
sist them and TO provide means and
facilities for carrying on school work.
If they create this feeling, and do help
the children, and cooperate with one
another. they will have more power
full influence than all the industries in
the Islands combined.
Mrs Parker talked on Dress. She had
| a large audience of interested women
| She was well applauded at the close
| She appealed to mothers for the sake
! Of their children and for the genera
! tiOns 10 come. She appealed to every
woman on the side Of health and
| strength and comfort, of grace of
movement and ease of body. She said
| that dress is a part of religion.
The Creator gave every human being
vital organs and nerves and muscles,
! every one of which is intended for
| some useful part. Yet. she said, to
conform to fashion women bind them
| selves in with steel and stays, their
side and lung muscles grow weak and
/ useless. and disease and fraiIty are in
vited She urged the abOIitioOn Of
high heels on shoes. They throw the
/ body forward out Of balance. weaken
the chest and depress the lungs.
The civilized races she said races