The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-07-29
Mrs. D. P. BirnisS Valuable
Paper on the Subject.
WAS READ TO W0MAN'S BOARD
Plan for Their Work-Should Be
Received In Home-Taught
Industrial Acts.
published by request of the Woman s
Board)

program committee asked me TO SPEAK
TO you again before my departure from
the Islands, they left me entirely free
10 choose a topic. After much Thought
have determined to ask you to CON
slider the needs OF destitute white caiid-
rem in Honolulu, especially white girls.
Are there Hawaiian boys or girls to be
guided. guarded or taught? Several
doors open readily to such. Are there
Portuguese children? We know how
successful the able corps of workers in
the Protestant Portuguese work has
been. Should Chinese girls need a
friend, in many instances they have
found comfort and protection through
the intelligent work which Mr.. Damon
superintends. The same is true OF the
Gulicks in their Japanese work. But
when white children are deprived OF
their parents and support our present
machinery Is entirely inadequate TO
the occasion. That there is an ever in
craasing need here of some place TO
which waits may be sent Is evident 10
each OF you. Heretofore this class has
been so small that 1t could be easily
attended to by private effort. Now the
cry continually comes What can We
do with these childrel," Within q
rear a family of children who were
left motheress and who had no father,
were sent after great effort and ex-
pense to the Salvation home IN Cali
fOrna. Many of you know of the diiii-
Guilty in having them landed and that
II was only after a san Francisco news
paper had given its bond to protect the
children from becoming paupers. that
they were allowed ashore. That plan
can hardly be tried again under pre-
sent conditions, neither can we expect
even with annexation, that another
state would support Hawaii's poor.
They are here-I believe that the For
asmuch as ye did 1t to one of the least
of these" was spoken of these fair
skinned babies. The cry of these child
rem is in our ears and we are already
respons ble--let us haste to fulfill the
Masters plap. The question is one OF
method not choice. How shall the
work be done?
More than once during my work in
the East have lifted up my voice and
useu my pan III opposioh 10 the t'lah
of gathering large groups of children
In institutions. The character so de-
velOped seems always to bear, more or
less conspicuously. the brand OF its
type, ana that Is kihd we all know
10,
10 De iar IRON ideal. What every
chlld needs Is nome ana mother.
we feel that the incubator type OF
home and the universal mother OF
hundred children In none or Whom she
has the natural Interest, Is very TAR
from the goal which we would reach
with our modern, intelligent, clear
sightedness. ! have long been an ar
dent advocate of the plan followed by
several associations in Massachusetts
and New York. Homes are found in the
country where the health conditions
are good and the moral conditions ad-
mirable and where some lowly loving
heart is ready TO mother two or three
little children who can grow up in this
genial atmosphere like the brothers
and sisters of one family The condi-
tions we should perhaps call homely;
but they are wholesome and God-fear-
ing and loving. After three years
thought, study of local conditions and
innumerable questions. | have regret
fully come to the conclusion that this
plan could never succeed here. Ha-
walls social conditions have no para
llel TO the country homes of the East
ern states. We have no rural life ey-
cept in settlements where degraded
Orientals are a potent influence even
with the white people. | feel sure you
will ouestion this statement. hut II YOU
will study orr rural life and compare
II with thar ~ New ENGLAND and thf
Middle states Won will acknowledge
tbat while tho aImond-eypd may moi
have imnrassed ,heir low ,houphts anr
nrao,ioas q, tho white chiIdren tho,
- ~ ya,,,o,.,ad ,ba social cnnTit,on,
haan ma cousa ~ ench dominotin,
,,an,,r sucb os toor.your-I,st
I"',tsa ,,o,, oi,, ,l,a, tbo ,vhitn cn,ldra,
sl,, 80, ,'i,h ,ho o,,,raI,, foIsa iJa,'
- Wy snoIai ciassos owc oach o,her