The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-11-16
AIK|NS)N'S FINAL SAY
HIS LAST LETTER TO BOARD OF
HEALTH.
Reiterates His Former Plea in Behalf
OF School Children-Book Contract
Routine Matters.

At the meeting of the commissioners
of education yesterday afternoon Sup
erintendent Atkinson read the following
final letter to DR.. G. Il. Wood president
of the Board of Health. in regard to
examination of pupils in Kaahumanu,
or Beretania street school:
Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands,
October 20, 1900.
Dr. c. B. Wood,
President Board of Health.
Sir: l have the honor to hand you
herewith a copy of a letter from Mr..
Townsend, principal of the Kaahumanu
school in reply to certain statements
contained in Dr. Howard's report on
the examination of that school under
date of October 18th.
l take this opportunity to reply brief
ly to some portions of your letter of
October 18th transmitting copy of Dr.
Howard's report referred to above.
With much of your letter, including
both statements of fact and expression
of opinion l am quite in accord and
have no criticisms to offer. There are
few matters however that appear to
me to call for comment.
1t may be true as suggested that
many boys, perhaps most Toys, are in
the habit of bathing togetl - and are
quite willing to strip or be : ripped In
each others presence But in a school
enrolment of some five hundred of both
sexes there are likely to be those who
| do not care to strip or battle in this pro-
miscuous fashion, and whose paren.s
would object most decidedly to their
| so doing. Such cases. be they many or
few, are entitled to consideration and
| respect.
Again, boy may have some mark Or
blemish unOn his person which though
in no way disgraceful, neither he nor
| his parents would be willing to have
| needlessly exposed or commented on.
| The plan proposed to be followed by
DIR. Howard entirely ignores both these
| classes of cases.
AS regards the time required for max
ing the examination that appears to me
to be quite a secondary consideration
There is no desire on the part of my
| self or any member of the Department
| to waste the physicians time or inter
pose any unreasonable obstacles to the
| discharge of his duty. But as l under
stand the matter, the only reason al
legged in favor of the somewhat whole.
sale way in which it was proposed tC
conduct the examination was that il
enabled the physician to get through
with his work with a minimum eXpen.
diture of time and trouble
l submit that the Board of Health
having ordered such an examination
and made it compulsory should pro-
vide what ever force and take what
ever time is necessary to conduct the
same in a proper manner and with the
least friction possible.
Yours faithfully
(Signed) ALATAU T. ATKINSON,
Superintendent of Public instruction
A F. Gum was present for the Anne.
rican Book Company to renew or rather
to make a new contract for the next flvt
years whereby the department of edu.
cation will go out of the book business
| School supplies would be handled by
some stationer down town, TO be select.
ed by the book company. Mr.. Gunr
agreed to pay $4,000 for the stock now
in the hands of the departmnt and t.
keep about $4,000 worth of supplies
here which would always be sold al
list prices. He estimated that the sales
would be about $35, 900 in five years. Or
recommendation of Mr. Atkinson it was
decided to refer the matter to the At
torney General for an opinion as to the
legal ability of the commission to make
such contract or any book contract
Numerous routine matters were dis
posed of, following which the meeting
closed.