The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-05-24
ECONOMIC VALUE
OF THE SCHOOLS

NHI.'.' NNNNf' NN"f|. N|N "NL 'H"'NfH
.th, Advertiser one on Friday laft nni
.thr other on Monday there were some
comments and queries as 30 the ndyisa.
.hl.iy of making preparation Tor tho C1u.
.yHtl1n " Porto Rici d children now com.
Ing here, and h. Inference 10 provide
I0f 600 unidr.y uf those parents who
work ua common nborofH in the cane
.neIdF
Th,s, queries aud differences seemed TO
put the question upon mere economic
grounds Z do not regard those grounds
from IN, highest standpoint IN regard TO
the education Of youth. however I shall
connnc my remarks 90 the mere qucs-
ton OF the education OF man as an eco
nomic animal or. perhaps better. as an
economic machine Taking this lower
view Of the matter ! think 1t can be
shown from different nations and peoples
that those nations who have earliest
made provision for the education OF all
youth are decidedly superior In the pro-
duction Of wealth and economic well-be-
ing TO those who have not made such
provisions.
Prussia was the first State in Europe
that made ample provision for the edu-
cation of all her youth irrespective Of
condition. She was soon thereafter the
chief State of Germany in economic
being, in the exploitation of her re-
sources, In science and in all lines of hui
man effort. Compare the economic con-
| ditiOn OF Germany, Switzerland Hol-
land, the Netherlands, Norway and
Sweden England and France, who made
provision for the education of all youth,
with Spain, Portugal, Italy and Russia,
! in the production of mere wealth and
with all those things which wealth pro-
duces-a mere comparison is sufficient.
| oil
not merely academic but are well-known
historical phenomena.
Coming to the United States Massa
chusetts and her influence. with her ex-
cellant public school system. may be
contrasted with Virginia-two States that
began their career at nearly the same
time under similar political conditions.
Virginia had every natural resource;
Massachusetts bad climate and u mig
gard soil.
1t may be asserted with little difference
OF opinion that the early provision for
the education of all her children has
made Massachusetts,, under adverse nat
ural conditions, the leading wealth-pro-
ducing State Of America. AS she pro-
duced wealth, larger provisions were
made for the careful training OF her
youth in the highest scholarship and in
the most excellent technical training.
In all those States in which her in
fluence has been felt merely in the pro-
duction of wealth, they have gone far
ahead of those States in which the Vir-
ginian influence has been predominant
think there can be little doubt that
this different result has been largely If
not wholly the result of her admirable
educational system. I have neither the
time to elaborate nor would your read
ers have the inclination to read all that
might be said in regard to educational
efficiency on man as mere productive
machine.
To come home. Our population is
composed for the most part of those peo-
pie brought here for the purpose of Ia
boring on plantations. Their children,
born here, will become American ciuzens
endowed with all the rights. immunities
and privileges of American citizenship,
among which will be the right to vote,
to hold office and even to become men,
bers of the Legislature.
Can you, Mr.. Editor, even contemplate
the condition OF this Territory to rear
up majority of its citizens not able to
read or write the language of the Terri
tory?
l do not believe for one moment that
you who propounded these queries,
would answer any one of them, as some
of your readers might infer from the
tenor or spirit OF the article. Indeed,
when / first read the articles. l thought
the whole thing a joke, or that you were
putting up tar baby or man of straw,
that some of the unwary like myself
might knock it down and find it empty.
II you propose seriously or II any one
propose the thesis that these children
should have no provision for education,
think it, I should almost say mon
strous. Thinking foreigners have re-
garded and do regard the excellent pub |
lie school system of America her great |
est glory. They go further than this in
thinking that her industrial. commercial !
and agricultural. supremacy due in .
large measure to the energy and intel |
ligence developed in all her youth by the !
excellent opportunities provided for edu-
cation and training throughout her do
mains.
Even In the late war with Spain II was |
found owing to the want of provision
made for the education of the Spanish
soldier and sailor, that her men of-war ,
could not be successfully manned, be-
cause of the want of training of her en-
gineers and the want of intelligence in
her seamen, that nothing but education
can develope.
We have a babel OF tongues in Hawaii.
languages except elementary public
schools. 1t is a transitional state here
and the excellent provisions hitherto
made by the public-spirited and far
sighted men and women. who have con-
trolled affairs in the Islands have done
much to unity and consolidate n hor-
geneous people out of this heterogeneous
mass OF plantation laborers.
With all the money that has been
spent and all the effort made by an in
telligent and earnest body OF teachers,
nothing has yet been accomplished but
to give the youth the merest rudiments
of u primary education. The ability TO
read and write the English language,
with small amount OF arithmetic, with
some little knowledge OF nature. with
which the pupil comes into daily con-
tact.
This much, and this much only, Is all
that can be done for some time TO come
! believe that a man can hoe more cane /