The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-09-15
EQUAL RIGHTS TO ALL, ne sATs
COMMUNITY DEMANDS EpUcA-
TON FOR ALL RACES
AND coLoRs.
Failure OF Interest On Part OF Hs-
waiisns Probably Due To Lack
Of EneOUrsgsment-opIniOn Of
Miss Johnson.

This paper has for about a week
published interviews every morning
with prominent citizens in regard to
the closing Of the night schools II
viii be remembered that the Commits
sloners OF Education sanctioned the
closing OF the schools upon the rec
ommendation Of Superintendent At
kinson. There was no discussion OF
the matter at the time. the recon-
mendation going through without con
sideratlon. farther than the prelimin-
airy statement Of the superintendent
The superintendent reason for clos
ing the night schools were that they
were being monopolized by the Asia
tics. the Hawaiians attending in very
small numbers. A question OF funds
vas raised later, but this came from
an under officer of the Department Of
Education and was never mentioned
until the action OF the Commission
ers Of Education in regard to the
night schools had been questioned.
AS has already been shown the
total cost OF maintaining the night
schools has been less than $4,000 a
year. The cost OF teachers-includ-
ing extras. when needed-has been
S525 a month. Electric lights cost
$50 a month, and there has been an
additional expense for crayons and
light material. totaling a few dollars
only per month. With the five night
schools running nine months in the
year only II will therefore appear
plain that the total cost OF them
would fall below $4,000.
Six thousand dollars is the amount
10 be expended. The total fund.
straight. for schools, appropriated by
the last Legislature. is 100000 Chi
nese and Japanese pay nearly $50 900
OF the school taxes against s23, 900 by
all others. including whites, natives,
and people from other countries sub
Jet 20 taxation. Proportionately
the Chinese and japanese get very
little out OF the day schools The
young men OF the two nationalities,
working as clerks and bookkeepers
In the stores, who expect to remain
here and were endeavoring to equip
themselves for more valuable denizen-
ship through the night schools, pay
their taxes and get nothing for II I'M
der the new order Of things.
The proposition has been set forth
by sponsors Of the new idea that the
night schools were assisting planta-
ton laborers In getting an education.
and that when educated" they would
no longer be fitted for plantation
work. The school rolls do not show
anything OF the klnd-that Is. they do
not show that plantation laborers
have 9atronized the schools at all
The AsiRtic pupils OF the night
schools have been young men OF the
city VINO expect to remain here and
make their homes In the islands.
\ Mr.. Goo Kim. the veteran Chinese
Vice Consul. said in The Republican
4 few days ago that very thing. Jap
anese Consul Mkt Saito said practi-
cally the same thing with respect 70
Japanese patrons Of the night schools,
and both statements have been sup
ported by the experiences OF the Y.
N. c. A. and the japanese Lyceum, on
Nuuanu street. where an exfraordin-
AIRY number OF applications for ad-
mission have been fled within the
past few days The former Is 3
pay" institution. the Asiatics first
paying the taxes and then paying for
the little education they can scrape
up IN the classes at night.
During the week ]. B. Anterior. ".
A. Bowen. +. ". Damon. B. r. Dill
bingham. J. Lightfoot. Chinese Consul
Yang Wei Pin. Chinese Vice Consul
Goo kim. japanese Consul Mkt Saito.
Rev. Alex. Macintosh. French Con-
sui VizxavonR. ]. o. Carter and others
have expressed strong opinions that
the closing OF the night schools was
unfair 70 the Asiatics and also unfair
to the community. inasmuch as fhsf
BY detracting from their educational
advantages the community must. IN
the long run, suffer.
4 DO not approve Of the closing Of
the night schools" said Robert ".
Wilcox. Representative OF the Terri.
tory in Congress. yesterday afternoon.
n believe In free education and I be-
lieve that every person IN a commu-
nity should be given an equal show in
obtaining an education Because 9
man happens 20 he Chinaman or q
JepRneee or 3 negro or q Hindoo
should cut no figure II he expects %
remain i resident OF the community.
agree thoroughly with J. Q. Carter
that an educated ChlnamHn Is better
than an unedacated one An educat-
Cd mar Of any nationality is Of more
value. As q general proposition. thar
an nnedueated one.
The Chinese and japanese pay .
large portion Of the school taxes.
Their only way Of getting q consider
abs pan Of L hack Is through the
nlshf schools They are therefore en-.
zifsed 10 the schools as q business
right As 70 the moral right there can
be no question. Everybody shoald and
must Be afforded educational oppor-
tunitseE The AsiatlcE and nafiEes and
whites beyone the eeho9l age. who
hnve % work during the day. cannot
avail themselves nf day school prlyl-
leees. Z IS then Incumbent upon the
Board 81 Education to nrorfae nsahf