The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-08-05
BEWARE.


the slopes of Tantalus by some Portu-
guese boys, draws attention to the petty
thieving which is carried on by large
number of this class Of children. Every
one about the city has seen small par
ties of these children returning home
with the results of their petty depra-
dations. They fitch wood from about
the lumber yards and wherever build
ing operations, are being carried on. The
refuse of the streets is also picked over,
but the art of scavenging T. decidedly
subordinated to the art of filching.
Then for variety the house yards are
raided, and fruit and plants are freely
taken, or as in the case which has call
ed forth these reflections. they make
a holder raid destroy the fru is of the
industry of some poor man who is try
ing to piece out the labor of his thews
and sinews, by a small agricultural in
vestment.
Viewed in a casual way what these
children do does not amount, probably,
to any great crime. To our easy going
much that few sticks of wood should
be lifted from around lumber yards or
buildings, that mangoes and peaches
should be raided. or that bee-hives
should be destroyed. But if one con-
siders the effect upon the child mind
of such a set of petty depredations,
which, it must be remembered, the
parents not only aCquiesce in, but often
urge, it is plain that a mischievous
class is growing up amongst us.
The disregard of the rights of 'meum
and tuum," of what is mine and what
is thine. is the root of much evil in the
world. and the regard for such rights
should be inculCated at the very earliest
age. But if parents send out their
children upon petty depredating eXpe-
ditions, they are themselves pointing
the way to a future course of crime
Petty thieving leads to greater THEY
ing, and greater thieving leads to still
greater crime.
How to meet the rising problem Of
hoodlumism. which is growing up in
our midst and of which the above is
only one phase, is a hard thing to
fathom. That hoodlumism, or larri-
kanism as it is called down in the
Southern Hemisphere, is growing
amongst us in this city is evident from
the annals of the police court, and is
patent to the eyes of any one who goes
through the purlieus of the city with
his eyes open. By whatever name 1t
may be called. it is the spirit of de-
fiance of law and a desire to do what
seems good in very badly trained eyes.
The spirit is nursed in the child, just
as it is being nursed among our little
ragamuflins here. 1t grows till it pro-
duces rufians like Bill Sykes or that
very admirably drawn blackguard of
KiplinPs who was the husband of Ba-
dalia Herodsfoot, probably as true
and accurate a picture as Kipling ever
Iimned.
Now we don't want our lovely Islands
peopled in such way that as Heber's
hymn says,
Every prospect pleases
And only man is vile"
We want our population to be equal to
our natural beauties, but unless we
look after our growing lower element
we shall have trouble, or our descend
ehts win have trouble. A hoodlum
element, like any noXious weed may
take sometime to grow and spread, but
the time comes when it becomes a very
serious menace, because it is the cradle
for the criminal class.
No single effort will bring about what
all who take an interest in the advance
ment of our community desire, There
are two main lines, and countless
others. The one is governmental effort,
the other organized private effort. The
if money is available-and
certainly money for this purpose should
be available as soon as for any pur-
pose,-has voted a much less sum than
was asked for and has divided it ar
grants have been made. But it is
20 have money for begin
ming, and the beginning should be made
as soon as possible.
1t is understood that formal appllca-
ton for the government land of Waia-
lee, a tract containing 773 acres will
shortly Le made Upon this land an
Industrial School for boys is to be es-
tablished. If a school of this character
is once proporly started, the district
will commit boys to it
who have hoodlum proclivities and
come within the law. It should give us