The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-02-05
REFORM SCHOOL.

Reformatory School, so-called He
stated that the superintendent in
formed him that the thirty odd boys
in his control ought not to be there.
In this The Star can quite agree with
him. They ought not to be there, they
ought to be somewhere else, where
there is land enough to work and teach
them industry and industrial occupa-
tions. Moreover instead of there being
thirty boys in the institution there
should be four or five times that num-
Der. Any one who has an intimate
knowledge of the Territory knows that
magistrates have for a long time ceas-
ed to commit to the Reformatory
School because it has ceased to per-
form the functions which We're required
of it.
The Reformatory School was at one
time a useful institution. 1t had land
which could be cultivated and could
raise a large. portion of the food for it's
use. But there came a time when
government thought the Reformatory
School would make an excellent school
for an Hawaiian navy. The taro
patches and other land belonging to
the school were sold, a cashiered Brit
ish naval officer was put in charge, and
the result was the Kaimiloa episode,
which few people .now remember. 1t
was funny, undoubtedly, but it was in
tensely humiliating.
Since then there have been several
off nrfc 10 of
on a basis which it should be on. No
blame can attach to the present Sup
erintendent. He has done the best that
he could with his limited means. The
fact is that Legislature after Legisla
ture has neglected the question, and
the institution after having been Grip
pied at the Kaimiloa time, has never
been able to make any Roadway.
Under the administration of Minis
ter Cooper an attempt was made to get
money from the Legislature to estab-
lish school of this character at Malu-
malu, on the Island of Kauai. The
choice was a good one, and had the land
been obtained it would have been emf
nently suitable the only difficulty be-
ing that it was distant from the CAPT
tai, and communication would be slow.
However the chance was lest. for the
sum of money to purchase the little
estate was knocked out of the appro-
priation bill in joint committee, most
probably on a misunderstanding. Min
lister Cooper's idea was a good one, it
failed, not through his fault but
through a misadventure in the Legis-
lature.
In the educational report of 1899
Minister Mott Smith urged the estab
lishment of a Reformatory School up
on a piece of land, Waialee, at the
northern end of the Island of Oahu.
The site was one chosen by Governor,
then President, Dole, and it presents
many advantages which even the eX-
cellent selection at Malumalu, Kauai,
lacked. But nothing could be done in
1899, save record an opinion, rCthing
could be done in 1900, and it remains
for the first Hawaiian Legislature of
the twentieth century to take the ini-
tiative in this important reform.
That there is need for proper indus
trial schools to which to send the waits
and strays of this Territory is most UNI
doubted. But the responsibility for not
having such facilities is not due to the
executive branch of the government
The Presiding Justice of the First Cir
cult Court says that the Superintend-
ent of the RefOrmGtoTy School had beg
ged for further assistance in the mat
ter of manual work and that Minister
Cooper gave him $500. Now the Justice
must know that any one who stated to
him that Minister Cooper gave him
$500 for a specific purpose was talking
nonsense Minister Cooper could not
give one dollar unless authorized by the
Legislature, and unfortunately the
Legislature did not adopt Minister
Coopers plans.
But there is little use in commenting
upon remarks which are made evident
" without study Of the subject and in
utter ignorance of what has been pro-
posed, or of why the propositions have
not been carried out.
What the public and The Star wants
is what is going to be done in the flu
ture. The Reformatory School at the
present time has practically outlived
its usefulness upon its present lines.
The time has come when it should be
not only a reformatoTy school for boys,
but one for girls. And one may at
once put forward the opinion thatsthe
w0l "reformatory" should be relegat-
ed to the past and that the schools be
considered industrial schools, taking
away the stigma Of the word Reform
atory."
The scheme to establish a boys in
dustrial school at Waialee is a good
one. The place is government land, the
lease falls in this year. There is water
taro land, land suitable for vegetables
and fruits. There is fishing in the sea.
The INNER mart of the land can be used