The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-07-27
TEACHERS COTTAGES.


solon suggested that if cottages were
supplied now, in course of time the
teachers would ask to have their
grocery bills paid, while another legis-
lative gentleman said, according to the
published report, that he had been
round the Island of Kauai and there
was ample accommodation there for
any one that needed it. The Star has
taken the pains to make enquiries on
the subject both at the education office
and direct to Kauai, The results do
not bear out the assertion of the legis-
lator
When a man is touring an island he
is sure of hospitality, if he travels in a
good rig and has business interests.
He is welcomed at each plantation
house, and accommodation is thrust
upon him. Especially is this the case
if the wayfarer is proposing to enter
into the sugar industry, or is engaged
in some important mechanical indus
try. Such a man has no trouble. But
it is a very different matter if per-
son desires to become a permanent re-
sident in a district. No person can be-
come a permanent guest in a house,
however welcome he or she may be for
a transient visit. People who are do
ing well, have no desire to turn their
houses or their cottages into boarding
houses, they want their own quiet
homes, just themselves, their families
and an occasional friend
The latter is one of the keynotes of
the town dweller. The aim of every
country dweller is to have a spare
room. Having that spare room a
friend passinr through may stay the
night. The stranger can be taken in.
The spare room is as indispensable to
the minor official on the plantation
with his small cottage, as his many
spare rooms are. to the manager in his
grand house. This spontaneous hos
pitality to almost every one that
comes along belongs peculiarly to all
country districts where there are no
hotels. With us, with the Western
farmers, with the Australians of the
Bush, and with all people situated in
such a manner hospitality is a neces-
sity. In old German times it was a
legal obligation. In our particular
form of country society take away the
spare room, and you rob life of half it's
pleasure. Now a permanent boarder
takes away the spare room. A man
therefore passing round an Island and
stopping day here and two days there
is no judge of what the real accommo-
dations are for the permanent resident
Were the cottages filled with perma-
nent residents and no spare room, he
might have to sleep in the road
1t must be understood that each
plantation builds cottages for it's en-
plOyes from the highest to the lowest.
1t builds upon economic principles, and
has no more and no less accommoda-
ton than it can get along with. That
is a pure business proposition. Even
if there happen to be extra rooms un-
occupied no permanent occupancy can
be given, because the rooms may be
needed at any time for extra hands on
the plantation.
On Kauai, the Island spoken of by
the legislator, there is one district
which has for years been dependent
entirely upon the people of the district
for teachers, whether they were suit
able or not whether they were idle or
frivolous whether they We're ill pre-
pared or not prepared at all, simply be-
1,
to board. The teachers had to be
chosen nay begged from the families
resident in the section. This is not
calculated to keep up the standard of
the teaching force. For an employee
who knows that it is out of the power
of the EMPLOYER to replace him or her,
is very apt to act very independently.
In this particular place the school agent
and the manager made a round of all
the lunas' houses in the vicinity, so
states the former, and they could not
find one who would consent to take in
a school teacher to board.
At another place on the same Island
the applications for a vacant position
are couched not with qualifications so
much as the statement that the par
ties live in the place, and can supply
their own home, accommodation is
impossible to be found" says one letter
which was shown to the writer And
yet Kauai, so The Star is informed, is
better off for cottages put up for
teachers, than some of the other ISL
ands. In the out districts of this ISL
and of Oahu there are places where
no proper accommodation can be OBJ
tanned for teachers, and some ladies
have been put to, serious straits. In
deed in one place it is said that the
Department of Education lost good
teacher after good teacher purely on
the ground of lack of proper accommo-
dalton.
The need of teachers cottages is no
fancy one. When teachers cottages are
put up, they are by no means luxurious
residences, but they are Independent