The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-10-08
AGAIN The NIGHT SCHOOLS

OF the SCHOOL board, On the Closing
OF the night schools. Mrs Hall says
that the night schools we're closed
because Of & shortage Of funds and
not because they we're being attended
principally By Asiztics- In making
this statement Mrs Hall gives DIFF
ferent reason for the closing OF the
schools than that given to this paper
By Superintendent Atkinso7 Super
intendeut Atkinson did not talk at
random when he said the night
schools had been closed because they
we're being monopoIized by the Asiat-
les and that the Hawaiians were not
attending them He was asked 70 put
HIS statement in writing AMI did so.
The Republican now having his writ
ten statement in its possession
Whether or not the alleged shortage Of
funds was given to members OF the
board. Ike Mrs. Hall. as the reason
for closing the schools. and another
reason given to The Republican. We OF
course cannot say.
Mrs. Hall evidently has taken the
statements Of others as to the value
OF the night schools and as TO the at
tendance instead OF investigating for
herself. True there was a falling of
in the attendance at the night schools
at Moiliili and at Manoa Valley. dis
trfcts in which, with their sparse popu-
lation, night schools never should
have been established. It would seem
that any one with ordinary accumen
could have foreseen that night schools
in these thinly populated outlying
districts could not succeed. But the
night schools at the Royal School. at
Aala warehouse, and at Kawaiahao
were a grand success. If Mrs. Hall
will take the trouble to investigate for
herself she will find that the attend
ance at these schools was not falling
away: that they were attended By
large numbers of industrious and am
bilious young men who were DESTROYS
Of lettering their condition. Let her
talk with the teachers at these schools
about how eager the pupils were to
learn and how intensely interested
they were in their work.
Mrs. Hall further says that these
night schools were expensive. Let us
ask how expensive considering the
attendance and how expensive as a
whole The teachers were paid $40
per month. There were three rooms
at the Aala warehouse making a. total
for teachers salaries OF s120 per
month. The cost of lights aud janito1
service did not exceed $40 per month
or total of $40 per month The
beverage attendance at the thres rooms
was eighty pupils day. The cost pei
month then of the night schools al
Aala warehouse was the extravaganza
sum of sl.75 per capita Is that dear
education? The attendance at the
Royal School and at Kawaiahao pei
teacher was larger than at Aala ware
house. so that the cost per capita pei
month of the schools at these place:
was less than at Aala warehouse.
Does Mrs. Hall, brilliant and sensi
bic woman as she is, pretend to say
that a school system as complicated
and Anticipated as the present system
of Hawaii has not enough leaks thai
by being stopped could more than of
set the expense OF the night schools
What about the salary OF 800 pei
month paid to Mr.. Higgins as agri
cultural instructor in the grammar
schools. Is any member of the board
so impractieable as to say that thi.
money is not being wasted now? l.
il doing the schools any more good
than il it were being poured down tn,
sewer each month? This hundred dol
lars a month would pay all the ex
penses Of two night schools at Aal;
warehouse or the Royal School afford
ing instruction TO from sixty to eight,
pupils Would it not be worth IA
more 20 the community as a whole t,
! spend this hundred dollars for nigh
: schools than to pay it for instruction
, that is impraeticable, useless an.
valueiess?
Mrs Hall further says that the nigh
schools were for a time successful. bu
the attendance had dwindled ava,
and not much interest was being tax
en- in them. In this also she evidentl,
J has taken the ex parte statement o
some one else instead OF ascertainin.
for herself We would like to asl
Mrs. Hall, as a member OF the schoo
board. how many members of IN,
: board ever visited the night schools
! How many. times did the Saperin
? tendent Of Schools ever visit them
: II there was a falling away in interes
l in the schools. was that falling ava,
in interest on the part OF the pupil
or on the part Of those whose dut,
it was to make every effort to stimu