The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-05-23
PROGRESS AND EDUCATION.

Professor VI. NJ. Scott, principal Of
the High School. in a communication
10 a morning paper. calls attention TO
the great advance made by Prussia
because OF her splendid educational
system which provides compulsory
education for all her people In this
connection one needs but point out
the marvellous growth and prosperity
Of the United States. which is due
in large measure TO her public schools
Within the last decade the United
States has become the foremost man
ufacturing nation OF the world. Her
exports are now larger than those of
Great Britain. for so long the leader.
and she has advanced in material
wealth beyond all other nations. Her
artizans are the most skilled in the
world and despite the higher wages
paid in America she is now under
selling England in the markets of the
world in all iron and steel products.
II is a well known fact that the Amer
lean workman is not only better
housed and better fed. but better edu-
Gated than the workmen of any other
nation II is a well known fact that
the American workman can, and does,
perform much more work per week
than the workmen of England, Ger
many, France. Sweden or any of the
competing nations in the markets of
the world. The reason for this is the
higher education of the American
workman. He is more self-reliant,
more independent. and does not re
Quire so much directing as the work
man of the old world.
Children of old-world workers
brought to kthis country, when taken
Into the workshops and factories.
soon outstrip their sires. in the same
work. for the reason that when educa-
ted in America they absorb the indie
penden' .pirit of the American which
makes him more selffeliant.
that enables the American machinist
TO turn out more work in a given
period than his European competitor;
IL is education that enables the Amer
lean to work with his brain as well
as with his hands. He does not re-
quire a pattern in front of him for
every little piece of mechanical work
while your European workman does.
And why? Because your American is
better educated and therefore the SUI
perior not only in mental but in physi-
cal accomplishments. He is not an
automaton. a machine; he is educated
and ambitious. always striving to do
just little better than those who
went before him.
In a criticism Of some of the writ.
ers articles upon the industrial and
financial conditions in Mexico In 1895.
the then Minister TO Washington. NJ.
Romero said that Mexican labor. even
at the low prices paid. was dear labor
as compared to the labor of the Unit
ed States. He declared that the con-
dition of the laborer of Mexico was
not so much due TO the financial condi.
tons OF the country as TO the educa-
tional conditions. Until only a very
few years before that time public
schools had not been known in the
Republic of Mexico. Under the bene.
hcent administration Of President
Diaz public schools had been estab-
lished. and now education was fast
becoming universal but II would take
years for its good effects to become
Minister Romero argued that the
American artizan was cheaper at his
high wages than the Mexican artiran
AZ the very Low wages paid TO him.
As an Illustration he cited brick ma.
sons. claiming that the brick mason
az Washington City who received four
dollars per day was n cheaper labor
er than the brick mason OF the City
Of Mexico who received one dollar per
day. And whys Because the Ameri-
can mason worked with his head as
well as with his hands. He needed no
overseer to direct him all the day
long. Half dozen men on the same
wall went along with their work ara
fast pace. each pushing his work
along as though all the responsibility
for the contract rested upon him Not
so with the Mexican lahorer. He was
a machine. human aatomaton. who
only followed his leader and perform
ed only the work expressly laid out
for him. He followed in the lines his