The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-03
A CRYING NEED.

The need for an industrial school for
unruly or absolutely destitute girls who
are surely and steadily tending towards
an immoral life is a crying one. 1t is
constantly being emphasized in the po-
lice court, and there are other cases
which never reach there. An enormous
amount of good could be done if only
such an institution could be established.
1t would save those who were on the
pathway towards a fall and it would
help to regenerate those who had al
ready gone over the brink.
What can the teachers in the public
schools do with girls who have become
immoral? They cannot keep them in
the schools they would simply con-
taminate the rest, and there is nowhere
to send them where they may be saved
from their surroundings. Complaints
of this kind come from all the country
districts. Indeed they are perhaps more
common from there than they are from
the city. More publicity is given such
cases because they occasionally appear
in the police court under the truancy
laws and are reported in the local press
Yesterday truancy case occurred in
Judge Wicox's court which just illus
trated such conditions. A girl who was
charged with truancy was brought up.
She had not been to school for four
weeks, she had left her own home and
the school police, had had the greatest
difficulty in locating her. Finally she
was found in company with a woman
of alleged bad character.
What can be done with such a case?
A boy, who is an 'habitual truant and
is unmanageable, by his parents can be
sent to the Reformatory School, and
many a little wharf rat has found d
home and has started on the upward
path in that institution, crude as it may
be, and shorn as it may be of many If
its former advantages for teaching
agricultural industry! The Superinten-
dent does his best with the means in his
power and deserves credit for his work
But with a girl it is different. There IS
no institution, however crippled, that
she can be sent to- Her parents cannot
control her. and there seems no means
by which she can be saved from the
course she is treading.
Judge Wilcox when the case came be-
fore him, commented upon it AS fol-
lows:
This case shows the need for a
girls reform school. l certainly
am not going to send her 20
prison and have her locked up with
prostitutes or that old kahuna MUIR
derer. That would be a pretty state
of affairs. Nor is it possible to send
tn hp cob oil NIT
crowd of 80 little boys. There is abso-
lutely no institution where a girl of
this sort can be sent.
The good people here are always
giving money for the benefit of the
heather in the South Seas but they
don't seem to care a tinkers some
thing about the little heather that they
have right here at their doors. Instead
OF giving so much for the heather of
the South Seas the kind people should
look after their own heather.
THE education department has APP
pealed to the Legislature for an in
stitution where just such cases as the
present can be sent but thus far the
Legislature does not pay any atten-
lion to the request or make any attempt
to afford the relief asked. 1 will con-
tlnue this case until tomorrow so that
l can study over the matter and de-
termine what is to be done with this
girl
The superintendent of Public Instruc-
tion in his report calls special atten-
ton to this subject. That there Is need
of such an institution there Is practical
ly no argument required. Facts and
not argument cry aloud. The demand
for such an institution is Il crying OBJ"
The magistracy, the heads of police,
the press and the general nuhIio ara q
unit upon the point. The whole m9tter
pivots upon the Legislature and is
matter of funds.
If funds for this matter are not
granted then the project falls to the
ground. IF no effort" as the report
says, lis to be made for saving the
waits and strays, male and female, of
this community every one will know
where the blame lies = = now under
the Territory under the new nag de-
parture should be made which would
do honor to ourselves as a people. and
honor to our Legislative representatives
as being enlightened ana progressive
men.
The land for erecting proper buildings
and supplying proper means for agri-
cultural work, and even for dairy work
can be obtained free of cost. 1t only
requires the means to put the inst!tu-
tion on proper basis. We can save
the girls, but we must pay money TO do
it, and the means for such an institu-
ton can only come from the Legisa-
ture.