The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-09-12
IN NEED
OF MONEY
Island of GuamHas
Spent Revenue
Too Fast.

o. o. Hiatt a Sebrzsza man. Who
has been I'D G~zn Tor = year engaged
ln apeuluE ~ American schools. IT, a
psssetger aboard the naval transport
solaoe Ehich arrived from the Philip
Eines sn1 GgzFu yesteriay. People on
board the transport tell stories which
indicate that Guam j. practically bank
rgpr- TIE schools have been closed be-
cause = Lack q money. and when the
isJl4oe 1T the island IL was expected
taat IT, courts would have % suspend
work f0- = similar cause within a few
weeks. and all public work would b.
stOCS,e1-
Concerning the Guam schools Mr.
HIATT has al interesting story to tell
H. went OGt 20 Guam % establish
American schools about a year ago.
TIE seslDOIs, a. are everything else in
Guam are under the supervision Of the
&2gy Department. As no apprOpria-
ton azS set ben made for Guam, and
~ the One tired for In the naval supply
bill iaiis4 IN Congress. the schools and
al Otfser public departments have to
oess@sSc On the tax returns Of the island
for thsir support. During the early
rzrL II the past fiscal year Governor
SehfOs1er expected that Congress would
y'gtss sZsS,5D0 toward the up-keep Of the
lslar4. and regulated the spending Of
tbs island funds accordingly. The ap-
psJfTIzt5On was thrown out by Con-
<sDsE and now the island is badly in
S1e@1, During the year the greater part
II tn Islands revenue was spent on a
r.eH eity hospital at Agana, the outside
J~FreT hospital, and a government road
tim. ~. hG NJ Hiatt HnaG
MT blame Governor Schroeder for the
hiding state Of affairs, but blames the
United States government for not max
INK the quarter Of million appropria-
tlpn,
Ifr, Hiatt says that Congress failed to
make the school appropriation because
tire items. including that for schools.
were IN the navy supply bill and that
Congress made a clean sweep Of this,
including the school appropriation.
The school property in Guam now
consists Of half dozen buildings and
Lr. Hiatt says that four hundred and
fifty native children have been attend
ing the American schools where they
ShOVQ great aptitude for learning the
English language and seem eager to
TRADE the ChamOrro dialect for Ameri-
tcan lingo, Mr.. Hiatt did not know the
native language when he started his
Y
fren together, teach one by signs and
allow that one to gradually teach 9TH
@rs what American words meant until
all commenced TO make good progress.
81 FIST this work was very difficult, but
3r. Hiatt says that later he got on very
we'll with the children. He was accom-
panied by his family and his wife and
daughter taught In the schools. In ad-
ditfDu TO his own family the other
fG4HhEra e.rurftDUg1 three rinpS
Mr., Hiatt considers that the govern
Tusnt Will make n great mistake II II
permits the schools to be discontinued
iJfz own term has expired and he does
not expect to return to the island, but
would be pleased TO see some one else
appointed TO go out and continue the
work which he claims is very important
IN connection with American interests
in Guam.
FROM others on the boat II was learn
I'd that matters on Guam are not so sat-
isfactOry as they might be. The islands
do not produce hardly anything that
can be exported and will bring any
= money back to the people. A popula-
, ton Of 10000 people live on the earn
ings Of their small farms and from the
money disbursed in various ways by
Uncle Sam. They are happy lucky
race and are fairly well contented with
American rule. but that cannot bring
back at once the prosperity that exist
. cd on the plantations before the ty-
phOOn ~ 1900 nearly swept the whole
place into the sea.
j II Is Il part Of the islanders religion
not to sell any part Of their lands, yet
they are a simple race, and few Amer
leans have secured mortgages on these
small farms so that II Is only a ques-
:!O- q time before the plantations will
be- IN American hands, although very
little capital from the United States
mas been invested there up to this time.
The most serious objection that peo-
, pie have to the present state OF affairs
II that although American territory the
laws In force are the old ones made by
Spain. Some Of these laws work great
hardships. The Judge Of the courts is
q naval ensign, who had no special law
education and certainly no education
At all as far as Spanish law IL con-
gaFHgn