Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-02-20
PROTEST AGAINST Bill.
EDUCATION BOARD IS
PREPARING TO FIGHT
WilcOx'S School Measure, Already
introduced, Considered Bad One
for Hawaii 49, Protest
Printed.

At meeting Of the Board of Educa-
ton held yesterday, 1t was decided to
enter a vigorous protest against the
adoption of the school measure recent
ly introduced in Congress by Delegate |
Wilcox. The opening part of the pro-
test of which a thousand copies have
been printed, reads as follows:
"The Department of Public Instruc-
ton, having the management and con-
troll of all public schools in the Terri |
tory of Hawaii, feel bound to enter a
respectful but most earnest protest
against the passage of this bill or any
bill of a similar character The objec-
tions to the proposed legislation are
of two kinds: % No such legislation
is needed, nor in fact any legislation
concerning school matters on the part
of Congress. (2) If any legislation
were needed the bill introduced by
Delegate Wilcox would accomplish no
| good result"
Referring to the present system, the
| protest goes on to say
This system was originally the
work of some of the ablest of the men
who made their homes here during the
first half Of the nineteenth century,
and has been carefully developed and
built up to fit peculiar local conditions.
Like all systems OF human devising.
the Hawaiian school system is capable
of further advance and improvement
as experience may show the same to
be desirable and profitable. But such
advance should be laid down by those
who were and are thoroughly familiar
with existing conditions. Any radical
reorganization of our school system,
however well meant, could only result
in grave disaster to the educational
interests of the Territory
Following this comes lengthy his
tCriCal sketch of the Hawaiian school
system, dealing with all phases of the
local education. Next come statis-
tics on the nationality OF the pupils,
enrolment. cost. building. etc. Far
ther on are facts showing tuition at
present to be free, English being the
only language taught. In conclusion,
the defects of the proposed law are
pointed out, as follows:
ITO criticise in detail the provisions
Of the measure under consideration
would be an almost endless task, and
is believed to be unnecessary. The
bill is of great length, consisting of
over $50 pages, and almost every page
fairly bristles with provisions uncalled
for, and in most instances. wholly i'm
, practicable; provisions that. even II
enacted into law. could not be put in
to operation. To a few. only, of these
matters will attention now be called
|. 1t may be stated in a general way
that the bill is drawn in absolute ig-
: norance. or of utter indifference to
= existing conditions-moral, social his
. torical, education, political and statu.
, tory.
2. 1t is in many points directly in
! conflict, not only with existing Hawa'
iian statutes. but with the Organic Act
as we'll To make its provisions at al
=, workable would require a radical re-
vision of the whole body of our statute
law
3. It assumes the existence Of Coun
ties, townships, municipalities, ant
other political and administrative
. units that do not now, and never die
Il form any part of our governmental
system.
J. 4. 1t provides for a large number o.
i additional officials, most of whom
would have to be paid, thus dividini
n responsibility. weakening efficiency
= and adding largely to the cost Of main
I. tanning the schools.
! 5. 1t would break up entirely tn,
= present uniformity in the examinations
s and the grade of scholarship required
& C. 1t would do away entirely will
e the present salary schedule, and will
u any schedule under which teacher
would be paid on a consistent and uni
4 form system, based on qualification
y and service, making neighborhood pre-
E, judice and personal pull" the sol
e standard.
g, T. 1t appears to contemplate. AM
y W fanny uuNhOi " biNh' 'NN'N''S'
S in the amount of schooling to be pro
l. vided in the course of a year; re
n duction amounting in some cases t
a nearly one-half.
IS s. 1t would be greatly to the dis
Il advantage OF the smaller and poore
r districts, not only diminishing tn
s. quantity, but still more impairing tn
3. quality of the teaching required,
8. 1t provides a way of receiving
handling and disbursing school fund
that is not only contrary to all SCUM
business principles, but is in direC
E conflict with the elaborate and care
10 fully prepared provisions of the audi
Is act, which act controls all matters pei
tanning to the handling of Territorii
funds.
II Further facts and arguments |
II support OF the position taken in thi
y" matter by the department could b
presented.almost indefinitely, but 1t
hoped that the foregoing are sufiicier
to show two things: