The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-05-20

1885, anQ at the last report Low SSnCOAo
of which we have statistics are using
| it and 166. 900 scholars ia these schools
J have saved and deposited TO their
credit, s1.350.611.
1 The national superintendent of this
department for the w. c. II. L., Mrs.
Oberholtzer, Philadelphia. says in her
last annual report, Thrift is the abili-
I ty TO spend time and money wisely;
/ TO get the best results from both.
Hence it antagonizes intemperance,
waste. want and vice. II is the sci
ence of practical economy and teaches
Jus to procure the highest results OF
effort expended. School Savings is the
most systematic and general method
of intoxicating practical thrift known,
| and has proven itself worthy of ex-
tension as a reform philanthrophy and
educational measure by all who would
upIift humanity from the sloughs Of
jintemperance, impure and idle thoughts
and practices that lead to worthless
ness. unhappiness and crime Such
continued testimony comes to me from
the school principals and teachers OF
the value of this thrift teaching in
developing self-responsibility in the
pupils. and lessening the consumption
of candy. gum and cigarettes, that I
am each year now firmly convinced
that thrift teaching is the root of the
temperance work.
The system is very simple when the
teachers have the proper Roll Books
and Copyright Cards, which are SO ar
ranged that the pupils deposit can be
recorded by a figure on the Roll Book
and a corresponding one on the Card.
The work takes but fifteen minutes a
week and often less. The Roll IS called
on Monday morning for the collection
of the children's savings. Each pupil
who has a penny or more to deposit
takes it to the teacher with his Card
when his name is called; she credits
the amount on the Card, which has
| a space for the purpose opposite the
date for each Monday in the schoo,
wear. and also on her Roll Book, which
is correspond 1ngly arranged, hands the
] Card back to the child. which he keeps
las memorandum and receipt. The
money thus collected is placed in an
envelope which is so printed as to re-
quire but a figure of the, amount. These
| envelopes in a graded school are sent
to the principal, who forwards them
together to the bank that has agreed
with the school authorities to take care
of the school fund, the accounts being
lindividualized with bank book credits
in name of the scholar as his amount
reaches one dollar. Interest is given
when the deposit becomes three dollars.
The banks books are given to the chill
dren to take to their homes on the last
Friday of each month.
The money, as that of any other
bank depositor, can be drawn upon by
check, but the pupil in addition to his
own name must have that of the school
principal signed to his check The
10 ~
Meeting link between the pupil and the
bank and have no control beyond that
which is advisory of the money.
The school savings work is of such
popular interest that the newspapers
print the amount of each weeks coll
lections as a matter OF general news,
Candy and cigarette dealers complain
that the School Banks hurt their trade
and the beer shops feel their effect
The thrift lesson taken home by the
children has aroused thoughts of econ
omy in untaught, careless parents.
Industry and contentment have been
engendered, extravaganza and its con-
sequent pauperism and crime Iessened
When the paper had been read the
general discussion was opened. The
Rev. Alexander Macintosh of the
Royal School described the experiences
through which he passed when he came
here thirty years ago, and began to in
still into the children the ideas of thrift
and economy. He undertook to teach
the pupils Of the school the principles
of preparation for the future, and to
tell them that it was their duty to
look to their happiness, to lay up money
for the securing of a home when they
had grown up, and his success had
been quite remarkable. He taught the
young children to lay up something for
each week. He urged the boys to un-
dertake to learn trades and to take
such care of their future as would in
sure to them successful life. He
said that he met with some success
and that he was encouraged to go on
with the work.
Miss Felker of the Kaahumanu
school told how she had made the trial
of the plan with the pupils of one
school, and how now the twenty-five
pupils each had an account, one boy
having s4s in the bank, the least sum
being So.
Mrs. Fsasher said that the pupils of
her school, the KaiuIani were spend
ing their money for materials for the
cooking school. and that in conse-
quence there We're not large savings.
The excuses of the boys for not max
ing efforts in this direction were,
UNIQUE Some had too great a love for
candy, but the most general excuse
was the demands of the Orpheum.
There were other reports and the
meeting closed with the thanks of the
members to the teachers who made re-
ports.
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