The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-03-23

| SONN EN- TIN AMI
'It goes into the Treasury as a gov
eminent realization
/ Through what chanenls does Miss
Smith receive and dispose of the
money!
She turns it over to Secretary Rod
gers. It has never been a portion of
my duties. nor of Mr.. Bishop, Mr.. Cas-
tie or Prof. Alexander when they We're
occupying the same position that I
occupy
| IF school books are sold in Honolulu
the same procedure is had, the money
would go via the secretary to the
Treasurer? ?"
Yes; if you wanted to buy you
would be asked if you were the parent
of a child in the public school. Other
wise you would not get any books. I
have tried many times to get rid of the
school book system. You will find my
recommendations in my report. Mr..
Dole, when he was Governor, refused
to allow me to bring a. bill in to the
House to get rid of these school, books,
as I knew there was feeling in town
Directing to it. Governor Dole thought
perhaps he was justified when he said
if we gave the school-book trade into
the hands of private parties the price
would go up and the poor would be I'M
justly treated
Under the present system a sum IS
appropriated by the Legislature each
year,"
Yes. and it runs back into the
| Treasury If 1 sell a book to you that
money goes into the Treasury. I can
not buy book for you
| DO private schools receive books. from
, your department?
mo, sir; they could not even though
! they attempted to do SO with cash. L
have refused over and over again IF
it was done it was against my consent
| and orders. This old system of the de-
! partment dealings in books is one of
which I would like to be rid. 1 think
it would work for better efficiency"
You would suggest, Mr.. Atkinson,
that the better system would be for
the department to prescribe the books
| necessary to be used and leave the
! scholars to procure them from the deal
ers?"
Yes, SIR
Mr.. Atkinson, at the request of Mr..
Judd, read the instructions to the in
spectors which he had compiled in 1900.
These We're instructions as to their du-
ties. compelling them to send reports
| so often, to look after school buildings,
teachers, pupils, etc, report derelic
| tions of duty, immoralities if any, etc.
The Instructions also insisted upon their
seeing to it that English was constant
| ~ used to the scholars.
DO you have instructions for the
| teachers?''
we have the school law. Every now
and then circular letters are sent to the
| teachers but we have no book of rules
| What is your special reason for in
sisting on the ready use of English %
I believe that is the only hope for
the Territory-that the people should
all acquire a knowledge of the lam
guage which is a world-language and
which would put them in a position to
meet the terrible difficulties they VIII
have to meet"
rs not ready command of the Eng
fish language necessary for the adj
vancement of a scholar?"
Yes
Have you a system of examinations
| for teachers, whereby they are grad
edo"
Yes; we have a committee of the
| older teachers who make out the ques-
lions and submit them to me. If they
are satisfactory they are printed secret
| ly and upon the required day they are
given out and generally one or two of
the inspectors take charge and conduct
| the session.
Who passes on the examination pa
pers?"
The various persons who have been
instructed to carry on the examina-
tons. An ungraded teacher
gets small salary. When they pass
| first grade they were entitled to $50
month. before the salaries We're cut
down"
What chance have you of meeting
| the teachers personality"
They come to my office, once in a.
while go 10 the schools, although do
not now go to the other islands. It
would be impossible for me to do so.
| But I meet most OF, the teachers. They
| come to me at various times. They
come before and after school hours
and on Saturdays, and if they have any
complaints to make or any troubles,
they tell me, and I, to the best of my
ability, do what I can to right them.