The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-09-01

for Congress to distribute the trust
funds among these children, who will
waste it Immediately, and them make
an appropriation to pay for their
schools.
SCHOOL QUESTION NOT NEW
This school question is not new. 1t
has been brought to the attention of
Congress again and again, and on
several occasions both houses have
taken notice of it, but have done moth
ing practical. In 1901 they asked the
Secretary. of the Interior to report a
plan of taxation sufficient to maintain
system of free schools for the en-
tire territory, and Mr.. Crank c.
Churchill made an investigation and
submitted a report, which was laid
before the House of Representatives
i'm 1902, but no attention was paid to
it. In 1904 the Secretary of the In
terror was again called upon for a re-
port on the same subject, and Prof.
j. H. Hollander of John Hopkins I'm
ivCrsity was s1nt down rcre to study
the situation and suggest a solution of
the problem. Congress as the last
session placed 100000 in the hands of
the Secretary of the Interior, which
has been expended in the support of
300 neighborhood schools in the rural
districts, with an average of sixty
scholars each, and this year $3.50 900
has been appropriated for the same
purpose, but this sum is grossly insult
ticient. 1t is estimated that there are
between sixty and seventy thousand
children of school age in the territory.
Those who are fortunate enough to
i've in towns and cities are well pro-
Vided for, and occasionally throughout
the territory there is a church school.
supported by some religious denomina-
tion which white children are allow
ed to attend, but most of the mission
schools are for Indians and negroes.
The superintendent of education and
Professor Hollander estimate that not
less than $45O,OOO a year is necessary
to provide free schools for all the white
children of the territory, and when the
tribal governments are dissolved on
the 4th Of March next about 1000
indian and negro children will have
to be taken care of.
1t was an inexcusable oversight for
which everybody who had ANYTHING tn
do with the matter is responsible, that
the law providing for the allotment of
the tribal lands contains no authority
Tor the reservation of sufficient tracts
10 support an adequate school system
such as has been provided in the other
states. All of the western states and
territories have splendid school funds.
provided under the Morrill, law of 1866
winch dedicated the proceeds of the
SAFE Oh certain portion of the public
domain to the education of the people.
This could have been done i'm the IN
dlan Territory just as well as not if
the members of the Indian committees
OF the Senate and House had Thought
ABOUT 1t; and it is yet possible for
Congress to provide a considerable
tund for the Choctaws and Chicka-
saws by reserving the proceeds of the
sale OF mineral lands for that purpose.
Not less than 100000 acres underlaid
with great beds of coal, remain m
divided but the Secretary of the In
terror is directed to sell them at auc-
tloh TO the highest bidder. They have
peeh offered on one occasion, as L have
already stated but the bids were not
satisfactory and were rejected
II Is not too late for Congress 10 re-
woke those instructions and provide
that the proceeds of the sale of those
lands shall go into a permanent school
fund instead of being distributed in
cash pro rata among the natives. This
pan was recommended by Prof. Hol-
lander. He also recommends an an
hual congressional appropriation.
school district tax a tax on Iegacias y
license tax on occupations, a corpora-
tloh tax on railroads, telegraphs, teIe-
phones, pipe lines, express companies
and all mechanical Industries. If
would be proper also to add a poll tax
Tor educational purposes, and there
should also be tax upon such real
estate as shall pass from time to time
from the hands of the natives into the
ownership of ordinary citizens
Pfot' Hollander and others have re-
commended the Incorporation of a sec
ton in the statehood bill, providing a
permanent fund of ten million dollars
exclusively
for educational purposes. But whe-
Their this is done or not, at least one
more appropriation will be necessary
by Congress to support the white
schools until the new form of govern
ment is organized and in operation.
and that appropriation should be
liberal.
INDIANS AND EDUCATION
The Indians have been very Jealous
of their school funds No white chill
dren have been admitted to any of
their academies or boarding schools
but in the Choctaw, Creek and Chero-
kee nations they have been admitted
to some of the day schools upon the
payment Of tuition. Mr.. Benedict. SUI
perintendent of the Indian schools, tells
some interesting stories concerning
the peculiar ideas of the Indians re-
garding education. He says that the
notion has prevailed altogether too
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