The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-03-02
ASK CONGRESS TO
HELP SCHOOLS

Making his statement in Washington
before the committee of Congress hear
ing the Hawaiians on the plan to re-
fund 75 per cent. of the customs duties
OF Hawaii to the Territory, George w.
Smith said:
1t is further proposed to expend for
schools and teachers houses an addi-
tional amount Of approximately, $780,
600.
Mr.. Lloyd of the Committee. What
do you mean by teachers houses.
Mr.. G. w. Smith. In the country we
have to provide a cottage for the
teacher to live in. We have no viii
lagos or towns throughout the islands,
and the schoolhouses are situated in
different parts of the islands adjacent
to plantations, and the scholars come
for miles around, and there are no
boarding places for them-no places
where they can find a residence--and
so we have to provide for the teachers.
Mr.. Lloyd. Can not they find place
with some of the plantation people?
Mr.. G. w. Smith. In some cases
they can. but those instances are rare.
Usually there will be a man and his
wife together, and we have to provide
a house for them.
In assuming a burden OF this nature
II has been the aim of the executive
and the officials of the Territory to
educate and prepare for citizenship the
large and growing number of children,
particularly those of other than Cau-
casian parentage. In this respect Ha-
wall Is bearing a burden imposed on
no other Territory.
The funds now used for the purposes
named are by no means sufficient to
meet the need, and more, larger, and
better equipped schoolhouses are re-
quired
The present school population en-
rolled in the public and private schools
of the Territory is 20,406, being per-
centage of 9l.6 of the total population
within the school age.
The rapid increase of the school
! population amounting to over 5000 In
/ the past ten years, with the prospec-
tive immigration to Hawaii in the near
future of a people eligible to citizen
ship from the Portuguese possessions
all OF whom have large families, render
1t imperative that ample and proper
provision be made for the care and
education of the children of the diverse
races inhabiting the Territory, and
We're this the only point to be consid-
cred Hawaii feels that 1t is one OF
such momentous Importance to the
future OF the Territory that 1t Is ar
ample justification for asking for the
relief provided by the bill now before
you.
| Mr.. Lloyd. What language do you
| teach I'm tho echool7
Mr.. G.. w. Smith. English.
Mr.. Lloyd. Do you teach any other
language in the public schools?
Mr.. G. w. Smith. No; not in the
public schools, except in the high
schools; there they can have instruc
tion in some of the modern language.
II they desire.
Mr.. Webb. That is the same as tn,
pupils in the high schools in this coun
try are instructed in modern Ian
tguages?
Mr.. G. w. Smith. Yes, sir. English
has been the only language taught IL
the islands for the last twenty-five
years-that is, / have resided ther
twenty-five years-and II has been tn
only language taught during the tim
l have been there, and l think II ha
been the only language taught for con
sderably longer than that They ar
educating those children to be Amer
lican citizens"