The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-27
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.

Editor Advertiser the. honorable
| members of the Legislature had ac-
quainted themselves with the laws gov
| erning the Department of Public In
struction, Chapter II, Section 1Ss,
Quorum, they would have found
it only needs three Commissioners with
the Superintendent to constitute a quo
rum, and in the absence of the Superin-
tendent four Commissioners.
Had our wise members also asked
some of the Commissioners, instead of
accepting the word of one man for it,
there would be no need for this writing.
1t is duty [ owe the general public
and the children who attend the schools
to make this statement.
I deny the charge made by the SUI
perintendent of Public Instruction that
the Commissioners were remiss in at
tending the board meetings.
[ quite agree with the remarks of
Senator W. o. Smith, quoted in the Ad
vertiser of March "a, who asserted,
s'That if the board was unnecessary
something was decidedly wrong and in
immediate need of correction -
During my term of office, of three
years commencing in 1906, with the ex-
ception of two months in 1907, and
three and half months at the begin
ming of 1908, when absent from the
city, | have always responded to the
call for meetings when summoned.
A quorum has always opened the
meetings. Sometimes we had to wait
for the third party to make the quorum,
but he always finally arrived.
Permit me to suggest that an inves-
tlgatlon of the minutes of the board
must show, if the Secretary s notes are
kept correctly and the names of the
late coming members are duly recorded,
that such condition as that indicated
in Superintendent Babbitt IS report is
impossible.
1t was my personal experience, in
looking over the secretary's minutes
of the board meetings of January, 1909,
to find my name omitted. / was lust
ten minutes late, but in time for all
the business transacted, and am quite
sure | took part in the discussions.
| have carefully examined the min
utes for two years back and fail to fnd
an occasion when there was no quorum
as cited by the Superintendent.
Mistakes we know do arise in the
best regulated families. One of our
teachers requested me to look the mat
ter up and see if she were not entitled
to raise of salary. On inquiry at the
office, the ticket box was brought in
with its carefully arranged system of
cards; when the special teacher s ticket
was found, it brought to light the fact
that, in spite of the elaborate regula-
tions, this teacher had been entitled for
two years past to a raise, both in posi-
ton and salary Meantime another,
whose papers did not qualify her, was
given the position.
Under the hue and cry of cutting the
teachers salaries, it seems to me lies
far deeper meaning. The children S
welfare must be the first consideration.
The schools belong to the public, then
let us play fair and give the children
the very best to be had, both in teach
ers and salaries We want not only the
equipped Normal graduate but also the
experienced teacher whose natural dis
position fits her for the work, whose
pIcoCHCG UftdtHeS nouUT, l0Ve ana pa
thence in the schoolroom. The tax
payers money has no right to be used
for the carrying out of personal pref
erences, thing one is very apt to over
look.
The moral influence of teacher who
is earnest as well as honest in his EN-
deavor is more far-reaching than the
one who simply does the work for the
pay that is in it, and any enlightened
board will so appreciate it.
The three lower grades sadly need
reconstruction in adapting their meth
DDS to the immature minds of such
young children. / would fain enlist
the attention of parents and public
spirited citizens in this question.
am opposed to the erection of more
new school buildings until the three
per cent cut is removed from teachers
salaries. And am also opposed to the
selecting of building sites without con-
sulting the convenience of the people
whose children are to attend the school
With the assurance / have done my
duty as a public officer to the best of
my ability, | sign myself,
WILHELMINE DOWSETT.
Commissioner of Public Instruction.