The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-17
FOLLY Of CUTTING
TEACHERS SALARIES

Hawaii is, at the present time, deeply
in debt, and governmental expendi-
lures are constantly increasing. In
order to make the amount of expendi-
ture smaller than the amount of in
come, two methods are feasible-re-
trenchment of expenditures, or in
crease of income.
Increase of income means increased
taxation, which is looked upon with
disfavor, especially by the rich. Re
trencbment of expenditure seems a
more agreeable method, and we there
fore hear, among divers other meas
ures before the present Legislature, of
several bills proposing to further re-
duce the salaries of the teachers of
the public schools.
The folly of such proposed "cut-
ting of salaries does not appear to
be as evident as it should, and an emu
meration of few facts may, there
fore, be appropriate at this time.
/. The teachers salaries at present
are cut 3 per cent. The schedule of
salaries, which is virtually contract,
and supposedly approved of and sup
ported by the Legislature, is, so far
as actual salaries is concerned, pleas
ant fiction. So, to begin with, the sal
aries are "below par the present cut
falling heaviest, of course, on the
smaller, and most numerous, salaries.
2. The rapidly increasing cost of
living, both in Honolulu and in other
PARTS of the Territory, already taxes
: r., ,~o~o,,+ ,,,o,nar of faoohopo
to their utmost; many teachers are
barely "making living, and are,
moreover, definitely prohibited from
adding to their scanty livelihood by
outside work.
8. The general movement every
where else is for the increase in the
salaries of teachers. Their tremendous
Importance in the welfare of the State,
and in the true establishment of de-
moeracy, is realized more and more,
and everywhere on the mainland and
in many parts of Europe their salaries
are regularly and Systematically ad-
vanced. The idea of reducing their
salaries is opposed to all sound ad-
vance, and in the Territory represents
a most retrograde movement.
4. The peculiar race conditions here
make especially necessary a large, eff
fcient and compulsory public school
system, that viii weld these hetero
geneous peoples into an intelligent cit
izenship. Nothing is SO destructive to
democracy as ignorance, most especial
" when it exists in large masses of
propertyless people. Anything whatso-
ever that prevents the education of
citizens is most undemocratic and most
dangerous to the welfare of the Ter
ritory.
5. This proposed .cut" in teach
ers salaries. resulting most surely in
inefficient public schools, thus effects
most seriously the majority of citizens.
The rich can send their children to
private schools, but for the great mass
of the people, for the rank and file,
for the citizens who are 9sthe mass
as opposed to the class, for these
the public schools are of paramount
Importance The future welfare of
their sons and daughters is directly
and vitality affected. The verdict of
history has ever been that poor schools
and poor government 60 hand in hand.
The teachers in the public schools
are fundamentally the most important
employees of the Territory. Compared
with their stupendous task as citizen
makers. the duties of road supervisors
and waterworks clerks is as the pratt
Ting of infants. The public school is
the cradle of democracy. Despots and
autocrats fear and hate them. The
great question now before this Terri
tory-indeed, the greatest question lis
this. .Shall we foolishly cripple our
public school system, endangering our
future political and social prosperity,
or shall we Systematically and increas-
ingly advance it's efficiency9''
VERITAS.