The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1911-06-10
Honolulu
Newsletter
Racy Paragraphs From the Capitol On
Current Topics.
(By Oscar Brenton.)

too big for Pope. That Hilo affair
was given publicity in the press
mainly because he did not show
stamina enough to settle it without
help. Then came the Kawiki affair
in which the policy of Mr.. Edmunds
was departed from by the very per-
sons who are looked to by parents
to give the added touch to morality.
Now the commissioners of education
are on the lid and have been since
Saturday. This time Honolulu is
taking a whirl in the spot light but
the case has none of the ill-smelling,
nauseating features of those from
the big island. The situation is
peculiar. Principal Cox, it was re-
Gently said in the department, had
been sent to Kalihi-waena because
it was thought by Gibson and Pope
that he could do less harm there
than elsewhere. What that meant
L do not know but | take it he is
not considered much on discipline
and as the school in that respect
was at low ebb he could not force
the tide.
Pope evidently did not reckon on
the supernumeries in the school.
He overlooked the fact that of the
dozen teachers employed there some
are above mediocre; that they know
dicipline even if they meet it stalk
ing in the dark. Nine of the bunch
baked at being under principal
who was not a diciplinarian. They
asked for transfers. Though they
have personal regard for the man
who was superior to them in official
life they protested to the depart
ment OF which Mr. Pope is head.
Then came the request, and an
urgent one it was, that the protesting
teachers write expert opinions of
the school. A demurrer was at
once entered because they did not
want to go on record but they were
perfectly willing to talk the matter
over with Mr.. Pope and tell him
their troubles. Mind you socially
every one of the teachers has high
regard for Cox. | believe they
must have had hunch that Pope
was not to be depended upon hence
the demurrer which was overruled.
The letters were thereupon written
and with in twenty-four hours the
Star published the gist of one and
on the writer of that particular let
ler falls the blame for the kick-up
which Mr.. Pope forced upon them.
AS to the publicity, the Superintend-
ent denies all knowledge and assures
the teachers that he did not give
the correspondence to the news
papers. Pope can take the tip from
me that he will serve the depart
ment better if he will expend some
of the money appropriated for Incl
dentals and buy desk key.
Just as l told you last week,
Hilo is in the opium swing and,
according to Mr.. Breckons, up to
the neck. The disclosures recently
made confirm the opinion that the
authorities at Hilo are not as watch
full as their oath of office commands
them to be. 1t would appear that
the matter has been done on a sort
of wholesale basis and when any
one was caught all that was neces-
sary to get out of the hole was to
pungle to the officers who happened
to get wise. Of course the affair
was tipped off to Breckons; the
cases discovered are usually the out
come of some fellow on the coast
squealing either to get reward or
make good with the officials though
| cannot for the life of me see what