The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-04-07
.HILO WANTS mo-
WHITEWASHING
CITY STIRRED UP OVER THE
VARIOUS STORIES GOING
TIE ROUNDS.

Especial Wireless to The Advertiser.)
HILo, April Superintendent Pope
of the department Of education is here
conducting an investigation into tao
affairs of the Hilo high school and the
events that led up to the present fraeqs,
over which the town is divided. His
work is being closely followed by the
citizens, who, for the good name Of Hilo
and for the sake of the future, do not
intend to stand for any whitewashing.
At the present time Mr. Pope is ex-
aiming those whose signatures appear
on the various petitions made that Mrs.
Compton be declared innocent of wrong
doing and that the principal of the
school, Frank A. Richmond, be dis.
missed for misconduct.
The school is not to be reopened until
the investigation has been concluded,
it being decided that it would be of
no benefit to reassemble the pupils while
there remains any question of what
changes may be found necessary in the
lstaff.
Principal Richmond was placed on
the grill by the superintendent as one
of the first witnesses to be examined.
The other teachers of the stsf are to
be called upon later.
Mr.. Pope has been given to under
stand very clearly that the public of
Hilo is not inclined to stand for any
whitewashing.
Many Stories Afloat.
(Mail Special to The Advertiser)
HILo, April s.-Affairs as regards
the High School, appear to be just
about the same and the Easter vacation
of one week has allowed of the teach.
ers getting rest from their duties, and
chance Of fully discussing the ex-
citing events of the past week. The
Herald story of the row at the high
school caused sensation, and ever
since the first news was given to the
public, all sorts of yarns have been
: going the rounds.
The children who went on Hstrike''
early in the week kept up their CAM
paign against the principal of the
school, and stood pat for the reinstate.
ment of Mrs. Compton, the teacher who
had been dismissed. The lady in aues.
ton is acknowledged to be an excellent
teacher, and the school kids swear by
her. She seems to have the happy
faculty of being stern and unbending
in the class room, but loving and friend
ly with the children out of school
Petitions have been forwarded to
Superintendent Pope at Honolulu and
the parents of many children have ask
ed that Principal Richmond be dismiss
ed from his position. Some prominent
citizens who refused to sign the petition
asking for Richmond's removal, have,
nevertheless, expressed themselves
strongly on the situation. ga clean
} sweep" appears to be the favorite way
of expressing an opinion on the high
school proposition and if half the
stories that are going the rounds are
true, that would seem to be the only
way to place the school on a satisfac-
tory footing.
Grave charges have been circulated
by different people, and it remains to
be seen if those who started the stories
will be willing to make their statements
before the investigating committee.
There has been an undercurrent of
opposition to Mrs. Compton ever since
she arrived to take up her duties at the
high school. Right from the start the
students liked her and it is alleged
that some of them were so fond of her
! that they would serenade her on moon
, light evenings. The other teachers are
alleged to have made remarks about
these signs of affection, and gradually
, the breach widened.
, Discipline is said to have been lack
ing at the school and, according to some
! of the parents, the elder boys "didn It
give cuss for Richmond The report
, also is going the rounds that jealousy
had lot to do with the final row that
! was the cause of Mrs. Compton IS being
dismissed. The climax came when Mrs.
/ Compton and another lady teacher be-
came involved in dispute in one of
) the class rooms. The affair was siren
uous and if stenographeI had been
hidden somewhere in the room, he would
J have obtained a story that would have
been worth a lot of money to space
writer
The parents of the children seem de-
, termined that a change shall be made
) in the staff of the high school teachers,
and many of them declare that clean
sweep should be made. The children
/ all want Mrs. Compton reinstated and,
J IN fact, they would like her to be prin-
/ cipal.