Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-02-25
.DLgAIQRS Plan
TO INCREASE
Interest

When the members of the house
committee on education dropped 10
on the session of the commissioners
of public instruction Monday after.
room they were just In time TO take
Part In a very interesting discussion
en- how the present local controi G
school houses is working out in the
various. counties.
Some two years ago the department
voted to establish a school at kaps-
pala. The teacher was to be provided
when the school house and the teach.
er's cottage were completed. The
loan fund carried the appropriation
for the buildings.
Last November, acting on the in.
formation that the school house and
cottage would be completed the first
Of December, Superintendent Pope ap-
pointed Mr.. 0gifvie to the Kapapala
school. and Mr.. Ogilyfe forthwith
went to the expense of moving -:
goods and chattels. When he arrived
at Kapapala, however, the teacher
found that the school house was no;
complete and the teachers cottage
was. hardly in sight. In other words.
1t is Impossible to start the school
there on account of the impossibility
of housing the pupils.
So far as can be learned this delay
is up to the loan fund commission of
the county of Hawaii. Then commits
isoner Smith remarked, who had
the contract, Jim Lewis?s
This situation started the discus
sion along the lines of general query
Of how the scheme of county control
OF school houses was working out
Each commissioner was asked to give
his opinion. The commissioners
from the county Of Hawaii could not
report any success for the present
system. Mrs. Bond remarked that IN
order to have q pane of glass set,
they had to wait, in Kohala, till some
road worker came along; If the men
feel like It they win do the work, If
they don't they won't. In her opinion
the old system was very much better
The school houses of Hawaii county
were never in such bad condition as
at present.
Commissioner Rice from Kauai re-.
ported that the school houses of Kauai
were never in such good condition as
at present. The new system is a.
great success and many new school
houses have been built as needed.
Commissioner Aiken said that
while Maui has got along very well
he is in favor of the old system of the
board of public instruction controlling
the school houses.
Commissioners Harrington stated
that the discussion brought up sub
ject on which the school fund COM
which had drafted the pres
s5n school law had spent TWO years
Of study. The theory was to give
the physical care of the school into
the hands of the local community, s
leaving the territory with ample
funds TO provide the teachers as the
local people provided the school
houses and additional school equip
ment. He believed the theory correct
and he was very much interested in
The reports from the different coun.
ties. 1t Showed that where there is al
good degree of civic pride and fair
administration, the system works out
well. On the other hand 1t has gone
10 pieces on the island CT Hawaii
where The standard Of municipal ad.
r1inistration is most Indifferent
Commissioner Wilcox. and Inspector
Gibson. speaking for the city and
county of Honolulu did not enthuse
oref the new system. 1t being appar. |
ent that this city and county had not
m NY s1ew ccbo0a thyiildiDpc tn tie /
sfedit.
During the afternoon session the1
lepartment put itself on record in
favor Of the fullest general use of |
he public school houses for commune
ty purposes. This came up on a let. |
,er from the workers of Palama Set.
:iement who have night school
schemes in mind. The school houses
ire under the control of the municipal
but the department of pub |
ic instruction believes they should be
ised as much as possible,
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