Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-05
THE GOVERNOR AND TIRE SCHOOL REPORT

Superintendent Of Public Instruction Pope.
If results are the test Of merit in administra
ton of school affairs, the governor has found
Pope's administration highly meritorious, yet
his conclusions are that the superintendent of
instruction should 60.
To quote from the governors report:
notwithstanding the lack of harmony, there
has been unusual progress in educational mat
tiers during the three years Of the school admin
istrati0n now under investigation =. 1t :l
true that some of these features of progress have
resulted largely from natural causes or the eff
forts of others, and that as good or better re-
sults might have been accomplished by others.
1t is true also that progress is expected of EACH
successive administration, however much may
have been accomplished by its predecessors. Yet,
after making all due allowances, the fact re-
mains that the superintendent and commission
ers in question have done much good work, forI
which they deserve great credit"
Discussing the report of the legislative sub
committee on education-and incidentally criti-
cising the manner in which this comhittee'sl
probe was conducted and its findings generally
the governor says:
eff successive superintendent and numerous
commissioners and supervising principals have
erred to the extent represented and without up.I
roar from the teachers generally, we may as well
despair of much Improvement through another
change in personnel"
The Star Bulletin realizes that it is unfair tot
Judge report merely on one or two paragraphs.
The point we make is that these paragraphs epit
omize what to the average citizen appears to bel
roft
the report will, we are coRfident, justify this
statement
In brief the governor finds marked progress
made in the schools, admirable business adInip.
istration and a generally commendable condi-
ton Giving due weight to the factionaL fights
that have at times stirred up the educational
system of Hawaii, the Star Bulletin is unable to-
find in Che governors report reasons sufficient
to call for the retirement of the present supern-
tendent
A close reading of the report, with an eye to
what Governor Frear may be limiting at, brings
the conclusion that he has retiredJNfr Pope be-
cause of the lack of harmony between factions
in the department. There will be many opinions
as to whether Mr.. Pope is primarily or greatly /
responsible for this factional feeling Certainly
tile yUfeEuOrS llHulus,S DIS luty APPEAR III CUiui
print do not rest the blame upon Pope
As to the clean sweep the governor has made
in the commissioners, that is subject upon
which this paper does not like to comment be-
cause of the close relations of one commissioner
with the Star-Bulletin. 1t was apparent that
the factions which have fought in the past might
fight in the future. A clean sweep may end the
fight or it may not. We hope it will.
The governors report does not seem to this
paper to be entirely conclusive or to take the
people of Hawaii entirely into his confidence |
re has manifestly tried to avoid hurting feel
and it is a question if he has not carried
10y too far The result of his delber
'gs' Avindicate in language the admins
lis ~ department, and in action to carry
'lons AN es of those who have been persist
ra'hoA ~ tely and insidiously undermining
u. '''e ,'..orN eation and plotting its downfall
'n'ls' ,s;n;stA mess of school, elitics at best
It's an ugly us ss Jee, souf :" !, s, se,
The real test of lis sele an If the new superb
come 1t lies in ne a,,,,o;ss;oners. II 'hey
tendent and thel work Of the present adnfsSa
shall carry the god W. so;d meanwhile the PIN
;stration onward va 49, a,.ernors decision now
Of factionai politics. 'ne
will be upheld
nlNFC UAlI