Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-02-19
THE WORK FOR SCHOOLS MUST GO ON

Governor Frear's message TO the Legislature
today is an able and remarkable document Th'
executive not only makes long series of recon-
lnendations, but sums upthe progress of the ter
ritory in the last two ye.rs along all important
lines pertaining to Legislative action.
The legislature OF 19l1 will 60 down in his
tory as legislature tl4 did a great work fol
the schools. In fact ID progressive stand fol
education was probably he most significant, the
most permanently important policy it put for
ward Hence Governed Frcars message this
morning is particularly interesting in dealing
with school matters. fere are some OF thu
things he says:
Local interest in the ehools has been further
Increased by turning OYER to the counties, sub
ject to certain limitatiAs, the construction o.
buildings and the maintenance of buildings and
grounds. Some of thecounties appear not t.
have fully comprehendd their duties in this re
spect at first, but now pt onlysare certain sums
required to be raised Y special tax rates and
used exclusively fer thde purposes, but most OF
the counties are manlesting commendabit
readiness to devote ADDITIONAL amounts to tht
same purposes out of teir other revenues Al
though there are obviou objections TO a division
Of anthority and fundUns in school matters
there are perhaps mon than compromising adj
vantages where the division is as natural in sub
;ect matter as in thisinstance. The arrange
menf shouid now be cried to its logical extent
bv amending the schd fund act of the last ses
sion so as to place unfr the counties all instead
Of only two of the tins in the especial fund
If tho "school budgd' That act should bt
amended also I'M sevell minor respects in order
r. remove ambiguitieath that have developed, and
otherwise improve it
The passage of thelchool fund act, which put
the nuhlic schools Ola sufficient and largely
automatic financial Isis, was one of the most
important events in tlschool history of Hawaii
In consequence of mul assisted immigration Of
Enroneans especiallyEomen and children, and
unassisted immigrati{ Of Japanese women ano
an increasing birthrat the pupils in the public
schools alone have inEeased from IL sol to "a,
oQ9 or II per cent ding the twelve and ! hal
Years of territorial kernment. On the Other
hand owing to a dintution of funds during TIT
4 first part of that bdod in consequence of thu
At84nsfer of customs bties to the federal govern
Nent and the groNh of other demands, thu
3. Nds that could b&pared for school purposes
gv smaller and sbller relatively to the needs
Expenditures Fl maintenance, exclusive o.
newNildings, fell pm $S3. 1S per pupil in 1S9!
70 in 1907. there were neither teachers
nog rOdus enough br the children and the re
uefti0n Dfsalariesesulted in an Impairment o
.effhing efficiencE The new school fund act
lVPconjunction wii the new tax act provide.
special assessments sufficient to provide fol
- ---sastctive of other needs, ant
ccrned, are determined ~, !;
tations, by the commssfA - III; ;,,str,a
ton with the approval of - a,,d !,
far as other expenses are conS,nad Nv the com
Amissioners, subject toreview asso toms n n,
special fund.-, which covers .;,,,;nas an,
gQunds, by committee Oh estimafA aa,,,,,oso,,
of Representatives of the terr.ory anaStha -,
eral Apunties and as to items iffbotb tM g.
eial fusd" and the general fund.-, mich c,s.a,.
other Expenditures, by the legislature. A. s.,
same timeprovision was made to the EXIT !
$374, 900 out of loan funds for new buildins,
The result dhFing18re first year and half
the present bhpnial period has been the col
struction of maAy new buildings; an increas
of 139, or s25 per cent, in the number of teacl