Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-06-17
CALLS upon YOUNG ORIENTALS
TO AID NPLANTATION UPLIFT
Mills School Graduate Shows
Place for Young Hawaii
to Serve

funder the title, 1.-The Mills School
Graduate and Hawaii's Plantation
Problems" the following address was
given at Mills School graduation ex-
ercises this week by umematsu Wa
tads, Japanese boy of Lihue. Kauai
Ever since the sugar industry be-
came prosperous in Hawaii many la
borers from different races of the ORR
ent and other parts Of the world have
come to Hawaii. The population reg
istered in the year 1914 was 227 900.
of which a large najority were plan
tation laborers.
These laborers work from o'clock
in the morning until O'Clock in the
afternoon, and in the evening they
wander from house to house accomp-
fishing nothing, spending their plan
tation life with nothing to interest
them and with no means Of fmproF-
ing themselves mentally or spiritually.
II is not their fault that they spend
their evenings In such a way, for
there are many laborers who want to
get a higher education, better reli-
gion than the worship of idols, and a
happier social life, but under the pre-
sent condition of plantation life there
are no ways In which they can get
them. For this reason there are many
young men who take advantage or
their freedom and come to the city to
seek their fortunes. Can not the con-
ditions on the plantation be solved so
that the laborers can get there the
things which they are looking for?
How much happier plantation life
would be and how much better citi-
zens the laborers would become If the
plantations should be provided with
educational, religious and social or.
ganizations Since the laborers have
decided to stay in Hawaii permanently
Il is most appropriate that conditions
on the plantations should be made bet
ter along religious. educational and
social lines. s a. r.;
Hundreds Of children on the plan
tations are growing up to manhood
and within a decade or two they will
be working on the plantations instead
OF their parents. IL we are TO improve
the conditions on the Plantations
and here is rare opportunity for
Christian leaders TO control, assimi-
late and Christianize q large number
Of the young Ilen-now is the time
to do IL. zrt:. 81
II the rising generation OF young
people can be taught to value the
Christian ideals. education and a clean
social life, subsequent generations will
take care of themselves to a large ex-
tent. If the spirit Of the western civil
lization brings good results among the
young people, then this civilization
will find its way into the hearts OF
the older men.
Thus the village life will be more
satisfactory and elevating, local poll.
tics viii be purer, democratic institu-
tons more successful and Americani-
zation of the Asiatic laborers will pro-
coed apace and ere long become com.
plete. 4
Must Be Good Citizens.
Hundreds of ambitious plantation
Doys and young men often want to
complete their high school education,
but this privilege is denied them by
their parents, who do not value edu-
cation. Since their children are going
to stay permanently in Hawaii it is
very essential that they have a good
knowledge OF English so that they
may become good citizens Of Hawaii.
Most - the children, after leaving
school, will be isolated from the Eng.
lish speaking people, and viii asso
ciate chiefly with men of their own
race. therefore the contact with west.
ern civilization will be. lost and insted
of becoming Americanized they will
lapse back into their native custom
an civilization. -5s !
Needs On Plantations.
The educational needs of the plan.
tation may be summarized as follows:
/. Night schools are needed in each
large village. to give. the laborers a
chance to acquire higher knowledge