Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-03-28
WHAT ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF
HAWAII?

In resigning from the faculty Of tue College
of Hawaii at the request of the college officials
Professor Jared g. Smith expressly invites
public discussion of the kind of agricultural
training which the college should give its
pupils.
He himself takes the attitude that the col
lege work should be directed "mainIy to
ward fitting students TO enter plantation work.
The animal husbandry courses at the college
he does not regard as important or their re;
suits as justification Of the emphasis given them
in the curriculum.
He says that lit has seemed to me that IN
sfrrlction should follow the lines indicated by
the principal industries of Hawaii, that the
first aim should be to satisfy the educational
requirements of the Young men who expect to
grow more sugar per acre at less cost, more and
better pineappleS, coffee, rice and other,crOps,
andthat "the day may come when students de
mand instruction in dairying, poultry raising
pg9eeding and other similar lines. 1t will be
a good day for Hawaii when that demand
sarises, but it has not arisen and may not for
another generation"
For the failure of the courses to attract more
students, several causes are doubtless contrib
utory, none of which is proof that the courses
should not be given One of these causes, it
seems obvious is explained in Prof Smith 5
own frank statement that Il have neither the
aptitude nor the enthusiasm necessary to be-
come highly successful instructor. /
ought not to have attempted to become Ia
teacher and his further statement as publish
ed this morning, that 81 am not an animal hus-
bandry enthusiast and do not profess up-to-the-
Ia. p lof,
ing'' etc.
The college is still Young; it is pioneering the
way. and il is facing problems which agricul-
tural institutions on the mainland do not have
to face. Chief of these, from the standpoint
of getting students in the animal husbandry
courses, is the fact that Hawaii's industrial at
tendon is centered almost exclusively upon raw
sugar production. But ffis very Tact is what
makes it vitality necessary for some agency to
pioneer the way toward diversified farming.
For that which is HaWaii,s arm of strength
now-the highly developed production of a
world staple bringing high prices -might con
ceivably some day be Hawaii's weakness. Any
blow to sugar now hits the whole territory
hard 5s
The pros and cons of diversified farming
have been thrashed out long ago. Each dis
cussion has resulted in the conclusion that Ha-
waii should have more of such farming There
should be more opportunities in agriculture for
thesmall land-holder The fact is sef-e4ident
and is beyond the stage of debate. =.
Governor Pinkham s timely figures few
months ago showed the startlingly small
amount of public land available for entry and
the smaller amount suitable for cane growing.
That focused attention on the necessity for
pioneer education in making the most of what
Hawaii has. 6Faa 81
President Dean of the College of Hawaii and
President Waterhouse of the board of agrieul-
ipre and forestry in detailed statement upon
epresent status of diversified farming showed
that outside Of cane and pineapples no crop
has proved itself likely staple for Hawaii.
That also focused attention upon the neces-
sityto making the most of what Hawaii has
That dairying and ig-breeding are not con-
siderable Industries now is one of the best pos
@'bIt reasons for the College of Hawaii to under
take the problem of pioneer education 7aIong
these lines. The demand for milk and butter
|D1Iinues to grow; the demand for pork and
|1con continues to grow. And there are other
|easons aside from the normal situation Al