Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-06-17

~ Umematsu Watada. +
in English. -.
2. Libraries and reading rooms
should be placed in the larger villages,
where the people could go in the even.
ing and read. ~e.@
3. Literary societies should be or
gahized among the English-speakfn
young boys and men, so that their
English might be improved and also
TO give them a chance to speak In
public. 49," HI. rs
Not any less important than the
need Of providing the plantation peo-
pie with opportunities Of education,
IS the need Of giving them instruction
and help in religious things-of
teaching them of Christianity and its
ideals.
Churches, Sunday schools and other
religious organizations are very few
on the plantations, and most of them
are isolated from the plantation VII
lagos; there is very little chance for
the laborers to understand Christian.
ity, and therefore their belief in idols
to greater or less extent continues
and will do so indefinitely.
Are We Christians going to let them
drift off into skepticism, irreligion and
immortality with all the CONSEQUENT
evils of a moral ana social nature?-
, Shall the plantation villages be-
come centers Of irreligion with in
creasing unrest, or shall the youth be
won for Christ, and thus insuring the
Christianization of all? We are now
reaching the formative period of the
plantation community. What the pre-.
sent generation of young people be-
comes will determine that of those
which follow. Should we fail to win
this present generation for Christ, will
| 1t be possible in any general way to
win their children? zass- .
Such are some of the considerations
that make the aggressive work of the
Christian church, Sunday schools and
religious organizations seem so i'm.
peratiye Just now. ~. .s... :
Religious Influences. ..,... - .a.-
What then are the steps that should
be taken for. the Christianization of
the rising generation? venture a
few suggestions: ..".s. ..-..g. LII
l. Churches and Sunday schools
should be built in each large village
so that every person would have a
| chance to attend religious meetings
2. Able pastors should be secured
to preach the Gospel and visit from
house to house at his leisure, and to
give the laborers instruction and help
along religious things. ~e~.... Al
| 3. Adequately trained Hawaiian.
born Sunday school teachers, who are
able to co<Ie into contact with the
young laborers better than the teach.
ers from the Orient should be secured.
4. Special effort should be laid to
reach the youth IL years of age and
| upward, because they are the ones
who are going to represent Hawaii in
the future
Life on the plantation today has lit
tie to interest the people or develop a
community spirit. and without outside
aid it is. doubtful if much progress
would ever be made to better condi-
tons along these lines. Our duty is
not done when we provide them with
educational and religious advantages,
we must also give them amusements
and provide them with those things
which will make life more interesting,
and tend to develop a community
spirit
Indeed, social gatherings for all the
! plantation laborerS is the best form
of an organization to bring about a
| community spirit. 1t will not only
help the laborers TO respect their own
race but to respect and have a mutual
understanding between the different
! races.
Clean Sport Desirable.
If each village should put up a team
of baseball and challenge the other viii
lagos plantation life would be more
interesting. But care must be taken
to make the people play the game for
the sake of the sport and not for the
sake Of winning at any price.
Thus, by providing educational, re-
ligious and social gatherings, planta-
ton life would be happier, and the la
borers would get the training for life
1 right on the plantation when other
! wise they would get none, and the
: level Of citizenship in Hawaii would
be raised accordingly.
! The local Y. NJ. c. A. officers have
| investigated very carefully into the
matter of improving conditions on the
| plantation. They have found out that
the most immediate method is to build
rural Y. NJ. G. A. clubs and to appoint
secretary who will visit from club
to club, giving them help in all lines