The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1920-09-17
Transportation OF
Scholars Favored
Supervisor Fleming And Superinten-
dent MacCaughey Give Expression
Of Views On Duty Owed To Rising
Generation

Three of the five Makawao school
girls who feared they would be unable
to secure high school education have
secured boarding places in Paia and
are enabled to attend Maui High and
Gramma: school. The days when
they had to walk ten miles a day to
and from school have passed. But
the question Of transportation for chill.
dren remote from school, for those
who have finished a six grade school
and want to attend an eight grade
school or eighth grade graduates who
would attend high school but live off
the railroad and beyond walking dis
tance remains unsettled. There is
promise that legislative appropriations
to meet such conditions will be sought
at the regular session.
Supervisor Urges Action
Supervisor David T. Fleming last
Friday afternoon expressed his views
on the question. Children are en-
titled to an education" he said, "and
it should be made possible for them
to attend school even If their homes
are remote. It's duty this genera.
ton owes to posterity to educate the
next generation and parts of these Is
lands are now in process of develop
ment, remote from settlement and
large schools. | want to see trans
portation furnished such children and
would vote for it, but it is not for the
supervisors from the funds they have.
The money should come from the
funds raised by school taxes. | hope
money for such purposes will be ap-
propriated next year. 1t is important,
especially so on Maui"
Vaughan MacCaughey, superinten-
dent of public instruction, was in Maui
over SunG-sssand on Monday discuss
ed the question said he would
favor legislation to fui nrSh funds for
of scholars residing at
a distance from school too great for
them to walk.
Mr.. MacCaughey outlined the situa-
ton. He said that on West Hawaii
there were sections where the popula-
ton had been constantly decreasing.
Schools were abandoned and it was
cheaper to furnish transportation than
to maintain the old schools.
In new communities some one room
schools had been built but he was op-
posed to that system. To build and
equip a one room school, secure the
land, ETC., cost almost as much as for
a three room school, The preliminary
expense was proportionately too great,
the difference being in teachers salary
only.
Mainland Experiences
On the mainland, he said, the Gus
tom of furnishing transportation was
Usually there would be op-
position to it on the ground of eX-
pense but wherever it was tried the
plan stuck, the community and the
tax payers were we'll satisfied.
Mr.. MacCaughey recognized that on
Maui such conditions as occurred at
Makawao would grow more common,
as well as the necessity of enabling
children to complete eight grades. 1T
is a question of whether we shall
educate children, no matter what their
ancestry may be, TO become intelligent
and good citizens or not. The
investment in citizenship and Ameri-
canism is worth the money Our
children will have to live with those
children who will have equal rights
with them. Will we assure our chill
dren of an intelligent community in
which to live? The problem of educa-
ting children of Oriental parentage
and making them into true Americans
is our problem. We must face it. 1t
costs money, but it has to be met.
II hope legislation for transporta-
tion will be sought and l hope it will
be passed"
Maui Women Help
Mr.. MacCaughey considers Maui
fortunate in securing practically full
corps of teachers when 80 were lost
by new transport rulings and the non
sailing of the Great Northern as ez-
pected. He says Maui can thank its
member of the board of instruction
and its supervising principal for fore
sight, persistence and insistence and
especially can thank the Woman's Club
which sent letters to all the prospec-
tive teachers and made them feel that
they were coming into a community
that stood ready to welcome them and
make them feel at home.