The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1920-01-16

educational problems extremely difficult For example the outstanding
characteristics If the bulk of the people of this Territory today re as follows:
am speaking 10Y of the mass of the people, in cumulative terms, taking
a majority in each case. The population of the Hawaiian Islands at thu
Christian, riterate, LandIess and Homeless. That is the group of character
you ~lc can see that each one g. these presents a very difficult problem from
the educational standpoint. And som of these apply not only to the mass
no ,fni hnIonntna to ono nf y,r local nuni and he was sneak,
ing with reference to the transient character of the population. said to
him Are you referring o the working people?" He said mo; to people
like ourselves" said Don't they stay here; aren't they permanent"
He said you go to their houses and you will find a packingbox under
every house; they are ready to leave!" Every white employee with "a pack
ing box under his house! And that is true. Now you will zee that creates
an abnormal situation; and many of our school problems are rendered very
difficult from this feature have mentioned.
Carefully going back to the seventies eighties, the hawaiian people
were decreasing rapidly; the dropping off was tragic through those years
meeting the needs chiefly of the Hawaiian people, So w had at that time
"a school organization meeting a declining need. For example; schoohouses
confronted with a school total increasing by leaps and bounds; and the old
machinery that was satisfactory in 1880 and 1891 is absolutely inadequate
in 1910 and 1926. And many of o r problems today are due to this ex
uaordnary increase in the school total think the statement is correct
that there are six thousand japanese babies alone; and if you add to that
the increment of other mces-the Portuguese, who re a virne people with
a high reproductive rate. and some of the other people who ar likewise
prolific you will see that thu annual mcrease is very 1apid' Practically
every baby when it reaches the sixth year becomes a first grader so that
in on public schools you will see there is a shortage Of rooms and equip
ment, which comes from these natural causes.
SCHOOL FACILITIES TOO lNELAsTIc
Now the next point l val to bring to your attention is the madequacyI
, 90 mn Ims mo ut ior@a orousT 7 will bav to make these statements
rather dogmatc; and you will pardon me if have to take more of your
time IS ! have to owe a great deal of ground The Hlo Union School
II Hno is badly crowded, and the school ground is inadequate -or the lm
Der of children going 10 school, In other cases the school site are poorly
located, the center of population having changed. This is unsatisfactory and
causes unnecessary difficulties to the children going to school We have
too, a grea many difficulties due to old buildings that long ago ave out
lived their usefulness, I'M 10 supply adequate ROOM, with seVera classes
in oom designed for one class. And this is 10 all over the Territory
Mckinley High School has been seriously congested for the past four or
five years. The outhouses are in such IN unspeakable condition that We
would not tolerate them for III animals, or or He stock, yet we tolerate
them for the children. | am not crnicizmg Maui alone in these matters
as the Honolulu schools are worse than anything you nave on Maui.
The cottage problem has been a serious M With this rapid increase
in the school children has come a corresponding increase in the number
of teachers, and a heavy demand for teachers cottages; and it has been
difficult to keep up with the demand for them. Many Of the cottages built
twenty or thirty years ago are n the last stages Of decay. They should
be scrapped AM nw ones erected.
NOT EDUCATIoN-PoLlcE WORK!
AS to the salaries of teachers, they are o absolutely inadequate. The
Legislature last spring granted what they called an increase OF twenty-five
or thirty Der cent in the salaries, but when you consider the fact that the
cost of living during the wal period increased nearly two hundred percent
you will see the teachers have received n o increase in salary whatever
In other words, public school teachers in the Territory of Hawaii for the
past ten years have been working for diminished salaries. Every time a
teacher who las been teaching TO. the past ten years has gone for her salary
warrant it has been less in actual buying power; and she is poorer today
Session Of the Legislature gives further substantial increases in teachers
VI cannot expect to get adequately trained teachers in the Terri
torial schools. We are paying unceuifed teachers Finyfye dollars a month
Men in thu cane fields with their bonus money are getting a good deal more
than that And this is OF a problem Of Hawaii alone, but a national problem;
all owe the country the same conditions exist. In the matter of the Terri
Cnnfinned nn Ppp Sly