Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-06-12
4 WONDERFUL CALCULATION.

A WONDERFUL CALCULATION.
Dexter A. Hawkins, Esq, Of this city, |
makes the following impressive and sug-
zcstive statements in public address;
Thirty years ago I saw the Neapolitan
carrying their small Handmade
bottle-shaped cheeses in strings OF two or
three dozen, on their backs, from the pas
lures of the Apprentices to the market IN
their beautiful city by the sea.
Three years ago next September, while
standing on the snowy crest Of Pixies
Peak, in the Rocky Mountains, l4,40o
feet high, railroad train in the valley
below, but in full view, putting across
the broad acres Of cheese-ranch, the
property of son Of New England. 1t
halted at the door Of his cheese-factory,
was soon loaded with the whole summers
produce of his dairy, and then steamed
away twenty-five hundred miles to New
York, where in few days it delivered,
in perfect condition, its tons Of rich,yel-
low freight, cheaper per pound than the
Italian peasant was able to carry his q
hundredth part Of the distance. But the
selections Of the herds Of cows for this
Colorado ranch, their care and manage
ment, the milking machines, the scientif-
ic processes Of cooling and curdling the
milk and the preparation-pressinS, pre-
serving aud boxing the cheeses and their
shipment-all require knowledge.
Can we determine how much this knowl.
edge adds to the value Of human labour'
In 1870, the Commissioner Of Educa-
ton at Washington sent out series OF
carefully drawn, comprehensive and
searching questions, to the great centres
oflabour in all parts of the United States.
These centres were so selected as TO re-
present every kind Of labor, from the
rudest and simplest up to the most skill
ed. The object Of the question was to
determine the relative productiveness OF
literate illiterate labor. When the an
swers came back they were tabulated, re-
duced and generalized, so as to get at the
average result over the whole country.
This investigation-one OF the most inter-
esting ever marlborough clearly TO
light the following facts:
LIST. That an average free common
school education, such as is provided in
all the States where the free common
school has become permanent insiitu-
ton, adds fifty per cent. to the productive
power of the labourer considered as a
mere machine Of production.
I'd. That the average academical edu
cation adds one hundred per cent.
Sd. That the average collegiate or uni
versity education adds from two to three
hundred per cent. to his average annual
productive capacity, to say nothing of the
vast increase to his manliness-to his
Godlikeness.
BY the census of 1880 we had in the
United States four million two hundred
and four thousand three hundred and
sixty-two (4,2o4, 1862 illiterate adults
white and colored. Now putting their
labor at the minimum annual value Of one
hundred dollars each-which is far be-
low the average for the wages of manu-
featuring operatives including fifteen per
cent. of women and children, as shown
by the census of 1880, average S345
each per year and the annual loss to
these persons-from the lack Of at least
common school education-would be
fifty dollars each. This for the whole
number of four millions two hundred
and four thousand and three hundred and
sixty-two, is two hundred and ten mill
ions of dollars per year; a sum twice as
large as the entire annual expenditure
for public education in the whole coun-
try. This sum-two hundred and ten
million Of dollars-is clear annual loss
to these illiterates and to the communion
by reason of their illiteracy.-N. Y. o.
Serrer