The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-05
THE SCHOOL CENSUS.
A LARGE INCREASE IN SAvAN.
NAR'S SCHOOL CHILDREN.


! The Enumeratlons for the City in the
Hands of SUPP. Baker-More CoIored
Children THAI White-The Percent
age of Iliteracy on the Decrease,
Both Among White and Colored-A
/ Large Addition TO the City's School
Fund.
/ The school census Of Savannah has been
completed, and yesterday the reports and
statistics were filed in the Office of SUpt.
Baker to be passed uIon by the board of
education.
The census takers had until the middle Of
May TO complete their work and make their
report, but they went to work at once, aud
the result is that it has been finished in the
remarkably short period Of seventeen DAYS,
all told. There were nine men engaged in
the work: Messrs. J. S. Mcdowell, G. P.
Thomas, NJ. f. Molina, Douglas Grigor, J.
II. heogh, +. f. Bates, ". W. Carter, a. J.
Brown and Tony Saleedo, and these emu
merators each completed their part of the
work in from t%o TO fifteen days, and made
their report to DIR. A. L. SnOles, under
whose suDerintendence the enumeration
was, and he made the full report 10 Supt.
Baker.
A LARGE INCREASE.
The reports show that there are within
the corporate limits Of Savannah HES
school children, between the ages of 6 and
IS years as follows: In the Old Fort dis
trict, 37S white and o75 colored; in the
southeastern district, 13l white and 800 col
Ored; IL the southern district, 49S white
and 81 colored; in the southwestern
district, $50 white and ,430 colored;
in the north western district $40 white and
1913 colored, and in the central district
3, $50 white AID l,2S2 colored. The city was
divided into the above named districts by
MIR. ShoIes for the purpose Of facilitating
the work. This gives a total Of 5,357 white
school children and 5.5u colored, or
grand total of II, rs against 5, l55 when the
last census was taken, an increase of ,973
in the last five years. IL will lG seen that
the number OF colored school children ia
larger tbau that of tue white, while the
number OF whites in attendance on the
schools is larger than that Of the negroes.
WILL INCREASE THE FUNDS.
This large increase in the school popula-
tion substantiates to q great extent the
claim Of Supt. Baker that tine last census
was improperly taken and badly managed.
1t would be natural 10 expect an increase
in the number, but so large an Increase
seems to indicate that some were omitted in
the former enumeration.
year will insure q large addition to the
city's school fund from the state appropria-
Jion. The state appropriation provides so
much per capita for each child OF school
age in the city or county, as the case may
be, irrespective OF the number III attendance
on the schools, and an increase Of nearly
5000 children will make quite handsome
addition 10 Savanuah's public school fund
from the state Golfers.
The enumerations from the county are ex-
pected also to show largely increased re-
turns which will result in large addition
to these funds.
The reports for the country districts have
not vet been sent in, and it may take some
time to complete the work on account of
the greater distances between the houses.
THE WORK WELL DONE.
The enumerators are required in each
case to sign sworn atfidavits that they have
done their work thoroughly and properly,
and so Jar there seems to be little doubt that
careful work has been done in each instance.
Ia making his report to Supt. Baker MIR.
Sholes saws:
The men selected to do this work
have been thoroughly instructed
III their duties and their enumerations have
been made watchfuily and carefully. l am
satisfied that their duties have been well
and thoroughly performed, and hope that
the work will be found to the satisfaction of
the board"
Supt. Baker says the statistics in regard
to the proportion of illiteracy among the
school children of the city have not yet
been made out, but he is satisfied from a
careful examination of the figures that
there is little or no illiteracy among the
whites. and that the percentage OF illiteracy
among the negroes will show a marked de-
crease as compared with the census Of five
years ago.
The report of the enumerators make q
good showing for Savannah. and will prove
highly beneficial in advancing the interests
Of the cty's public schools both financial
u M Of hnrr-iRa