New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-12
EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH.
~ TOLMAN SMITH TELLS OF THE I'M
PORTANCE OF THE LATE
CONVENTION.
THE EVIDENCE OF PROGRESS is SEEN EVERY

THE EVIDENCE OF PROGRESS is SEEN EVERY
WHERE AND IILITERACY is DECLINING.
speaking OF the recent meeting OF the Southern
Educational Association at New-Orleans. A. Toll
man Smith, of the Bureau of Education at Wash
inston and writer for THE Independent" says:
The subject OF chief consideration the pres
ent state and promise OF education In the South,
and there a noticeable tendency the part
OF Southern educators admit the deficiency OF
provision and the evils which this entails. DIR.
Harris. United States Commissioner of Education.
naturally dwelt on the evidences OF educational
progress. These OF interest to the whole coun-
try as they show the efforts TO overcome the
alarming conditions of illiteracy that first
clearly exposed In the OF 1880. DR.. Harris
cited the following significant statistics: In 1857
the enrolment in the schools of the Southern
States was 2f72,l07 little more than IA per cent
OF the whole population white and colored In
cluded): five years later the ratio had risen to II
per cent. and in 1892 1t reached NA per cent. and
despite the fact that the five years following were
years of special business depression, a further
though slight advance made. In 1897 the
total enrolment 1898 orc. 81 1-3 per cent OF
the population.
THE population OF the South Is chiefly rural.
which explains In part the short school year OF
that section. In this particular also there has been
progress. the increase in twenty years being fifteen
days. rise from 81 to 1906 days duration The
Commissioner. consists In this: 1T enables the
citizen who shares in the productions OF his fell
low-men to know his fellows and understand
their views Of the world. 1t enables him to know
their opinions and TO share In their spiritual pro-
auctions we'll in their material productions.
1t enables him to participate In the formation OF
a national and international public opinion.
We may be sure that when one In five OF the
population goes to school 'lO2 days in the year
pretty nearly all the people will be able to read.
and will read the newspapers and know public
opinion on all subjects Instead OF village GOSSIP
dice. you are bound have people who see the
issues Of the day through the eyes Of the West
South. >. The wider the public opinion. the
more It winnows and purifies the minds OF the
"The Increase of high schools and the Increase
in the number of university students were also
ION the financial side 1T appears that the total ct,
expenditure for education in the South was 81 =
for all the inhabitants but in 1897 it had risen to
the Value Of School PEP oet trebled The school
funds Of the South are derived chiefly from state
in the funds derived from local taxation. and the
cities and large Villages nd fTTn: .ob6 56e che'
I'm his further discussion OF these important
changes the Commissioner traced the ecoh ea n
bearings OF popular education. showing ciea ih
It's relations to the productive power ana me
earning cspSSy Of Pe9p nearly twee he e
age schooling per ndividua produces ,p meafy
quite twice the amount or Weatn per luulNlu-
ual compared with the Nations average lnVen-
ton and the use OF abor-saving machines are
| characteristic of an educated people, and these
| Increase wealth Each inhabtant OF Russia pro
| duces less than l3 cents day. almost eXactyy
| one-ouarter as much the citizen or the united
| States: Itaiy, Spain and Austria. about 20 cents
| day All the countries here named are COM
| naratively small users OF steam and machinery
Most important OF all the revelations of the census
as regards the South is that OF the increase l o
the increase OF the facilities for transportation
The peculiar condlons %n'v We're recognized by
several speakers but the threatening aspect wnicn
| the race problem presents In several states "dS
| avoided"