Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-29
ABOUT TEN PER CENT
EXTENT OF ILLITERACY IN THE
COUNTRY.

According to a bulletin issued today by
the census bureau about 100 persons out
| of 900 in the United States, over ten
| years old are unable to write. which is
| equivalent to about one in ten. OF the
| native white population only 46 out of
every 1000, or fewer than one in twenty:
of the foreign born whites, 1913 out of
every 1000, and of the negroes AS out
OF every 1000 are illiterate.
International comparisons. restricted SO
far possible to corresponding classes
| of the population, are on the whole favor
able to this country. indicating that in
most European countries illiteracy is
much more prevalent than it is here. al
though the United States is still far be-.
hind Germany, Sweden and Norway. Den
mark and Switzerland. There is also
ground for satisfaction in the statistical
evidence that illiteracy is steadily being
reduced. In 1890 the number of Hitter
ates per 900 was 1873 for the total popu-
laton, O. for the native white population.
100 for the foreign born white and sos
for negroes Indians and Mongolians.
Women More Illiterate.
The female sex is shown to be more il
literate than the male, the illiteracy for
females being 112 per 1000 and for males
101. But the contrast is less marked than
1t was in $780, when the illiteracy for the
two sexes was 144 and 123 respectively
In explanation of the fact that the girls
have caught up with the boys it is sug-
gested that boys are less subject to par
entail control than girls and more prone
to play truant; and that they are also
more frequently required to contribute
TO the family income by becoming wage
carriers when they should be in school
Commenting on this condition, the bule-
tin says
Thus the changes which are in progress
Dpi1t n the coming of a time when females
of all ages will be less iliterate than the
males. They also point to the coming of
time in the more remote future when illite
racy for all classes will have practically
disappeared and equality of the sexes in
this respect will thus be restored in a mill
lennium of literacy.'
City People Less Illiterate.
In the country the iliteracy among chill
dren is 50 per thousand in the city, using
this term to designate collectively cities of
over $1,000 inhabitants 1t is only 10 per
thousand. The contrast is least in the
north Atlantic states In this section child
illferacy in the city is per thousand and
in the country per thousand. In the south
the difference is very marked. In the south
Atlantic division, 81 and 1913 for city and
country, respectively, and in the south CEN
trail, 40 and Isl per thousand. Illiteracy is
in general greater in the south than in the
north for all classes of the population. Per
maps the ldITtSl OASIS OF comparison De
tween the two sections is that for native
white children living in cities of over 81, coo
inhabitants. In the north Atlantic division
the illiteracy for this class of children is
21, and in the north central 10; in the
south Atlantic division it is SO, and in the
south central, 1871
There are fewer illiterates among the
children of foreign-born parents than
among those of natives. owing it is said
to the fact that a greater proportion of
them live in cities.
Illiteracy in the District
The standing of the District according to
the proportion of illiterate among native
white children ten to fourteen years of age
is exceedingly creditab bic. The rank of the
District is third, being exceeded only by
Washington and Connecticut, who are tied
for first place. In those two states the IL
hterates per 1880 native white children
number Is, in the District, 81 In the ten
years from 1880 to 1900 the District arose
from the thirteenth place to the third It's
rise in rank exceeded by only seven
states. In 1850 the Districts illiterate chill .
dren numbered 11.5 in 600.