Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-19
Defective School System.

times as much as she buys from that coun-
try. If we had similar steamship facilities
we might have similar trade.
Defective School System.
In his inaugural message to congress
President Penna recommended the entire
reorganization of the school system, which
has been incomplete and defective. the in
crease of school houses an Improvement in
the qualifications of teachers and the es-
Establishment of additional number OF
technical and professional schools, in order
that the youth of the country may pre-
pare themselves for lives of usefulness.
or all the problems that demand attention
education and finance are the most urgent :"
he said. President Penna did wise thing
when, before his inauguration he spent
several months travelling through the inte-
rlor of the country, investigating for him
self the conditions and necessities of the
various states. He is thus prepared to adj
wise congress upon matters of legislation.
and is urging thorough reform in the school
system. which has been much neglected
that no statistics regarding the number of
schools or the attendance of children can
be obtained. The census of 1900 gave
S,3Go,997 as the number of lliterates which
was 81 per cent of the population as re-
turned al the same census. and no further
information has been acquired by the edu-
cational department sirce. The constitu-
ton of the republic guarantees free pr-
duty is intrusted to the state and munich
pal authorities, except in the federal dis
trict. Higher education is controlled
by the central government, which supports
no university, but has two schools of medi-
cine. four of law a school of mines a poIy-
technc school, a school of engineering
four military schools and a naval school
1t is proposed to establish agricultural
schools at several of the state capitals, and
technical schools at various other cities.
under the of the federal government,
and, as l have said the entire educational
system will be reorganiZed.
Notwithstanding the dcplorable condition
of education, Brazil has produced several
famous poets, authors, novelsts historians
and eminent writers upon Jurisprudence
and economical questions, and her musicians
have contributed many superior and pOpu-
lar compositions II the musical Libraries
of the world You will remember that an
opera by a Brazilian composer that was
produced in Chicago during the exposition
in 1893 was enthusiastically received. 1t is
also interesting to know that many of the
principal statesmen the presidents, vice
presidents, cabinet ministers and members
of the Brazilian congress have been Journal
lists and authors. 1t has been asserted that
the newspaper profession has contribute ed
more leaders to the political history of
Brazil than any other except the law. Rio
de Janeiro has 1Sae morning AID three even
ing papers, all of them ably conducted and
widely read, with several weeklies.
Rapid Growth of Population.
The population of Brazil is growing very
rapidly. In 1880, when the latest regular
census was taken. there were A.
souls; now it is estimated that there are
- l00. eco and immigration is coming in at
BE- rate of about 10000 year, mostly
! bm Italy. Portugal and the Azores and
nnary islands.
There are more than a million Germans
and persons of German ancestry in Brazil :;
100000 in the state of Rio Grande do Sui !;
10000 in the state of Parana and SO 900
in the state of Santa Caterina
The commerce of the country is also
growing with equal rapidity. During the
nine months ending September 30, 1906, the
latest statistics we have. the exports were
valued at Sl6S, 922,9lI, an increase from
S149El $40 for the same period of the pre-
vious year. and $3.50. 592. 100 for the CORE
spending period of the year 1902.
Coffee the largest export being
valued at 74,235, 600 during the first nine
months of the year 1906, against SOC G95,
800 during the corresponding period of the
year 1905.
The exports of rubber jumped from S46,-
$40 to $4S.576,565 the exports of yerba-
mate. the South American tea, from 3d.
954,6l5 to $6,492. $50. and the exports of
cotton from S., 664 30 to Sc 0tl5 9S5