The Irish standard., 1910-06-11
THE WORK OF
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Official Educational Reports for the
Year Ending in June, 1908,
Annalized.
By Rev. Thomas F. Coakley, D. D.,
in an Address Delivered at
Pittsburg, Pa.
Facts and Figures Deduced Which
Go to Show the Injustice of
Double Taxation.

Work in the parochial schools and
the question of school taxation for
Catholics formed the basis Of an ad-
dress delivered Sunday night, May %,
before the Federation OF Catholic So
cieties of Pittsburg, Pa, by the Rev.
Thomas F. Coakley, D. D..
In analyzing the official educational
reports forS the year ending June, 1908,
Father Coakley said that there We're
in round numbers $4,000 children EN-
rolled in all the schools of Greater
Pittsburg. or this number, $4,000 are
in the public schools, and $4,000 are in
the Catholic parochial schools. In
other words, % per cent, or practi
caly one fourth, of all the children Of
school age In the city of Pittsburg do
not enter a public school for any part
of their education, and there is every
reason to believe that they never will
the children of school age in Pittsburg
receive no part of their secular or ele-
mentary education from the public
schools of that community. This army
of $4,000 children now being educated
in the ffty-seveh Catholic parochial
| schools Of the city simply means that
of all the children of school age, one
out Of every four receives all of it's
secular educa ton without any expense
to the city.
Saves to the City.
! For the year ending June, 1908, the
city of Pittsburg spent the enormous
sum of $s,20o.ooo for the maintenance
of it's public schools. This outlay wax
for the education Of but $4,000 chill
dren in the public schools alone, and
it does not include the cost of educat-
ing the $4,000 Catholic children in the
parochial schools. More than $3,O00,-
900 for $4,000 children, means in round
numbers that every child attending
the public schools of Pittsburg costs
the city $44 per year to educate.
In the city of Pittsburg there are
fifty seven Catholic parochial schools
educating $4,000 children, all the way
from kindergarten through the pri-
mary and elementary grades up to the
high school, for which Catholics re-
ceive not one penny from the city. AS
a consequence the Catholic citizens
saved to the city last year the colossal
sum of over 100000
Thirty-six Millions a Year.
For the entire country, the facts and
figures become far more convincing
and still more eloquent. There are
within the limits of these United
States 1,237,O00 children attending the
Catholic parochial schools. The Unit
ed States commissioner of education
80, 1909, gives the total expenditures
for schools throughout the country as
1871 100000, and the total attendance
at over 10000, 900 children. This make.
the cost per child per year to educate
practically $3055. On this basis the
Catholics of the United States save the
nation every year the stupendous sum
of s3e,ooo.ooo.
Occasionally in century, one OF
two individuals may stand out on the
horizon Of history as the result of a
prncely gift of many millions to the
cause of education. The names OF
several great philanthropists have be-
come household words in educational
circles, as If their donations had never
been paralleled in the long annals OF
the world. And yet the Catholics OF
these United States have been quietly
contributing for generations a sum far
in excess of the great fortunes donat-
ed by private citizens. What are the
contributions of Rockefeller or A
treasure of double taxation expended
year after year by our Catholic people
in order to educate their children ac-
cording to the dictates of their con-
sciences.
! Not a Religious Question.
This is not a religious question al
ALL 1t is matter of simple justice