Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-11-03
LIBERALS CRYING
needs EDUCATION.

Educational Conditions in Little
Republic Are Not Of Best.
APPROPRIATIONS SMALL
VERY LITTLE MONEY, EXPENDED
az GOVERNMENT FOR THE
EDUCATION OF LIRERlAN Chill,
DREN.
Monrovia, Liberia.-The state de-
partment has been apprised Of the
early coming of Reid Paige Clark. re
Gently designated by President Tart
to serve under the general direction
Of the government of Liberia as col
lector general of customs. Both the
government officials and the citizens
generally are deeply grateful TO the
American government for keeping ne.
fore them the program recommended
by the late commissioners OF the
United States, looking to the rehabi.
litation Of Liberia as an independent
government.
Liberia needs all the help she can
secure along the lines recommended
by the American commission, but
what 1t needs quite as much Is AID
from philanthropic sources to help TO
establish school system which shall
serve to put within the reach OF every
child in Liberia at least primary and
secondary education. A resume OF
educational conditions in Liberia may
BE of interest.
Largely as q result of the pitiaDle
condition of the Liberian finances. edu-
cation within the republic is in de-
7lorable state. Owing to the fact
that there has been for years large
iloating debt, it is extremely difficult
% ascertain with any degree OF &C
.rracy what have been the real cash
seceipts Of the government IN recent
Years. A certain part of this debt
has been cancelled each year, out
new debt often greater in amount mas
been created to take the place OF that
which has been cancelled. L1berlan
public finances is under the bondage
of this debt. A business man with
good credit may and does find a profit
in keeping in debt when he Is con-
stantly increasing his means OF pay
ment, But let his ventures become
Improbable, SO that the debt grows
faster than means Of payment, and no
soon finds himself engulfed,
Finances IN Pltiable Condition
The case is rarer where a govern
ment can maintain floating debt In
definitely, because its use OF its re-
sources is not as a rule profitable IN
the sense Of profit making. In rare
cases does government expenditure re-
suit in an enhancement of government
receipts. In Liberia this floating debt
is not contracted, as In the case o.
governments with well ordered
finances, by means Of the Issue o.
short-term obligations. but through
advances in goods by the local
merchants. It is needless to say that
these goods are charged to the gov
eminent at exorbitant prices, and.that
as the floating debt increases and the
prospect of payment becomes more
remote, the prices increase
This may seem to be wandering q
long way from education, but the point
which seems essential at the outset IS
a clear comprehension Of the fact that
debt charges, direct or indirect, alb
sorb a large proportion OF the Ltberlan
revenues. Estimating these nominal
receipts of the last few years at $780,
900, 1t is quite safe to assume that
not more than $250,0OO is in reality
available either in the form OF cash
or credit for the general purposes OF
the government. !.
With population variously esti-
mated at 100000 to 100000, the
problem Of administering a govern
ment with no more than $780, 900 a
year is no easy task. however primi-
tive the government may be. The
maintenance Of a framework OF gov
eminent and the preservation Of peace
and order make formidable demands
upon SO meager a pittance. However
high among the functions OF govern
ment we may rate the care OF public
education, 1t is clear that it is not 50
imperious demand upon the public
purse as these fundamental conditions
of any body polite. If, then, as In
the case of Liberia, the public purse
is SO shallow that these imperious
demands almost drain its contents, 1t
is not to be wondered at that little
is done for public education.
only $4,000 Appropriated Annually
for Elementary shcools.
Theoretically, the Liberians recog-
nize the value Of education and the
duty Of the state to provide it. Prac-
tically, the state can offer so little
and that little Of SO poor quality
that the people take only q half.
hearted interest in It. The annual
appropriation bills carry $4,000 for
public elementary schools, and q sub
sidy Of s12,5Ot for Liberia college.
Of this $25, 900 for public schools very
little lis actually available, and very
little is spent AS q conseque
the few schools maintained are woe
fully deficient Teachers are wholly
unframed. or knowledge they have
very little; Of anything but the most
haphazard and casual methods Of Inn
parting 1t, nothing at all. 5as
Liberia college, like the denomina-
tional colleges Of Liberia, is primarily
an elementary school, with so-called