The Colorado statesman., 1911-10-28
LIBERALS CRYING
needs EDUCATION
Educational Conditions in Little
Republic Are Not Of Best
APPROPRIATIONS SMALL
VERY LITTLE MONEY EXPENDED
by GOVERNMENT FOR THE
EDUCATION OF LIeERlAN Chill
DREN.

Dartment has been apprlseu Vi '
carly coming of Reid Paige clark, re
Gently designated by President IalI
IN serve under the general direction
of the government of Liberia as col
1actor general of customs. Both the
government officials and the cltizens
generally are deeply grateful 10 tne
American government for keeping De-
fore them the program recommendeu
bv the late commissioners OF the
limited States. looking to the rehapl'
litation of Liberia as an Independent
government
Liberia needs all the help she can
secure along the lines recommehueu
by the American commission put
what it needs quite as much Is alu
from philanthropic sources to help 10
establish a school system which shah
serve to put within the reach OF every
child in Liberia at least primary ana
secondary education. A resume Oh
educational conditions in Liberia may
be of interest.
Largely as a result of the pitiapie
condition of the Liberian finances edu-
cation within the republic is in de-
nlOra BILE state. OWlhS ~
that there has been for years larse
floating debt, it is extremely dlnncult
TO ascertain with any degree OF ac-
curacy what have been the real cash
receipts of the government In recent
wears. A certain part of this DEBT
has been cancelled each year, Dut
new debt often greater in amount mas
been created to take the place OF thal
which has been cancelled. Llperlan
nublic finances is under the bondage
of this debt. A business man with
good credit may and does find a pront
in keeping in debt when he is con-
stantly increasing his means OF pay
mont But let his ventures become
Improbable, so that the dept slo~e
faster than means of payment, anu he
soon finds himself engulfed.
Finances in Pitiable Condition
f. The case is rarer where a govern
mont can maintain floating debt IN
definitely. because its use OF It's 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 dept
is not contracted, as in the case Oh
governments with well oroereu
finances, by means of the issue OF
sbortterm obligations, but through
advances in goods by the local
merchants. 1t is needless to say that
these goods are charged to the gov
ernment at exorbitant prices, ana that
as the floating debt increases ana the
prospect of payment becomes more
remote, the prices increase
This may seem to be wandering
long way from education, but the point
which seems essential at the outset is
n clear comprehension of the fact that
debit charges, direct or indirect, aD-
sorb a large proportion of the Liperian
revenues. Estimating these nomlnai
receipts of the last few years at S3oo,-
600, it is quite safe to assume that
not more than S250000 is in reality
available either in the form of cash
or credit for the general purposes OF
the government.
With a population variously esti-
mated at 100000 to 100000, the
problem of administering a govern
ment with no more than $25O,OOO
year is no easy task, however primi-
tive the government may be. The
maintenance of a framework of gov
ernment 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 pubic
education, it is clear that 1T is not SO
imperious a 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 CT education and the
duty of the state to provide it. Prac-
tically, the state can offer SO little
and that little of SO poor a quality
that the people take only a hair
hearted interest in it. The annual
appropriation bills carry $4,000 for
public elementary schools, and sub
sidy of $12,50O for Liberia college.
OF this $4,000 for public schools very
little is actually available, and very
little is spent. AS consequence,
the few schools maintained are woe
fully deficient. Teachers are wholly
unframed OF knowledge they have
very little; of anything but the most
haphazard and casual methods of i'm
parting it, nothing at all.
Liberia college. like the denomina-
tional colleges of Liberia, is primarily
an elementary school, with so-called
college attachment. In its upper
reaches it covers the ground of
high school in a very imperfect and
superficial manner.