The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-05-21
PROBLEM OF lllIreRAcY.

solution lies in the development Of 4
special schooling system for unlctter-
ed grown-ups are the points developed
in study which has just been com
! pleted by Dr T. =. ClaXton, United
states commissioner OF education. Or
ClaNton believes that the solution OF
the illileracy problem demands more
than any other problem the Immediate
attention OF educators OF the United
/ states. In speaking recently OF the
conditions or illiteracy and the mean
nag OF ilhtcracy figures, Commission
cr ClaNtou said:
Marching in double line at tn"
tJtv of - miles day. the 5.5lG,OO0
Nitrate persons ten years ot age ana
ever who were counted IN the last
census would require more than two
months, walking night anu day. to
pass given point. This mighty army
would extend over a stretch of Loo
miles. more than the distance from
Washington to Chicago and hair the
way hack asdiu.
A mighty army is this. carrying
banners CO.. bi3CbUos> and darkness. IN
srribcj with IN, legends of illiteracy
ignorance. weakness. hClplossness and
hopcl,Ssucss far too large for the
safety or our Democratic institutions
cor the highest good ot society and
Tor the greatest degree IT material
prosperity oi the country The ignor-
ance of moro than 5,5oO,ooo persons
in the United states. is not wholly or
CHIEFLY their own fault To a large
degree il is due To a lack of oppor-
tunity because ot poverty or negll-
goncy of the state or communities in
which they spent their childhood"
In CHNtou brings cut many inter |
cstius facts connected with the init
cragy problem in the United states,
lie masses the point that the problem
1t adult iHtcracy is no longer one ot
rae, OF OF section. Although percent,
age of ultcracy among native white
persons of the United states is only
rs per cent of the negroes of ten years
or aso and. over who are ilntcratc,
commissioner ruxton shows, how.
ever, that the total number of white
aitcratcs is greater by nearly $4,000
than the total number of negro litter
atc- He brings out the ract that H.
literacy Is not confined to any one see
ton Of the country. and CA this poiu
me says
Massachusetts has 7,5Cs more hit
rate men of voting age than Arkan-
-as. Michigan has 2.G63 moro than
West Virginia, Maryland ha. e,352
more ,han Florida, and PENNSYLVANIA
ras 5.6>9 more than Tennessee and
Kentucky combined The per cent of
'juorHtes in population in New Bed
.ord, Mass is I'll: in Dallas, Tex. I,
loo PassiJc, y J. il is lbs: in Angus.
,a Ga, lo.e. i'm U'Ica y. Y, it is -;
loo Roanoke, Va 80. These figures in
heate Hearty that II all classes of pop
ulation are considered. no section can
lain to rc fire., nom adult illiteracy.
OF tde total number of illtcrates
t56N,0yo live in cities, aud 3.74S.Oog
% rural communities small towns and
rrru country. 90 the ,ity population
- yer cent were iIlitcratr and of the =
mHI ,ppuIatiou lO1 per cent
To solve IN" problem ut iutcracy
$ the great task which educators of
DEE eomtrn must work for today. To
ait Tor d generation Of iIlterate men,
vomen and children to die is slow
nd painful process That there is e
H"rter Way Go the reduction and elm.
milton OF llitcracy has boon proven !
SOM" European states. ana many
purld'. attomrts in this country have
ndHa''o that there is q better way
ler,, and This BIS to teach grovn-ups. :
% SCHOOLS organized especially for
hem, tu rcrd aud write and possibly
onothiu@ mon,
ono of tho most notable recent at e
empts ;o du rbs is that which was 8
gun last fan year ago by Mrs
ORA Wilson Stewart, superintendent
schools ia Rowan county. Ky. who
Established what We now call moon.
rh, schools. because They were held ,
800 moonlight nights The SUCCESS 90 }
ur men and women studying i'm these
,cuturky schools has proven that it is
ot So difficult for ilitoratc own-ups ;
" learn to read and write as is gen
rally supposed They learn to read [
% very short tim If given an
prortunitv Tho experience az
.achiug iu adult schools is that read
.g. writing and arithmetic are sim
lo subjects when mature minds are
upon them"
HIGH COST OF MEAT.