The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-11-02
S APPEAL
FOR SUPPORT OFvOTERs.
Schools to Vote for Compul-
sorry Education.
DECIDE QUESTION To.MoRRoW
II Adopted, All Children Between
Eight and Twelve Years Will Be
Required to Attend Public. or Pri-
vate School for Twelve Weeks.

Y l. = II . Il . Is . -
According to n bulletin made public
Yesterday by the PrincipaIs' Club of !
the Richmond Public Schools. 1861 OF
Richmond's total population. or .a.2 per
cent of all persons ten years old and
over, nre illiteratc. The iilIteracy OF
the State at large. counting only per-
sons twenty-one years old and over, is
stated to be III per cent
The bulletin. makes a pointed com
parison between the iiteracy standing
OF Virginia and States which have In
force compulsory education laws,
Among the compulsory education states
cited arc New York. with an illiterscy
standing of s per cent MASSACHUSETTS,,
81 per cent: Washington, 2,4 per cent.
and Iowa. where only 81 per cent of
all persons twenty one years old and
older arc iiliterate.
HAS REDUCED ILLITERAcY
IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Most English. German and French
speaking Countries II is pointed out,
have had compulsory education for n
quarter Of n century. In Engipnd
, illitcracy has been reduced TO l.5 per
cent: in Germany. to q per cent. and
| in France TO per cent In the Uh.te.t
States the illiteracy for the country
at large Is 1o.1 per, cent. and for the
cities. 81 per cent" *
Thirty-nine States in this country;
the bulletin asserts. have compulsory
education laws which have been in
force from one to twenty nve years In
the thirty-uine States where compul.
sorry education obtains the illtteracy.
computed on the basis OF ten years OF
ago and upwards. varies from i to
, 10 per cent. In states that are without,
such laws. the illiteracy varies from
| 10 to 20 per cent.
The compulsory education REFER
sendun,. which will be submitted to the
voters of the city tomorrow. lis the 3
result of campaign inauguratcd by
the Principale's Club and indoraed by the
ICity School Board. The president OF
the club is w C. Blnkcy. principal OF
Jefferson School The bulletin was pre-
pulsory education committee. composed
OF Ernest Shaven, Bellevue School
chairman; s. d. Turner, Armstrong
High School: J. r. Walker, Buchanan
Schools Agar voolfolk, Springfield
School. and a. c.. Locker, John Marshall
Night High School.
PRINCIPALS APPEAL. 81
TO VOTERS TO AID WORK
In categorical arrang ement Of OBJ;
5ections and answers. the bulletin
meets the more important argu-
ments advanced against compulsory
education and appeals to the ministers.
teachers and organizations OF the city
to aid In the dissemination of informa-t
tion on this question in order that
every citizen may vote intelligentiy on
to-morrow's referendum.
The child Is entitled to an educa-
ton" the bulletin asserts. "bethuse
the greatest handicap that can befaile
ans person in modern social and bust
| ness life is illiterecy; because his
wage-earning capacity increases in
proportion to his progress In cducasion:
and because compulsory school law
Will force the State to provide for de-
linquent and backward children.s
I'm every community will be FOUND
parents. who are careless about their
duty to their children and the States and
compulsory education Is n means to tn
duce such parents to meet their obliga-y
tons o4their children and society.
ONLY 05 PER CENT OF CHILDREN
- ARE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Only 65 per cent OF the children of
the public schools, and only 81 per
cent of these etf cyu regularly. Irregu-
lar attendance 10 the greatest draw
back to efficiency in schSol work. Regu-
lar attendants are held back by. the ir-
regular. and the irregular get practi-
cally nothing from the States expendi-
ture in their behalf. S.. f5ts I y s.s 7
,."Oft the children enrolled in5g the
first grade of the city of Richmond
each year. about 81 per cent are lost l.
from the schools before they com plet
the elementary school course. Compul-
sory education Will largely prevent this |
less to the schools" f5ys 49, ~ Is
= Should this law become effective by :
!, the vote of the4citizens OF Richmond,
every child between the ages OF elght
and twelve Will be required to attend
either a public or private school for Mt
least twelve weeks each year, unless
excused by the school authorities for
cause. < a ~
Tho ballot will read:
For Compulsory Education. 81 (;
Agninst Compulsory Educntion.
To vote for the law, mark out
against Conpulsory EducatIonpS r.