The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-18

The Education OF the Immigrant.
II Is rather more stunning than Inn
pressive when Mr.. T.. y. CLAxToN,
United States Commissioner Of Educn
tion. declares that there is an annual
economic loss 10 the country Of $500
100000 through adult illiteracy. The
figure is II speculative one and based
on an unsound hypothesis. Mr.. CLAN
TON begins by announcing that there
are about 100000 illltcrates in the
country above the age of ten years;
then he estimates the difference be-
tween the earning capacity Of those
who can read and those who cannot at
800 n year. by sum In multiplied
ton we get his result.
But. in the first place, fourteen years
Is the minimum working age through
out the greater part Of the country.
Take the whole population. probably
| 10 or l6 Is the average age when work
begins. Then there are the women
who do not work. probably n numerous
class. chiefly the wives of immigrants
| Finally. there are the 2.5OO.OOO negroes
unable to read or write: 1t is very
doubtful If their earnings would be
! Increase by education. So we may
take 1t for granted that the actual
money loss from this cause is vastly
/ less than Mr. CLAYTON assumes.
/ The loss from illiteracy Is much
greater on the moral side. md here Mr.
CLAxroS Is on perfectly safe ground
when he urges the development of a
system of teaching adults the elemen-
tary branches. The problem in the
Eastern sections Of the country is al
most entirely one of assimilnting i'm
migrants, and 1t Is we'll worth while
spending money and effort TO accom-
plsh IT, 1t may be doubted whether
the effect on earning capacity Will be
very great. bur the results In Ameri-
caniation are sure to be excellent.
While this subject was under discus
sion In the Wooworth Building in this
city on Tuesday another public discus
sion was going Oh in Paterson, y. j., In
which it figured In n highly practical
way. In the course Of the hearing oli
the recent silk mill strike before the
Industrial Relations Commission Mr..
RODNEY MILLER. an Organization ell
gineer," who makes n business OF
studying the relations between master
and man In this country, said that for
elgn labor was the cause of much OF
the prevailing industrial trouble. Tn,
"unassimilnted foreign laborers' are
to his mind so serious an impeachment
that he proposes to restrict immigration
until what we have can be made ovei
into American ways of thinking.
The usefulness Of adult education to
this end can hardly be questioned. one
speaker at the Woolworth Building con
ference presented another strong argu
ment. non industrial but of high mora
Importance Miss MARY l.. BRADY
principal of Public School NJ, told o
class of fifteen illlterate mothers wh'
were receiving instruction an hour {
day. Six weeks ago they didn't un
uprSluDu FsuGllSn IloN lHts 'Hh Sl'Vuf
and read It. Some Of them are teach
ing their husbands, but the great point
as Miss BRADY pointed our. is tina
their new knowledge will keep them IL
touch with their growing children.
1t Is we'll understood that one OF tn
, handicaps Of the first generation bori
here Is the linguistic and conscquen
| disciplinary and sentimental separation
from the parents. The old people don
/, know English: the young ones can
!, speak the Old World tongue. The youn
, ones II they don't exactly despise tn
parents MS ignorant. mt least hold them
selves superior in enlightenment ant
wisdom. Thus the restraints Of hom
and parental authority are lost. wit
. results often destructive to the mora
!. tone of the younger generation.
Plainly we have here large oppor
tunity for effective work. 1t has onl
lately been taken up In an aggressiv
spirit. Now not only the public ar
: thorities but many employers are Civ
ing 1t attention. There is good reaso
to hope that in 1t may be- found tn
solution not only of many industrial
difficulties but also of police and mora
e problems that have caused deep anxiet
u In the past,
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