Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-09-12
THE WORTH Of
An EDUCATION
Every Day Spent in School EST.
mated to Have a Value of
$40 to Student.
An open letter to boys and their
parents:

An open letter to boys and their
parents:
Are you going to be one of the
"Headless Army" It's in the ma.
jority and spends its time taking di.
%rections and a daily pittance from
the leading and ruling minority whose
heads, fixed on their own shoulders,
do the thinking and planning that
carry the world along. The majority
draw pay fer the work they can get
out of their muscles and can hope
for no great change in the future;
the minority use. their physical ca
pacity as a supplement to their men
tai capacity and expect all things OF
their futures. The dividing line is
training, another name for educa-
ton. In youth, now, YOU decide how
you will be classified later on. This
letter is written to remind you thai
it is up to=you now to decide for
which group this year will help fit
you and to point to the open doors
of the high school, ~ ~,
You want to earn something at
once. Let's measure, if possible, the
dollars and cents value of going to
school. In the United States as a
whole, taking conditions, by. and
large, the uneducated man can not
hope for more than $1.50 a day for
300 working days, or $3.50 a year.
Well give him the generous allow
ance Of forty working years Total
income, $4,000. Now consider the
trained %(educated) man. What is his
average salary? Beginning with the
President of the United States and
taking into account The presidents OF
companies, banks, universities, and
institutions of all sorts, their lesser
officials, lawyers, doctors, the major
ity of merchants, engineers, minis
ters, real estate and insurance men,
educated farmers, master artisans,
and teachers we shall find that $1,000
a year is a low estimate for the
average income of the educated man.
1t is undeniably true that the edu-
Gated man wears out more slowly
and lives longer as we'll as more
comfortably than the ~uneducated, but
for the sake Of the argument, We'll
allow him, too, a forty-year. period OF
activity. Total income, $40. 900; diff
ference in his favor, $22, 900. The
average difference in education is
less than 1900 days. But calling 1t
1900 the average return during a
Lifetime for each day in school is $40.
Ten. dollars a day. Can YOU beat it?
If so, l would like to be shown how.
For North Dakota the figures are diff
ferent, of course, but the relation be-
tween the two groups is about the
same. 4.a i .
You can doubtless think Of excep.
tons in our own community, but how
do they compare in numbers with
those who day after day warm free
seats on the sidewalks and benches
of Main street? The man who
breaks from the ranks Of the Head
less Army without an education is
thes Inning exception. For every
one such there are. several below the
average. We count on being among
the fortunate exceptions. The chan
ces are about three to one against
any such supposition.
One more consideration that may
be news. to you. Lacking figures for
North Dakota, we'll take those Of the
sister state of California. The states
increase of population for the decade
ending in 1910 was SOL percent. For
the same period high school enroll,
ment increased from 1910 to 1918,
or 221.1 percent. High school at.
tendance is beating population 221.1
to COL; in other words, it is increas-
ing 81 times as fast. That meal at
least two things. First, the high
school has what you as a boy need;
second, competition, already Fierce,
is being Intensified. There are four
educated boys now after every job
sought by one educated boy ten years
ago. You can see at once where, that
puts the boy without at least a high
school training.
To the question, "What shall I dc
this winter?" the answer is now very
plain, is it not?
Surprising you do give up a jot
paying something each week. 1t is
surrendering Little now for Much in
the future, giving up two or three
dollars a day now for a return OF ter
dollars a day postponed a while. II
is not hard to decide, which is the
better end Of That bargain.
Where should you go to school?
If you leave Bismarck, you cause
a double economic loss; first, to the
community, because its money is ex
pended for fewer Individuals. sec
ond, to yourself, because Of the great
er cost of your maintenance. Furth
ermore, you 60 into new surround
ings. which may not be. agreeable. ant
which certainly require readjustmen'
on your part, and you. have to form
new associations and friendships
You break. off home ties, that Nigh
be productive Of ~congenial and profit
able employment at home after tn
completion of, your high schoo
course. a..
BY attending in Bismarck, yo'
lavoid these disadvantages and EMO.
advantages which you know as vel
as l. Our course is adapted to NEE