The Irish standard., 1914-08-08
Social Service Bulletin

ISG9HSSHSHSXSSe SHSkSISSSHSHSHO 'keKSHSNSNVOSASk
(The Weekly Press Service of the
Social Service Commission, American
Federation Of Catholic Societies. Peter
E. Dietz, Editor. 43-44 University
Bldg, Milwaukee, Wis.,
Illitcracy Menace to Nation.
Illiteracy is direct menace t., the
progress of 4 nation. Its existence
rebukes civilization and its extent
measures the efficiency of the social
system. If all classes of population
are considered, no section of the
United States can claim even ap-
proximate freedom from adult illit-
eracy. The number of illiterates in
this country at present exceeds the
total population in 1900.
The Federal census for 1910
shows that there were then in the
United States 5,516 165 persons
over ten years old who were unable
to read or write. This was ~ per
cent of the total population of cor
responding age. The full meaning
of these figures will be better under
stood when it is remembered that
the aggregate total is less by only a
few thousand than the total popu
lation over ten years old in all New
England States, and more than the
same population in Boston, Balti-
more, Washington, Buffalo, Cleve-
land, Detroit, Cincinnati, Pittsburg,
Indianapolis, Louisville, New Or
leans, st. Louis, Kansas City, Mime
apolis, st. Paul, Seattle, Spokane.
San Francisco and Los Angeles. In
double line of march, at intervals of
three feet, these 5,516.163 illiterate
persons would extend distance of
1857 miles. Marching at the rate
of twenty-five miles day, it would
require more than two months for
them to pass given point.
A mighty army is this, with its
banners Of blackness and darkness
inscribed in the legends of illiteracy,
ignorance, helplessness and hope
lessness; too large for the safety of
our democratic institutions for the
highest good of society, and for the
greatest material prosperity.
The significance of illiteracy as
measure of popular enlightenment
depends upon many conditions.
Chief among these are it's extent
and racial character and the destiny
of population. which are the things
that in a great measure determine
the success or failure of the endeav-
or to bring all children under in
struction. AS to adults, their ignor-
ance is not wholly or chiefly their
own fault. To large degree it is
due to lack of opportunity because
of their poverty or the negligence
of the States and communities in
which they spent their childhood.
1t has recently been learned that the
country school attendance is lower
where the roads are bad.
Of the total illiterates, 3,1S4,633
were white persons (1,543.272 ma
tive and 1,650,361 foreign), 2,227,-
731 were negroes. and the remain
der were Indians, Chinese, Japanese
and others. In the New England,
Middle Atlantic and East North
Central States, the percentage of il
literacy was greater in the urban
than in the rural population. For
the rest of the country illiteracy in
the rural population was from two to
five times greater than in the urban
population. Foston had 24,468 il
literates over ten years old. Wash
ington, 1882; Fall River, 1926;
Birmingham, 1923; Memphis, g.
S55 and Nashville, 7,947. By states,
Wyoming has the smallest total Of
illiterates, or 1874, while New York
has the highest, or 100000. Yet it
must not be forgotten that New
York's foreign-born illiterates
totaled 362.025.
There is every hope that illiteracy
may eventually be stamped out in
the United States, and soon. 1t was
reduced three percent between 1900
and 1910, or at the rate of one per
cent every forty months. At this
rate illiteracy would be ended in
about twenty-five years.
Eliminating illiteracy, however, is
not a task that can be reckoned by
time. Remedial legislation, tandem
work by the Federal Government
and the> States. and persistent effort
are the only means with which to
combat conditions that perpetuate
ignorance.
Bills now in Congress providing
that the Commissioner of Education
shall Investigate illiteracy among
the adult population and the means
by which it may be eliminated or
reduced, are step in the right d.
recetion. It is believed that by CO.
operative effort, in which the nation,
the States, individuals and associa-