The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-21

good of the people. the fact that they are valuable.
 Adult Illiteracy
 As to the second class of illiterates, those who have passed school age, it shows an unsatisfactory increase. Those who were included in the 1900 census of illiterate children are now included in the number of illiterate adults, and the number is certainly larger than it will be when the next census will be taken. According to the United States depart ment of education there are now between 100000 and 100000 illiterate grown peo- pie in the United States. Dr. P. P. Clax- ton, United States commissioner of edu- cation estimates that the economic loss caused from this illiteracy is s500,000 a year. This statement has been criticized as being too high an estimate, but really s5o0,000 a year is not an extravagant esti- mate of what adult illiteracy costs. Ones everyday observation proves the loss through unintelligent work, and there is hardly one of us who does not know oi persons whose financial value is reduced on account of their being uneducated.
 AS compulsory school attendance laws are advocated to prevent chill dren's illiteracy. so are night classes and special classes for industrial work CTS advocated to remove adult Hitter acy. Dr. Claxton estimates that with an expenditure. averaging $2O,t00 d year for 10 years he could put in opera tion forces that, by means of night schools and other agencies, would eliminate illiteracy among the grown people of the United States. The Ab- ercrombie bill. which has been pend ing in Congress, requires the bureau of education to undertake this work in any state in which it Is requested by state authorities and 1t makes an appropriation of $15,000 for this year. $22,500 annually for the next five years and $17,000 annually for the five years from 1920 to 1925.
 It is the poinion of Dr. Claxton that if industrial managers were more full 1y aware of the extent of adult Hit eracy and of its cost they would take steps to provide for educating their employees in at least reading. spell ing and writing, giving instruction for an hour day. in factories, stores, construction camps. and places where labor requiring the same degree of skill and intelligence is carried on This would mean a loss of an hours time day, but it would not mean loss in work, for more intelligent performing of the work done would overbalance the loss of time. It would but a matter of economy and of in- creasing the company's efficiency through its employees. The plan Is even more practical and commendable where a lack of compulsory school attendance laws permits children to 30 to work without education or train- ing.
 Alabama's Illiteracy
 And now as to the subject of illit- eracy in Alabama.
 The law requires that in the biennial school census the number of children of school age. that is from seven to a1 years, shall be ascertained. It has teer the custom to supplant this in formation by getting the figures by sex and by race.
 Before the last census was taken, the state superintendent of education requested that in addition to this the statistics for each county, including every rural district and every incor- porated town, might show the number of persons by years of age and by races who could read and write and who could not read and write. so that as accurate a record as possible could be secured This work was under taken with especial care with view to. accurate returns and to detailed study, looking to ways and means for removing illiteracy.
 The returns showed that there are