The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-08-31
EVERYBODY CAN WRITE.
Iowa Leads All States In Lack of ii.
literate Persons in Entire State.

literate Persons in Entire State.
Iowa leads all the states in the mat
ter of highest percentage of persons
who can write, according to the 1915
census.
1owa's percentage of illiteracy is
just one.
This leaves SO per cent who are ten
years of age or over who can write.
For 1905 the percentage of litter
acy was computed at LIS. The Unit
ed States census reported for 1910
illiteracy of IL per cent in Iowa. But
that was twO-tenths of one per cent
lower than for any other state of the
union.
The Iowa census computation for
this year is on the same basis as that
used by the federal census, namely,
consideration only of persons ten
years of age or over. Ten years ago
the Iowa census took into account
also those between five and ten years
of age. Obviously this placed Iowa at
a disadvantage, as many five years
old had not yet entered school.
The showing of 1915 in regard to
education is the most gratifying of
any ever made,' declared Ora Will
liams, editor of the census. There
can be no doubt Of the accuracy of
the count and it is doubtless far more
complete than any federal enumera-
ton ever made. No state of the un-
ion will for many years, be able to
equal the Iowa record for universal
education.
The number of illiterate persons
ten years old or over reported for
1915 is 1879. In 1905 the number
reported was 28,979. OF these illit-
crates there are 1O,304 males of vot-
ing age. The number of persons re-
ported as illiterate, and of age 10 to
|21, is 1875, as again 1851 for 1905
of school age.
A very valuable feature of the
census for 1915 is in regard to the
extent of education of all the people,
or in other words, how much school
ing the people have had. These facts
were found:
Number of Iowans who have at
tended the common schools: Male,
S59,292; female, 757,761; total L.
617,053.
Number who have attended high
schools: Male 1852; female 170,-
SIT; total 2S9, 100.
Number who have attended col
leges: Male 74,145; female 65,S64;
total 100000.
This relates to those who have at
tended school or college for such
lengths of time as would indicate sub
stantial advancement in education.
The census report also covers the
question of the kind of school attend
ed by those attending in the year
1914. There were 51y,S14 persons
attending school or college, and OF
these 431 ,624 were reported as hav-
ing during the year and for part of
the time, attended the common
schools There were ,429 reported
as attending private or special
schools. In the high schools there
were $3.50 in attendance. The num-
Der of Iowa persons reported as at
tending college was 1O,0S1, among
those who are of school age, but this
does not include those over school
age attending college.
The number of persons of school
age attending school was less than in
1904, and the number of persons of
school age in the state has been de-
creased. The number of persons of
SCAOOI d6O III AOWd III 10Ao Wno 'oo'
935 but ten years before there were
749,496 of school age.
The decrease in the number of per-
sons of school age, and under school
age showed itself also, in the fact
that fewer persons were reported as
employed in gainful occupation, of
the younger classes than in other
years. The total number under Is
years of age reported employed as i
2O,693 as against 1878 ten years
before. This is partly accounted for
by the full operation of child labor
laws, and partly because no account
was taken of persons under IA years
of age. The major part of the de-
crease was in those reported as en-
ployed in agricultural pursuits.
The comparison of persons report |
ed employed in the various general |
classes of occupations as between |
1905 and 1915, is interesting as fol-
lows:
1905 1915
Agricultural pur-
suits $3.50. s19,469 2s6,47s
Professionalservice 35,77O 51,42S |
Domestic and per- i
sonaI service -. 62,677 54,975 |
Trade and trans
pOrtatiOn -. 1873 ,SO4 20O,O76
Manufacturing and
mechanical -. 1850 1859
Laborers unclassi-
fled ......... s4,11s 77,15s
totals 7s5,ess 7ss,ss4