Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-22
IOWA LEAD ALL STATES IN LACK
OF lLLlTERATE
PERSONS.
PERCENTAGE JUST ONE
IN ENTIRE STATE
Census Shows Decrease in Past Ten
Years - Showing Most Gratifying
Ever Made, Says Ora Williams, Edi-
tor Of Census - Slight Decrease
Shown in School Enrolment.

special TO Times RepuDllcan.
Des Moines. Aug. 22.-Iowa leads all
the states in the matter of highest
according to the 1915 census.
Iowa's percentage Of illiteracy is
just one
This leaves 80 per cen- who are ten
years of age or over who can write.
For 1905 the percentage Of illiteracy
was computed at 1.5. The United
States census reported for 1910 litter
acy 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
age. Obviously this placed Iowa at
disadvantage, as many five years old
had not vet entered school,
THE showing for 1915 in regard to
education is the most gratifying Of any
ever made" declared Ora Williams,
editor Of the census. There can be
no doubt Of the accuracy Of the count
ard it is doubtless far more complete
than any federal enumeration 4 ever
made. No state of the union will, for
many years, be able to equal the Iowa
record for universal education"
liiiterates Decrease.
The number Of illiterate persons ten
years old or over reported for 1915 is
was 28,979. OF these illiterates there
are 1O,SO4 males of voting age. The
number of persons reported as Hitter
ate, and Of age 10 to 81, is 1.77o, as
against 1851 for 1905 Of school age.
A very valuable feature Of the CEN
sus for 1915 is in regard to the extent
Of education of all the people, or in
other words, how much schooling the
people have had. These facts were
found: g. rs q
Number of Iowans who~have attend
ed the common schools: Male, 859,292;
female, z57,761; total, 1.617,053.
Number who have attended high
schools: Male, 1852; female, 1857;
total 2S9.109.
Number who have attended colleges:
Male. 74y1i5; female, S5.S64; total
14o,0Os. 81
This relates to those who have at
tended school or college for such
length 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 1884 persons attending
school or college. and Of these 431.624
were reported as having, during the
year and for a part of the time, at
tended the common schools. There
were 1929 reported as attending pri
vate or special schools. In the high
schools there were $3.50 in attend
ance The number of Iowa persons re-
ported as attending college was 10,0S1,
among those who are of school age.
but this does not include those over
school age attending college.
School Enrolment Less.
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
school age in Iowa in 1915 was 1885
but ten years before there were 49,
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 is 20.693 as
against 25.733 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 decrease was in
those reported as employed in agri-
cultural pursuits. ..,,.
The comparison of persons reported
employed in the various general
classes of occupations as between 1905
and 1915, is interesting as follows:
1905 1915
Agricultural pursuits .319.469 2S6.473
Professional service -. 53,770 SLABS
Domestic and personal
service ............. 62,617 54,970
Trade and transporta
ton ............ .12s,So4 2oo,O7e
Manufacturing and me-
chanical ....... .125.s3O 1859
Laborers unclassifed 94.11s 77,153
7s5.sss 7ss,ss4