Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-01-24
STATISTICS ON
|LL|TERACY ARE
GIVEN BY WHITE
High Praise Accorded John
V. Conway for Success of
Moonlight Schools in Rural
Sections of Santa Fe Co.,
s,sc,Al eossssrososres TO MORNING JOURNAL

ESPECIAL coRagspoNogNca TO MORNING JOURNAL,
Santa Fe, Jan. 23.-Superintenden
Of Public instruction Alvan y. White
has issued public letter, commend
ing highly the work of County Super
intendent John V. Conway in eradi-
eating illiteracy through the moon
light schools and other methods. At
the same time Mr.. White gives facts
and figures to show that since the CEN
sus illteracy in New Mexico has been
greatly reduced. He shows that Clovis
and Tucumcari have the fewest illit-
crate voters, East Las Vegas comes
next with only fifty-three illiteratcs,
then Roswell seventy-one, Albuquer-
que ninety-two. Silver City 101, Santa
Fe 113. Ration lis, Las Vegas 1865, Las
Cruces 245. He writes as follows:
My dear Mr.. Conway will ac-
knowledge receipt of your Special
Report on the Organization of the
Santa Fe County Moonlight Schools"
filed with this department under date
of the first instant. Briefly. this re-
port conveys to me the information
that under your direction and super
vision such a school has been opened
in every school district of the county,
the total enrolment being 1854 adults
who are receiving instruction. through
the volunteer service of the teachers
of the various districts Another feat
ure of the report is the showing that
not a single case of the violation of
the compulsory school attendance law
is found in the entire county
l have given most careful consider
alton to this detailed information and
now feel It to be my duty as the chief
school officer of the state to commend
YOU most highly for the splendid work
you have inaugurated and are doing
to eradicate illiteracy in your county.
l must take this occasion to thank
sincerely your corps of teachers for
their volunteer services, entirely with
out compensation, your various school
directors for their splendid interest
and support and the various clubs and
associations which have so nobly CO.
operated with you in the establish
ment of these schools. At the same
time, / must remember that you have
been the leading spirit in bringing
about this particular school advance
ment Certainly. l fully agree with
our mutual friend, Mrs. Cora Wilson
stewart who has expressed the belief
that your record in this regard is un-
eXcelled by any other county super
intendent in any of our states. You
nave led the way and your example
viii surely be followed by every other
county superintendent in our new
state.
In this connection, and by way Of
announcement, allow me to express
the belief that illiteracy in the United
states is doomed, since it has recently
been shown by the statistics compiled
by the United States bureau of educa-
tion for use at the Panama Pacific ex-
posltion. that of children from 10 to
~ years of age there We're in 1910
only twenty-five out of every ] 1000
VINO could neither read nor write, |
whereas in 1900 there We're of the
same class forty-two per 1000. If re-
auction In illteracy is still proceeding |
at even the same rate, the illiterate |
tiilo OOulillg btt"tSh 49,
ages OF 10 and IA, inclusive, now num- |
uer not more than fifteen out of every |
1000.
from the standpoint of proportional |
ieduction of illiteracy, Oklahoma leads
ah The states of the union. In 1900 |
'his state had 1874 illiterate children
OF the ages named. In 1910 it has
out seventeen.
Inc following states report only one /
ehiId IN 1000 between the ages of 10
ana IA as illiterate: Connecticut. Dis
ulet Of Columbia, Massachusetts, Min
Nesota, Montana, New Hampshire.
North Dakota. oregon, Utah and .
Washington.
me states having the largest pro-
portion of illiterate children per 1000
are Louisiana, with lis from ia in
isuo); South Carolina, SO from $50;
alabama, II from f57.
do not have the full report of the
ehitad States commissioner at hand
""u cannot. therefore. quote you the
statistics for New Mexico. While New
SaeNico undoubtedly had a few chill
uIen between these ages who were
e1assed as illiterates in 1910. cannot
eeheve that there are very many to-
way do have tho statistics Tor per-