Arizona republican., 1916-09-25
Arizona Erudition

 goodness educational survey and being without recent census report literacy, have direct assessment of Arzonas culture her book-learning her educational development. That there is than a sprinkng of 'hgh -brows" in certain exposed sections of state long been admitted but for tunatey for the native Arizona has great powers of absorption whether it be of mind, money moisture. and there is immediate danger of the saturaton point being reached At times the flow of ideas, accompanied this phenomenon often is, by nebu ous of reformers has been too great for Arizonas remarkable assimilative capacity and tenn porarily the young has suffered from acute in digestion, unfortunately diagnosed by the political medicine nfantile paralysis
 The National Bureau of Education is at present engaged in making a state school and its report when complete will only tell of Arizona's school children and school teachers, their methods and practice but will include a description of school buildings and their equipment. We that when the Arizona bulletin is issued, it will be welcome addition to advertising literature and win be no effective in attracting homeseekers and than the reports of great mines and fertile valleys The purpose of these surveys is primarily of advertisement however, for they are designed throw Tight in dark and hidden places" to arouse taxpayers to the fact that buildings and equipment do not alone make schools, intelligent, earnest teachers, able to the most efficient methods and the thoughtful cooperation of parents a prime essential school survey succeeds just in proportion to its ability to arouse a general interest in school matters that the taxpayers will give willing and generous support, mentally and morally well financially to the work of securing efficient educational system.
 survey of this kind. no how carefully it may be made can, however, reveal the inward facts of intellectual virtue waywardness What might better indicate the scholarship of citizens. of it, the desire for it, would be intimate census of our home and public libraries, a sales report from all news-dealers and booksellers. and the Arizona subscription lists of the great zines of the country. For instance the American agents for the edition of the Encyclo- paedia Britannica are now giving widespread pub city the number of of that work sold in each state in the union, which affords opportunity to brag little for in proportion to population Arizona leads all the rest In fact Arizona purchased almost many sets did states whose population is times great this too in spite of the fact that the of the white population of Arizona is small when compared with that of the states whose showing not favorable. Next after Arizona California, then Wyoming, followed by Nevada which tied Illinois for the next place. pleasing ndi cation of phase of the western spirit little recog- nized or understood in the east.
 Another fact lately brought to our attention and which deserves place in an intimate, personal sur vey, such have suggested, is the surprising number of members of the National Geographic Society reported from Arizona. This state ranks eighth in the list in proportion to it's population and undoubtedly were the figures compiled strictly basis of white or English speaking and reading popu ation, 1t would rank first, for it has thou sand members in that organization
 These the sort of things that should attract many who are interested in Arizona for the average homeseeker is usually, and certainly always should be- much interested in the character of his pros- pectve neghbors in the variety of products the extent of markets. We would like to the Chamber of Commerce compile such a report; it should prove readble than many of the rather ordinary statistics offered.