Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-09-20
STATE ILL|TERATES
NUMBER 97.O97, SAYS
STATISTICS BOARD
Compares With Many Other
States Of Similar Population
Prohibition Brings Almost De-
populated Jails - Ten Hour
Working Day Being Enforced
CHILD LABOR IS
ON THE DECREASE

Inc Seth annual report OF the Mary
land State Board Of Labor and Sta
tistlcs. just published, contains some
very interesting facts. chief among
which Is statement which seems to
indicate that the employment of child
labor in the State is on the decrease
because OF lack OF desire on the part
OF the children to find employment.
During the year 1919, 1852 chill
dren applied for working permits.
This Is a decrease OF "a per cent. over
1918 when the applicants numbered
23,359. OF the 1852 applications in
1919, 1897 were made by Baltimore
children and 2.765 by children living
in the couRties.
The report seems 10 show an effort
ON the part OF large department stores
TO enforce the 10 hour a day labor
law.
Striking Portion vi Report
Another striking portion of the re-
port shows that of 1886 children be-
tween the ages of IL and 16 years ex-
amined. more than 20 per cent. could
not write their names legibly. Nearly
than so per cent loft school at the
10 per cent. had never gone beyond the
first primary grade in school. more
fourth grade or lower. and only about
3 per cent, were in the eighth grade.
OF the entire 1886, only 100 had en-
tered high schools Each of the chill
dron. with the exception of "a, are
American natives.
The same report also shows that
there are in the United States S.500,000
people who cannot read or write Eng
lihs and of these, 100000 are native
born.
Maryland's Showing Favorable
Marylands showing in this respect
Is favorable when compared with
other States of similar population.
Massachusetts, for instance. one of the
country's seats of education. has 314.-
315 iiliterate and non-English speak
ing aliens. Connecticut has III 500
and Maryland 97,097.
The States of the South lead in IL
litoracy according to their popula-
tons. while the Northern States lead
in numbers of non-English speaking
people Tho percentage of illiteracy
I'm the Western States is very low.
During 1919 the tonnage of coal
mined in Allegany and Garrett coun-
ties was 3,716.559. In 1918 the ton
mage was 473,677--a decrease in 1918
of more than IL per cent.
In 1919 Allegany produced 2,723,190
or 593,670 tons less than in 1918. Dur
ing the same year Garrett produced
a17.420 tons, an increase of 44,044 tons
over the previous year.
The mines in Allegany county in
1919 employed 1888 men or SO more
than in 1918. In 1919 Garrett county
mines employed 1929 men or 80 less
than in 1918.
Few Labor Strikes In State
Labor strikes in the State in 1919
numbered %, compared with 81 in
1918: IL in 1917. and Is i'm 1916. OF
the total number of strikes in 1919,
54.45 per cent, were caused by ques-
The first six months of 1919 as com
tions of wages and working hours.
pared with the last six months of 1918
show a very decided Improvement in
the number and character of crimes,
the number of arrests made, and a big
decrease in the iails population. This
improvement is credited to the exist
ance of the prohibition laws.
NHI0AnEPRIII CIIOHxIIAIG