The Farmington times., 1921-07-22

per cent; West Virginia, 8.3 per cent,
and the other eleven southern states,
and Arizona and New Mexico.
The majority of the twenty states
which excelled Missouri, when it comes
down to the fundamental requirements
of average intelligence, are those
younger in statehood, such as Califor-
MIA, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebras-
ka, North Dakota, Oregon, South Da-
kota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin
and Wyoming, which have fewer for
eign-born inhabitants and, in proper
ton, not so many negroes. In fact,
many Missourians, by birth, lived in
such states then, and now. and their
superior educational qualifications
helped to elevate the enlightenment Of
the population of each as a whole, av-
ers the Bureau of Labor Statistics
bulletin.
Southern states such as Florida,
Georgia, North and South Carolina,
Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennes-
see, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi,
Virginia, having many negroes, had a
1910 illiteracy for their entire popula-
ton, ranging from IL to 80 per cent.
Arizona and New Mexico, due to their
large Mexican mixtures, had illiteracy
averages of 20.9 and 20.2 per cent, re-
spectively.
Missouri Voters Highly Intelligent
For the ability of men of voting
age to read and write, Missouri, for
the year under consideration, ranked
nineteenth, not alone excelling on this
point New York, Oklahoma, Connect
icut, Maryland, Massachusetts. Mon
tana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, West Virginia. and the
twelve southern states, and Arizona
and New Mexico, but also Maine, and
ranked even with Vermont, that this
commonwealth having an illiteracy
percentage of 5.3. The states enum-
Grated made a worse illiteracy show
ing through percentages ranging from
5.5 per cent for Maine and per cent
for New York, up to as high as 27.1
for South Carolina, state which then
was unfortunate enough to have a ne
gro illiteracy of 1877 per cent.
Illiteracy among men and boys over
ten years of Missouri was more prev
alent in 1910 than among women and
girls, IA per cent of the sterner sex
being unable to read or write, as COM
pared to AZ for the gentler species.
But twenty-five other states surpassed
Missouri for general enlightenment
when women and girls are considered
alone, and only twenty states when
both sexes are considered together.
Illiteracy Not Wair Educational
Test
That existing illiteracy is not fair
test on which to pass judgment on the
enlightenment and culture of those
who control the destiny Of state, is
emphatically shown by the rank of
the empire commonwealth, New York,
on the ability of al it's inhabitants to
read or write. The Statistical Alb
stract of the United States, 1920" the
annual publication of tie Federal Bu-
reau of Foreign and Domestic Com
merce, just issued, reproduces the ta-
BILE, percentage illiterate among per-
sons ten years of age and over, by sex,
color or race, nativity. and parentage,
and among males of voting age, 1910;
by states and geographic divisions"
as it has done annually ever since
1912 and in it illiteracy as it existed
in 1910 in all stsees, including Mis-
souri, and New York, is portrayed by
a percentage compilation. No later
official United States information on
the same subject is at present avail
able, the tabulation of the 1920 CEN
sus not yet having reached this state.
Cost of Public Schools, Missouri and
New York
In 1910 the state of New York made
the excessive illiteracy showing of 5.5
per cent for all of its inhabitants as
compared to Missouri's 4.3. and Iowa's
IL, the lowest. and, therefore. the
best showing of all states. Nebraska
and Oregon then ranked second best
with 1.9 per cent each. Yet the pub
lie schools of New York during the
fiscal year which closed June 80, 1918,
were maintained at cost of $S1 ,058,-
361; those of Iowa the same fiscal
year, $29, ,277, 1854; Nebraska, $14,3S1,-
s57; Oregon. $7,53O,262, and those of
Missouri, $22,Sss,591. That year Mis-
souri, ranked thirteenth among all
states for total expenditures on pub
lie schools being excelled in this re-