The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1921-01-28
Nation Amazed When 1t Learned
Hundreds Of Thousands of Ameri-
cans Unable To Read Or Write

middle class homes in city and coun-
try, who will be its chief benefciaries.
There can be no question-our chilli
rem today go out into the world of
competition, handicapped at the start
both in mind and body. This is due
to our national neglect of education.
The army statistics showed this only
too plainly. The nation was amazed
when it learned that hundreds of thou
sands of Americans, unable to read
or write, had to be painfully taught
the meaning of such simple com
mands as "halt" and forward" and
that hundreds of thousands more
were rejected because of physical
disabilities that might easily have
been corrected in the schools
These facts did not surprise Us in
the labor movement. We had known
them all along, Those were ''our
boys" the soldiers, who, in spite of
physical and educational handicap,
that made them unfit for service in
France, were yet fit enough to serve
in the army behind the army, in steel
mill and munition plant, in lumber
camp and shipyard.
There is a special significance in
this for Mr.. Hoover's committee, now
studying the question of industrial
waste in an endeavor to bring about
an understanding between capital and
labor Illiteracy has more to do with
the so-called OUTLAW strike" the
outlaw strike" the question of turn
over and with accidents in industry.
Remember, please, that the rookie
you saw at Camp Lee, Upton or Fun
ston, with his second lieutenant in the
role of first grade teacher, in peace
time is the operative in the silk mill.
the steel plant or the coal mine. In
the outlaw strike" he follows some
fellows, no matter how irresponsible,
who speaks his own language and who,
because of that fact alone, naturally
has his confidence. Our men, trying
to bring about order, are as badly off
as the young lieutenant with his awk-
ward squad. If every workman were
an educated American, the path of the
federation would be comparatively
smooth.
As to industrial accidents, the re-
port of Mr.. Van Manning says that
1000 miners lose their lives each year
and 10000 more are injured each
year. BY far the greater proportion
of these accidents, he says are due to
the inability of the miner to read
safety warnings.
"The statistics given by the immi-
grafton commission" says Mr.. Man
ming, "show $4,000 foreign-born
miners in this country. It is roughly
estimated from the experience in GER
tain states that about rs per cent OF
these 100000 foreign-born miners are
non-English speaking foreigners, OF
465, 900 immigrants, with no know.
ledge of the English language. The
best estimates from a number of the
larger mining states show that for
eign-born miners suffer twice the ia.
talities that the English-speaklng
miners do. This means an excess OF
$50 nom English speaking foreigners
killed each year and | may say un
necessarily. If the average state
compensation is $4,000, which is fail
figure, the total economics loss eacl
year to the country through the ex
cess of deaths of non-English speak
4 ing miners alone amounts to $2,790,
600. On the same basis, it is estimat
ed that the excess of non-Englisl
speaking miners injured each yea
amounts to 69,750 men. This is
less in wages alone of S1,743,7 ,75O
Taking the excess of deaths and in
juries together, due to non-Englisl
) speaking foreigners, the economic
loss each year reaches $4,53S, ,75C
This is entirely aside from other cost
to the industry in production lost"
The Smith-Towner bill authorize
congress to appropriate s10O,0OO,00
! for the aid to the states to be used i
improving the schools, increasin
teachers salaries, promotion of ply
steal education, illiteracy and Amer