The Farmington times., 1921-07-22
MISSOURI HOLDS HIGH
EDUCATIONAL RANK

work and mathematical deductions by
the State Bureau of Labor Statistics,
the problem of illiteracy, warrants
the conclusion that Missouri was
grossly aspersed when it was promul-
gated far and wide sometime ago, as
the result of publicity of the partial
findings of an Eastern philanthropic
institution, that the commonwealth
ranked thirty-fourth among all states
in ability of its inhabitants to read
and write, announces advance infor-
nation from the 1921 Missouri Red
Book, proclaimed today by Commits
sioner VIM. H. Lewis. Recently more
publicity was given to the supposed il
literacy of Missouri and therefore this
bulletin was prepared to refute the
undesirable and untruthful promi-
nence and to promulgate the real
facts.
The conclusion reached by the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics is that the
assertion eliminating the literacy of
Missouri is based on one minor reve-
lation of the United States Census
Bureau, pertaining to the thirteenth
enumeration of the country, that in
Missouri then 3.4 per cent of all ma
tive-born white inhabitants of native
born parentage were unable to read
or write, an assertion which looks
larger and more serious than it really
is when companion facts are consider
ed simultaneously. Only in this one
respect thirty-three other states then
excelled Missouri, the contradiction to
the defamation being the fact that the
states illiteracy dwindled down to as
low as 1.2 per cent when another of
the four general divisions into which
the states population was divided that
year to reach the educational qualifi-
cations of its inhabitants, was alone
considered. This latter classification
embraces only native-born whites with
foreign or mixed parentage. In 1910
such native Missourians numbered
518,201. When similar facts for the
1920 census become available, probab-
ly at the close of 1921, it will be found
that the gains in this particular pop
ulation classification will materially
increase the literacy standing of Mis-
souri,, enough at least to allow the
state to surpass in this respect Mary
land, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Dela-
ware and Michigan, states which it
now either equals or is close on their
heels.
Negroes and Foreign-bOrn RESPONSE
bic.
When it comes down to the literacy
of all inhabitants ten years of age and
over, regardless of sex. or place of
birth, the percentage of those unable
to read or write in 1910 was 4.3 with
twenty-seven other states ranking
lower than Missouri. The 1920 census
revelations may not improve this
standing for the reason that the ne
gro population of Missouri, in proper
tion, increased more than did the
white, but, it is thought, now enough
to increase the present percentage of
illiteracy for the state as whole ov-
er the showing of 1910.
In 1910 the illiteracy among Mis-
souri, negroes was ia per cent.
Among the foreign-born, chiefly Ital-
ians, south, Russians, Mexicans,
Greeks and few Irish, it was 10.1 per
cent. These high illiterate rates
dragged down the otherwise high
standing of Missouri to 4.3 per cent of
illiteracy.
States with More General IlIiteracy
Even then, other states generally
supposed to be the centers of educa-
ton and culture loomed up in 1910
with a worse illiteracy showing than
did Missouri. Connecticut, known for
over a century as the home of Yale
college, ranked lower for general in
telligence, with fully six per cent of
its population unable to read or write.
District of Columbia. famous for its
Georgetown University, made a high
illiteracy exhibition, the 1910 census
revelations, through 49, per cent of its
entire population being without the
elementary qualifications of education,
New York, the hub of America, when
it comes to wealth, commerce, manu-
factures, and its educational institp-
tions and facilities, outbid Missouri
for general illiteracy through having
5.5 per cent of its entire population
branded as being unable to read or
write. Other states of Importance
and renown which in 1910 had more H.
literates than Missouri, and the per-
centage of the same, were: Delaware,
81 per cent; Maryland. 7.2 per cent,