Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-18
.|LL|TERACY SHOWS
DROP IN GEORGIA,
BUREAU ANNOUNCES
The Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
623 Riggs Building.
BY THEODORE TILLER

stantiaI decrease in illiteracy in Geor-
gia is shown by figures made public
today by the census bureau which
cover illiteracy and school attendance
for the state.
According to the census of 1920
there are 32S.S3S illiterate persons,
ten years of age and over, in Geor-
gia. The census bureau explains that
by "illiterate" it means unable to
write" OF this number 261,115 are
negroes and 67,657 are whites. In
the total population 10 years of age
and over the percentage of illiteracy
is 1873 which, it is gratifying to
note, shows diminution since 1910,
when it was 20.7. In the case of the
negroes the percentage declined from
S6.5 to 29.1 and in the case Of the
native white of native parentage
from so to SIS.
There is more illiteracY in the ru-
raj districts of the state than in the
cities, the percentages being 17.5 for
the rural population and 9.5 for the
urban. For the native white popula-
percentage of illiteracy is 81, while
the urban is 2.2. In the case Of the
negro population the percentage is
s1.s in the rural population as
against 21.2 in the urban.
Report on Atlanta
By counties, the percentage OF IL
literacy ranges all the way from S6.5
in Baker county to 5.5 in Bacon
county.
The census bureau furnishes sepa-
rate illiteracy figures for Atlanta and
several other Georgia cities. The
bureau reports that in the popula-
ton of Atlanta, as enumerated in
January. 1920, there were 11,OSl per
sons 10 years of age or over VINO
were illiterate in the sense OF being
unable to write, including 1883 native
whites, 22S foreign-born white and
9,465 negroes. The percentage of il
years of age and over is 6.6, which
shows decrease since 1910, when it
was Sc. For the native white, the
percentage is IL; for the foreign
born white, As, and for the negro,
IT'S.
That the generation now growing
up in this city will be less illiterate
than the older generation is indicated
by the fact that while IL per cent
of the males and SO per cent of the
females Fl years of age and over are
ilIiterate, the percentage of illiteracy
i'll the population 16 to 20 years of
age is but rs.
Towns Show Decrease
1lliteracy statistics for the various
Georgia towns show almost without
exception a decrease in illiteracy dur
ing the past ten years. 1t also is
shown that uniformly the percentage
of illiteracy is much higher in the
colored than the white races.
The number of illiterates in the
several Georgia cities, with percent
age to the total population, is gives
as follows:
Columbus, 2,5Os. including 1858
negroes; percentage, 80; decrease
Waycross, 1922, including LAB
negroes; percentage, 1915; a decrease
LAGRANGE, 1920. including 997
negroes; percentage, 13.1; a slight in
Rome, 1850, including TAO negroes;
percentage, 1913; the same as it was
Brunswick, 1924, including 1,Os5
negroes; percentage, 9.5; decrease
from 1923 in 1910.
Macon, 4.942, including 1920 ne
groes; percentage, 11.2; a slight in
crease over 1910, wher it was 1913.
Albany, 1883. including 1854 ne
groes; percentage 200; a decrease
cent. It will be noted that there
are less than fifty white illiterates
in Albany.
Improvement in School Attendance
Savannah, 1902, including 1888
negroes, percentage lO.f, decrease
from 14.6 in 1910.
Augusta, 4,94S, including 4,305 ne
groes; percentage 11.5, a slight in
crease over 1910 when illiteracy per-
centage was 1913.
Valdosta. $40, including $40 ne
groes; percentage 9.8 which is the
same percentage as ten years ago.
An Improvement in school atten-
dance in Georgia is reported by the
census bureau. According to the
census of 1920 there are 517,974
children to 10 years of age in
Georgia and of this number 409,754
or 1911 per cent were reported as at
tending school. In 1910 the percent
age attending school was 70.5, thus
Indicating some improvement as re-
CARDS school attendanve between 1910
and 1920. Of the children IA and Is
years of age in 1920. ST. per cent
were attending school and of those
Is and II years of age, 1877 per cent.
Of the white children to - years
school in 1910 and $50 per cent in
1920. For colored children of the
same age the percentage in the same
interval increased from SOB to 70.2.
The percentage of children attend
ing school was considerable larger
in the cities than in the count y
districts, the percentage for chil6 sn
in the urban population to Is gears
of age being 91.2 while in tho rural
population it was 1853. Urban"
means all towns or cities of $500
population or more.
Drift Towards City
A tendency of country children to
flock to the cities is suggested by
the census bureau in its analysis of
"age in Georgia The bureau finds
that 1874 per cent of Georgic@2z ere
Infants or children and larger fam
lilies are found in the country than
in the cities.
Interesting statistics regarding age
are as follows:
almost two-f1fths of the people
IN the staS3 q Georgia either are in
fants or children under Is years of
age; 1915 per cent are young people
Is to 10 years old; $40 per cent,
about one-third, are men and
women in the prime of life, being
from 20 to al years old; while $50
per cent being As years of age and
over, are we'll along in middle life
if they have not reached old age.
"The urban population as compar-
ed with the rural shows some rather
striking differences in age, the per-
centage 20 to, A years of age being
448 for the urban population as COM
pared with 31.5 for the rural, while
the percentage under Is years of age
is $50 in the urban population as
against ALB in the rural. These diff
ferences may indicate larger families
of children in the country than in
the city, but probably also indicate
the fact that country children as
they grow up have a tendency to
flock to the cities. thereby increa sing
the active adult population of the