Arizona republican., 1921-02-20
THOUGHT SURVEY
 AT HIGH SCHOOL |S
 CAUSE IF CONCERN
By Brice w. Hoskins Publicity Director, American City
 Bureau

By Brice w. Hoskins
 Publicity Director, American City
 Bureau
 Should some one sound the alarm through the city that Phoenix annual revenue was threatened with a perma- nent loss of more than half a million dollars year, what would be the re- action MT. and Mrs. Citizen on your part? There isn't the slightest little shadow of sickly doubt that you, in dividually and collectively, would i'm set about doing that which was within your power to avert such a for, indeed, it would be 
 Despite the fact that the citizens of may be enjoying the feeling of a false sense of security, superinduced by the prosperity of the past and ex- pectations for the future, grim and gaunt stalks through the community the special figure of Calamity, and trapsing at it's heels are the two arch enemies to progress and improvement civic indifference and individual self ishness. Unnoticed by the citizenship. this trio of destructive forces have es- tablished headquarters at the union high school. and already have set up shop for their nefarious activities.
 Phoenix is face to face today with a condition that involves the actual loss
 
 year, and while the situation is, by no means hopeless it is fact cold, grim fact, that unless the citizenship takes the steps necessary to correct this con- dition the substantialness of this warn ing will be made manifest to even the most doubting, and with it's realization will come that sadness and despon- dency to half thousand firesides of as many homes of the city which in variably attends the departure of the children to the outside world after school days are finished
 Students of economic problems by careful computation have estimated that the average worth of the high school boy and girl to a community is at least $1,000 a year. That Is, the high school students parents are ex- pending an actual annual outlay of that amount for the childs food, clothing, etc. There is no one who will gainsay the statement that his is a very con- servative estimate. However, proceed ing on the theory that it is at any rate substantial and worthy of acceptance as a basis for prognosticatiop, Phoenix today has in Its union high school based on an estimate of reports made by more than six per cent of the student body, a total of BIT boys and girls who have determined upon leav- ing this city and going elsewhere after fiE.Sh hing their high school course. Be- sides this faction, an additional 263 are doubtful as to whether they will remain here and become permanent citizens after school days are left behind. Tax ing it for granted that the 263 who are undecided as to their future all even tually make up their minds to remain in Phoenix, and considering only th' SIT who are already decided, this i! equivalent to a loss $577,00e a year ts | f 4t, C apI to the community.
 It is gratifying to note in passint that while 5T7 of the Phoenix boys ane girls will leave, and 263 are "on tn, fence" a grand. big cluster of 660 have concluded that the old home town i, good enough for them to consider a. their permanent place of abode. ant for their education will not have beer for the development of useful citizens for other communities.
 Since the recent announcement wa. made through The Arizona Republican that a thought survey had been con ducted in the union high school, an, that questionnaires had been placed il the hands of the boys and girls of tht student body, in connection with thu present reorganization m ov e m n launched by the chamber of commerce there has been more or less interes evidenced among the grown-up of tn | city as to just what the students would have to say in answer to the four ques | tions propounded through the question naire. Many fathers and mothers hav asked themselves the question wha reply will our boy, or our girl, make t the four questions?
 For the information of those wh, may not have read the questionable the questions were as follows: 1 l. What vocation do you expect t pursue as a life work?
 g. Do you intend to remain perma nently in Phoenix Of not, why not?) l 3. What, in your opinion, should tn chamber of commerce undertake, to as sist you in preparation for your If
 work?
 A. As future citizen, what do yol 1 suggest that the chamber of commerc
 undertake for the general improvement of Phoenix?
 1 Well,-the student body has flied ou the questionnaire; at least, more thal l 6 per cent have done so, and a carefu | perusal of the sentiment reflected il 1 the replies, will serve as abundant foo for thought of those of Phoenix wh have indulged themselves in the costl erroneous belief that Phoenix is all tn l coming generation would have it. might be explained, at this time, tha questionnaires were not distributed | the entire student body. as lack of tim in which to conduct so extensive thought survey before the expiratio of the educational period of the cam paign, made this impracticable. It wa decided that a fairly accurate summar izing of the situation would be mad possible by taking the answers to tn
 questions made by per cent of tn
 students.
 The replies will serve to show tha
 the young men and women of the cit t-the citizens of tomorrow, if yo
 please-are deeply interested in tn
 welfare and upbuilding of the com
 munity that the citizens of today ar building for them, and that they ar
 devoting some real serious thougL
 along these lines. They are not un
 mindful or unappreciative of the fac that the present campaign is for tn
 purpose of building a large, moderl
 civic commercial organization whic
 may be used as an agency for the ac
 complishment of many big things i
 which they. ts the future citizens ( Phoenix, will be vitally interested. The ever present yearning for th
 thrills and excitement offered tn
 young travel is. to a certain thoug limited extent, in evidence in Phoeni'
 as it is in every other city of tn country, though usually to a nor
 marked extent than here. It is grati l +O rofa hnwaUpr the arg