Arizona republican., 1922-05-10
work Of the Western States Illiteracy
conference. spoke as follows:
Mr., MeCIure's Address

work Of the Western States Illiteracy
conference. spoke as follows:
Mr.. Meclure's Address
1t became my privilege and pleas
ure to attend the Illiteracy Confer
ence of the Western States, held un-
der the auspices of the illiteracy
commission of the National Educa-
tion association, at the Fairmont
hotel. in San Francisco, February 3
and 4, 1922. Mrs. Cora Wilson Stew
art. chairman, presided. About 300
delegates were in attendance, rep
resenting leaders and administrators
in education and in civic, political
and welfare organizations. An in
teresting feature of the meeting was
the interest manifested in the organ
izations for a complete elimination
of illiteracy. not only in the states
| represented at this conference, but in
every section of the United States.
Apparently without any desire to
assign special tasks to the educators
and separate tasks to the women's
clubs, .fraternal and other organiza-
tions. it seemed that each organiza-
ton had this work so we'll in hand
that each was vying with the other
to do more for the elimination of IL
literacy in it's district than any other
organization could do.
Mrs. Cora Wilson Stewart, chair
man of the convention. is the origi-
nator of the idea for the complete
elimination OF illiteracy in this coun-
try. She instituted her great work in
the mountains of Kentucky in 1911,
and later carried her campaign into
every school district in the Blue
Grass state in the form of moonlight
schools. The results were electrify-
ing. Her work had taken such hold
that during the draft in the recent
world war, our country was as
founded at the percentage of illit-
eracy in our army that was organ
lied and sent overseas.
Through the efforts of Mrs. Stew
art after this discovery was made in
the army, the National Educational
association was interested in her
work and today an organization is
being effected throughout the United
States for fight on illiteracy. The
San Francisco meeting early in Feb
ruary of this year was the first great
meeting and embraced the eleven
western states of which Arizona is
one. Mrs. Stewart held a similar
meeting of the middIe-west and
AAOA 0bdAGS III AIllCdSO the Z4LH
and 25th of February, She has but
recently closed a most successful
meeting OF the southern states at
Birmingham, Alabama. She win next
launch her work in the old eastern
states.
In Arizona, we have very serious
problem. 1t is true that we boast of
being nearly to the top, properly
speaking if you please. third, in our
educational system among the states
of the Union. being surpassed alone
by Montana and California. But when
we compare our actual literacy with
the other ten states of our western
states group, we find a percentage of
1873 of illiterates, or about $4,000 il
literates in our midst. The average
percentage of illiteracy in our eleven
western states is just 40 per cent.
Thus we are l0.4 per cent behind the
average in hteracy. and if YOU will
take the other low literacy state of
this group therefrom, we fall short
in literacy 1873 per cent.
Twenty years ago Iiteracy condi-
| tions in New Mexico were astonish-
| ing in the extreme 1t took a John
v. Conway to make practically as
brilliant a record in New Mexico as
did Mrs. Stewart in Kentucky, and
Mrs. Cora Wilson Stewart was with
| him in his campaign. Today the il
! literach percentage of New Mexico
/ and Arizona stand the same. Are we
! to let our sister state forge ahead. or
| shall we get into the race and stay
until we shall have reached the goal
of complete eradication of illiteracy?
Some may tell you they cannot
make the sacrifice necessary for the
war on illiteracy. tell you that
those who do the work for the elm
ination OF illiteracy do not make a
sacrifice, but on the contrary they
receive the real blessings of life. They
grow in wisdom and are enriched in
the spiritual things of life that come
to those who do things worthwhile.
If we are to partake of these rich
blessings we must become a part
and parcel OF the organization that
must be effected in order to accom-
| plish this great work. The idler is
| never happy. Those who labor shall
not have labored in vain.
/ The teacher cannot do this work,
neither can the club woman or the
| civic organization. But these COM
| bined together with all other forces
marshalled in one great drive can
accomplish this and make 1t q living
fact.
I was q teacher for twenty one
years and I speak first hand when
! tell you many teachers are promot-
| ing illiteracy in place of eliminating
| it. Many teachers are driving pupils
out OF school in place of pulling them
| into school. These teachers are try
| ing to comply with the law and draw
their salary. These teachers must
| be weeded out and supplanted by
teachers who are willing to render
! real service anG thereby receive
some of the blessings of this life.
What ! have said of the teacher
applies to some members of every