The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-11-22

Mrs. Margaret Hill McCarter of To-
peka has been made a special ccnl-
missioner to investigate the illiSsracy
situation. She will work with the
state board of education in solving the
problem.
Extends to Every County
Adult illiteracy extends to every
county in the state, Governor Aliens
report shows. OF the e22,S2g Hitter
ates over ten years old, 20,9s0 are
men and women of voting age-11079
men and. 9,S92 women.
shawnee county ranks third in the
class of adult illfterates. Wyaudotte
county is first and Crawford county Is
second. The report shows 3,42S adult
ll1terates in Wyandotte county with
a.60O in Crawford county and 400 in
Kansas, which has been seenoinp1v
1ree from the iliteracy problem in re-
cent years, has suddenly faced the
menace, particularly in the Industrial
centers, where there is a large foreign
born male population. The Governor,
statement tears down the states for
mer claims of a high educational
standard and points to the fact that
Kansas must join with other states in
meeting the situation.
Governor Allen in his statement re-
garding illiteracy said:
am appointing today Mrs Margaret Hill
vestigate the subject Of growing iiiiteraov @ in
this state. am asking Mrs McCarfer 10
CONFER with the members of the school code
commission appointed during the last Ieeis-
lative session, and with the members OF the
state BOARD of education, In the hope that
the educational program presented to tae
next legislature shall contain remedy f0r
the growing menace of adult Hliteracy in
this state.
-, Kansas has been peculiarly free from
hIiteracy ana we have had tendency to be
sell satisfied upon the subject we have
realized that our excellent educational fa-
ciiItles were making steady progress and
tnat our compulsory school laws were TAX
ing care Of the subject OF childhood educa-
tion. What we have failed to realize, how
ever, Is that our growing Industrial life has
brought to us an Increasing nrotfefn ~
adult uliteracy.
Kentucky n Leader.
Many states that have been obfired to
grapple with this problem have found it
posslDle 10 make progress. Kentucky un-
der the remarkable leadership Of Mrs Cora
wilson stewart, has proved conelusivesy
that adult niiteraey can be reached by the
system Of night schools and other educa-
tional work. Her Leadership has proved TO
the whole country that any state may sue
cessfully meet this problem. II ought to
be easy for Kansas to meet il while Vet the
problem is young with us. Kansas accord
ing to the last statistics Of the federal gov
ernmenf has 22S29 inhabitants over ten
years of age who cannot read or write. or
these 11,018 are males. 1882 are females OF
voting age. About half sf these are foreign
The number Of nliterates in Kansas coun-
ties range from four in Grant county 70 T.
426 In Wy1ndotte There are 400 in Shaw
Cherokee, Sedgwick, Montgomery. Cowiey.
LeaFenworth and Crawford. run from 800
to thousand in each Of those counties.
ANY system Of education which does not
take into consideration the possibility OF
Carrying instruction to these flliterates Is in
complete, and l earnestly hope that Mrs.
McCarter and her associates In this work
VIII find the utmost cooperation on the part
of all Of our educational leaders.