Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-12-14
Parent I eacher Notes
by Parent Teaches Associa'io

reigns the land yields its grains and
fruits in greater abundance, the mines
are more intensively worked and to
greater advantage, and the various in
dustrial and commercial enterprises
are more scientifically and success
fully conducted. Fertile soil, timbered
land, water power, and mineral depos-
its lie idle, or are ignorantly squander
ed by an illiterate paople.
Franklin K. Lane, in one Of his illu-
minative addresses, stated THAI if the
productive labor value of an llliterate
is less by only so cents a day than
that of the educated man or woman
the country Yves losing $825,n60,O00 a
year through iliiteracy. This state
lnent is based upon the statistics OF
the 1919 census which slows that
there were 5,516,163 illiterates in the
United States above 10 years If age.
The figures for 1920 show total Of
1881, 905 iIliterates in the United
States. These figures are based upon
inquiry merely, and only those are
cIassed as illiterates who are unable
to write in their native language.
Many authorities have long thought
that a test of ability to use the lang
uage in a practical way would reveal
a much larger number of illiterates
in this country. 1t was estimated by
those who had studied the problem
that probably 20 per cent of our popu,
lation might be included in class
which could be termed near illiterates
that is to say, those who could write
their names or possibly a few sen
fences, but whose ability to handle
the language was not sufficient to
make it a vehicle of real enlighten-
ment.
This estimate was proved to be well
founded when more satisfactory
method was evolved in the urgency of
the Great War. For the intelligent mo-
bilization of the American Army it be !?
came necessary for the Government
to know accurately whether our sold
iers could read orders and write orders
before they could be assigned to. effec-
tive service. Our Government there
fore gave to million and a half men
who were taken in the first draft
men from every State in the Union
and from every class of peoples
piece of newspaper to read and asked
each one of them to write short
letter When this test was given it
was found that from 1866, oil men ex-
amined those who were unable to
read and understand newspapers and
write letters home" amounted to 25.3
per cent. We found therefore, that at
the time of the World War probably
o per cent of our population could
not use the English language as a
vehicle for information or expression.
The progress that is now being
made in the removal of illiteracy is
not encouraging. The census of 1920
shows that in the 10 preceding years
the drop in the percentage of illiteracy
was from II per cent to 6. In -
States illiteracy increased during the
last census decade and this increase
was among the foreign born Fhe re.
duction in illiteracy during the past
10 years has been mainly in the rural
districts still exceeds those in urban
communities by 100000
What does illiteracy mean to the
native white farmer? 1t means that
he is shut in behind the walls of med
iaevalism. AS Cora Wilson Stewart, orr
ginator of the moonlight schools of
Kentucky, says: Ignorance never
plowed furrow straighter nor produc
ed an extra bushel of corn to the acre.
Only intelligence can increase produc-
ton on the farm
When we turn from illiteracy in the
country to iIIiteracy in the city, we
find that the problem is mainly that
of the foreign born. Although only 35.7
per cent of illiteracy in the whole
country are foreign born, 67.8 per cent
VI oCCo III Tic III jail QISlIlCIS die
foreign born. This large group of ILL
terates is composed of those who can
not write in any language. In addition
to this class are those who are unable
to read, write or speak the English
language. Both these groups are cut
off from the possibility of reading the
newspaper and from enlightening dis
cussion with their American neighbors
on the street corner. The foreign born
is condemned to the necessity of
thinking in terms of the Old World.
He can neither hear nor speak save
through others. He may be exploited
and plundered because of his helpless
ignorance.
The illiterate foreigner must depend
upon others for finding a market for
his labor Faulty distribution is due
in large measure to ignorance of our
language and o industrial opportun-
ity, and an overcrowded trade may
become more crowded from year to
year. In 1915 it was estimated that UNI
skilled labor represented about 80 per
cent of the adult immigration to this
c0untrv and thiS grOun among which