Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-12-26
COSTING VIRGINIA
S25,00O,0OO A YEAR, HART SAYS
This Sum Is 20 Per Cent More Than Was Spent for EIc
mentary and Public High School Education in
Commonwealth Last Year. Report.

virginia IS probably losing s25.-
100000 annually because Of existing
illitcrarcy. according to figures com
Piled at the state Department OF Pub
lie instruction. This sum is ap-
proSimately 100000. or 90 per
cent more than was spent for public
elementary and nigh school educa-
ton in tho Commonwealth last ses-
sion. and five times as much as tho
total expenditure for public clcmcn-
tary and high school education H.,
1910.
The late Franklin X. Lane. when
nc was Secretary of the Interior. cs-
tmated that the economic value OF
an illiterate Is fifty cents n dav less
than llterate individual. Harris
hart. State Superintendent OF PUhlic
ins;ruc' ion. said yesterday. This
estimate was based upon all Hitter
ates ten years of age and older. II
computed on this basis, illiteracy is
costing virginia over 100000 900 a
year. for according 10 the United
states Census for 1920, Virginia has
le1,lSo iil!terates ten years OF age
and older. II computation Is based
on illiteratcs within the Common
wealth twcnty-one years OF age and
over. OF whom there are 1926. ac-
cordinG 10 the United states census
FOR 1920. the annual economic loss TO
Virginia is approximately 5000. 600.
and this is at a conservative csti-
mate.
In making these calculations IL
should be horne in mind that the
State Department used the illiteraCy
statistics OF the United States Cen
sus Bureau. In taking the Federal
census person must confess that he
is an illitcrate 10 be enumerated as
such. Federal illitcracy figures
should be understood to represent
only those. persons who have had no
schooling whatever
I'm tho army draft. quite dlr-
fcrent basis for estimating illi,eracy
was used. illiteracy in the draft
understand newspapers and write
letters home, using the English
language. This is much higher
standard and perhaps comes really
nearer TO defining illi;eracy. When
this standard is applied. about four
times as much illiteracy is found as
when the Federal census standard is
used.
Certain IL IS that no State can fac.
the tremendous economic loss due to
illiteracY without serious concern
1t has long been demonstrated that
ignorance in any form Is expensive
beyond computation when viewed III
all of its aspects. social and civic, .s
well as economic.
1t should be pointed out that Vir-
Einia is making striking progress in
the reduction OF iliiteracy
In 1910 the percentage of Hitter
acy among the individuals ten years
OF age and over was 1872; in 1920.
this percentage was reduced TO II.o
OF the individuals between ten and
twenty years cf age In 1910, o. per
cent Were illiterates. whereas, In
1920. the number OF illiteratcs of
these ages was but G per cent. This
Is exceedingly hopeful, Indicating
the power of the public schools to
attract young people even without
the operation OF compulsory at
tendance law.
Virginia school authorities. it
should he noted, also enumcratc
iliiterates in taking the school cen
sus. Here again the standard is diff
tcrcnt from that Sc. up by the Fed :
eral census. According to the Vir-
ginia enumeration. in 1910. II per
cent of the population from ten to
twenty years of age. inclusive. was
illiterate. whereas, in 1920, four and
four-tenths per cent was i!litcratc.
1T is interesting to observe that
in 1920 there was 10 per cent more
illiteracy among males than females
In the population of the S,ate ten
years Of age and older. about twice
as much iliiteracy in the country as
In the city, GIT per cent OF the total