Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-05-12
THE ATLANTA rRI-wEEKLY JOURNAL

G ATLANTA TRI-WEEELY JOURNAL
sons in this country outnumber the combined
populations of Florida, Mississippi Delaware,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont,
Arizona, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, and
Washington. 1t is reckoned that they are nu-
merous enough to out-vote the aggregate
populations of New York City, Philadelphia
and Chicago, or of any state in the Union ex-
cept New York.
On the economic side 1t has been esti-
mated that illiteracy costs the United States
eight hundred and twenty-five million dol
lars year. In agriculture alone the loss of
productiveness on this account is immense;
for it is next to impossible to spread knowl-
edge of improved methods of sowing, cult
waiting, harvesting, and marketing amongst
those who cannot read. Immense, too, is the
loss Of earning power and saving power in
industrial groups. Among illiterate foreign
ers in this country industrial accidents are
appallingly numerous and costly. In New
are eight hundred thousand factory workers
who cannot speak English. 'In 1916 eleven
million five hundred thousand dollars was
paid out there in accordance with the Work
mems Compensation Law, an amount which
would be increased to thirty-five millions, If
to 1t were added loss of wages, labor turn
over, doctors bills and administration of
the law" In iron and steel industries the
rate of accidents is highest amongst the for
eign-born workers who have not learned
English.
OF another basic. industry the director Of
ing greater efforts for literacy: "This is a
plain business proposition to prevent the
death of at least one thousand miners each
year, and the injury of more than one hun:
dred and fifty thousand . The mines that
employ numbers of foreigners generally have
the precautionary rules printed in the diff
ferent languages; but If the foreigner cannot
read even his own language these safety
guides are of no value to him. The best
estimates from a number of the larger min
ing states are to the effect that the non
nglish-speaking foreigners suffer twice the
fatalities that the English-speaking miners
do. If the average state compensation is
three thousand dollars, which is fair figure,
the total economic loss each year to the
country through the excess of deaths of non
English-speaking miners amounts to two
million seven hundred and ninety thousand
dollars, and an additional one and three
fourths million must be counted in for wage
losses due to accidents. Some eight years
ago a large automotiye industry established
a school for its employees who could not read
and write; since then accidents In its plants
have decreased f1fty-four per cent.
Great as will be the economic, civic and So
cial gains from the conquest of illiteracy,
vastly greater will be those from the con-
structive forward marches of education. EIe-
mentary schooling is the least that state
can afford to give it's children. Beyond that
lie opportunities and obligations which can
be turned to magnificent account. First of
all, the common schools should be adequate
ly supported, to the end that every boy and
girl shall have the essentials to intelligent
and useful citizenship. But there also should
be adequate provision and encouragement for
high school and college education. Let Geor-
gia look literally to these things if she would
develop her resources, multiply her wealth,
and exalt her being.