Evening star., 1938-07-01
OF STARS
MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress
in Field, Laboratory
and Study.
By THOMAS r. HENRY.

anu Otuoys
By THOMAS r. HENRY.
OTTAWA, July 1.-THE widowed
mother who can read and write makes
the best parent.
Less than 2 per cent Of the children
of such mothers grow up illiterate while
slightly more than 2 per cent Of chill
dren left to the care Of widowed, nterate
fathers do not learn to read, according
to survey presented before the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement
of Science meeting here today.
Both, however, have slightly better
records than families in which both the
parents are living together and are both
hterate. Worst Of all, the survey showed,
is the unmarried mother. Nearly half
the children Of such families grow up
illiterate in spite Of school opportunities.
Where both parents are married, living
together. but illiterate. the rate OF illit-
eracy among the children Is about 40
per cent. About IS per cent Of the
children of the illiterate, widowed father
never learn to read or write, and the
record of the illiterate, widowed mother
is nearly as bad.
The survey was reported by M. G.
McLain. Ontario educator, who de-
changed so strikingly In the past two
generations as to become a social phe-
nomenon not easily explainable. In the
past when a person could not read or
write it was presumed either that he
was too stupid to learn or never had
an opportunity to go to school. The
last generation showed many men, some
OF whom still survive, who could do
intricate mathematical problems, carry
on philosophical discussions, and con-
duct business successfully who could
not read word because there were no
schools they could attend when they
were children.
Now such q condition is practically
unheard of in western Europe, the
United States, or Canada, he said, yet
a surprising degree Of illiteracy persists
even among persons of normal intelli-
gence. The survey indicated that litter
ate parents, instead of appreciating the
opportunities for their children, actually
try to circumvent the law so that the
offspring will not be better than they
are.
Illiteracy of children seems to follow
the same curve as illiteracy OF parents,
although not so marked as in the past
The superiority of the widowed
mother, it was explained. may be due
to the fact that her world becomes so
restricted that she lives almost alto
gether in her children, and strives to
get for them what she herself would
like to have had.
OTTAWA, July with currents Of
electricity serving as robot prospectors,
finding of new golcondas in the earth's
depths which will increase vastly gold
production was predicted here today.
Already, it was revealed to biologists
attending the meetings of the American
Association for the Advancement Of
Science, this method has shown q great
extension of the Rand gold fields in
South Africa. one of the chief sources
Of the worlds supply of the precious
metal. Similar extensions and even
entirely new deposits may be expected
elsewhere
In the past, according to papers pre-
sented before the geologists, gold has
been found only where a lead of gold
bearing rock has protruded to the sur
face. There is no particular reason why
this should happen. Gold, originally
cast up from the depths of the earth
in volcanic magma. is found today only
where it has entered into some liquid
solution and then been precipitated.
There may be vast areas Of such pre-
cipitation forever hidden from human
eyes and revealed only when mountains
are worn down so that the surface cuts
across them.
Different kinds Of rock present a dif-
ferent resistance to an electric current
sent through the earth. This can be
recorded at one end of the circuit and
a strong clue obtained, if not an actual
certainty, of gold-bearing strata. In
both the United States and Canada
silica beds containing gold are being
found by the new method, according
to a paper presented by sherwin F.
Kelly, Toronto geophysical engineer
At the same time. 1t was shown, other
geophysical methods are being used to
detect other hidden mineral resources
In some cases miniature earthquakes
are set up and the varying speed of
the earthquake waves through the rocks
IN different directions noted. Great iron
deposits are being found by variations
in magnetism and incredibly fine meas
urements Of gravity are showing hidden
differences in the weight of underlying
rocks.
These methods. MIR. Kelly said, are
being used successfully to locate oil in
the United States, water in Africa, Spain
and Palestine, copper, nickel, lead and
zinc In Canada, and coal and potash
in Spain.