the scool-time now given to spelling and reading could be saved. To bring it to such a degree of fonetic precision, however, would require the addition of several letters to the alfabet, since there ar more sounds in English than in iether Italian or Spanish.
Fonetic Approximation with Present Alfabet
It has been estimated, however, that if all the simplifications of English spelling possible with the present alfabet should be made, it would be as nearly fonetic as German spelling. The scools of Germany devote about one year more time to nativ language study than do the scools of Italy and Spain, and about one year les time than do the scools of England and America.
Mathematical exactness is not claimd for these estimates. They ar based on inquiries made at various times by educators and investigators employing different methods and working from different sets of data. The substantial accuracy of the estimates, however, is attested by their general agreement. In presenting them as a basis for financial calculation, the Board is willing to allow a wide margin of safety, and to assume that the adoption of a completely simplified spelling would save only one year's scool-time to each pupil—the estimated saving if our spelling wer to be made only as reasonable as German spelling, insted of as fonetic as Italian or Spanish.
Bad Spelling Costs Good Dollars
The United States Commissioner of Education, in his Report for 1917, estimates that $855,000,000 was spent for education in this country in 1915. Of this, approximately $215,000,000 went for education in high scools, normal scools, tecnical scools, and institutions
