The news in this publica*
tion is released for the press on
rec«pt.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
NEWS LETTER
Published weekly by the
University of North Carolina
for its Bureau of Elxtension.
MAY 28,1919
CHAPEL HILL, N. C.
VOL. V, NO. 27
BdUorial Board i K. C. Branson, J. G, deK. Hamilton, L. B. Wilson, D D Carroll, G. M. MoKie
Entered as second-olass matter November U, 1914, at the Postoffloe at Chapel Hill, N, C., nnder the act of August 24,1912,
—
DEBATING LIVE ISSUES
How to transform college debating
from a negative, formal exercise into a
living thing is a problem that has been
successfully solved by the Department of
English of the University of North Caro
lina under Prof. Edwin Greenlaw. To
give advanced students a sense of dealing
with realities, he organized them into a
peace conference with groups represent
ing the United States, France, Great
Britain, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Russia,
Germany and the Balkan states, with
special commissions on indemnities, con
stitution of a league of nations, final draft
of the peace treaty, territorial adjust
ment, freedom of the seas, mandatories,
etc.
Meetings were held daily for twelve
weeks; an extraordinary amount of read
ing and investigation was done; every
provision in the constitution was adopted
only after debate which frequently be
came, very intense. The final report—
issued almost simultaneously witu that of
the Paris conference—embodies the de
cisions arrived at but, of course, only a
very small pait of the work of the course.
Last year, the same class published a
journal of opinion called the Range
Finder, also devoted largely to practical
questions of community organization.—
The Survey.
TACKLING REAL PROBLEMS
One of the most valuable organizations
in the whole country, and that is making
it quite comprehensive, is the North
Carolina Club over at Chapel Hill. This
is an association of young men who are
engaged in the study of problems that
are chiefly North Carolina in extent, yet
which because of the general truth that
we are all about the same as far as the
states are concerned, affect Christendom
much as they affect our own State. The
young men do not confine themseU'es to
the course of study laid down in their
books, but they take up from time to time
topics that are bobbing up as civilization
rounds new corners on its forward road.
A recent theme was public ownership
of w'ater, lights, and street transportation,
and this theme was covered in such a
w'ay that it'is worth the while of com
munities in the state and oiit of the state
to look into the views the young men
present. They do not start out with an
assumption and devote their energies to
establish their theories. They go at the
matter right and inquire into the best
methods, allowing the truth to lead them
where it will, and that is the only valuable
way. If the University can get the stu
dents to face all problems in this way it
will have earned its cost if it gives no
further education
But in the matter of municipal con
veniences the conclusion reached in the
electrical theme was that private cap
ital can serve better than the com
munity. The big corporation can control
capital to better advantage, can develop
big units of power and split up into small
units to meet the needs of big and little
towns, can secure more capable engineer
ing and managing skill and compel
greater economy and etticeincy. On this
subject Dr. 0. L. Raper, of the faculty,
started the discussion by an address be
fore the club, when the, members joined
in talking the matter in its various
phases In that way are dug out the ad
vantages and disadvantages of such a
scheme, and the students see in as nearly
an unbiased ligiit as possible the logic
and the theory.
There may be bigger universities and
more pretentious, but Chapel Hill has an
ideal in trying to bring the young men
into thinking contact with the current
progress of life, and will never have to
apologize for its work as long as it keeps
up its present gait.—News and Observer.
THE WEIL LECTURESHIP
Dr. J. H. Hollander, professor of
political economy in Johns Hopkins Uni
versity, was the speaker invited this y^ar
to give the Weil Foundation lectures on
American Citizenship. His three bril
liant discourses will be issued presently
in book form.
The Weil Foundation is one of the
most interesting gifts the University of
North Carolina has received of late. Les
lie, Lionel, and Herman Weil of Golds
boro, created this lectureship in 1914 in
memory of their fathers. It provides
$500 or so annually for a series of ad
dresses on American Citizenship. It is
an expression of ardent patriotism by the
younger Weils as well as a loving tribute
to the unsmirched integrity and the un
obtrusive but fervent patriotism of Sol
and Henry Weil.
In these days of active planning for the
rapid Americanization of the foreign-born
within our borders, it is heartening to
remember that there are many among
our adopted citizens who do their own
Americanizing and do it capably. Carl
Schurz, Otto Kahn, and the Weils head
a long list of patriotic Americans of
foreign birth or blood.
They came to America to escape in
tolerable conditions at home—conditions
economic, social, or racial. Whatever
the cau.se, the effect was misery. But
once arrived they found conditions they
could master. Given health, strength,
and well-directed ardor they held the key
to fate. They found the keenest compe
tition, but along with it a quick and gen
erous recognition of merit.
A rarely sound and sweet natured man
we knew often said something like this to
his children: “The dearest article in the
world in point of price is a present. The
unrequited benefit is the commonest of
all debts and the most destructive to the
soul. The most expensive commodity is
the one you get for nothing. And in
nothing does the principle so apply as
in citizenship. You cannot live long
enough to pay what you owe to the com
munity which furnishes you with oppor
tunity for earning a competence, for edu
cation, for friendship, for recreation, for
liberty of conscience, for free speech, for
joy in life. All the social service that
you can render will never fully wipe out
the debt you owe to your country.”
It must be some such thoughts as these
that lead-men like the Weils to establish
a lectureship in their state university on
American Citizenship. They are rich in
the royal coin of devotion to their home
state, to their Alma Mater the state uni
versity, to America, and to the loftiest
ideals of American citizenship.—E. N.
NEXT GREAT QUESTION
Dr. David Snedden
Now that we have achieved sub
stantial results in laying the foundation
of public vocational schools, I predict
that the next great question which
will, for many years engage the
efforts of the public, and of educators
who can think and plan, will bo that
of the moral education which can pro
duce in individuals the moral charac
ter required to meet the needs of a
highly developed democracy in the
twentieth century.—Columbia Univer
sity.
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
LETTER SERIES NO. 169
nual inter-scholastic track meet, which
was won by the Friendship High School,
and the fourth annual inter-scholastic
tennis tournament, which was won by
the AVilson High School.
The schools which were represented in
the final contest for the liycock Memorial
Cup were: Advance, Angler, Aulander,
Belhaven, Bethel, Cameron, Canton, Car
thage, Clemmons, Columbus, Crouse,
Dixie, Durham, Elizabeth City, Golds
boro, Hertford, Jamestown, King’s
Mountain, Lincolntou, Louisburg, Luca-
ma, Manteo, Middleburg, Mount Gilead,
Mountain Park, Mount Olive, Roanoke
Rapids, Rockingham, Sand Hill, Scotts,
Selma, South Buffalo, Southport, Stony
Creek, AValkertown, Wesley Chapel,
Mbnston-Salem, Yanceyville.
THE ILLITERACY PROBLEM
Many of the men and women who are
able to meet a literacy test remained in
school in childhood days only long enough
to learn the merest rudiments of reading
and writing. How inadequate is the
foundation that this gives for intelligent
citizenship is suggested by the results of
the psychological and educational tests
given in the Army. If these results can
be safely generalized, one must conclude
that nearly one-fourth of the adult popu
lation of the United States is only barely
lettered, for the tests showed that nearly
twenty-five percent of the drafted soldiers
were unable to write an intelligible letter
or read a newspaper intelligently.
Largely a Rural Problem
A relatively large proportion of this
educational deficiency must be charged
against the rural schools with their short
terms, their poorly paid, untrained, and
immature teachers, their meagre super
vision, and their lack of an effective sys
tem of compulsory attendance.
The educational weaknesses revealed
by the experience of the last two years
are due very largely to the inadequacy of
rural and village schools. The country is
becoming thoroughly aroused to the peril
that lies in illiteracy, but it should not
forget that adult illiteracy is twice as
prevalent in the rural population as in
the urban population, and that the per
manent elimination of adult illiteracy
must await the solution of the rural
school problem. That the proportion of
adult illiterates is three times higher
among the native-born children of native-
born parents is another fact that points,
to the same inescapable conclusion.
A Dead Letter Law
Outside of the urban centers compul
sory attendance is far too f'-equently a
dead letter requirement. Nor is the
problem limited to the rural states. An
attendance officer in a county not seventy
miles from New York City recently
remarked that the attendance law of her
state could not be enforced in the rural
districts of her county; and she added. It
would be little good to enforce it, so poor
are the schools and so ill-prepared the
teachers.—National School Service.
THE HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE
The seventh annual contest of the High
School Debating Union of North Carolina
came to a very sccessful conclusion on
May 2nd in Tvlemorial Hall at the Uni
versity, when IjCO Brady and Miss Aura
Holton, representing the Durham High
School, triumphed over all others, and
'wmn the award of the Ay cock Memorial
Cup. Their opponents in this final de
bate were, Miss Sudie Creech and AVil-
liam Hosea of Goldsboro High School.
The query was: Resolved, That the
Government of the United States should
adopt a policy requiring one year of mili
tary training for all able-bodied men be
fore they reach the age of 21. Goldsboro
advocated the affirmative and , Durham
defended the negative. ,Dr. H. AV. Chase,
chairman of the faculty of the Lhiiversity,
presided over the debate in Memorial
Hall. Prefessor N. AY. AValker presented
the Aycock Cup to the winning team in
behalf of the inter-collegiate debaters of
the University. Dean A. H. Patterson
presented the cups and medals to the
winners in the inter-scholastic track-
meet. Memorial Hall was filled to its
capacity for tlie final debate.
High School WeeK
One hundred and sixty-four youthful
debaters, representing forty-one high
schools, came to the University for this
final contest. They had all been success
ful in the triangular debate on April 4th,
in which series 720 debaters participated,
representing 180 schools in 75 counties.
The stay of these visitors at the Uni
versity proved to be a very enjoyable and
happy one. The debaters represented all
sections of the State. There were present
75 girl debaters.
The dates of May 1st and 2nd had been
set apart as High School Week in the
University’s calendar. Other features of
High School AVeek were the seventh an-
COSTLY IGNORANCE
The State Health Board mails out
diphtheria antitoxin for 25 cents a pack
age. It is free except for this nominal
charge to cover the cost of the syringe,
wrapping, and postage or express. It
goes for this charge to the physicians of
the state who can keep it on hand for
emergency uses. Or they can wire it in
from Raleigh when danger threatens a
patient.
AVhen bought at the nearest drug store,
the cost is tremendously greater. How
much greater appears in the leading
article of the State Health Bulletin,
April number. Here it may be seen that
15 drug store customers recently paid
$228.65 for 48 doses of antitoxin that
they might have had from the State
Health Board for $12. Fifteen people in
distress paid nearly 20 times more than
they needed to pay. In other words they
wasted about 95 cents of every dollar
they spent for diphtheria antitoxin. It
cost them $216.65 to be ignorant of a
state agency of free public service. A
pretty big bill for fifteen people.
If you want to know who these grace
less profiteers -were, read the bulletin.
It gives their addresses in full right off
the bat. The profiteering seems to be
proved by the fact that the prices
charged ranged from $2.50 to $9.00 per
dose. In one and the same drug store
the prices ranged from $5.82 to $9.00 per
dose.
There is nothing in this world more
expensive than ignorance, and nothing
more remorseless than greed. Here is an
apt illustration of these hoary facts of
human nature.
Negligent Counties
By the way, 21 counties have made no
arrangements with the State Health
Board for free antitoxin, as follows:
Alleghany, Anson, Avery, Bladen, Burke,
Cabarrus, Camden, Columbus, Cumber
land, Dare, Graham, Greene, Halifax,
Render, Rutherford, Scotland, Swain,
Transylvania, Tyrrell, A'ance, and AYar-
ren.
The neglect lays a heavy burden of ex
pense on the folks.
The State Health Bulletin, by the way,
ought to go into every courthouse office
and to every high school in the state.
Every minister who really serves the
Great Physician ought to have it; also
every intelligent citizen white or black.
It comes near to being the best public
health bulletin in the United States. It’s
free. Write to Dr. AY. S. Rankin for it.
THE 1918-19 COMMENCEMENT
The program of the forthcoming com
mencement at the University of North
Carolina, the dates of which are June 15,
16, 17 and 18, has just been announced.
It contains several new features, includ
ing a historical pageant to be presented
on the afternoon of class day exercises,
and arrangements whereby the various
reunion classes will have more time to
themselves for renewing the bonds of
friendship.
Secretary of the Interior Franklin K.
Lane is the commencement day speaker,
while iW. John Ellington AA'hite, pastor
of the First Baptist church, of Anderson,
S. C., will preach the baccalaureate ser
mon. In this connection, it is interest
ing to note that the visit of Secretary
Lane will mark the fourth university
c immencement address by cabinet mem
bers within the last four years. Secre
tary McAdoo was here in 1916, w'hile
Secretaries Daniels and Baker were
present for the 1917 finals. The visit of
Secretary -Lane to North Carolina, par
ticularly at this time, promises to make
the occasion one of momentous import
ance to the state.
Alore emphasis is being put on the
class reunion program than heretofore.
The ten, five, and one year ^et-together
affairs have been styled “Ahetory Re
unions” for this commencement. “Home
coming” or “After-the-AYar” reunions
are oth^names that fit well. Many of
the younger alumni, especially members
of the last one or two classes whose
reunions are scheduled for this year have
been in the service and many are still in
France, but the great majority are back
home and are being urged to assemble
again in Chapel Hill during the week of
June 15-18. More stress is also being put
on the big general reunion, which in
cludes every alumnus of the university.
A special effort is being made to get a
record breaking number of alumni back
for the finals this year, and all indications
are favorable. ^
The following classes will hold special
reunions, although all alumni are invited
to attend the big general reunion: 1859,
1869, 1879, 1899, 1894, 1899, 1904, 1909,
1914 and 1918. Letters have been sent
out to all members of these classes calling
attentiqn to the home-coming event; along
with plans for the exercises, by Prof. AY.
S. Bernard and Secretary E. R. Rankin.
The Program
The commencement exercises will be
opened Sunday, June 15, with the bac
calaureate sermon by Rev. J. E. AYhite.
\’’esper services will.be held in the after
noon.
Monday, J une 16, will be given over to
the seniors, who will hold annual class
day exercises. They will form in front
of Memorial H^ll and inarch to chapel
for prayer in the morning. Class day
exercises will be held in Gerrard Hall, to
be followed by the annual orations by
members of the graduating class in con
test for the Mangum medal.
'-The closing exercises of the senior class
will be held Monday night, June 16, to
be preceded by a historical pageant given
by the class, which will be staged in the
afternoon. Anniversary meetings of the
two literary societies, which will be held
in their respective halls, will mark the
end of Monday’s program.
Class Reunions
Tuesday, June 17 is alumni day, when
the campus will be turned over to the
former members of the student body. A
meeting of the General Alumni associa
tion will be held in Gerrard Hall in the
morning; to be followed by the annual
alnmni luncheon and class reunions at
noon. A A'ictory Reunion of the alumnj
in service will be held in the afternoon.
Baseball games between special reunion
classes will be held on the athletic fields
also in the afternoon. A meeting of the
board of trustees, the annual inter-society
debate, and a reception in Bynum gym
nasium are on the night’s program.
The finals will come to a close with
commencement day exercises on June 18,
when degrees will be conferred and ad
dresses made.—R. AA’'. Maddry.
THE DEADLY FLY SEASON
The fly season is upon ua. Is your
table covered with these odious animals?
If so, you have unsanitary conditions in
the vicinity of your house. Flies breed
in uncovered manure piles, open privies
uncovered garbage cans, and so on.
They carry filth, and often disease germs,
from these places to our food. They are
harbingers of sickness and, discomfort.
They are indicators of uncleanliness, they
are unnecessary and preventable.
To prevent flies: First, destroy their
breeding places. Second, shut them out
of the house.
Keep manure piles covered or remove
manure once a week. Keep privies
screened and closed to 'flies. Keep doors
and windows effectively screened. A'arious
commercial fly traps can be bought at
little expense which will rid the house of
these pests. Freedom from flies means
freedom from typhoid and diarrheal
diseases. Flies are much more than a
nuisance; they are a deadly menace.
—T. S.
ONCE-A-MONTH PREACHING
Eighteen thousand out of a total o*
20,000 Baptist country churches in the
South have preaching only once a month
and most of them are served by absentee
pastors. Out of a total of 19,800 Southern
Alethodist churches 16,500 are rural and
about 15,000 have once-a-nionth preach
ing. Baptist and Methodist have ap
proximately 45,000 churches in the South.
Of these about 37,000 are rural and near
ly 30,000 of these are served by absentee
pastors. Surely there is great need
that these churches be served by resident
pastors and that the number of preaching
Sundays be increased to two, three or
four Sundays each month. Once-a-
month preaching will not do for this dayj
—G. 0. Hedgepeth.