The news in this publi
cation is released for the
press on receipt.
THE UNiVERSiTY OF NORTH CAROLINA
NEWS LETTER
Published Weekly by the
University of North Caro
lina for the University Ex
tension Division.
NOVEMBER 12, 1924
CHAPEL HILL, N. C.
THE UNI VEESITY OF NOETH CAROLINA PRESS
VOL. XI, NO. 2
BiU»rtal B'yardi B. G. BranaOQ. 9> H. Hobbs. Jr.. L. R. Wilson, B. W. Koi^ht. D. D. Carroll. J. B.BaliItt. B. W. Odam.
Bntt^rod as aocond-claaa mattor Noromber 14,1914, atthoPostoflBcoat ChapolHIH. N. C., ander the actef Aagast 24. 1912
NORTH CAROLINA EXPORTS
i§!-
THE NORTH CAROLINA CLUB
The N, G. Club met last Monday
evening for its first regular meeting of
the year. The nominating committee,
appointed at the organization meeting
two weeks ago, presented its candidates
and the following officers were elected:
Reid Kitchen, president; G. K. Cave-
naugh, vice-president, and E. T.
Thompson, of the rural social econo
mics department, secretary.
Miss Ruth Hunter, presenting the
paper of the evening, discussed “Non-
Voting -Democracies.” In introducing
the subject Miss Hunter called attention
to the coming November elections, in
which will probably be cast the largest
number of ballots in the history of our
country.
She stated that democracy is the
wrong word to describe the present
form of government in the United
States, in that it is not a government
of the people, by the people and for
the people, but is a “politocracy, ” or a
government of the few, by the few and
for the few. A democracy according
to her, is a commonwealth in which the
people as a whole legislate and choose
executive and judicial officers either di
rectly or through representatives. This
is not done in the UnitedStates because
of the existing .conditions which are
discussed fully later on.
A great many people think that de
mocracy as a form of government is
not an assured success. They think, and
not without some cause, that there is
no use voting, as a single vote will
make no difference either way.
Miss Hunter then traced the history
of the popular ballot and representa
tive government showing the difficult
path by which the ballot has put politi
cal power within the reach of every
citizen of the country. However, she
stated that in the final analysis a man’s
vote must be measured by the worth
of the man. Here referring to an ar
ticle in the October number of World's
Work, she stated that a country with
out a competent people, politically, may
have a democratic constitution but it
will not be a democracy, for in the end
the government does lean on the char
acter of the people.
ranked from 10 percent to 64 percent.
The reasons given for this indifference
in the South are; (1) Party control; (2)
racial differences; (3) great extent of
land tenancy; and (4) illiteracy—two-
thirds of the white illiteracy of the
country being in the South, not men
tioning the extent in the negro race.
Some Remedies
The foilowing remedies were suggest
ed and discussed by the speaker and
members of the club: (1) Shortening
the ballot in order to give the voters a
chance to know more of the candidates
so they may vote more intelligently; (2)
political and social instruction in the
schools, especially in the secondary
schools. Political study groups among
the grown-ups directed by the super
intendents of schools. (3) Adopting the
preferential ballot so that if the voter’s
first choice is thrown out his vote will
be transferred to his second choice or
maybe to his third choice.—J. D. Cox.
Why They Do Not Vote
For an intelligent use of the ballot it
is necessary that the voter realize that
there is some responsibility placed upon
him and by casting his vote he is exer
cising a power given him by right of
the franchise, and that by vot'hg as he
thinks right, he is strengthing the
government and increasing his self-re
spect and the respect that others enter
tain for him.
In speaking of the causes of this con
dition in our government Miss Hunter
placed them under the following heads:
(1) indifference; (2) illiteracy and ig
norance of politics; (3) racial complica
tions; (4) dissimilar interests of the
urban and rural populations; (6) the
long ballot; (6) transient population;
(7) costs and inconvenience of voting.
As conditions caused by this polito-
cratic system, which would not exist
otherwise,'she gives (1) the long bal
lot and the impossibility of being able
to know, even politically, more than
one-tenth to one-fourth of the candi
dates for the major offices; (2) profes
sional advisers; (3) the decentralization
of government carried to the extreme;
(4) power of extra-legal forces, the
political machines with their bosses.
Southern States Lowest
In summarizing the extent that demo
cracy is in practice in our government,
statistics were given that showed: that
in the United States as a whole, in 1920,
only'49 percent of the qualified voters
cast ballots— that is. 26 million voted
out of a total of 63 million qualified vot
ers; that in Ohio one million registered
voters did not go to the polls; that in
Massachusetts, in 1922, the governor
was elected by one-sixth of the total
electorate; that in 1923 only 26 percent
of the women and 49 percent of the
aaen of PhXadelphia voted. Delaware
ranks highest in percentage with 76
percent of the electorate voting. South
Carolina is last With only 8.5 percent,
while North Carolina is 37th with 44.6
percent. The other southern states
N. C. CLUB PROGRAM 1924-25
The North Carolina Club at the Uni
versity was organized in November
1914 by Professor E. C. Branson, head
of the Department of Rural Social
Economics. The Club is made up of
student and faculty members who are
interested in studying the economic and
social problems of the home state. The
Club . meets once every two weeks
throughout the college year. At each
meeting a paper is presented, followed
by a general discussion by the Club
members. At the end of the year the
papers are carefully edited and pub
lished in the North Carolina Club Year-
Book.
The 1923-1924 Year Book, “What
Next in North Carolina,” is now being
edited and will go to press shortly. A
copy will be mailed free to all North
Carolinians who write for it in time. A
small charge is made to those living
outside the state.
The Year-Books which have been pub
lished are as follows:
North Carolina: Resources, Advan
tages, and Opportunities, 1916-16.
Wealth and Welfare in North Caro
lina, 1916-17.
County Government and County Af
fairs in North Carolina, 1917-18. (Out
of print.)
State Reconstruction Studies, 1919-
20.
North Carolina: Industrial and Ur
ban, 1920-21. (Out of print)
Home and Farm Ownership in North
Carolina, 1921-22.
What Next in North Carolina, 1922-
23. (Copies available)
What Next in North Carolina, 1923-
24. (To go to press shortly)
The 1924-25 Program
The North Carolina Club for the year
1924-25, with more than one hundred
members, has the largest membership
in its history. The indications are that
the Club is entering its most successful
year. The following is the Club pro
gram for the year 1924-25. At the end
of the year the papers will appear in
the Club Year-Book under the title of
What Next in North Carolina. To the
student who presents the best paper
goes a prize of of fifty dollars, given
annually by Hon. J. W. Bailey who is
keenly interested in the work the Club
is doing.
1. Non-VotingDemocracies. —Miss E.
R. Hunter.
2. A State System of Port Terminals
and Water Transportation in North
Carolina and other States.—W. T.
Couch.
3. Freight Rate Discriminations
Against Noi^th Carolina.—E. G. Webb;
G. K. Cavenaugh.
4. Trunk Line Freight and Passenger
Traffic with the Upper Middle West —
R. B. Eustler.
5. Spiritual Awakening in North
Carolina. —Miss Norma Connell; S. H.
Williams.
6. Necessity for a Business-Like Ad
ministration of State Finances.—F. S.
Griffin.
7. Necessity for a Business-Like Ad
ministration of County Finances.-P,
W. Wager.
8. Does North Carolina Read?—Or
lando Stone,
9. Tax Problems of Nerth Carolina.
DID MR. STOKES KNOW?
W. E. D. Stokes, millionaire rail
road president, motored from Ashe
ville, N.C., to the Shenandoah val
ley. By the time he reached Har
risonburg he was thoroughly sick
of Virginia roads, and was loaded
for bear with facts and figures relat
ing to the advantages of'a modern
highway system. These facts and
figures he catapulted at the public
through the medium of the Daily
News-Record.
“I find North Carolina booming
with business,” he wrote in the
Daily News-Record, “and everyone
apparently making lots of money.
Factories, warehouses and dwellings
are going up everywhere and people
are flocking into North Carolina:
lands, lots and dwellings are dou
bling in value almost yearly.
“ The explanation to my mind,
for this marvelous prosperity in
North Carolina may be attributed
to the energy and foresightedness
of its governors and legislators,
who, seeing the serious situation
their state was in, aroused her citi
zens to united teamwork for the
general welfare, and have borrowed
millions by the sale of state bonds,
in order to provide state improve
ments, which have brought investors
by the thousands into the state, who
have opened up the country, erected
factories, supplied water and elec
tric power, and have built wonder
ful cement roads everywhere.
The judicious use of these borrow
ed millions has brought suchj pros
perity to North Carolina that their
bonds are now selling at a premium
and are rapidly being paid off. Let
Virginia do the same. Borrow
money now while money is cheap,
and expend it judiciously, and you
will see here such prosperity as you
never dreamed of. The people of
Virginia must trust their interests to
expert financial men, who have
spent years in gaining experience
and information on these subjects.
“....Such a condition as we see
here in the roads of Virginia would
not be tolerated in North Carolina.
The Asheville chamber of commerce
would meet and the governors and
legislators of North Carolina would
listen and act; so why does not your
state of Virginia issue at once $20,-
000,000 of bonds, complete her state
roads and fill the pockets of her citi
zens with cash? Harrisonburg
would be benefited millions yearly
by the completion of these highways
south. Let the chamber of commerce
of Harrisonburg consider this, and
if they think my suggestion good,
act.”
•C. G. Grady.
10. Tax Equa'ization, The Authorities
Charged with it, and What They Are
Doing with it.—A. M. Scarborough.
11. The Basis of Taxing Farm Land
Values.—B. B. Wright; J. D. Cox.
12. Local Responsibility for Social
Problems.—Miss Elizabeth Branson; C.
C. Poindexter.
13. Should North Carolina Extend
State-Aid to Landless Farmers?—Reid
Kitchen; J. J. Rhyne.
NORTH CAROLINA EXPORTS
The Federal Department of Com
merce has just released data which
shows the value of exports from the
United States, by states, for the first
six months of 1924. According to the
information compiled by the Federal
Government, North Carolina ranks
thirteenth as an export state, the value
of the exports for the six-month period
ending June 30, 1924 being $35,432,428.
If we assume that they were average
months, the United States exports ori
ginating in North Carolina will total
S.eventy-one million dollars for the year
1924. The table shows the rank of the
thirteen states, in order of importance,
Value of Exports
Rank States First six months 1924
1 New York $375,772,132
2 Texas 232,762,901
3 Pennsylvania 148,033,538
4 New Jersey 114,867,442
6 California 108,789,960
6 Louisiana 104,796,452
7 Illinois 104,112,066
8 Michigan 96,689,549
9 Virginia 70,734,197
10 Ohio 68,816,104
11 Massachusetts 68,986,09 6
12 Washington 61,269,044
13 North Carolina 35,432.428
The Department of Commerce is at
tempting to compile data showing the
value of exports, by states in which the
products originated, and not the exports
by state from whose ports the goods
are actually shipped. Thus goods ori
ginating in North Carolina, but export
ed through Norfolk and other ports are j
credited to North Carolina, provided
the Shipper’s Export Declaration shows
that the goods are from North Carolina.
If products such 'as leaf tobacco, cigar
ettes, and so on are assembled by agents
in Virginia and elsewhere and then ex
ported, the identity of the state of origin
is likely to be lost and the goods credit
ed to the state from whose ports the
goods are finally exported, and not to the
state of origin. Exports originating in
North Carolina and shipped through Wil
mington, are properly credited to North
Carolina. Exports originating in North
Carolina, but assembled in Virginia and
reshipped through Norfolk, as leaf to
bacco, cigarettes, lumber, etc., may be
improperly credited to Virginia. This is
what actually happens to millions of dol
lars worth of exports originating in
North Carolina, but whose identity of
origin is lostbefore being exported from
ports in other states.
An extract from a letter from the
Department of Commerce explains how
this may happen, and from it one may
see that exports credited to North Car
olina are below the value of exports
actually originating within the state.
To quote, “I have to advise you that
the source from which this information
was compiled is the Shipper’s Export
Declaration, which would show, as you
will observe from the attached form,
the state of origin of each and every
export shipment.”
“The Bureau has no means of deter
mining other than by this statement
as to where the shipment originates,
but it is quite possible that large quan
tities of tobacco and other products as
well are purchased in North Carolina,
and after processing, are shipped to
some rail road terminal or sea-port stor
age awaiting export shipment. More
over, it is probable that North Carolina
products might change hands a number
of times before leaving North Carolina,
and their identity as North Carolina
products would be lost. Consequently
when such shipments are made it is pro
bable that they are listed on the [Ship
per’s Export Declaration as originating
in Virginia or some other State instead
of North Carolina.”
state in exports known to have originat
ed within the state is thirteenth. Our
rank would be much higher if the state
had reasonably adequate public port fa
cilities from which our products could be
exported, as have Virginia, Louisiana,
and other Southern States, not to men-
tioa the vast public port terminal facil
ities in the Northern and Pacific Coast
states. —S. H. Hobbs, Jr,
NEED MILK COWS
Perhaps the weakest spot in the ag
ricultural life of North Carolina is the
lack of dairy cattle. At the present
time possibly there are only two states
in the Union with more farms than
North Carolina, yet there are twenty,
five states that have more milk cows.
Only one state in the Union has fewer
milk cows per farm than North Caro
lina. There are only 366 thousand cat
tle classed as milk cows on the 270
thousand farms of the state. There are
about 100 thousand farms in the state
without a milk cow.
In the South only Georgia and Texas
have more farms than North Carolina,
yet Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma,
and Arkansas all rank far . ahead of
North Carolina in the total number of
milk cows, there being more than a
half million milk cows in each of the
above named southern states, except
Virginia with 430 thousand, and Ten
nessee with 495 thousand.
It is difficult to understand why
North Carolina should rank so far be
hind other southern states in this re
spect. Farm tenancy and negro farm
er ratios are higher in most southern
states than in North Carolina. The
chief answer may lie in the fact that
the boll weevil which hit the states to
the south of us some time ago has
brought about a large increase in dairy
cattle, as a part of the change toward
diversified agriculture. If so the boll-
weevil may be a blessing in disguise.
TIN vs. HUMANITY
Virginia Ranhs Ninth
According to the data released for
Virginia, that state ranks ninth in the
value of exports, with $70,734,197 for
the first six months of 1924, the^two
largest items exported being leaf to
bacco and cigarettes. Since North Car
olina leads the nation in the production
of bright leaf tobacco, the type most
largely exported, and manufactures
about half of the cigarettes made in the
United States, (five times as many as
are made in Virginia), it is likely that
Virginia is credited with large quantities
of tobacco and cigarettes, and with many
other products, originating in North
Carolina but assembled and exported
from Virginia, because of her superior
port facilities. Due to our rank as a
cotton state, second to fifth in ordinary
years; to our rank as a tobacco state,
first to second, and to our rank in the
manufacture of tobacco products in
which we stand head and shoulders
above any other state, manufacturing
42.2 percent of all tobacco products
manufactured in the United States, it
may be that exports originating in
North Carolina are more valuable than
exports originating in Virginia, for
Virginia gets her rank as an export
state from the export of products of
which North Carolina leads in their
production. Because of our inferior
port facilities, products destined for the
export trade are assembled in nearby
states, with superior port facilities, and
in the shuffle their identity is lost to
North Carolina. Industrially and agri
culturally North Carolina ranks far
ahead of Virginia, but Virginia has a
good port.
But even with millions of dollars
worth of our exports improperly credit
ed to other states our rank as an export
Early in the summer when Salisbury
was proposing a school bond issue of
$300,000 the Salisbury Evening Post in
fighting for a favorable vote on the
bond proposal made the following ef
fective comments that are well worth
the consideration of other towns:
There are 1144 Ford cars in Salisbury.
There are 3793 children enrolled in
the city schools.
It cost $287.50’ a year to operate a
Ford car.
It costs $46.50 to educate a child in
the city schools.
It costs $272.88 to educate six child
ren in the city schools,
The year’s cost of a Ford car will
educate six children in the' schools of
Salisbury.
One Ford Vs. Six Children.
Is this a Ford town or a Child town?
Privilege licenses on these Fords
amount paid for the privilege of oper
ating them, not cost of upkeep and de
preciation, is $15,444 a year. .
The interest on the $3(30,000 school
bonds will be $15,000 a year.
Is this a Ford town or a Child town?
EDUCATION PAYS
Education and money-saving by far
mers are shown to be related in a study
conducted by the Department of Agri
culture. The best money savers were
found to have the most schooling.
Owner farmers, generally speaking,
had attained a higher grade in school
than tenants, and tenants had at
tained a higher grade than croppers.
School advantages of the wives of
members of .the various groups studied
paralleled those of their husbands. It
was also found that the children over
21 years of owner farmers had at
tained a higher grade in school than
the children of corresponding groups of
tenants. A similar advantage on the
side of the children of tenant farmers
appeared when they were compared
with children of croppers.
The relationship between education
and money-saving is one that frequently
spans two or more generations, as
when a father’s large money-saving
ability means that his children receive
not only better schooling, but larger
financial backing and endowment.—
California Cultivator.