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.
DECEMBER 3, 1924
CHAPEL HILL, N. C.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
VOL. XL NO. 5
Kditoriul Buardi j|. 0, Bransva, S. H. Hobb*. Jr.. L B. Wila«n. B. W. EniKht. D. O. Carrol], J. B. BnlUtt, H. W. Odam
Enured saMCWid-elaaflmatMr Noronobor 14. Ifll4. atthoPoBtofflcoatCbapolHlll. N. C.. ander the act of Aa»u»t U. I
WREOIED HOMES IN AMERICA
AMAZING DIVORCE SATES
Divorces in the United States in 1923
numbered 16S,139, against 42,000 in
1890. The number of wrecked homes
has been quadrupled in a third of a cen
tury. American families are dissolving
at the rate af 450 a day the whole year
through.
One'out of every eight marriages, in
the United States winds up in a divorce
court.
In twenty-five states of the Union
the ratios of divorce to marriage are
still more amazing.
In Nevada in 1923 there were more
divorces than marriages, due probably
to the divorce mill at Reno, and in Ne
braska there were 3,200 fewer mar
riages than the year before. In Oregon
there was more than one divorce for
every three marriages, in Wyoming
and Oklahoma one divorce for every
four marriages, in Arizona, Ohio,
Texas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Monta
na more than one divorce for every five
marriages, and in Idaho and Washing
ton every fifth marriage ended in a de
cree of the court.
But this is not the worst of it; the
divorce rate in the country at large j b7fore'''complet'irg''‘the'“ eigMh
steadily increases. In 1890 it was 63’
per 100,000 inhabitants; in 1916 it was
112, and in 1923 it was 149.
In 1916 the divorces granted in North
Carolina numbered 668, not including
eleven counties not reported on by the
county court clerk,
is worth more than if costs.
Important conclusions are gleaned
from the figures gathered, because the
facts are accurate and scientific. These
facts become a basis for remedial legis
lation and for various movements for
the uplift of the Nation and the race.
Seven-eighths of all the money left by
married men in America for their de
pendents is derived from life insurance.
Eighty-two percent of the value of
the combustible property is insured
against fire, but only—
Seven percent of the economic value
of human life is covered by insurance.
Ninety percent of the men engaged
in active business fail to reach old age
with a competence.
Nineteen out of every 20 persons fail
to provide for their old age for their
families.
With the result that—
Eight million women are forced to
earn a living.
Thirty-five percent of the widows
are in want.
Ninety percent of American widow
hood lacks life’s common comforts.
Eighty-two percent of the children
of the country are forced to leave
j grade to aid in making a living for the
family.—Electric Trade.
HE SHOWS US HOW
The Leonard school section of Iredell
In 1923 they num- j county is usually spoken of as one of
bered 1,497, not counting Surry, whose j the poorest sections in the county. In
county court clerk failed to report. In
eight years divorces in the state have
moved up from nearly two a day to not
quite four a day the year through count
ing Sundays.
The Look Ahead
Divorce laws are important, but
wretched homes are ten thousand times
more important, whether they get into
a divorce court or not.
Divorce rates register effects like
mercury columns. Nobody would un
dertake to mend the weather by tinker
ing with the thermometer, but many
people in many states are trying to
mend broken homes by tinkering with
the divorce laws. They are important,
but good or bad, unifornj or not, they
do not originate the unhappiness that
ends in divorce and shipwrecks the
homes of the state and the nation in
such appalling numbers year by year.
Attention must be centered on the
causes, and the causes are a puzzling
complexity of individual, social, and
spiritual deficiencies in an industrial-
urban civilization, but the home holds
in the balance the fate of the Nation
and it must be preserved or our social
order is doomed.
It is a personal problem in every
home, a welfare problem for every so
cial organization, and a final test of the
essential religion of every church body.
'The Family as an Institution is
chapter in sociology that clubs of every
sort might study with painstaking care
in this and every other state for many
years to come. What other subject
more important?
A WOMAN CITIZEN’S PLEDGE
Believing in government of the peo
ple, by the people, for the people, I
will do my best—
First. To inform myself about public
questions, the principles and policies of
political parties, and the qualifications
of candidates for public offices.
Second. To vote according to my
conscience in every election, primary
or final, at which I am entitled to vote.
Third. To obey the law even when I
am not in sympathy with all its pro
visions.
Fourth. To support by all fair means
the principles of which I approve.
Fifth. To respect the right of others
to uphold convictions that may differ
from my own.
Sixth. To regard my citizen'ship as a
public trust.—Mrs. Maude Wood Park,
President National League of Women
Voters.
WHAT THE CENSUS TELLS
Every 10 years our Government
spends millions of dollars to take a cen
sus of the people and what they are do
ing.
fact, some of the land is notori
ously poor and the native farmers
of the community have about convinced
themselves that the land is so poor that
there is not much hope of making pro
gress.
Several years ago a group of people
of a certain religious sect came to Ire
dell county and formed a settlement in
this section, because the land could be
bought at a very low price. These people
came from several different states.
One of the leaders in this group was
Charles Ost, who came from New Jer
sey, and settled on a very poor farm,
from which several farmers had moved
because they could not make a living as
they thought it. It was hard sailing
for Mr. Ost for the first year or two,
learning to grow southern crops and
build up poor land.
He made the small things count, such
as poultry, eggs, fruit, etc., to furnish
his living while he gave crimson clover
and other legumes a chance to'build up
his soil. On a recent visit to his farm, I
find that he has cotton which will make
practically a bale per acre on land
which was built up by the use of crim
son clover. He has been on his farm
only about three years and has lots of
improvements yet to make, but be is
beating the native farmer two to one.
At this time, he is maintaining a flock
of white leghorns with eight to nine
hundred layers. He has secured^a mar
ket in New Jersey for his eggs and
makes shipments regularly of guaran
teed fresh eggs. Due to his success other
farmers in the community are becoming
interested in poultry, and we expect to
see considerable poultry development in
this community within the next few
years.—R. W. Graeber, News and Ob
server.
PROGRESS OR PERISH
The greatest battles for democracy
are those fought in the homes and
workshops, in the humdrum of every-
3ay struggle, Professor Connor de
clared.
If we are to reap the fruits of the
World War, said he, we must gird
up our loins for the battle that is
now on. In North Carolina we have
started out to build a great, modern
democratic State. There are a thou
sand indications that we have sought
the proper conception of a State,
serving the people in a thousand dif
ferent ways—in education and the
prevention of disease, in the care of
the weak and unfortunate, in road
building, in home and farm demon
strations, in innumerable forms of
social service not before regarded as
functions of the State.
These are fine and splendid
things. There is great glory in such
achievements. But they are very
costly. They mean high taxes and
more expenditure of money than the
old State ever dared spend. Last
year there was more money spent
on schools, ro^ds, and hospitals than
the total amount of revenue for
the thirty years 1870 to 1900. Butsuch
are the demands of a democracy. An
autocracy .dares not tax itself. No
autocracy would have dared tax the
people of North Carolina $26,000,000
for schools, yet we taxed ourselves
that amount last year and boasted
of it.
During the World War. certain
people became appalled at the cost
and sacrifices and demanded that the
war cease before the great objects
were half achieved. Had they suc
ceeded democracy would have per
ished from the earth. But democracy
was saved by the boys in the
trenches. They refused to turnback,
refused to heed the cries of coward
ice and weakness.
So today in North Carolina people
grow restless under ever increasing
demands of the democratic State.
Many—tired of its burdens, wearied
of its responsibilities, appalled at its
costs; we hear voices of cowardice
and weakness—fail to see that once
the hand is to the plow there can be
no turning backward. To halt is to
stagnate, to falter is to perish, to
turn back is to sacrifice all that has
been gained. Progress or die!—
R. D. W. Connor, Armistice Address
at the University of N. C.
MORE RELIGION OR LESS
While asserting that the country is
on the eve of a true religious revival,
Dr. Kenyon L. Butterfield, President
of the Michigan Agricultural college
and head of the American country life
association, in an address today before
the seventh annual conference of the
latter organization said:
“Religion is either the most funda
mental, the most vital, the most prac
tical human interest or it is a delusion,
a superstition and of no consequence
except historically.
“The time has come to take religion
much more or muc^ less seriously. For
the use of the western world, the
teachings of Jesus are either applicable
to every type of personal and social
problems of the present age or they are
the theoretical abstractions of a mere
dreamer.’’—Durham Herald.
A COUNTRY CHURCH CREED
We believe that Religion is the
It is a costly undertaking, but it search of man for God and the coopera
tive quest for the Society of God on
Earth.
We believe that the pattern ideal for
a Christian Social Order is that of
body in which each member lives for
the welfare of the whole and the whole
for the welfare of each member.
We believe that the Church should be
the organized fellowship of those who
are seeking the Society of God on
Earth.
We believe that the central exper
ience of the Christian Church is the
spiritual fellowship of men of pure
heart gathered without regard to caste
or class.
We believe that the Church can not
teach what it can not exemplify. That
it must win the moral right to teach
by first realizing in that realm in
in which it has responsibility those
basic Christian principles in which
it professes to believe. To teach
brotherhood the Church must be a
Brotherhood. To teach service it must
apply the service principle to its own
organization; to give moral leadership
to an over-competitive society, it must
in the realms in which it has control
replace competitive strife with co
operative effort.
We believe it is the duty of the
church to see in its own community the
first responsibility for the society of
God on Earth. It should provide for
the religious education of every child
no matter how isolated.
We believe that it is the duty of the
church either through its own services
or in cooperation with others to provide
for the culture of the fourfold life,
physical, intellectual, social, and spirit
ual.
We believe that the Rural Church
should lead its community in so raising
the standards of all phases of its life
that its business, its education, and
its politics shall be inspired and reg
ulated by the Christian ideal.
For the farmer this will mean in the
future as in the past—
Exercising a careful stewardship of
the soil.
Practicing intelligent and efficient
farming.
Efficiently marketing useful goods.
Preparing himself for intelligent
citizenship.
Conscientiously exercising the duties
of parenthood.
Contributing his share to the national
conscience and culture through his sup
port of those institutions by which he
participates in the same.
In a Christian Commonwealth he
who exercises duties must be grant
ed rights, therefore a Christian social
order should guarantee to the farmer—
The right of self-determination in
the organization of his community.
A recognized place in the good will
and public opinion of the nation.
An opportunity through cooperative
activity to win a measure of economic
power commensurate with his service.
A system of education which takes
account of the cultural needs of the
American farmer.
A political order in which the farm
er’s vote should count for projects
vital to his own welfare.
A system of religious organization
which is adapted to the necessities of
rural community life.—The American
Country Life Association, 1924.
FOLLOWING CAROLINA
The Omaha Chamber of Commerce
staged a good roads luncheon one day
last week for the purpose of getting a
good roads program started for the
state of Nebraska. A fund of $30,000
was raised for the purpose of educating
the people, which means of telling
them of the North Carolina plan, for
Nebraska is committed to this plan.
The proposition is to spend $7,000,-
000 a year for six years in highway
construction and to pay for it out of
gasoline tax and automobile licenses,
Federal aid to do the rest. The ex
pectation is that at the end ot six
years Nebraska will have 700 miles
of hard-surfaced highways in addition
to 3,000 miles of top-soil and gravel
highways.
The Legislature will be asked to do
for Nebraska what the Legislature did
for North Carolina. In the course of
time the North Carolina plan of build
ing and paying for highways will have
become of universal adoption, for states
everywhere are recognizing it as the
best and most practical.—Charlotte
Observer.
A COUNTRY CHURCH PRAYER
With that ardor with which we pray
Our Father Who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy name,
We would dedicate ourselves
To so work and teach and preach
That the world in which we seek our
daily bread
May be so ordered by the principles
of justice and fair dealing,
That every dweller in countryside
and city,
In mining camp ^nd factory towVi, -
May see in the community in which
he dwells
An object worthy of his whole-heart
ed devotion,
Because it offers to him a fair share
In those abiding satisfactions of life
Which are the just reward of the
fraternity of those who serve. —
The American Country-Life Associa
tion, 1924.
THREE COUNTIES ORGANIZE
The success of curb markets in
North Carolina in disposing of the rural
women's surplus garden, dairy, and
poultry products has increased the
number of such markets from 9 to 24 in
the past year. These markets, which
were established with the help of home
demonstration agents, have made it
possible for farm women to add to
their income and obtain comforts not
r otherwise within their financial reach,
A report received by the United
States Department of Agriculture des
cribes one of these markets at Wil
mington, N. C., which was organized
by rural women of three counties—
Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender.
This market has a bulletin board with
prices posted, in view of all buyers.
These prices are fixed by a committee
composed of a pro^ducer, a consumer,
and a home and farm extension agent
from one of the counties.
The city officials did their part in
preparing the auditorium where the
market is held, and the city women co
operate by patronizing the stalls. Sales
from the 2U Saturdays on which the
market has been open have amounted
to $3,874.22.
A decided effort has been made to
standardize all products and display
them or put them up attractively.
Tho improvement in the quality of the
products offered for sale has been one
of the encouraging results of the open
ing of the market. Graded, clean, in
fertile eggs were found to bring a
ready sale at prices almost double
what could be obtained in the country
districts. Milk-fed ciiickens attracted
the customers who were willing to pay
extra to get them. The women soon
saw, also, that it pays to grade vegeta
bles. The market has helped in the
selection of food for the home, has
been a medium of exchange of flower
cuttings, and has enabled the farm
women to buy and sell purebred poultry
among themselves. The women enjoy
the social contact with women of other
counties afforded by the market.—Gas
tonia Gazette.
RATIO OF MARRIAGES TO DIVORCES IN 1923
The following tables, based on the Census Bureau figures, ranks the states
according to the number of marriages per divorce for the year 1923.
United States averaged one divorce for every 7.4 marriages.
North Carolina averaged one divorce for every 16 marriages, against one
divorce for every 32 marriages in 1916. There were 668 divorces granted in
1916 against 1,497 in 1923, the Surry County clerk not reporting. Our divorces
doubled during these eight years. Except for South Carolina, which grants no
divorces. North Carolina ranked best in 1916. We now rank fourth.
Department of Rural Social-Economics, University of North Carolina.
Rank
States
No. Marriages
R
Per Divorce
1
South Carolina.
0.0
26
2
New York.
25.0
26
3
Georgia
20.7
27
4
Maryland
16.0
27
4
North Carolina.
16.0
27
6
New Jersey....
15.6
30
7
Mississippi
11.6
31
8
Connecticut....
11.3
32
9
South Dakota ..
10.7
32
10
Louisiana
10.6
34
11
Pennsylvania...
10.3
36
12
Massachusetts.
9.8
36
12
West Virginia,.
9.8
37
14
North Dakotoa.
9.3
37
15
Minnesota
9.1
39
16
New Mexico ,..
8.7
40
17
Delaware
8.5
40
17
Virginia
8.6
42
17
Wisconsin
8.6
43
20
Alabama.......
8.1
44
21
Arkansas
7.8
46
22
Vermont
7.6
46
23
Rhode Island...
7.5
47
24
Florida
7.‘e
48
Rank
States No. Marriages
Per Divorce
Illinois 6.8
Kentucky 6.6
New Hampshire 6.5
Tennessee.. . 6.6
Utah 6.5
California 5.9
Michigan 5.7
Kansas 5.6
Maine 5.6
Indiana 6.6
Iowa 5.4
Colorado 6.3
Idaho 5.0
Washington 6.0
Arizona 4.8
Ohio 4.7
Texas 4.7
Missouri- 4.6
Nebraska 4.4
Montana 4.2
Oklahoma 4.0
Wyoming 3.9
Oregon 2.5
Nevada 1.0