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 23, 1927
CHAPEL HILL, N. C.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
VOL. XIV, No. 4
rial Board; E. C. Branson. S. H. Hobba. Jr., P. W. Wajrer, L. R, Wilson, E. W. Knight. D. D. Carroll. H. W. Odum.
Entorad as second-claas matter November W, 1914, at tbe PoBtofflce at Chapel Hill, N. C.. under the act ot Auguat 24. 1912,
AUTOMOBILE FATALITIES
AUTOMOBILE FATALITIES
The large and increasing number of
automobile fatalities in the state
prompted us to prepare the table which
appears elsewhere in this issue. We
wished to know whether there were rel
atively more or less fatalities in North
Carolina than in other states. It is ob
vious that a statement of the absolute
number of deaths in each state from
automobile accidents, while enlighten
ing and staggering, does not reveal
whether motoring is safer in one state
than another. Any one of several
measures might be used as a basis of
comparison—automobile fatalities in
proportion to population, in proportion
to road mileage, or in proportion to au
tomobile registrations. The last-men
tioned appears to be the most satisfac
tory measure and is the one we have
used. Of course, the highways of
state are used by cars from other states
to an unequal extent and this fact should
be kept in mind in interpreting the ta
ble.
Where Travel Safest
The table is necessarily confined to
the forty states embraced in the vital
statistics registration area, and since
not all of the 1926 mortality figures
have been released yet it is necessary
to use 1925 figures.
Motoring appears to be safer in Ne
braska than in any of the other states
in the registration area. In that state
there were 2710 automobiles registered
for every automobile fatality. While
126 lives lost in a single state in a sin*
gle year is appalling, it is a more favor
able record than any other state es
tablished. North Dakota, Iowa, and,
Kansas made relatively good records.
These are ail rural states with no large
cities, though each of them must have
a considerable volume of transcontinen
tal traffic. It is possible that the even
has no speed limit but may arrest any
driver for recklessness. An adequate
highway patrol, more restrictions in
granting drivers’ licenses, and the
prompt revocation of a license when
ever a driver displays tbe inability or
unwillingness to handle a car smoothly
and cautiously, would result in fewer
automobile accidents. The automobile
associations and the state departments
are doing much in tbe interest of
safety, but still the toll of life is
frightfully and unnecessarily heavy.—
Paul W. Wager.
DIVINE DISCONTENT
Bud will be the day for every
man when he becomes absolutely
contented with the life that he is
living, with the thoughts that he is
thinking, with the deeds that he is
doing, when there is not forever
beating at the doors of his soul some
great desire to be something larger,
which he knows that he was meant
and made to be, because he is still,
in spite of all, the child of God.—
Phillips Brooks.
NOTES ON EDUCATION
13.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LAWS
HARDLY STARTED YET
In her report to the librarians of
the state Mrs. Lillian B. Griggs,
director of the North Carolina library
commission, pointed to marked develop
ment, particularly in college libraries.
The Hill library at State college, the
new library at the women’s college at
Duke university, the new library at
Meredith college and the library to be
built at the University of North Caro
lina are examples.
Mrs. Griggs can point, also, to
encouraging improvements in libraries
for negroes, in new ideas in truck
service, in steady development of city
libraries and in a constant growth in
school libraries. A pleasing picture
can be drawn to show that the state is
moving forward.
But somewhere in her address Mrs.
Griggs let fall a sentence which is re
ported thus:
There are still 46 counties of tbe 100
in North Carolina which have no public
library service and 2,000,000 persons
without the service of a public library.
Two million persons is more than
twc-thirds of all the persons in North
Carolina. Forty-six counties is iust', a. u j i j
j L li- • r, 2 •’ bow one state has developed
under half the counties. So long as
two-thirds of all the people in North
topography of these states contributes Carolina have no opportunity of ob-
to safety in travel. taining the services or coming under
Florida has the most motor fatalities the influence of a public library, so
long as almost half the counties have
no public library, it is obvious that the
state has hardly begun to understand
the distance it still has to go.—Greens
boro News.
in proportion to registrations, the rate
being 1 to 638. The fact that many of
tbe cars using Florida roads several
months in the year are registered
other states no doubt contributes to this
high mortality ratio. Wyoming’s high
rate is probably due in part to tha
tourist travel to and from Yellowstone
National Park, over dangerous and un
familiar roads. Most of the states
with a relatively large number of mo
tor fatalities are the densely populated
states of the northeast. Alabama’s high
rate is surprising.
Many Deaths in N. C.
North Carolina ranks twenty-eighth;
that is ther^ are twenty-seven states
where motoring is safer. There is a
motor fatality for every 906 automo
biles. Considering the fact that North
Carolina is a rural state, with no very
large cities, and with excellent, well-
marked highways, this is not a satis
factory showing. Furthermore, the fa
talities are increasing rather than de
creasing—142 deaths the last three
months compared with 376 in the entire
year 1926. Unfortunately many of the
victims are careful, law-abiding drivers
or the helpless passengers of reckless
drivers. This slaughter of the inno
cents must be reduced. The roads must
be made safe for the careful, consider
ate, sober citizens who are entitled to
their use. Probably ninety-five per
cent of the drivers can be so character
ized. The others should be denied li
censes. It is wrong to grant licenses
to morons, neurotics, and inebriates.
It is wrong to permit anyone to con
tinue to operate a car after he has
demonstrated an utter disregard for
the lives and safety of his fellowmen.
The most menacing types of drivers on
our highways are the intoxicated or
semi-intoxicated, the smart-Alecks who
are lacking in good sense, and the road-
hogs who are inherently selfish and
uncooperative. There are a few such
drivers in every community. Their
neighbors know them and dread to
meet them on the roads, but are
powerless to deprive them of their
licenses.
It would be interesting to know the
speed limit on the highways of the
several states to see if there is any
relationship between high speed limits
and motor accidents. It is doubtful if
there is, for speed laws in all states
are promiscuously violated. Michigan
A COUNTY EXECUTIVE
The absence of a chief executive in
North Carolina county government is
recognized as a serious deficiency and
recent legislation permits the employ
ment of a county manager to overcome
this deficiency.
In some states there is a county offi
cer who is virtually a chief executive.
Such is the case in Alabama, the officer
being the probate judge. Besides being
the judge of probate, he is also chair
man of the court of county commis
sioners, judge of the county court,
judge of the juvenile court, and re
sponsible for many other essential
governmental duties. His constant con
nections with all parts of the county
give him a knowledge of county condi
tions superior to that of any of the
all general licenses such as those of
merchants, bankers, undertakers, and
sawmill operators. Marriage licenses,
hunting licenses, motor vehicle and
chauffeur licenses are all issued by this
office.
Extreme Concentration
It will thus be seen that tbe Alabama
probate judge performs practically ail
the duties performed in North Carolina
by the clerk of superior court, tbe
register of deeds, and the chairman of
tbe board of county commissioners. Pie
is the official head of the county and
acts for the county in a great variety
of capacities. His political influence is
very powerful. If the incumbent is
capable and honest he can serve the
county with great effectiveness. If he
incompetent his chief clerk may
carry much of the burden. If he is
unscrupulous he can of course do a
great deal of mischief.
The Alabama system is not held up
here as a model, but rather to illustrate
real
county executive, who is often the
means of giving the county a unified
and efficient administration.—Edward
A. Terry.
The effectiveness of a state’s school
system is determined to a large extent
by the degree to which it is utilized.
If a large proportion of the children of
school age are enrolled in the schools,
and if a goodly percent of those en
rolled are in average daily attendance,
the schools may be said to be well
utilized.
For the United States as a whole, tbe
average length of the school session is
168,3 days. The average number of
days attended by each pupil enrolled
is 132.6 days, or 79 percent of the
length of the school term. A loss of
approximately one-fifth of the school
term is serious not only to the pupils
themselves, but to schools and com
munities as well.
There is considerable variance in tbe
legal school ages among the several
states. The widest range of ages is
from 4 to 20 in Wisconsin and 6 to 21
in Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Nebraska, New Mexico, and New York.
The narrowest range is from 6 to 18 in
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ver
mont, and Utah. The most common is
6 to 21, in 23 states. Of the 34 states
having a legal school entrance age of 6
years and 2 states with an entrance
age of 7, nearly all permit kinder
garten education, thus in effect
lowering tbe entrance age.
Compulsory Attendance
Compulsory attendance laws have
been enacted for the purpose of in
suring to all the children of the state a
minimum amount of schooling during
the period of life when such schooling
can be most effective. Every state
now has a law which requires children
between certain age limits to attend
school a certain stated time.
The effectiveness of compulsory
education laws depends upon tbe
machinery set up for their enforce,
ment. In some states the laws lose
much of their force because of lack of
definite responsibility for their enforce
ment. Compulsory attendance laws
kre, generally, better enforced in cities
than in rural districts. This is because
cities, through their divisions of school-
attendance, have the proper machinery
for their enforcement. Experience has
proved that compulsory attendance laws
in rural districts are more satisfactorily
enforced by state and county rather
than local authorities.
All the states specify in their laws the
minimum annual attendance required of
children coming within the range of
ages for compulsory attendance. In all
but nine of the states the laws specify
the minimum education necessary to
exempt from compulsory attendance.
The trend during the past few years is
to require children to attend school
during tbe entire school period or until
the completion of tbe elementary school
course.
In all the states compulsory educa
tion laws are reenforced by child labor
laws. The purpose of such laws is to
protect children, who are the future
citizens of the state, against parents
and guardians who would traffic in tbe
labor of'children or wards, and thus
deprive them of educational opportuni
ties equal to those enjoyed by other
children. Thirty-seven states (includ
ing the District of Columbia) require a
specified amount of education before a
labor permit shall be granted. In fif
teen states it is the completion of the
elementary grades. In some states the
laws provide that children to whom
labor permits have been issued must
attend evening and continuation schools.
—Adapted from report of U.S. Bureau
of Education.
A PROSPEROUS PEOPLE
According to the Bureau of Internal
Revenue at Washington, “the highest
standard of living ever attained in the
history of the world was reached last
year by the American people.” The
Bureau gives figures to prove it. The
117,000,000 people in the United States
had a total income in 1926, it says, of
nearly $90,000,000,000, this being an in
crease of approximately $27,000,000,000
since 1921, or something over 43 per
cent. It puts tbe average per capita
income of persons gainfully employed
at $2,210 in 1926 as compared with $1,-
637 in 1921. Furthermore, the Bureau
declares that “this great increase in in
come is not the result of an increase in
the price level, for the average price of
consumed goods was actually slightly
less in 1926 than in 1921.”
Averages are not safe things fo trust
and it may very well be questioned
whether the new distribution of pros
perity has been altogether as general
county commissioners and often they equitable as the Bureau’s fig-
abide by his judgment without ques- j ^ould suggest. But it will not be
- denied that we have had in America
The office is filled by popular election ■ during the last five years a high tide of
for a term of six years. The candidate
does not have to be learned in the law,
but quite frequently he is.
Varied Duties
The duties of probate judge are per
formed in North Carolina counties by
the clerk of superior court. In this
state there is a separate officer for
recording work, known as the Register
of Deeds. In Alabama the probate
judge keeps the records of land convey
ances, chattel mortgages, etc.
All warrants on claims against the
county allowed by the court of county
commissioners are issued by the judge
of probate. He furnishes all absentee
voters with ballots, which they, must
return at least five days before the
date of the election. The responsiblity
of delivering these absentee ballots to
the election managers in the proper
precincts rests on the probate judge.
The clerk of the circuit court, the
sheriff, and the judge of probate form
the board for appointing the election
officers in all elections. The judge of
probate can appoint an approved auditor
to audit the books of the county. Privi
lege and license taxes are collected by
the judge of probate. These include
prosperity, a t'de that has risen stead
ily and one which has washed over pret
ty well the whole country and over
most of its citizenship. The farmers
as a whole have not felt it as strongly
as the rest of the population, and some
of them have not felt it at all. But
generally speaking the opportunitic s
for making money have been better in
this country than they ever were be
fore, either in America or in any other
land of like size and population. The
mass of the people have been enabled
to live better than most of them ever
dreamed of living and at the same titne
our crop of rich men has multiplied
amazingly.
This is an almost unprecedented state
of affairs and we doubt if it has ever
been witnessed before. Usually, al
most invariably, a period in which vast
fortunes were piled up has been a peri
od in which the rank and file of the
public were ground under foot. The
astonishing thing about our present
prosperity has been that it has opened
fresh opportunities of almost every
class and for the multitude as well as
for the favored few.—Asheville
Citizen.
PUBLIC HEALTH
A recent report from the United
States Public Health Service shows
that eighty-three percent of the rural
population is as , yet unprovided with
official local health service approaching
adequacy. This report shows that
thirteen states are without a single
full-time health officer in rural districts
while other states reach only a few.
The states leading in this regard are
Ohio, Alabama, North Carolina, South
Carolina and Maryland, all the rest of
the states reaching less than thirty-five
percent of the rural population.
The report further states that at the
rate of progress made since 1919 it will
take about eighty-five years for reason
ably adequate full-time local rural
health service to be extended to all
communities of the United States in
which such service is needed.
In 1926 there were thirty counties
added to the list of those having full
time health officers.—The Nation’s
Health.
AUTOMOBILE FATALITIES, 1925
States RanKed According to Automobiles per Fatality
The following table shows the number of automobile fa:alities in 1925 in
each of the forty states now embraced in the vital statistics registration area.
It is necessary to use 1926 figures beckuse not all of the figures for 1926 are yet
available. The second column gives the number of automobiles for each fatal
ity and the states are ranked on that basis.
Nebraska has fewer accidents in proportion to the number of cars reg
istered than any other of the forty states which report vital statistics. The
ratio is one fatality for 2,710 cars. Florida has relatively more fatal accidents
than any of the other reporting states, one for every 638 cars. Of course
Florida highways are used by cars from other states to a greater extent prob
ably than are the highways of some other states.
North Carolina has an automobile fatality for every 905 cars. Only twelve
states have a worse record and most of the twelve are densely populated
states. North Carolina is a rural state and ought not to be satisfied with an
automobile death rate three times as high as Nebraska, a comparable state.
Paul Wager
Department of Rural Social-Economics, University of North Carolina
Automo- Automo
bile fa- biles for
Rank State talities each
1925 , fatality
1 Nebraska 126 2,710
2 North Dakota 69 2,457
3 Iowa 271 2,430
4 Kansas 240 1,904
6 Colorado 146 1,644
6 Minnesota 361 1,677
7 Oregon 144 1,604
8 Wisconsin 397 1,497
9 Idaho 66 1,466
10 Maine 98 ^..1,434
11 Indiana 609 1,424
12 Vermont 66 1,242
13 Missouri 609 1,187
14 Montana 84 1,127
16 Kentucky 237 1,103 |
16 Washington 299 1,098
17 Delaware 37 1,086
18 California 1,327 1,070 j
19 Ohio 1,285 1,048 \
20 West Virginia 208 1,046 j
Automo- Automo
bile fa- biles for
Rank State talities each
1925 fatality
21 Mississippi 170 1,043
21 Virginia 271 .-.1,043
23 Michigan 966 1,035
24 Illinois 1,268...' 996
25 South Carolina ... 179 941
25 Tennessee 278 941
27 New Hampshire .. 87 937
28 North Carolina 376 905 •
29 Massachusetts 729 887
30 Maryland 271 866
31 Louisiana 241 860
32 Pennsylvania 1,676 844
33 Utah 89 826
34 Alabama 252 773
36 New York 2,111 770
36 Rhode Island 133 766
37 New Jersey 771 753
38 Connecticut 340 737
39 Wyoming 67 712
40 Florida 449 638 '