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.
JANUARY 18, 1928
CHAPEL HILL, N. C.
the university of north CAROLINA PRESS
VOL. XIV, No. 10
Editorial Boardi E. C. Branson* S. H. Hobba. Jr., P.oW. Waper, L. R. Wilson. E. W. Knight. D. D. Carroll, H. W. Odum.
Entered as second-class matter November 14. 1914. at the Postoffice at Chapel Hill. N. C., under the act of August 24. 1912.
ASSESSED VALUATIONS
WEALTH CONCENTRATES j Crete tile and building blocks—have
1 not been completed, but should add a
The table which appears in this issue ^ considerable weight to the already I
gives the total assessed valuations in j plainly demonstrated record year,
each county ia 1926, together with the ^ ^ progress in the development of
amount of taxables per capita. The j ^linerals that has been steady is demon-
counties are ranked according to the | atrated by a comparison with other
years which show the following figures:
1916, $4,746,674; 1918, $5,192,147; 1920,
latter factor.
The total taxed wealth of the state in
3926 was $2,798,293,601, or an increase
of $61,377,686 over the 1926 figure.
With the revaluation in 1927 the latest
increase ought,to be much greater than
the preceding one. It is doubtful, how
ever, if the 1927 valuation reached the
1919 level or even the three billion
mark. It will be several months be
fore alt Che 1927 figures are available,
hence the present study based on the
1926 figares.
Foraycti has the greatest aggregate
taxable wealth, but appears to be out-
distaaced by Buncombe, Mecklenburg,
Guilford., and Durham when taxables
are reduced to a per capita basis. Popu
lation estunates are of course subject
to error. Some counties may have
sailed to maintain the same ratio of
increase u'lice' 1920 as in the decade
which with that year. Buncombe
appears to have $1,938 of taxable wealth
per cap'-tu thus ranking highest on
this score Ciay has the least taxable
jvealta poc capita, $436. Wilkes, Yan
cey, Macon, and Dare also show, each,
less than $500 per capita. Twenty-two
counties nave more than $1,000 per
capita. Quite naturally the urban
counties rank highest and the exces
sively rural counties lowest, for wealth
tends to concentrate to a greater ex
tent than population. Actual differ
ences iQ wealth are even greater than
a comparison of taxables indicates.
This IS because intangible wealth,
which often escapes taxation, is even
more concentrated than tangible wealth.
The SIX counties which rank highest in
this table contain 17 percent of the
state’s population, 30 percent of its
taxed wealth, and probably consider
ably more tban 30 percent of its actual
wealth.
Benefit of Cities
Taken the state over there is $980 of
taxed wealth per capita, though this
average is not maintained except in
twenty-fouL* counties. These are main
ly urban and semi-urban counties
Nevertheless, wealth is more evenly
distributed in North Carolina than in
many otner states. A dozen small but
fiourismng cities, well distributed, is
certainly more desirable for a state
than one large city as in Georgia,
Alabama, or Louisiana. Not only does
it relieve the tax burden of a larger
number of rural taxpayers, but it places
a larger portion of the rural population
within reach of a city’s stimulating
influences and trade and marketing op
portunities. Good highways radiating
from each of these cities further aid
the ditfusion of prosperity and culture.
There is still room, however, for de
veloping better rural-urban relation
ships. Each city and town should
strive to become a real service station
for its rural constituency, give the
farmers within its trade area a most
favored market, expand its cultural
agencies into rural territory, and in
every way possible help tp develop a
healthy and well-balanced civilization.
-Paul W. Wager.
$8,117,916; 1922, $7,483,306; 1924, $10,
163,436.
For 1926, the largest proportionate
increase was found in the granite and
miscellaneous columns. The miscel
laneous division is composed of copper,
manganese, mineral waters, and others
where, because there were only a
limited number of producers, the
figures are treated as confidential.
Granite Use Grows
The big increase in granite produc
tion is ascribed to the increased use of
this material in North Carolina for build
ing purposes and the development of
larger out-of-the-state markets. The
largest single contract for the year
was let to the North Carolina Granite
Corporation of Mt. Airy, which operates
the largest openface granite quarry in
the world. However, the production
for this purpose will be manifested
more clearly in next year’s report since
shipments started in 1927. The con-1
tract calls for $1,260,000 worth of
granite for the Arlington Memorial
bridge across the Potomac at Washing
ton.
There are 41 producers of this
mineral in North Carolina with Rowan
in the lead with 16. The total produc
tion in the state jumped from $2,865,-
040 in 1925 to $3,802,017 in 1926, an
increase of about one-third.
Brick and Tile
The most important division of the
mineral industry, from the standpoint
of value of production is brick and tile,
which showed a total of more than one-
third of the entire output.
There are, according to statistics
gathered by Geologist Bryson, 71 brick
plants operating in 41 counties of the
state, producing last year 260,884,000
common brick valued at $2,666,620.
Five of the plants also produced 36,-
288,000 face brick which were valued at
$649,897. Six of the plants manu
factured hollow brick and building tile
in 45,188 pieces. One plant makes
drain tile, sewer pipe, flue lining and
wall coping, the total of the production
being 87,443 tons.—Natural Resources.
WISDOM OF STEINMETZ
Charles P. Steinmetz, who was
unanimously recognized by the
General Electric Company and other
similar organizations as the world’s
foremost electrical engineer, was
once visiting my home. While talk
ing over with him prospective
future inventions in connection with
radio, aeronautics, power transmis
sion, etc., I asked him: What, line
of research will see the greatest
development during the next fifty
years? After careful thought, he
replied: Mr. Babson, I think the
greatest discovery will be made
along spiritual lines. Here is a
force which history clearly teaches
has been the greatest power in the
development of men and history.
Yet we have merely been playing
with it and have never seriously
studied it as we have the physical
forces. Some day people will^learn
that material things do not bring
happiness and are of little use in
making men and women creative
and powerful. Then the scientists
of the world will turn their labora
tories over to the study of God
and Prayer and the spiritual forces
which as yet have hardly been
scratched. When this day comes,
the world will see more advance
ment in one generation than it has
seen in the past four.—Roger Bab-
c. minerals
1926
Brick and Tile $4,236,663
llaolin 331,487
Coal 243,000
Feldspar 602,020
Granite 3,802,017
Iron Ore 33,046
Limestone, Marble and Marl 338,811
Uica,
Sheet 160,362
Scrap 64,048
Gold and Silver 1,644
Quartz 34,914
Sand and Gravel 968,021
Talc and Soapstone 97,004
Miscellaneous 177,181
Total $11,069,207
These figures for mineral output for
1926 do not include cement products,
which, it is estimated by Geologist
Bryson, should add something like
$600,000 to the amount. Figures on
this type of production—chiefly con-
ON THE BIGHT ROAD
Twenty-five carloads of swine and
poultry were marketed cooperatively
by Lenoir county farmers last year.
Nearly 2,000 hogs and more than 41,600
pounds of chickens and other fowls have
also been marketed. It is fine news
that Charles Brickhouse, county dem
onstration agent, gives out. The fact
that Lenoir has grown the feed with
which to fatten its stock this year is
no less encouraging and interesting.
We must doff our hat in acknowledg
ment to Mr. Brickhouse for his part in
the business.
Diversification, the hog and poultry
breeders have learned, does pay. The
statistics Mr. Brickhouse gives us are
ample evidence that local farmers have
started to diversify. In the not distant
future swine and poultry ought to be
just as important as the tobacco and
cotton crops in this county.
Cooperation. It is a none too popu
lar word locally, but it must be admitted
that cooperative marketing of these 25
carloads of animals and chickens
proves that the cooperative idea is not
dead—not by a long shot. It has to be
reckoned with seriously by those who
oppose it.
Half a million pounds of turkeys were
shipped out of the state at the Thanks
giving season, and at least as many
were consumed within the state. An
other idea for Tar Heel farmers. Why
not wrest the turkey supremacy from
Texas when we set into taking the
chicken supremacy from Western
states? The markets are days nearer
to us.—Kinston Free Press.
conservation and development in forest
fire control. These counties made
$13,600 available by appropriation. By
the close of the year the organization
work was being carried on in 32 coun
ties, which had appropriated $18,450,
an increase of $4,860 from the counties.
On January 1, 1927, there where two
cooperative protective areas, made up
of holdings of ten land owners and
embracing 70,000 acres with a total
appropriation of $700.
Before the beginning of the current
year there were seven cooperative
protective areas, participated in by 42
land owners under signed agreements
and covering 214,166 acres. Appro
priations by these property owners had
reached $2,282 by the close of the
year, or an increase of $1,682 in private
cooperation.
January 1, 1927, saw 2,700 men
under some kind of appointment in the
warden organization. By December 1
the force bad been boosted to 4,600
men. The number, however, includes
some 600 men under appointment but
inactive in counties that have suspended
operations. The forestry force includes
approximately 1,000 “minute men”
who have pledged themselves as
guardians of the forests. Most of the
warden force serves only part time,
being subject to call to service in
fighting forest fires.—Wilmington
Star.
FOREST PROTECTION
At the beginning of the year 1927
there were 26 counties in cooperative
agreement with the department of
MASTER FARMERS
Under a plan conducted by the Pro
gressive Farmer and the State College
extension service, master farmers were
selected from practically every county
in the state and out of these the out
standing farmers of the several exten
sion divisions were named.
The complete list of “master farm
ers,” as announced by the Progressive
Farmer, follows: ,
J. L. Beall, Davidson county! J- C.
Causey, Guilford county; L. H. Kltcbin,
Halifax county; 0. J. Holler, Ruther
ford county; Charles F. Cates, Ala
mance county; S. L. Carpenter, Gaston;
Charles B. Fuller, Vance; W. H. Har
ris, Iredell; Fred P. Latham, Beaufort;
B. S. Lawrence, Randolph; T. S. Os
borne, Henderson; Blaney Sumrell,
Pitt; B. W. Sikes, Hertford; C. W.
Teague, Macon; C. B. Wells, Buncombe;
John D. Winstead, Person; L. 0. Mos
ley, Lenoir; G. W. Trask, New Han
over; W. D, Graham, Rowan; S. A.
Latban, Union; B. F. Shelton, Edge
combe; R. W. Scott, Alamance; R. L.
Shuford, Catawba; E. A. Stevens,
Wayne.—Lexington Dispatch.
N. C. AGRICULTURE
j In 1926 North Carolina ranked sixth
) in total value of farm crops ($327,680,-
iOOO), surpassing the great Northern
Istates of New York ($286,616,000);
Pennsylvania ($260,000,000);Ohio ($300, -
000.000); Indiana ($226,000,000); Michi
gan (260,000,000), and Wisconsin ($301,-
000,000), and exceeded only by Texas,^
Iowa, California, Illinois, and Kansas.^
North Carolina’s diversity of farming
is shown in the accompanying table:
Rank of North Carolina crops in the
United States, 1926:
Rank Crop Value
1 Tobacco $103,802,000
1 Peanuts 7,986,000
2 Soy Beans 2,296,000
2 Sorghum cane for sugar 3,604,000
2 Cowpeas 2,048,000
699,000
7,660,000
5.846,000
166,000
768,000
281,000
2 Cucumbers
3 Sweet Potatoes
3 Early Irish Potatoes
4 Peppers
6 Lettuce
6 Green Peas
7 Cotton (lint alone) 71,876,000
7 Rye 1,690.000;
7 Snap Beans for table 639,000 i
North Carolina produced more pounds !
of tobacco in 1927 than the next three '
states, in rank of production, com
bined.—Natural Resources.
casts of land requirements for various
uses in relation to available supply.
Doctor Gray’s research program would
include extensive studies of land re
clamation and settlement, and studies
of agricultural land tenure.
Objectives of research in land
economics, the speaker declared, should
include development of a credit system
better adapted to the needs of home
buyers both in ci:y and in country; a
system of tenure which will be better
adapted to the rapidly increasing
technical requirements, mechanization,
and capitalistic and competitive
characteristics of agriculture; a more
efficient system of registering, insuring
and transferring land titles; compensa
tion for tenant improvements, and
development of a centralized system of
land valuations.
SHOULD CLASSIFY LAND
Extensive study of the best uses to
be made of land before it is developed
was stressed by Dr. L. C. Gray of the
United States Department of Agri
culture, addressing the American
Economic Association at Washington,
December 29.
Special emphasis was placed by
Doctor Gray upon research that will
permit short-time and long-time fore
FARM RELIEF
The Farm Journal, one of the most
influential national farm papers, has
addressed a message to Congress, in
an editorial in the December number,
stating what principles should be ob
served in enacting national agricultural
legislation. “The act should be ap
plicable to all sections of the country
and to all branches of agriculture . . .
It should not invite retaliation from
foreign countries. . . It should tend to
to restrict, and not to encourage ab-
norm^ production of any farm crop. . .
The maintenance of a large farm popu
lation, prosperous, intelligent, progres
sive and of high character and morals,
we believe to be an absolute social
necessity. We do not wish this country
to repeat ‘the ghastly mistake’ made
by England nearly a century ago.”—
Information Service.
ASSESSED VALUATIONS, 1926
Counties RanKed According to Taxables per Capita
The following table gives the total assessed valuations in each county in
1926, together with the amount of taxables per capita. The computations are
based on population estimates for 1926. The valuations are those given in the
recent report of the Educational Commission entitled “Financial Condition of
Counties.”
The total taxed wealth of the state in 1926 was $2,798,293,601, or $980 per
capita. Forsyth has the greatest aggregate wealth, $178,709,494, with Mecklen
burg and Guilford close rivals for second place. Buncombe has the most taxa
ble wealth per capita, $1,938. Clay occupies the lowest place both in aggre
gate and per capita wealth.
Paul W. Wager
Department of Rural Social-Economics, University of North Carolina
Assessed Taxables
Assessed Taxables
Rank County
valuations per
Rank County
valuations per
1926 capita
1926 capita
1 Buncombe....
..$146,420.854...
..$1,938
61 Tyrrell
...$ 3,892,089 $
802
2 Mecklenburg
...168,698,107..
...1,863
62 Carteret
... 13,104,431
796
3 Guilford
...168,982,839..
...1,796
63 Transylvania
... 8,636,972
792
4 Darham
.... 83,828,668..
...1,776
64 Mitchell
.... 9,283,626
786
6 Forsyth
...178,709,494..
...1,676
66 Harnett
... 26,830,345
783
6 Gaston
.... 91,682,199..
...1,463
56 Chatham
.. 18,789,780
766
7 Henderson.,.,
... 26,266,427..
...1,290
67 Granville
... 21,181,628
758
8 New Hanover... 67,768,863..
...1,226
68 Dnplin
... 26,481,292
757
9 Rowan
... 66,891,944..
...1,168
69 Polk
... 7,282,942
764
10 Wake
... 96,294,066..
...1,142
60 Washington..
... 8,677,437
744
11 Iredell
... 46,722,202..
...1,136
60 Robeson
... 44,671,774
744
12 McDowell
... 20,791,603..
...1,086
62 Anson
... 22,362,339
739
13 Wilson
... 46,666,603..
...1,070
63 Person
... 14,687,970
734
14 Scotland
... 16,824,866...
...1,068
64 Onslow
... 10,976,776
730
16 Burke
... 26,202,341..
...1,067
64 Greene
... 13,614,683
730
16 Richmond
... 31,279,616...
...1,066
66 Pender
.. 10,486,330
709
17 Montgomery.
... 16,260,903...
...1,043
67 Perquimans..
... 7,899,391
706
18 Moore
... 26,706,496...
...1,042
■68 Nash
... 32,631,141
704
19 Pasquotank...
... 18,938,666...
..1,036
69 Martin
.. 16,029,910
698
20 Catawba
... 39,228,192...
..1,027
70 Gates
.. 7,333,790
692
21 Caldwell
... 21,414,407...
..1,0Z6
71 Hyde
.. 6,746,041
686
22 Rutherford ..
... 34,240,666...
..1,024
72 Hertford
.. 11,219,406
668
23 Wayne
... 49,120,813...
.. 994
73 Jones
... 7,061,662
668
24 Cleveland
... 37,242,127...
.. 992
74 Bladen
... 13,632,762
663
26 Pitt
... 60,907,072...
.. 970
76 Columbus
.. 20,166,643
661
26 Chowan
... 10,187,078...
.. 966
76 Randolph
.. 20,666,616
660
27 Cabarrus
.. 37,964,229...
.. 963
77 Camden
... 3,462,422
643
28 Lee
.. 13,960,314...
.. 940
78 Union
... 24,706,011
640
29 Craven
... 29,181,949...
.- 930
79 Alexander....
... 8,000.096
636
SO Rockingham.
... 42,191,882...
.. 919
80 Warren
.. 14,203,646
638
31 Beaufort
... 28,683,274...
.. 918
81 Alleghany
... 4,613,641 .....
624
32 Alamance
.. 32,220,947...
.. 907
82 Northampton
.. 14,739,413
621
33 Davie
.. 12,368,231...
.. 904
83 Watauga
.. 8,696,681
616
34 Stanly
... 30,862,246...
.. 902
84 Bertie
... 16,220,916
614
36 Graham
.. 4,448,646...
.. 900
86 Stokes
... 12,630,807
606
36 Davidson
86,203,609...
.. 894
86 Pamlico
.. 6,466,972
604
37 Orange
.. 17,447,612...
.. 876
87 Brunswick
.. 8,966,226
591
38 Lincoln
.. 16,311,061...
.. 836
88 Sampson
.. 28,003,407
671
38 Vance
... 21,617,604...
.. 836
89 Yadkin
.. 9,401,048
663
40 Halifax
.. 39,961,708...
.. 832
90 Cherokee
.. 8,624,402
584
41 Surry
.. 28,431,661...
.. 830
91 Caswell
.. 8,692,969
626
42 Lenoir
.. 28,827,673...
.. 828
92 Ashe
.. 11,686,886
624
43 Haywood
.. 20,406,808...
.. 818
63 Avery
.. 6.691,774
619
44 Swain
.. 12,632,024....
.. 816
94 Madison
.. 10,198,704
610
45 Edgecombe...
.. 84,874,906....
.. 814
96 Franklin
.. 14,228,098
609
46 Hoke
.. 10,464,627....
. 814
96 Dare
. 2,614,283
494
47 Jackson
.. 11,017,446....
. 808
97 Macon
.. 6,808,733
476
48 Currituck
.. 6,863,186....
. 806
98 Yancey
. 8,021,460
462
49 Johnston
. 44,066,987....
. 804
99 Wilkes
.. 16,624,928
464
49 Cumberland ..
,. 30,913.798....
. 804
100 Clay
.. 2,240,618
436