Warren Illiteracy Rate Lower
Than Neighboring Counties
While Warren County's illiteracy
rate is slightly above the
state's 8.3 percent of adults
who cannot read, it is lower
thu any of the North Carolina
counties adjacent to Warren
C<MB)ty, according to figures
compiled by the State Highway
Safety Research Center released
this week.
Warren County's illiteracy
rate of 8.6 percent was .03
above the state rate of 8.3
percent. Vance's rate was 9.8
percent; Franklin. 9 percent:
Nash, 9.6 percent; Halifax, 9.5
percent; Northampton. 25.5
percent.
Avery and Graham Counties,
in the western part of the state,
had no adult illiteracy while in
Northampton County, the
illiteracy rate was the highest
in the state, with slightly more
than one-fourth of their adult
citizens unable to read and
write.
The report stated that
illiteracy is generally higher in
eastern North Carolina and
among non-whites. This did not
hold true for Warren County,
which has one of the highest
non-white populations of any
county in the state.
Conducted bv the Highway
Safety Research Center of the
University of North Carolina,
the study considered a person
functionally illiterate if he was
unable to take the written test
for a driver's license and had to
take the oral exam instead.
Illiteracy was 8.3 percent
statewide, the study showed.
Also, there were some counties,
mostly in the mountains, where
no applicant took the oral exam
and other counties, mostly in
the East, where as many as 25.5
percent of the applicants were
illiterate. A similiar study in
1959 showed a 20 percent
illiteracy rate.
The research center undertook
the study last summer at
the urging of state Sen. McNeill
Smith, D-Guilford. It was made
part of the center's project to
develop procedures and materials
for classified licensing,
meaning a person would be
licensed according to the type
of vehicle he will drive.
"Tjte great value of this
studjfis that it was not taken
by the school people, the census
people or by anybody trying to
get a grant," Smith said. The
figures revealed by the study
are representative of the
illiteracy in the population
because North Carolinians
must rely on automobiles for
transportation, he said.
"For the first time we've got
a good breakdown of illiteracy,"
he said. The study contains a
county-by-county breakdown
and shows the percentages by
race, age and sex.
The study's results can be
used by the legislature, the
State Department of Public
Instruction and the governor'*
office in putting priorities on
where the crash reading
program in primary grades
should go first, he said. It also
will be valuable in showing local
leaders and parents where the
problems are so an effort can be
made to solve them, he said.
The legislature may want to
phase in a program that would
allow only those who can read
to Have a driver's license, he
said, noting that literacy may
he a safety factor.
"The ability to read is more
important now because of
complex traffic instructions."
he said.
Smith said he intends to file a
bill that would require reading
ability to get a driver's license.
It would be an incentive for
illiterates to take adult reading
courses from community colleges.
he said.
Information on people taking
the oral examination was
collected for three weeks at the
end of last summer.
Here are the major findings
of the study:
—Older and nonwhite applicants
were more likely to take
the oral test and males tended
to take it more often than
females.
—The western part of the
state shows a much lower
percentage of applicants taking
it. while the eastern area is the
highest. These differences are
related at least in part to the
differences in racial composi
tion that obtain in the different
areas of the state.
—Some 6.7 per cent of those
applying for a license the first
time took the oral exam while
11.3 percent of those renewing
their licenses took it.
In summing up the report.
Patricia Waller and Robert G.
Hall, the authors, said the
illiteracy rate is a burden to the
state.
"Functional illiteracy represents
a failure of the system to
provide a major means by
which one may compete
successfully economically and
perhaps even more importantly.
enjoy the cultural riches of
our society. Neither the society
nor the individual can afford
such a handicap," they wrote.
Noting that literacy has not
been a requirement for
obtaining a license, the authors
said, "it may be worthwhile to
consider whether it should
become one. Certainly any
precipitous across-the-board
implementation of such a
program would work serious
hardship on many and possibly
achieve no real benefit."
The authors suggested that
such a requirement apply to
young drivers and be coordi
nated with remedial reading
programs. They also said the
safety factor would have to be
studied because "licensing
cannot justifiably be used to
achieve nondriving related
goals, no matter how worthy
they appear."
TEN-POl'SD S XI.MON brings a happ> smile at the Lummi
Indians' (isli ranch near Kcllingham. Washington. The tribe's
pioneer \enture releases young Ksh to mature at sea. then
traps them when the> return to spawn. Vhout 40commercial
aquiculture ventures flourish in the I'uget Sound region —
citadel of indnstrs and \ast outdoor playground.
Pacific Northwest
Paradise Threatened
The two million people who
live around Puget Sound view
the sea gate of the Pacific
Northwest as a watery hit of
paradise.
"I'm inclined to agree, though
paradise has its share of earthly
problems," reports William
Graves in the January National
Geographic. "How Puget Sound
solves them will affect the
future not only of the Pacific
Northwest hut also of Alaska
and neighboring parts of
Canada."
Puget Sound long has served
as the gateway to laska. often
at a handsome profit. Alaskans
still claim that in the gold rush
Henderson Tobacco Market
A Progressive Market
For Over 76 Years
22/040/641 LBS. OF TOBACCO SOLD IN 1976
FOR AN ALL TIME HIGH AVERAGE OF *108"
We Offer Seven Warehouse Firms To Serve
Growers With Efficient, Fair, and Courteous
Service Throughout The 1977 Selling Season.
For A Good Sale Every Day
DESIGNATE
MARCH 7THRU APRIL8
Your Choice of One or More of The Following
Warehouse Firms To Sell Your 1977 Tobacco Crop.
Alston-Farmers Warehouse Phone 492-0256
"Jeffs" Big Banner Warehouse... Phone 438-5015
Big Dollar Warehouse Phone 492-2901
Ellington Warehouse Phone 438-3553
High Price Warehouse Phone 438-8192
Liberty Warehouses No. 1 & 2... Phone 438-7212
Golden Leaf Warehouse Phone 492-7490
We Will Sincerely Appreciate Your Choice Of
Henderson As Your Tobacco Market Again In
1977.
W.H. "BILL" HOYLE
Supervmor of SrJei
ot 1H9K little ot their
hard earned bullion got beyond
Seattle.
Vital to Alaska
The Sound will continue to he
a vital link to Alaskan development
as tankers brine:
pipeline oil to Pacific Northwest
ports. The prospects
alarm environmentalists who
fear a major oil spill—and
resulting ecological ch.ios—as
increasing numbers of tne large
vessels hauling crude to local
refineries plv the often foggy
waters.
Environmental authorities
still give the Sound their
highest rating—Class A. Nondegraded—despite
the en
croachment of polluting industries
and the threat of oil spills.
The Sound brings in more than
$100 million a year from
recreation and other activities
dependent on pure water.
Aquiculture is widespread
on the Sound, especially
"farming" — the raising of
salmon from eggs to market
size in underwater pens.
Only Indians, however, are
permitted by law to "ranch"
salmon—raising the fish to
intermediate size, then releasing
them to the sea to be
harvested on their return 18
months later to a huge pond
adjoining the Sound. Sluice
gates allow the fish to swim in
and out of the Sound.
Assaulted by F.nemies
Only a small percentage of
ranched salmon return home.
Between their feeding grounds
far out to sea and their
birthplace the fish run a gantlet
of natural predators, disease,
and fleets of sport and
commercial fishermen.
"In 1974," said a Lummi
Indian spokesman, "we got
hack about 20,000 fish, or 4
percent of the original half
million. That sounds like
nothing, but remember, it's all
profit from the moment of
release.
"Fish farmers have to tend and
feed their stock year round, but
ours will feed themselves at no
cost and show up weighing
roughly eight pounds each,
making a total harvest of 80
tons. At a wholesale price of
$1.50 a pound, that's nearly a
quarter of a million dollars'
worth of salmon."
Puget Sound provides transportation
as well as fresh fish
and recreation. With permanent
communities scattered
throughout their islands, Puget
Sounders rely SIT ait-excellent
snt•• "-un ferry system for
every Mng from commuting
to citits like Seattle to a trip to
the dentist.