Library
The news in this publica
tion is released for the press on
receipt.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
NEWS LETTER
Published weekly by the
University of North Carolina
for its Bureau of Extension.
MAY 15,1918
CHAPEL HILL, N. C. VOL.
IV, NO. 25
Bditorial Xioari i S. 0. Brauson, J. f
• dei't. Hamilton, L, R, Wilson, R. H. Thornton, G. M, McKie, Entered as second-oifvss matter Noyeraber 14, 1914, .Tt the Postofflee at Chapel Hill, 1ST* C., under the aot
of August1913.
■ i 1
SCHOOLS !N FRANCE
Tlio t>leinentary schools are all kept,
open and France is keeping her children [
in school, although in many instances
the schools have been opened so close to
the firing lines that the children have
Ireeii obliged to wear gas masks to enable
them to attend.
Some 30,000 teachers ol France went to
war in the first year, and an ecpial num
ber since that time, making in all 60,000
teachers now in the military service.
Over 4,000 of this number have been
decorated for deeds of distinguished bra
very.—Smithfield Herald.
CANNOT WRITE HOME
The Secretary of the Interior recently
addressed a letter to the chairmen of the
Senate and House Oommi^ees on Educa
tion, from which we take the following: working for them, said Harry Lauder,
‘At the last census there w'ere in the the Scotch comedian to a vast audience
United States five and a half million per- the other Sunday night in the Metropoli-
sona above ten years of age who were un- Opera House in New York City,
able to read or write in any language. And it is truly heroic service. More
Seven hundred thousand men of draft than lO of the chaplains in the allied ar-
age cannot read or w'rite—cannot sign mies have been killed, many have been
their names: cannot read posted orders wounded, and many others have died of
or their manual of arms; cannot under- disease. Two have won the Victoria
stand signals iu battle; cannot write ^ Cross, 130 have been, decorated, and
home or read letters from home. Illit-j mauy more have been specially’mention-
erates in the United States above twenty ed in dispatches from the front, said
years of age equal the w liole population • Karl Curzon when the BritisliiParliament
of twelve great Western Scales. Of our | gave these soldiers of the Cross a vote of
agricultural ‘ population three million j gratitude the other day.
seven hundred thousand cannot read a i —'
I tional surgeons for the army, 2,000 for
' the Navy, and 5000 for the Medical Ke-
‘ .serve Corps. North Carolina’s quota is
220 volunteers. Report to Maj. .1. 3V.
Long at Greensboro, the officer in charge
in North Carolina.
And for 5,000 more' army chaplains—
125 from North Carolina. And by the
way, the pay averages $2,400 per year,
with $300 in addition to pay the wife’s
house rent at home.
And for more Army Y. M. C. A. sec
retaries at the rate of 1,000 a month un
til the needs of our boys ami our allies
are supplied-20 a month from North
Carolina.
Here is a clear call to Christian man
hood—a call to the finest Christian min
istry there is on earth today.
If our men can die lighting for us,
surely then in God’s name we can die
farm paper, an agricultural bulletin, a ,
Liberty Loan poster, a newspaper, or a I
Bible. !
Of the total number of illiterates in the ]
country over fifey-eight per cent are j
white, and more than a miliion and a j
half—equal to the population of Fhiia- j
delphia at the iiwt census—.ire native'
born whiles. If the average productive
pow'cr of an illiterate is lees by only fifty
cents a day than that of a person able to
read and write—probably a conservative
estimate—the country loses over eight
hundred million dollars a year through
illiteracy.”
Of the lumiber wlio can read and
write in some foreign tongue, but not in
English, the secretary does not speak,
except to say: ‘ ‘ What a commentary up
on our short comings, that in the days of
{R’aco we did not teach these men, who
have been here long enough to becomel
citizens, the language in which our laws
and history are written and in which the
commands of defense must now be
given! ’'
He a.sks the eliairmen’s interest in a
bill before Congre.ss making a modest
appropriation to enable the Bureau of
Education to launch a campaign against
adult iUi'.ei :.cy. That hill is commend
able—ii.e a .small patch on a greal hole.—
.Satuid >y foeniiig Post.
CuiWLINA'S WAR RECORD
Nc«‘iiy i.OOO stm!e:U.s and faculty
miemhcri-; ■
..pieacoi til
anil
foriner years
re-
5t tins amt
o University cl North Giiroliua
in the \'7o-M War. l lie riKSter to date
■tihoiv ! 6H 1 iiiett. ,
Th ' luiniber ia the A:';ny i.-' 135. in the
■Navy 27 iti ihe Mecicai Corps 13l), in tlie
Aviat.l in .■'.ervice 55, in the AVireles:?,
Hnsj.it i.l .and Anibiilauch Corj.s, 84, The
pri.vit'.'s 'i.,id uon-comnnssionetl officers
nmnb'V 343.
A.icrig out tticn in war set’,ice are 2
briga her general.-.. 4(olonclq7 lieuten
ant colmol-i, 13 tinijcif.-, 61 captain.s, and
1P7 lifKt hvUienant.s in the. army; the
Sc' i-’i-oy of the Navy, 4 lieutenant eom-
m tn leva, and 5 ften’.eUviiit.s in the Na\y ,
aith 1 coiotieh 1 lienlenant eoli iiel, 9
iiiij'.is, 9 captains, and 93 first lieuten-
antfi III toe Medwial Corj.s. ■
Till (.lie enh of the war the Aliuuni
lle.ni.’v.' Will he ra:rying monlli by
in mill the record of t'arolina men.
GOOD SALARIES IN SIGHT
Tiie Federal Department of Agriculture
is calling from time to time for both men
and w'otnen who have had training and
experience ia rural economic.s and sociol
ogy. These calls arise out of the im
mense war-time expansion of work in
the oflices of farm management, markets,
and rural organization. The salaries of
fered rangejrom $1500 to $1800 a year.
In view of which, tiie attention of
teachers and the general public is called
to the courses in these subjects in the
University Summer School, June ll-July
25.
A New Course Offered
Since the Summer School Bulletin was
published a new course has been added—
in the Principles of Sociology by Charles
Burgess Austin, A. M., of Columbia Uni
versity. He is just now in the College of
the City of New York giving the courses
of Prof. Woolston who is absent on war
duty in France.
A brief account of Prof. Austin is as
follows: A. B. University of Indiana
1907. Fellow and Assistant in Econom
ics, University of Wisconsin, 1908-10. In
charge of the work in Economics and .So
ciology, Grinnell College, 1010-11. In
structor in Economic.’', University of
Texas, 1912-15. Economics and Sociol-
ogy, University of Indian;i, Summer
Schools of 1914 and 1915.
The course oll'ered by Prof. Ausiin
covers: .\n introduction to the study of
society with special emphasis upon social
evolution. Tlie pl.ysical, biological, and
psychological factors will be considered.
Some attention will he given to theories
of social organization and social progres.“.
Among the topics treated are: the social
couipo.sitioi), the social constitution,
motives of grouji action, jiroblems of co-
I oiieratioi), laws of social control, etc.
Large nse will be made of local data in
I order that the student may acquire ahili-
! ty to interpret correctly the social phe-
i nomeiui ofhis own environment. Texts:
i Assigned readings; Reports; Discussions;
I 1 .ectnres.
I This cotirse will be accompanied by
^ collateral work in Field Investigations
i and Ke.seiirch, with a one liour credit.
FUTURE DEFENSES
Dr. John H. Finley
Do not let the needs of the war,
however demanding, or its burden,
however heavy, or its perils, however
threatening, or its sorrows, however
lieart-breaking, make you unmindful
of the defences of tomorrow; of tiiose
disciplines through which the indi
vidual may have freedom, tlirough
which an efficient democracy'”is possi
ble, through which the institutions of
civilization can be perpetuated and
strengtliened.
Conserve, endure taxation*and pri
vation, stifl'er and sacrifice to assure to
those whom you have brought into the
world that it shall be not only a safe,
but also a happy place for them—The
Commissioner of Education of New
York State.
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
LETTER SERIES NO. 146
made well in advance of the occasion.
By J. S. Holmes, State;Forester:
1. The Forests of North Carolina.
2, Conservation of our Natural Ke-
sourco.
Forest Fire Prevention, a War Neces
sity. ■ '■
4. Wood and War.
By Miss H. 31. Berry, Secretary.
1. North Carolina’s War Jlinerals:
Their Development a Patriotic Duty.
2. North Carolina’s Contribution to
our Food Supply.
3. Utilizing our Raw Materials.
4. Women’s War Work.
DEBATE VICTORIES
By winning a double victory over \'ir-
ginia and Johns Hopkins in the triangu-
lai debate of April 27, the University of!
North Caroiina added a new chapter to!
the splendid record wliich it lias main
tained for 21 years in intercollegiate de- !
bating. |
The que.stion was: Resolved, that;thei
government of the United .States itamed- ’
TEACHERS’ SALARIES
it strikes us that we have had about
enough talk going on for the past six
months in regard to the miserably low
salaries paid to our public school teachers
,to have had some response before this. As
in so many other matters it looked as if
we had too dog-goned many leaders and
not enongli followers. From all sides we
have been having it dinned into our ears
that we are not by any means paying our
teachers a living wage,—and we blissfully
keep rigITt on doing it.
Is it any wonder that our teachers are
taking all manner of means to get out of
the teaching profession and leave the
schools to go their own way because some
little two-by-four school committeeman
thinks that in the good Lord’s own good
time and way He will provide for the
needs of the children.now growing up? It
is most inordinately true that things do
not turn up in this world unless someone
turns them up. Here we have been talk
ing for six mold hs and more about this
matter and scarcely a thing has been done
toward trying to turn up any higher
wagc.“ for the teachers.
What Are They Doing?
I Meanwliile what are the teachers doing,
! about the matter? The an.swer is easy,—
j they are resigning by the dozens and
scores, they are seeking positions where
tliey V. ill have enough j.iaid them to li \ e t u
as wfali at least as tiie little peanut-souled
committeemen who are sitting back com-
plai,santly waiting for ‘‘.sunthin to turn
np.' Tfiey are taking a few nights
oil every week and fitting themselves to
take up office work and then go away
from us to norihern cities to return no
more forever,—and we hive driven them
out.
Can you blame them? We have an out-
try not engaged in military duty, for
such other cervices during the war as the
government shi 11 deem each best fitted
to perform.
Carolina upheld the affirmative side'Jof
the question against Jolins Hopkins at
Ctiarlottesville, being represented by W.
H. Stephenson and Leo Carr. At Balti
more, Caroiina maintained the negative
against the University of Mrginia, l>eiDg
represented by M. B. Fowler and W, 31.
York.
Since the inauguration of intercollegiate
debating in 1897, Carolina has won 32
out of the total of 47 debates that have
been lield.
lately conscript each resideiit of this conn-j worn idea still lingering back in the
thinkers of some of our folks that the
public schools are a charily and that the
ieaoliers are the objects of our benefi
cence. AVe have not yet been able to dis
illusion some-of ourgood and pious breth
ren of this fallacy about ertucation in a
democracy. There never was a more
vicious idea about a public necessary than
this frayed and weather-beaten idea that
public schools are a public charity. They
are a vita! necessity to the safety and
perpetuity of this nation. One reason we
are now having so much of indirterence
and opposition to certain of the measures
advocated by our Government is because
we have not come out strong and sure
witli the demand for adequate 'public
support of onr public schools.
Can You Blame Them
Can you blame these men and women
who are doing more good solid work for
the future of our nation than any other
body of workers of equal size in the Unit
ed States, if they are getting disgusted
witli tiie miserable pittance we are paying
tliem and strike out for themselves into
some new field? But even if you d@ not
blame them what shall we be doing for
teachers of our children this next year?
Shall we close the schools and have it said
that the South is failing in its duty to
ward supporting the measures of our
’resident? Shall we close our schools and
thus lay the way for a repetition of the
last fifty years in our history? If we do
not get busy about this matter of raising
more funds and raising them mighty soon
we are in a fair way to bring again upon
us the hardships through whicii our fath
ers passed after the Civil AA’'ar.
, Citizens of North Carolina! Awake to
tlie need for doing something about rais
ing the salaries of your public school
teachers!
AA’iison -anil Beaufort counties have lead
the way, with 30-cent county-wide tax-
levies.
AA'hat wilt AYake, Lenoir, Franklin,
Anson, Warren and Edgecombe do about
it? They are ail voting on the proposition
this month.
■Jtv 'ly Ali’innos i.s earnestly reiiuested to
qhilp Dr T'. J. Wilson, the I'niversily
i^.l*e;',i,.l1.11 , m:ike Ltie lecord lull and ac-
ir-f.-r.'
IS
iiead-
A BVGLE CALL TO SERVE
11 »v. huge a tiling this world war is
I Ir vi.ieit oy tbo recent rails f
ii iiii'iH I'-w ;ti'PH- d' ctiir.-’. rliaplains, anil
i’Y. jAI. v'. a. se.rvtiu’rs u.r army service
lii'jiil. .
Ici 5.00U addi-
urgiri't
CAROLINA RESOURCES
The North Carolina Geological and
Kconomic t-'urvey announces llie follow
ing lectures relating chiefly to the rela
tion of certain of our nauiral resonrees to
war needs and t-i the jiresent and future
development of the State. These are
suitable f u' school commencements,
cUil s, civ'c meetings, teachers and far
mers’ institutes etc. Appl;c.ttion for
lectures .shon’d be addressed to the North
Carol iia Geolog r;ii and
vey. Chapel llili. N. C.
I'!c(noimr Sur-
[ n 1 sliou'd be
ANOTHER COUNTY ANALYZED
Reference has frequently been tnade in
these columns to the w'ork of 'the North
Carolina club at the University of North
Carolina, of its year-books, and of the
special county studies which club mem
bers have , been engaged in preparing.
Earlier in the year special mention was
made of the first of these studies—Samp
son County: Economic and Social.
The Daily New.s is iu receipt of Durham
County : F.conomic and Social, prepare d
by W. 31. Upchurch and 31, B. Fowle-r.
Tills luihlication, 100 pages in length, is
the second of the county series, and dur
ing the next few weeks is to be followed
by similar publications for Wake, Ruther
ford, Rockingham, Grange, and other
counties.
What it Means
As one reviews tliese publications, it is
iuqtossible to escape the conviction that
in tlieir preparation the students of the
university are coming into intimate ac-
(luaintence with North Carolina. There
is the further impression that the men
wlio have made them will be ix’tter citi
zens for having "iiade them and more ef
fective leaders in the development of
Nortli Carolina life. And still further,
the liome folk in the counties covered by
these studies have for the first time the
opportunity to see tiiemselves iu a true
revealing light. Hereafter there will he
no laiason for them to fail to know their
status iu a large number of iiarticuiars.
Competent Citizenship
Now that the publications are begin
ning to come from the press in compara
tive frequency, the real bignes.s of the
idea back of them becomes doubly ap
parent. The study is of a new sort, hut
it is vital to North Carolina. Absolutely
so. And the club, in its fortnightly meet-,
ings and in these publications, is carrying
out an ambitiou.s, effective program
which spells untold good for the state.
An unusually pleasing feature in con
nection with the appearance of Durham
County: Economic and Social, is that it
is backed by the interest aud support of
the university alumni. John Sprunt Hill,
whose varied gifts to the university dur
ing tlie year liave been of a most distinc
tive character, met tlie expense of bring
ing out the bulletin.—Greensboro Daily
News. 1
WE MEAN YOU
Today the Stiali of Persia cables in to
Washington an order for $103,000 worth
of liberty bonds. So much for the patri
otic interest in humanity, of a pagan on
the otlier side of tlie globe.
And tlie liberty bc>nd purciiases of the
Norcli Carolina MutuaPaud Provident As-
sodation of Durham now amount to
$100,000. It is a Negro insurance com
pany—tlie largest in the world. So much
lor Negro patriotism here at liome.
And the lepers at 3Iolokai have bought
$3,000 worth of our war savings stamps.
So mucli for tlie patriotism of those on
whom God has laid the liand of incurable
disease.
A HEADLESS AFFAIR
A nation composed of units is hardly
stronger than the strongest unit, stated
Dr. H. S. Gilbertson, Secretary National
Short Ballot xYssociation, in his address
before the North Carolina Club at the
University Monday night. Speaking of
county got ernment, 3Ir. Gilbertson em
phasized the importance of the county as
a unit agency of human service. Hereto
fore, says he, wehave looked upon county
government as being little more than the
making of certain records, the filing of
certain papers, tlie care ol the poor, and
the appreiiending of criminals. It has
been our most neglected and most ineffi
cient unit of government, yet it is the unit
upon which the functions of general gov
ernment are built. The county has ro
autlioritative, unifying officer—as the
.governor in a state or the mayor in a city.
County government in North Carolina
and the United States has failed, he con
tinued, more decidedly than any otlii r
branch of government, in performing ser
vice, because it lacks two characteristics
namely, the single hearted allegiance if
the people as a whole, and a definite pol
icy and plan of service.
Dr. Gilbertson advocated the short bal
lot for electing officers for North Carolina
counties, and the commission form of
government for counties and cities, cr
better still, the commission-manager plan
—such a plan as Buncombe is now con
sidering. Safety and accomphsiiment do
not lie in making government complex
and hard to understand, but in making
it extretnely simple and unified, with a
I’mt how about your patriotism? How ; definite program, policy, and responsi
iniicii is it wortli—in lilxrty bonds, or
war savings stamps, or Red Cro.ss support,
or army A'. M. C. -A. contributions?
Nothing?
A’ou can’t fight aud you won’t work
for or lend to the cause of liberty and Im-
manity? Can't put $50 into a liberty
bond, or $4.13 into a thrift certificate, or
25 cents into a savings stamp?
Who are you anyway?
Are you Just busy laying up treasure on
earth? If so, how many pockets will you
need in your shroud'.’ ,Vre yon just a
tick-and Ilea citizen?
riurely not! ■ . ’
Or are you just waiting for George to do
it all? ' '
In either event, your neighbors are
weigliing you in exact balances these
days?
Aud their estimates of you are varied,
variegated, and lurid.
AVheu ttds war is over there are .sonic
peojJe that will have to move into new
eommunities. Their old liome towns will
be too hot to liold them.
bility. Every comity sliould have a uni
fying liead whicii could be held responsi
ble to the people- for the performance of
all duties by all officers. Dr. Gilbertson
declared.
Onr present county government was
characterized as six or seven different
governments acting independently of eacli
otlier, without any lieadship and co or
dination. As a result the p'incipal con
cern of county oflicers now ia to keep llieir
jobs and collect tlieir salaries.
In tlie future county government will
mean a very great program of human ser
vice, but before it can perform this ser
vice it must be made possible for it to de
velop a policy and program. Traditioi.s
tliat during the Civil AVar grew out of llie
reaction against centralized government
must be modified. Reformation must
come through popniar education in civic
matters; especially in sncli county studies
as tlie North Carolina Cluli is making
here. it is surprising and gratifying to
find this club so far in tlie lead iu tiiia
ne.glectod field of political economy, he
said in conclusion.—-Myron Green, Secre
tary.