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 its University Ex
tension Division.
JULY 26,. 1922
CHAPEL HH.T., JN. C
VOL. vm, NO. 36
Editorial Buard i E. fc. Bratwon, 8. H. Hobbs, Jr., L. B, WiLson. E. Vv. Kmitht, D. D. Carroll, J. B. Bnllitt, H. W. Odam. Bnterrd as aerond-olaaa matter November 14.1914, at the Postof&ce at Chapel Hill, N. C., under the act of August 2
MOTOR CARS IN NORTH CAROLINA
FARM-LIFE CONVENTION
The Farmers’ and Farm Women’s
State Convention at the State A. and E.
College, Raleigh, August 1, 2, 3.
' Tuesday August 1. Get-together Day.
Stirring speeches, followed at night by
a community sing and free punch.
Wednesday August 2. Country-Life
Pay—the Home, the School, the Church,
Good Literature. Livestock and Horti
culture. Followed by a play at night.
Thursday August 3. Cooperative
Marketing and Combatting the Boll
•Weevil. Addresses by representatives of
'the Cooperative Cotton Marketing Asso
ciation, the Tri-State Tobacco Growers,
the Peanut Growers’ Exchange, the
Truck Growers, the Peach Growers,
the State Bee Keepers’Association, the
Farm Bureau Federation.
Daily demonstration of the Radio, and
Cotton Dusting.
Reduced railroad fares and 50-cent
meals at the State College make this
an opportunity for tjie farmer to go
and take his family for an outing that
will be entertaining, instructive, and
economical. Lodging is free, but sheets,
pillow slips, and toilet articles must be
brought along by the guests.
Speakers
Out-of-state speakers: Henry Ford
(invited); Hon. A. F. Lever, author of
the Smith-Lever bill; Hon. Henry C.
Stuart, Ex-Governor of Virginia; H. S.
Mobley, International Harvesting Com
pany; Roland Turnei', General Agricul
tural Agent Southern Railway; J. R.
Howard, Pres. Farm Bureau Federa
tion; Mrs. Charles Schuttler, of Ohio.
Home-state speakers: Hon. Robert
N. Page, Ex-M. C.; E. C. Branson,
Professor Rural Social Science, Uni
versity of N. C.; F. P. Latham, State
Board of Agriculture; G. A. Norwood,
Pres. Tobacco Growers’ Association.
Raleigh speakers: Hon. Cameron
Morrison, Governor; Dr. Clarence Poe,
Editor Progressive Farmer; Dr. E. C.
Brooks, State Supt. Public Instruction;
Dr. B. W. Kilgore, Director of the Ex
tension Service, and several very able
speakers within the organization.
MOTOR CARS GALORE
One carj for every 17 inhabitants in
North Carolina on an average, both
races counted; 148,627 all told three
months before the registration year
-closed on June 30 last. Which is right
around one car for every three families
in the 'state.
Five times as many cars accumulated
in ten years in North Carolina, in pro
portion to population, as in Great Brit
tain with all the wealth she has accum
ulated in ten centuries.
And yet with all our cars, thirty-
nine states have more and only eight
states have fewer, in ratio to total
population.
If buying cars is a sign of prosperity,
we are richer in 1921-22 than we were
in 1920—richer by nearly eight thousand
cars. We are even richer than we were
in the dlush -times of 1919—richer by
thirty-eight thousand cars.
Twenty million dollars’ worthof brand
new cars bought in North Carolina dur
ing the last three years, supposing that
their, average cost was $600 apiece.
Counting the new cars exchanged for
old cars during the last three years,
the grand total of new cars acquired
during this period is right around 100,-
000.
Rich Motor Car Areas
Guilford far and away leads the state.
It is the only county in North Carolina
that rises above the average of the
United States as a whole, with one car
for every 9.3 inhabitants, against 10.3
V in the country-at-large. It leads Meck
lenburg, its closest competitor, by
nearly 1,500 cars, and Forsyth by near
ly 2,600 catfs. There are more cars in
Guilford than in all the seventeen
Mountain counties put together, includ
ing Buncombe.
Davidson, another prosperous manu
facturing county, ranks second, with
•one car for every 10.6 inhabitants. But
mark you, Scotland a cotton producing
county and Wilson a cotton-tobacco
county rank 3rd and 4th respectively.
In motor-car wealth the agricultural
counties in the cotton-tobacco belt rank
right alongside the big-city counties in
our industrial area. For instance, Scot
land and Wilson rank above Mecklen
burg; Moore ranks above Forsyth; Pitt,
Edgecombe, and Lenoir rank above New
Hanover; Greene and Nash above Dur
ham and Cabarrus; Lee and Martin a-
bove Gaston; Wayne, Harnett, John
ston, and Hoke above Buncombe. See
the table elsewhere.
Note the high rank of the Foothill
counties: Lincoln 8th, Stokes 21st,
Cleveland 25th, Surry 34th, Davie 38th,
Yadkin 39th, and Caswell 42nd. They
are all among the forty-two counties
that rank above the state average of
one car per 17.2 inhabitant^.
Our motor cars number from 18 in
Graham, a county set in the clefts of
the Smoky Mountains, to 8,514 in
Guilford, a mid-state center of manufac
ture, trade, insurance, banking; from
one car per 377 inhabitants in Yan
cey to one car per 9 inhabitants in
Guilford.
What Motor Cars Mean
High ratios of motor-car ownership
mean (1) abundant ready cash, (2) im
proved highways already built or a ris
ing tide of interest in better public
roads, /3) town and city ceiiters rapidly
increasinginpopulation, enterprise, and
wealth, and (4) disappearing areas of
static or stagnant life and livelihood.
Whatever else these motor-car figures
mean, they mean these four quite funda
mental things, and nobody knows it any
better than bankers and sales agents of
every sort.
Low ratios of motor-car ownership
mean (1) poor roads, (2) inaccessibility
to piarket caters, (3) plenty to eat
and wear perhaps, but little ready cash
in circulation, and (4) humdrurn exis
tence—as in sixty remote rural coun
ties and 308 remote rural townships.
They are the areas ip which bankers
hesitate to loan the money of their
clients. They are areas of static or de
creasing populations. The bankers
know that all values are socially crea
ted. They know that dwindling popu
lations mean decreasing values of every
sort, both economic and social.
No End of Cars
But all in all there seems to be no
end of cars in North Carolina or in any
other state of the Union. Everybody
owns a car or rides in his neighbor’s
car—the street-car magnates say. Cars
to burn—the insurance companies say.
Nobody walks nowadays. Legs are no
longer necessary anywhere. Ef’n I goes
to church dis night I'll shore ride, said
the cook on a recent sultry Sunday.
Five cars parked daily around a seven
teen hundred dollar lean-to under erec
tion in Chapel Hill. They belong to
the tinner, the plumber, the plasterer,
the bricklayer, and the head carpenter.
Meantime the home ovAier hot-foots it
to the bank every Saturday morning to
borrow the money to pay his luxurious
building crew.
“There are three sorts of folks in this
town,’’ said the poor devil who was en
larging his home, “first the folks who
own cars but no homes— the wastrels
bent on keeping up with Lizzie, second
the folks who own homes but no cars—
the relics of prehistoric times, now as
rare as dodos, and third the normal
average folks who own both cars and
homes. ’’
This contemplative philosopher, it
may be said in passing, has since bought
a car, at least his wife did, and gra
ciously made him a present of the bill.
The cars owned by the daily wage
earners now at work erecting the new
university buildings and keeping the old
buildings in repair number right around
fifty. The cars they park on the
campus daily outnumber the carfe
of the faculty members. It is all right
for wage earners to own cars, but fre
quently we run against people who
think it is all wrong for teachers to own
cars.
But have you bean to a country
church lately, and did you count the
cars? What I saw last Sunday, said a
sorrowful country preacher, was twen
ty thousand dollars’ worth of cars sur
rounding a two-thousand-dollar church
building and a two-hundred-dollar speak
er.
If anybody, is poor in North Carolina
in town or country, it is not easily ap
parent. We are a rich people or think
we are—which is the same thing. No
body feels poor any longer, except in a
school-bond election or when the sheriff
comes around to collect taxes.
Even the tight-fisted taxpayer'is dis
appearing in North Carolina. The
smart-looking car that daily decorates
the front of his home rebukes him pub
licly. Private Buicks and public bonds,
Studebakers and schools, cars and cul
ture are the order of the new day.
We are going fast and far these days.
Stepping on the accelerator is the ac
cepted sign of civilization. Occasion
Released week beginning July 24.
KNOW NORTH CAROLINA
•
Our Water Powers
Statistics recently made public by
the North Carolina Geological and
Economic Survey and the U. S.
Geological Survey show the amount
of developed and undeveloped water
power in the various states. Ranked
in order of magnitude of developed
water powers, North Carolina stands
fifth with 360,000 horsepower; The
first five states rank as follows:
New York . 1,291,857 h. p.
California 1,149,099 h. p.
Washington 454,356 h. p.
Maine 449,614 h. p.
North Carolina 360,000 h. p.
In potential or undeveloped water
power North Carolina, is exceeded
only by New York of all states east
of the Mississippi River. It is esti
mated that there is at least 1,500,000
horsepower in North Carolina streams
which can be developed for future
use as industrial needs in the State
’arise. Much of this amount of dn-
developed power is not economically
developable under present conditions,
but even now there are vast quantities
of potential hydro-electric power
going to waste which might profit
ably be used to increase the indus
trial output of North Carolina.
The state at present has an aver
age daily output of hydro-electric
energy of well over 2,000,000 kilo
watt hours. In this respect it is ex
ceeded byno state east of the Mis
sissippi except New York, which
contains the Niagara Falls power.
In output of individual power com
panies also. North Carolina ranks
well to the front, the output of the
Southern Power Company reaching
about 790,000,000 kilowatt hours, an
output e^cceeded by only eleven com
panies in the entire United States
and Canada. The peak load of this
couptry for one day is estimated at
about 218,300 kilowatts, which is
equivalent to 293,000 horsepower.—
Joseph Hyde Pratt, director State
Geological and Economic Survey at
the University.
might learn how and why some cities
and counties are better governed than
others and by a combination of the good
in all we might be able to formulate a
workable standard by which to measure
efficient local government.
Abraham asked how Sodom could be
saved and was told that it needed only
ten righteous men. Is it possible that
ten righteous men properly organized
and functioning in the right way could
save any city or county in North Caro
lina?
Every high school should have a de
partment of civics and the teacher in
charge should first learn the fundamen
tal principles of good government as
applied to his local community. Is it
well governed? Are the different de
partments functioning properly? Is the
revenue properly accounted for? Is
the administration broad ^ough to
meet the needs of all the people?
Indicting the Counties
Let me call your attention to certain
defects in our local government that
affect every department of our civic life
and especially our school system, and
these are defects that can be easily
corrected if the people will to have
good government. In the first place
there is no organized body of laws guar
anteeing the proper unification of coun
ty government and i defining the func
tions of each department. A student
must look through the entire mass of
public or public local acts, and the task i
is so great that few will’ undertake it. !
The great defect in local government'
seems to be in the overlapping and con
fusion of legislative and executive func
tions. Every school executive should
read Article I of the Constitution. This
I is called the Declaration of Rights.
1 Section 8 says, “The legislative, execu
tive, and supreme judicial powers of
I the government ought to be forever
separate and distinct from each other’’.
I This distinction is fairly well maintained
iji our state government, and our judi-
; cial systems, from the state to the local
! community, is fairly well divorced from
! the other two divisions of government.
■ But suppose we notice how the execu-
j tive and legislative overlap in our coun
ty and local governments and in our
school administration.
Article II of the Constitution says,
‘ Tt shall be the duty of the county com
missioners to exercise a general super
vision and control of the penal and
charitable institutions, schools, roads,
brWges, the levying of taxes, and the
finances of the county, as may be pre
scribed by law’’. But Section 14 gives
the General Assembly power to abolish
this section. However, it still stands
as the highest authority.
The board of county commissioners
has both legislative and executive func
tions. It may pass certain rules and
regulations of a very broad nature that
have the force of law. These, there
fore, would be legislative acts. At the
same tim6 it acts as an executive body
when attempting to carry out these
rules and regulations, although the to
tal time devoted to both may not exceed
in many instances twelve days within a
period of twelve months. This is per
haps long enough for their legislative
duties, but certainly not long enough
for their executive duties.
Moreover, after the commissioners
pass rules and regulations governing
the several departments of a coi^ty,
there is no central executive head con
tinually functioning to see that the
rules of the board or the state laws are
obeyed. Therefore, individuals or com
munities or classes that can bring the
greatest pressure to bear on the * board
are sometimes the most fortunate, thus
violating directly or indirectly Section 7'
of the Declaration of Rights, which says
that “No man or set of men are en
titled to exclusive or separate emolu
ments or privileges from the commu
nity but in consideration of public ser
vice”.
This error of confusing legislative
and executive functions has grown un
til today those who seek special privi
leges oppose any proper classification of
the functions of government and are
thq first to cry “Centralization of Au
thority” or “Let the people rule”, when
as a matter of fact they themselves are
defeating the will of the people.—E. C.
Brooks, State Superintendent of Public
Instruction.
ally—very occasionally—somebody stops
to ask, which way are we headed? We
are arriving in a hurry, but where?
It is entirely Victorian but also en
tirely proper to say that the core of
culture is character and that without
character neither cars nor culture will
get us anywhere in safety.
INDICTING THE SCHOOLS
Some time ago I discussed certain de
fects in the administration of public
funds, but these defects are serious
symptoms of the fact that our local gov
ernments are going to be unable to
meet the larger demands of the people.
We must look deeper into county
government for the source of the trou
ble.
Our schools and colleges are to blame
for much of the ignorance prevailing to
day in regard to local government. We
teach in our schools the rise and fall of
the Greek City States, the rise and fall
of the Roman Empire, the rise of the
English Constitution, the adoption of
the Declaration of Independence, and
the creation of the Federal and State
Constitution.- We have textbooks on
civics that could be used as well in
California as in North Carolina, when
civics should deal with government at
home, the whole county functioning as
a unit. We do not teach the youth of
today how to determine a well-governed
community. Our colleges have not yet
attacked this problem. We may right
ly ask the question—Do our teachers
know what constitutes good govern
ment? Some man should spend his life
studying local government in somewhat
the same manner that Dr. E. C. Bran
son is studying Rural Sociology and
Economics, for when local government
is sound, state government will be fool
proof.
A small group of young men under
wise leadership should be constantly
studying county and city government
and the state should know periodically
the results. From such a study we
MOTOR CARS IN NORTH CAROLINA
Inhabitants Per Car in 1921-22
Based on report of'the Secretary of State, March 1922, in the daily press.
Total number of motor cars in the state 1^8,627, or one car for every 17 in
habitants, or about one car for every three families on an average; against one
car for every two families ig the United States. Thirty-nine states outrank
North Carolina.
Guilford leads followed by Davidson, with one car for every two families.
Mitchell and Yancey, with one car for about every seventy families, foot the
column.
R. M. Bardin, Wilson County
Department Rural Social Economics, University of North Carolina.
Rank County
Total
Inhabs.
Rank County
Total
Inhabs.
No.
per Car
No.
per Car
1
Guilford
..8,614
9.3
60
Union
....1,892
18.9
2
Davidson
.,3,327
10.6
52
Duplin
... 1,565
19.2
3
Scotland
. 1,386
11.2
53
Chowan
.... 545
19.4
4
Wilson
..3,218
11.4
54
Sampson
....1,822
19.7
.5
Mecklenburg...
..7,040
11.5
65
Craven
....1,456
19.9
6
Moore
..1,802
11.8
56
Anson
....1,406
20.1
7
Rockingham;..
. 3,703
11.9
57
Washington . ,
.... 564
20.2
8
Forsyth
. 6,098
12.6
68 , Chatham
....1,159
20.5
8
Lincoln
..1,416
12.6
58
Hertford
.... 729
20.5
10
Pitt
..3,521
12.8
60
Franklin
...,1,277
20.9
11
Edgecombe....
..2,871
13.2
61
Perquimans....
519
21.2
12
Randolph
..2,317
13.3
62
Henderson
.... 847
21.6
13
Wake
..5,684
13.4
63
Rutherford ....
...1,446
21.7
14
Iredell
.,2,792
13.6
64
Halifax
. ...1,971
22.2
15
Lenoir
. 2,168
13.7
65
Warren
... 941
22.7
16
Alamance
..2,379
13.8
66
Northampton..
....1,000
23.1
17
New Hanover .
. 2,930
13.9
67
Tyrrell
.... 200
24.2
18
Catawba
..2,416
14.0
68
Caldwell
.... 802
24.9
19
Greene
..1,138
14.2
69
Gates
398
26.4 ■
19
Nash
...2,891
14.2
70
Jones
.... 406
26.5
21
Durham
..2,960
14.3
71
Columbus
.'...1,060
27.8
21
Stokes
...1,436
14.3
72
Pender
.... 500
29.5
23
Cabarrus
..2,237
14.4
73
Camden
.... 178
30.2
24
Richmond
..1,722
14.6
74
Onslow
.... 485
30.3
25
Cleveland
...2,288
14.9
75
Rowan
....1,446
30.4
26
Lee
... 822
16.0
76
Haywood
.... 763
30.8
26
Martin
...1,386
15.0
77
Bladen
.... 634
31.2
28
Gaston
..3,683
15.2
78
Transylvania...
.... 288
32.3
29
Vance
.,1,545
15.4
79
Burke
.... 664
36.0
30
Pasquotank ...
...1,140
15.6
80
Pamlico
.... 258
35.1
31
Wayne
...2,773
15.7
81
Wilkes
.... 921
36.4
32
Harnett
....1,800
16.2
82
Hyde|
.... 218
38.4
i32
Johnston >
..3,020
16.2
83
McDowell •
.... 411
40.8
34
Hoke
... 713
16.4
84
Carteret
.... 347
44.2
34
Buncombe
...3,911
16.4
85
Alleghany
.... 158
46.4
34
Surry
...1,905
16.4
86
Watauga
.... 286
47.1
37
Orange
...1,080
16.6
87
Polk
.... 188
47.9
38
Davie *
... 812
16.7
88
Avery
.... 206
51.6
39
Granville
..1,590
16.8
89
Dare
90
66.8
39
Yadkin
... 980
16.8*
90
Madison
337
59.6
41
Mj^ntgomery...
... 912
16.9
91
Brunswick
.... 238
63.1
42
Caswell
.. 921
17,1
92
Cherokee],.....
.... 218
69.9
43
Stanly
...1,693
17.4
93
Macon
.... 168
77.9
44
Beaufort
...1,743
17.8
94
Jackson ./
.... 158
84.8
45
Cumberland ...
..1,931
18.1
95
Swain
.... 139
93.6
46
Robesop
...2,960
18.4-
96
Ashe
.... 2)8
96.3
47
Bertie
..1,294
18.5
97
Clay
.... 46
1Q1.6
48
Currituck
.. 387
18.7
98
Graham
.... 18
270.6
48
Person
..1,021
18.7
99
Mitchell
.... 34
332.0
60
Alexander
... 644
18.9
100 Yancey
.... 40
377.3