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.
AUGUST 23, 1922
VOL. vm, NO. 40
Editorial Board i B. C. Branson, 8. H. Hobbs, Jr., L. R. Wilson. E. W. Knight, D, D. Carroll, J. B. BftUltt
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, 1918
PUBLIC WELFARE INSTITUTES
SOCIAL SERVANTS MEET
The 1922 Special Summer Institutes
for Public Welfare, the third to be held
' at Chapel Hill under the joint direc
tion of the University and the State
Department of Public Welfare, have
just closed with marked success. While
the past two summers have maintained
an unusually high standard of interest,
discussion and thought, the 1922 Insti
tutes proved far the best yet held, both
as to the number of those present and
the quality of work done.
Institute Purposes
The several purposes of the Insti
tutes are self-evident:
To bring together in helpful confer
ence and fellowship as many workers in
the field of public welfare and social
work as may be practicable.
To study and discuss common prob
lems and programs of public, welfare.
To raise standards of work and to
stabilize ppblic welfare processes in
North Carolina.
To give momentum to the North
Carolina plan of Public Welfare, in its
effort to increase human adequacy and
to make democracy effective in t^ie un
equal places.
To provide special days for officials .
and workers in institutional aspects of
public welfare—prisons, hospitals, train
ing schools, children’s homes, and the
others.
To contribute something to the whole
field of public welfare and social pro
gress and education.
Interested WorKers
While there are a great many public-
spirited citizens who are interested in
the Institutes, they are provided espe
cially for groups and individuals who
are actually working or preparing to
work in the field of public welfare in
this and other Southern states. Those
who attended and participated include:
County superintendents of public
welfare and their assistants.
Administrative officers and staff
members of Institutions working for
special classes and special aspects of
public welfare.
Other groups, such as juvenile court
judges, probation officers and special
agents in the field of public welfare.
The Commissioner of Public Welfare
of North Carolina and staff members.
Secretaries or commissioners of other
State Departments of Public Welfare
in the South.
Administrative officers of the State
Department- of Health, Education,
Child Welfare Commission and others.
Specialists from the National field of
public welfare, including child welfare,
prison work, mental hygiene, institu
tional management and supervision,
and others.
Groups of administrative officers and
staff members of voluntary agencies
•and institutions working for the public
good.
Special teachers, preachers, com
munity workers, and citizens interest
ed in technical aspects of social work
and public welfare.
J>lan of Work
The work of the Institutes was divi
ded into two larger aspects. The first
had to do with the intimate and speci
fic administration and organization of
North Carolina public welfare as found
in the state department, in the state
institutions, and especially in the county
organizations. The first week of the
conference was devoted to careful con
sideration of these numerous and varied
problems, and the special features and
strength of this week’s work
found in the practical and intimate dis
cussions of the county superintendents
themselves. There were, however, most
valuable contributions made by Hon.
Burr Blackburn, Secretary of the State
Board of Public Welfare of Georgia,
Croft Williams, Secretary of the State
Boarl of Public Welfare of South Caro
lina, Professor J. L. Gillin, University
of Wisconsin, Mr. Joseph C. Logan,
Assistant Director of the American
Red Cross at Atlanta, and others of
the University and State Department
5f Public Welfare as described later.
The second week was devoted primar
ily to the discussion of institutional
problems and management. Valuable
contributions were made by county
superintendents of public welfare, heads
of North Carolina institutions, Dr.
Hastings H. Hart, President of the
American Prison Congress, Miss Grace
Abbott, head of the Children’s Bureau
at Washington, and members of the
State Department of Public Welfare
and of the University faculty. Brief
reports of these discussions follow in
later paragraphs.
The proceedings of the Institutes will
be published in a bulletin by the State
Department of Public Welfare. A
brief report of the conference will be
of interest to a large group of readers.
Well Attended
Of the fifty-two counties having full
time superintendents, more than forty
were represented at the Institutes in
cluding the following counties, and rep
resentatives: Miss Fay Davenport of
Gaston County, Mr. Horace Stewart of
Duplin, Mr. W. W. Holland of Iredell,
Mr. D. E. Robinson of Brunswick, W.
E. Stanley of Durham, E. C. Snyder
of Union, E. C. Byerly of Davidson,
Miss Mary Robinson of Anson, J. A.
Martin of Cumberland, Mrs. L. A. Ed-
munson of Avery, Mrs. W. B. Waddill
of Vance, P. H. Fleming of Alamance,
K. T. Futrell of Pitt, J. A. Overton of
Lee, J. A. Beam of Person, F. T.
Wooten of Columbus, Miss Georgia
Henry of Edgecombe, Z. V. Moss of
Stanly, W. M. Seaford of Davie, C.
G. Robertson of Surry, D. W. Christe-
son of Sampson, R. D. Jenkins of Hali
fax, G. B. Hanrahah of Lenoir, Mrs.
Anna Lewis of Pasquotank, Miss Mary
M. Greenlee of McDowell, Mrs L. J.
Stevens of Craven, Miss Margaret
Caroline Brietz and J. L. Rodwell of
Forsyth, C. E. Hefner of j Catawba, C.
H. Anderson of Wake, S. E. Leonard
of Wilson, Mrs. Blanche Carr Sterne
of Guilford, E. C. Perry of Franklin,
Miss Elizabeth Frye of Robeson, J. M.
Tuttle of Caldwell, Miss Anita Wald-
horst of New Hanover, J. E. Jackson
and J. A. Morris of Granville, and Lu
cius Ranson of Mecklenburg.
From the State Department of Pub
lic Welfare besides Mrs. Clarence A.
Johnson, Commissioner of Public Wel
fare, there were present Mr. Roy M.
Brown, in charge of County Organiza
tion, Dr. Harry W. Crane, State Psy
cho-Pathologist, Miss Mary Shotwell
and Miss Emeth Tuttle, in charge of j
Child Welfare, Mr. Wiley B. Sanders,
Executive Secretary of the State Con-'
ference investigating juvenile delin-1
quency and prison conditions. j
The following institutions were rep
resented: Mr. J. E. Boger, Jackson
Training School, Dr. R. A. Newbold
and Dr. C. B. McNairy, Caswell Train
ing School, Mr. E. C. Lineberry, School
for Blind at Raleigh, Mr. E. M. Good
win, School for Deaf, Morganton, Dr.
M. L. Kesler, Baptist Orphanage at
Thomasville, Mr. Chas. D. Johnson,
Christian Orphanage at Elon College,
Rev. A. S. Barnes, Methodist Orphan
age at Raleigh, Mr. Charles 0. Baird,
I. 0. 0. F. Home at Goldsboro, Mr.
R. L. Brown, Masonic Orphanage at
Oxford, an,d Mr. J. J. Phoenix, Chil
dren’s Home Society.
Special representatives from outside
the state included Professor J. L. Gil
lin, of the University of Wisconsin, Mr.
Joseph C. Logan, Assistant Director of
the American Red Cross at Atlanta,
Mr. G. Croft Williams, Secretary of
the State Board of Public Welfare of
South Carolina, Mr. Burr Blackburn,
Secretary of State Board of Public
Welfare of Georgia, Dr. Hastings H.
Hart, President of the American Prison
Association, Miss Grace Abbott of the
Children’s Bureau at Washington.
From the University contributions
were made by Dr. E. C. Branson, Dr.
H. W. Odum, Dr. J. F. Steiner, Prof.
H. D. Meyer, Dr. H. W. Crane,
Important Topics
The sessions were formally opened
by Mrs. Clarence A. Johnson, Commis
sioner of Public Welfare, in a short but
strong address on the Scope, Progress,
and Difficulties of Public Welfare in
North Carolina. She had just come
from the National Conference of Social
Work where she had presented a part
of this discussion on the Duties of a
Commissioner of Public Welfare. After
discussing the principles involved and
the North Carolina plan, she pointed
KNOW NORTH CAROLINA
The Mill and the Child
Mr. Stuart W. Cramer, owner and
creator of the industrial town of
Cramerton and chairman of the
National Committee of the Ameri
can Cotton Manufacturers Associa
tion, was invited to deliver an ad
dress at the Blue Ridge Southern
Industrial Conference, and he per
formed that mission on July 15. The
speech he delivered before the con
ference should have wide circulation.
It was information so suitable for
absorption of our Congressmen that
it would not be out of place in the
pages of The Congressional Record.
Mr. Cramer makes proclamation
of the attitude of ninety percent of
the cotton mill owners of the South
on the one question of constant agi
tation-child labor. He indicated
that the Southern textile manufac
turers are intensely interested in the
labor problem and have in mind the
working out of a civic code for in
dustrial communities that shall ap
peal to the average man, whether
he be stockholder, manager, worker
or any other good citizen. This code
is to be a minimum policy under
which a standard will be achieved
in practically all of the mills “which
shall make it a pride to both employ
er and employee to proclaim to all
the world that they are citizens in
any cotton mill village.”
The aim is also for extinction of
what has been termed “the feudal
villages of the mill barons,” about
which the demagogues rant so much.
These, Mr. Cramer declared, “are
a great handicap and something the
mill owners would be glad to unload
and get rid of.”
Mr. Cramer came out in decided
statement that the child “is the hope
of future Southern industrialism.”
The health, training and opportuni
ties brought to the children of today,
‘will determine very largely wheth
er they will care to be the mill work
ers of tomorrow.” Mr. Cramer,
therefore, made stout contention
that “any Southern mill man who
fails to support child-welfare work
and to observe the child labor re
strictions that have gradually e-
merged from the chaos of experi
mentation, both legislative and in
dustrial, whether compelled to do so
by law or not, is a traitor to his in
dustry and to his own selfish inter
ests. ”
And that, succinctly, is truthful
and faithful representatation of the
Southern cotton mill man’s attitude
toward child labor, as it is indication
of the great end the Southern tex
tile industry is striving for.—Char
lotte Observer.
out with fine emphasis and excellent
illustration the difficulties involved in
the problem of educating the general
public, of raising standards, of develop
ing trained workers, of over-centrali
zation and of developing community or
ganization and spirit in the execution
of a public welfare program. These
problems are key problems in all the
work of public welfare being so rapidly
developed in this and other states.
Dr. E. C. Branson, Head of the De
partment of Rural Social-Economics,
emphasized forcibly two important fac
tors. The first was the danger which
now faces the public everywhere in
relation to all general public service
supported by taxation. He raised the
question as to whether or not public
health, public welfare, public education,
home and farm demonstration work,
and other similar activities, in so far as
their expansion in increasing efficiency
may be concerned, are in dangar, due
to the increasing restlessness with re
gard to taxation and the tension brought
about by a slow-down in rural pros-
^ perity. His second point was a chal
lenge for better county government
showing how this work of public service
I must be conditioned upon economy in
the use of public funds. If county gov
ernment could be improved, as sug
gested by him, there would be no dif
ficulties of support for public welfare
and other similar public service.
Dr. Howard W. Odum, Director of
the School of Public Welfare of the
University, emphasized^ three points.
The first was tlie absolute necessity for
public officials and the public alike to
interpret public welfare in terms of
government. It is necessary that coun
ty commissioners and taxpayers become
vividly aware of the fact that public
welfare is a standard part of local gov
ernment which, carried to its fruition,
will guarantee that democracy can be
made effective in the unequal places.
Like public education, public welfare is
becoming one of the great fundamentals
of American democratic local govern
ment. The second point emphasized
the need of a closer correlation of vol
untary agencies with public agencies.
There are four general groups to be
correlated: the state departments of
case-work and family visiting in rela
tion to the placement of children. Miss
Emeth Tuttle, of the State Department
of Public Welfare, led the discussion
and reported on the progress in the
state and was followed by valuable dis
cussion by superintendents. Other
afternoons were devoted to the discus
sion of the problems enumerated and
to the lectures on rehabilitation work.
Among the most important discussions
were those led by Mr. E. C. Carter,
Secretary of the Wel^re Commission
of North Carolina. Tuesday evening
a very valuable illustrated lecture was
contributed by Dr. H. W. Crane, while
Mrs. Bickett followed on Wednesday
evening with a discussion of child wel
fare in relation to the mothers ojf the
state. Wednesday morning Mr. Logan
and Mr Blackburn interpreted the prin
ciples of education,, promotion, publi
city, and public opinion in relation to
public welfare work and newspaper
work, followed by a discussion by super
intendents. Thursday morning was
devoted to a discussion of county homes
in North Carolina led by Mr. G. Croft
Williams of South Carolina. Friday
morning was devoted to a discussion of
. i,iic oi-dLc ueparLinents oi i uu a uiscussion oi
public service, the state institutions 1special features of public welfare
IraQt-rxrr.r-r -fl-iyv i in l—o Qrv.ifU -kt
of learning, the churches and voluntary
agencies of social service, and the
church and private institutions of learn
ing. The third point emphasized was
the need for the development and utili
zation of a stronger leadership includ
ing not only the raising of standards of
training in professional social work,
but the essential spirit of public service
and fai|h in the work.
Professor J. F. Gillin in his address
on Community and Democracy made an
effective appeal for the proper balance
between local government and central
ized direction, calling for fullest par
ticipation in public service by all citi
zens, by public service agencies and
voluntary groups. He interpreted wise
ly some of the important aspects of
community development and urged the
necessity for voluntary workers to util
ize fully public officials and for public
officials to call upon at all times those
who work in private and voluntary
agencies.
Special Problems
Previous to the formal opening Mon
day evening was devoted, to a prelimi
nary outline of special problems by the
superintendents. The following list of
subject was submitted' and some time
during the conference were discussed:
General Relief
! 1-
I a. Administration of outdoor relief
I b. Raising funds for general relief
and for other purposes
e. Mothers’ i^id
2. Relation of Public and Private So
cial Agencies
a. Division of labor
b. Social Workers’ exchange
c. Budgets
3. Child Labor Laws
a. Regulation of farm labor during
school hours
b. Age certificates
4. Juvenile Courts and Probation
a. Juvenile Court Records
b. Detention Homes
c. Truancy
d. Juvenile Court costs
e. Relation of county superintendent
to juveniles in a military camp
f. Non-support
g. The colored delinquent
h. Vagrancy
6. Child Placing, temporary and per
manent
a. Procedure of. adoption through
1. The Children’s Home Society
2. The Judge of the Juvenile Court
3. Judge of the Recorder’s Court
b. Parental surrender
c. Mixed parentage
6. Raising the age of consent
7. The unmarried mother
8. Aid for prisoners ,
9. Parole
10. Mental Hygiene work in the coun
ties
11. Workmen's com)»ensation
12. Appointment of superintendents of
public welfare
13. Reporting to Grand Jury of county
superintendents of public welfare
14. Records and record keeping
Round Tables
in Georgia, South Carolina, and North
Carolina led by the commissioners from
these states. Monday was devoted
largely to a discussion of the raising of
standards and training for social work
through the certification of superintend
ents of public welfare, followed in the
evening by a lecture by Dr. Hastings
H. Hart. Tuesday was devoted to ju
venile delinquency and discussions of
abnormal individuals with discussions
led by Dr. Hart, Dr. McNairy, Dr.
Crane, Dr. Anderson, and Dr. Newbold
anH heads of North Carolina institu
tions. Wednesday was devoted to dis
cussions of general child welfare and
child-helping institutions with discuss
ions led by Dr. Hart, Miss Abbott, Mr,
C. 0. Baird, and heads of North Caro
lina institutions. Thursday was de
voted to Prison Conditions and legisla
tion with an address by Dr. Hart, Pres
ident of the American Prison Associa
tion, and report by Dr. J. F. Steiner,
Chairman of the Committee of One
Hundred, and discussions by heads of
various institutions In this state.
Human Adequacy
The original program of the Insti
tutes set forth as a sort of general
motto and purpose “the promotion of
human adequacy and of making democ
racy effective in the unequal places.”
The ,varied discussions indicate the
problems involved, and the wide range
of difficulty and effort.
All the visiting speakers and special
ists emphasized the fact that other
states were watching North Carolina
and expressed gratification at the pa
tient and careful way in which the
North Carolina State Department of
Public Welfare is developing its work.
It was admitted everywhere that the
county-unit system is the essential sys
tem if the work can be carried on "suc
cessfully through trained workers and
community organization which does
justice to local initiative. This they
seem to admit is found in the North
Carolina system. The superintendents
left with the plan in mind that each
county and each worker might well set
for the next year’s program a three
fold objective: the first provides for
more knowledge and better equipment
and growth on the part of each super
intendent; the second provides for a
little more comprehensive and more ef
fective application of knowledge and
theory to practical problems than has
yet been made; the third challenges
each individual and each county to go a
little further in pioneering and initia
tive than heretofore.
A WOMAN’S PROGRAM
Let the men see that we desire a
better, safer, and cleaner world for our
children and their children. We realize
that only by doing our bit, by facing
unclean things with cleanliness, by fac
ing wrongs with right, by going fearless
ly into all things that may be disagree
able, we will somehow make it a little
better world.
If we want this new world, we can
only get it by striving for it. The real
struggle will be within ourselves.
Will uc wiLiuii ourselves, to
The afternoons were devoted to the j put out of our consciousness, out of our
discussion of these subjects. ! hearts and thoughts all that makes for
The first and second afternoons were war, hate, envy, greed, pride, force
devoted largely to the discussion of and material ambition.—Lady Astor.