The news in this pubti*
cation is reieased for the
press on receipt.
the university of north carouna
NEWS LETTER
Published Weekly by
University of North Caro
lina for the University Ex
tension Division.
SEPTEMBER 17, 1924
CHAPEL HILL, N. C.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
VOL. X, NO. 44
Editorial Board. B. O. Brannon. 3. H. Hobba. Jr.. L. B. Wllaon. B. W. Enlsht. D. D. Carroll. J. B.Bnllltt. H. W. Odnm.
Ehttered as B«eond-elMi mattar Narambar 111914. at tha Pastaffiee at Chapa! HI!!. N. C.. ander tha act #f Aosnat U. 1912
STATE COLLEGE SUPPORT
The state expenditure on state-sup
ported college culture in 1921-22, the
latest year for which we have compar
able data, was 66 cents per white in
habitant. This is what it cost North
Carolina to support her State Univer
sity, the State College of Agriculture
and Engineering, and the State College
for Women, the three state-supported
institutions of college grade.
The table which appears elsewhere
shows how the states of the Union
rank in support of college culture on a
per white inhabitant basis. Were our
negro population included our average
cost, and that of all the southern states,
would be much lower.
Twenty-six states in the United
States, and five states in the South,
made a better showing than North Ca
rolina. The five southern states that
spent more money than North Carolina
per white inhabitant on state-supported
colleges are: South Carolina $1.06,
Oklahoma 96 cents, Mississippi 73 cents,
Texas 66 cents, and West Virginia 66
cents, against 66 cents in North Caro
lina. Nevada led all the states of the
Union with $2.60 per white inhabitant,
or nearly five times the average for
North Carolina.
The rank of a good many states is
greatly affected by the presence of
great privately endowed and supported
colleges and universities. Brown,
Princeton, Harvard, Yale, the Univer
sity of Pennsylvania, Columbia, and so
on, receive no state support. Such
states often have excellent college
facilities with a minimum cost to the
taxpayers. For the most part such
fortunate states are confined to the
North and East. College culture in
the West and South is mainly state-
supported.
Our Rapid! Rise
There is great comfort in the fact
that North Carolina has been moving
up rapidly within recent years. In
1920-21 we ranked 36th with an average
expenditure of 32 cents per white in
habitant. The 1921 Legislature started
the state on a program of expansion
and in 1921-22 thelstate support of col
lege culture jumped to 66 cents per
white inhabitant, and our rank to 27th
among the states. The 1923 Legisla
ture continued the expansion program
and in 1923-24 the state support of col
lege culture rose to^73 cents per white
inhabitant. Perhaps we have run
ahead of a state or two since 1922. It
is comforting to recite our rapid rise
during the last four years, but it is im
portant to keep in mind the fact that
we are still trailing behind twenty-six
states and that our present expenditure
is just about the average for all the
states. However, we do not compare
as favorably in college facilities due to
the absence of great privately sup
ported universities such as are found
in the North and East.
When the other southern states
were crying bankruptcy, North Caro
lina had the courage to double the sup
port of her common schools, benevo
lent institutions, and colleges of liberal
learning and technical training. Due
to the courage of an awakened people
North Carolina in one year stepped
ahead of five southern s-tates in the
support of her state colleges. While
North Carolina was doubling the sup
port of her state colleges, nine south
ern states. South Carolina, Mississippi,
Virginia, Louisana, Arkansas, Ala
bama, Kentucky, Maryland, and Ten
nessee, reduced their support. The
universal opinion throughout the South
and the Nation is that North Carolina
acted wisely and that the other south
ern states will be years regaining the
ground they have lost through inaction
and retrenchment.
The North Carolina Way
North Carolina is unique in the South
in the manner in which she supports
all state governmental activities, in
cluding her state colleges. Not one
cent of taxes levied on general prop
erty finds its way into any state col-
^ge. The entire support of the state
government, its departments, institu
tions, and enterprises, rests on the
shoulders of well-to-do people who are
subject to the payment of income
taxes, upon the rich who die with tax
able estates, upon taxes on franchises,
capital stock, incomes of corporations,
upon licenses, permits and the like. It
is a wise system, wise for North Caro
lina, but not wise for other states
lacking in sufficient similar income tax
sources.
College culture costs 66 cents per
white inhabitant in North Carolina.
That is the average, but there are
more than two million people in the
state who do not pay a cent to support
state colleges, or the state institutions
of benevolence, or any part of the state
government, aside from the state
highway system, which is supported by
owners of motor cars. Every penny
levied on property goes to support local
government, and is spent within the
county in which the tax is levied. It is
a new plan of taxation in the South
that North Carolina has adopted, and it
goes far to explain our rapid rise in the
state support of college culture at a
time when nine other southern states
have been retrenching. North Caro
lina’s policy is one of benevolence
towards her unfortunates, liberality
in the support of public education.—
S. H. H., Jr.
THE COST OF MOTOR CARS
During the year ending June 30, 1924,
thirty-five million dollars in round num
bers was spent in North Carolina for !
gasoline, gas taxes, and state licenses, |
according to recent report of the State
Automobile Department.
How many millions more were spent
on oil, tires, equipment, repairs, and
garage bills, nobody knows.
Nor how many millions more mast be
added to cover interest on the invest
ment, depreciation and replacements,
garage rents and garages built.
The total investment in motor ve
hicles and privately owned garages in
North Carolina is right around 260
million dollars at present, which is
about equal to the total value of our
cotton and tobacco crops in 1923. It is
more than we have invested in public
highways, schools and churches of
every grade, type and variety—more
by fifty million dollars.
A people that can invest millions in
these ways and keep out of the hands
of the sheriff are a rich people—im
mensely rich!
Leaving out the items of interest,
depreciation and replacement, the up-1
keep of the motor vehicles of North ■
Carolina is at least 66 million dollars a
year, which is nearly exactly twice
the cost of oiar state government in
1922 counting everything—operating
expenses and outlay payments of every
sort.
We are spending nearly three times
as much to run our motor cars as we
are spending to run our public schools.
- The cost of operating our motor cars
last year was considerably more than
the total investment in all public school
property in the state.
We are now spending twice as much to
run our motor cars as we are spending
in building highways to run them over.
It costs 40 times as much to run our
motor cars as it does to run our state
colleges. The money spent for pur
chase and operation of motor cars last
year would run our state colleges, at
present costs, for nearly 80 years.
The money investment in motor cars
in two counties alone—Guilford and
Mecklenburg—would operate the entire
public-school system of North Carolina
for one year-elementary schools, high
schools, and colleges.
Our investment in motor cars is al
most exactly equal to our entire bonded
debt—state, county, city, and local—
for every purpose whatsoever.
The 60,634 motor cars purchased in
1923 cost about 60 million dollars. The
cost of operating our motor cars that
year was around 66 million dollars, or a
total expenditure of 106 million dollars
for new cars and to operate all cars.
This does not include depreciation, etc,
It is a stupendous sum and the bulk
of it was spent wisely and sanely. But
let us repeat again that a people who
can afford to spend such sums on
motor cars are a rich people, rich
enough to spend liberal sums on public
health, public welfare, better govern
ment, and public education.
SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDIES
Expanding and strengthening its
plans for research in the social
and industrial problems of North
Carolina and the South, the Univer
sity of North Carolina has organized
an institute for social science re
search, which was authorized by the
executive committee at its meeting
in Raleigh Monday.
The purpose of the institute is to
focus the resources of the social
science departments of the institu
tion in cooperative studies of prob
lems important for the social and
economic development of the state
and of the section.
The members (»f the university
faculty making up the board of the
institute are Professors E. C. Bran
son, head of the department of ru
ral social economics; D. D. Carroll,
dean of the school of commerce and
economics; Edwin Greenlaw, dean of
the graduate school; J. G. deR.
Hamilton, head of the department of
history and government; A. M. Jor
dan, professor of educational psy
chology; H. W. Odum, director of
the school of public welfare; L. R.
Wilson, librarian; and the president
of the university, ex-officio chairman
of the board.
Impressed by the ability of this
university group to carry on work of
far-reaching significance, the direc
tors of the Laura Spelman Rocke
feller memorial, of New York, have
made a grant to the institute of
$32,600 annually for a period of three
years. This fund is available for
the salaries of research assistants
to aid members of the faculty in car
rying out studies, for clerical assist
ance, library materials and publica
tions.
It is felt that out of such studies
continued over a period of years
there should come a body of knowl
edge of first importance to North
Carolina and to the South in the
period of rapid development and
transition through which it is now
passing. It is felt that through the
formation of the institute the uni
versity has taken a significant for
ward step in the strengthening of its
service to the state, and to the ac
cumulation of knowledge concerning
a wide range of important prob
lems.
While more definite plans will be
announced later, the institute is go
ing to begin immediately the study
of typical social and industrial prob
lems of government in North Caro
lina, with the view to gathering a
body of knowledge that will be
available for the guidance of leaders
and students.
In discussing the plans of the in
stitute one member of the board
said today: “Here for the first time
in the South and probably in the
country, a group of men interested
in the various angles of social and
industrial problems have got to
gether to pool their resources for
combined studies. It is felt that in
these respective fields the univer
sity unquestionably has a group of
men that cannot be matched in the
South.”
“A second point worthy of empha
sis is that the university is thus en
abled to carry on in greater meas
ure the big program of service to
the state inaugurated 10 years ago.
It is precisely in this period of rapid
social and industrial change that the
state needs such light and facts as
the institute expects to be able to
provide.”
be reckoned in money.
The testimony of the Western Elec
tric company is, “Only about 10 percent
of men without a college education
made good, while 90 percent with a
college education made good.”
Every day spent in school pays the
child $9.02. Here is the proof: Un
educated laborers earn on an average
of $600 a year for 40 years, a total of
$20,000.
High school graduates earn on an
average of $1,000 a year for 40 years,
a total of $40,000.
This education required twelve years
of school of 180 days each, a total of
2,160 days in school.
If 2,160 days at school add $20,000 to
the income for life, then each day at
school adds $9.02,
The child that stays out of school to
earn less than $9.00 a day is losing
money, not making money.—Salisbury
Post.
HUMANIIZING KNOWLEDGE
Let anyone review what he has
learned in life. He will find that his ef-
ective and living knowledge has come in
the most informal and seemingly casual
manner. It has crystalized about un
expected nuclei. Chance happenings
have aroused interest, and interest has
bred curiosity, and curiosity has be
gotten learning. Most of what passes
for learning is a kind of pitiful affec
tation. The student says, “I have had”
Latin or chemistry, or “I took” science
or literature. All is safely in the past
or the perfect tense, as if it were an
attack of pleurisy or a boil.—James
Harvey Robinson, in The Humanizing
of Knowledge.
NEGRO EDUCATION
Evidences abound that North Caro
lina’s progress in recent years is being
carried forward adequately in many
lines, making towards a well-balanced
civilization in both material and spirit
ual values and for all classes of our
citizenship. This is a feature of our
current history that we delight to
emphasize because its importance can
not be overestimated.
One way in which the state is
strengthening the weak places in its
development is interestingly exhibited
by The Survey in its issue of September
1. This carries a five-page article by
a distinguished authority, Dr. J. K
Hart, associate editor of The Survey,
who spent six weeks teaching in the
school of public welfare at the state
university last summer. The article
is entitled The Negro Builds for Him
self. It deals with the growth of the
Rosenwald schools in the South, and
contains numerous pictures and graphs
all of which are drawn from the state
of North Carolina because of the state’s
activity in this field. Dr. Hart says:
‘ ‘The state of North Carolina has been
a leader in Negro education, as in the
progressive education of the whites.
It has built more Rosenwald schools
than any other state. The state pro
gram for the education of the N^r^es
one of the most enlightened and
humane in the South. Its results .are
shown in the personal, social, civic, and
economic advances of the people.”
This very interesting article tells in
detail of particular instances of modern
schools for the Negroes that have been
built in Pender, Moore, Randolph,
Union, Robeson, Davie, Halifax, and
Warren counties, through the cooper
ation of the negroes, the whites, the
public school authorities, and the
Rosenwald fund. A notable addition to
this list might now be made in the new
Orange County Training School, a fine
brick building, rapidly nearing comple
tion at a cost of around $25,000 and to
be ready for use early in the fall.
These school centers are proving
wonderful sources of uplift in their
communities. In writing of them the
supervisor of Rosenwald buildings for
the state department of education says:
“These buildings become at once social
centers from which emanates good to
every home that sends a child. The re
sult is a better group of colored people;
and by the same token a better and
more tolerant white group. North
Carolina has frankly faced its problem
of educating all its citizens. This prob
lem is a distinctly human one and in
volves the peace and happiness of our
great commonnwealth.”—H. R. S.
TEN WORTHY PRINCIPLES
Marshall Field, greatest merchant in
point of accumulation of property in
the United States, if not in the world,
said there were ten things which he
kept constantly in mind: The value of
time; the success of perseverance; the
pleasure of working; the worth of
character; the dignity of simplicity; the
joy of originating; the improvement of
talent; the virtue of patience; the
wisdom of economy; and the power of
kindness.
STATE SUPPORT OF COLLEGE CULTURE
Per White Inhabitant in 1921-22
Based (1) on Statistics of State Universities and State Colleges, Bulletin
No. 49, 1923, of the Federal Education Bureau, and (2) on the Census estimate
of white population for 1922.
The figures for each state cover (1) the total of state funds used for current
expenses by the state university, the land grant college, and other state sup
ported schools of college grade, and (2) the white population alone, in order to
put the states on a fair basis of comparison.
In North Carolina the figures refer to the State College for Women, the
State College of Agriculture and Engineering, and the State University; and in
other states to similar state institutions of liberal learning and technical train
ing of college grade.
North Carolina spent fifty-five cents per white inhabitant for college culture
in 1021-22. Nevada ranks first with $2.60. Southern states ranking ahead of
North Carolina are South Carolina $1.06, Oklahoma $0.96, Mississippi $0.73,
Texas $0.66, and West Virginia $0.56. In 1923-24 in North Carolina the aver
age rose to 73 cents.
Department of Rural Social Economics, University of North Carolina
Rank States
Totals
Per White
Inhab.’
Rank States
Totals Per White
Inhab.
EDUCATION PAYS
A few facts with reference to the
value of an education in cold dollars
and cents are given in the following
clipping. Study these over and see if
an education is really worth anything
in plain money. While thinking over
these facts, remember that many of
the values of an education cannot be,
and never will be, measured in terms
of coin. The clipping follows:
Statistics show that a boy with a
college education stands a thousand
chances to succeed where the untrained
boy stands only one. Education pays in
dollars and cents, but it pays a thous
and times more in values that cannot
1
Nevada
$ 183,694
$2.60
25
Indiana
. 1,749,296
$0.60
2
Oregon
2,021,144
2.63
26
West Virginia..
. 796,000
.66
3
Nebraska
1,663,336
1.20
27
North Carolina...
1,029,370
.55
4
Minnesota
2,944,831
1.18
28
Illinois
. 3,266,563
'.60
6
Idaho
626,662
1.16
29
Florida..
. 319,646
.46
6
Iowa
2,816,977
1.16
29
New Mexico ...
. 166,976
.46
7
South Dakota....
714,100
1.13
31
Virginia
. 710,126
.42
8
Kansas
1,928,600
1.12
32
Ohio
. 2,397,720
.41
9
Arizona
366,091
1.10
33
Missouri
. 1,144,097
.35
9
Montana
634,632
1.10
34
Maine
. 221,904
.29
11
Utah
602,363
1.09
36
Georgia
. 499,660
.28
12
Colorado
1,009,316
1.06
36
Louisiana
. 286,227
.25
12
South Carolina..
. 891,793
1.06
37
Arkansas
310,689
.24
14
Michigan
3,930,469
1.03
37
Vermont
84,400
.24
16
Wisconsin
2,647,244
.98
39
Alabama
. 300,026
.20
16
North Dakota .
632,069
.96
39
Massachusetts.
. 772,765
.20
17
Oklahoma
. 1,806,361
.95
41
Kentucky ....
. 413,809
.19
18
Washington ...
. 1,294,687
.94
42
Maryland
219,098
.18
19
California
. 3,069,618
.87
43
Rhode Island..
90,948
.15
20
Wyoming
. 116,836
.77
44
Connecticut...
. 188,330
.13
21
Mississippi
. 622,620
.73
45
Tennessee ....
. 221,931
.12
22
Delaware
. 139,000
.70
46
New York....
. 973,494
.09
23
Texas
. 2,662,294
.66
46
Pennsylvania..
.. 788,873
.09
24
New Hampshire. 275,931
.62
48
New Jersey...
. 207,663
.06