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 the University Ex
tension Division.
NOVEMBER 18. 1925,
CHAPEL HILL, N C.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
VOL. XII, NO. 3
Ktliloria! Boartl: E. C. Branson. S. il. Hobbs. Jr.. L. R. Wilson. E. W. KniKht. D. D. Carroll. .T. B. Bullitt. H, W. Odnm.
Entered as second-class matter November Id. 1914, at the Postoffice at Chapel Hill, N. C., iind^r the act of Anpust 24, 1912
FEBERATIMG LOCAL AGEMCIES
FOK CONMUSI ry WELFARE
A plan tor the organization of the
agencies and institutions of the rural
and urban community for the wehare
of the entire community was the theme
of a pap;T read by A. M. Moser, of
Buncombe county, and a graduate stu
dent in the University, to the North
Carolina Club at its regular meeting
last Monday night, November 2. It
was followed by one of the liveliest dis
cussions the club has witnessed this
year.
The diacussjon was over the part
which the negro population should play
in a scheme of community organization.
Mr. Moser claimed that the white and
negro races, while living side by side,
must nevertheless pursue separate
courses. U was agreed, however, that
it is possible-to have cooperation of the
two races through ihe representatives
of the negro agencies and institutions
in the commmaty, and that it would
not be necessary to associate on terms
of social equality. It was pointed out
that this was actually being done in
Chapel Hill, and many other places, in
connection with the school system,
health work, and along other lines.
A Plan Needed
Mr. Moser pointed out that one of the
greatest needs in North Carolina is the
working out of some plan whereby all
the forces of the community may be
united for common action and purpose.
This, he said, is necessary if community
life is to be made attractive andsatisfy-
ing.
In every community, he said, there
are numerous organizations and institu
tions. In many communities we find
such organizations as the following:
The various churches and church organ
izations, the Farmers’ Federation, the
Farmers’ Unionj Kiwanis Clubs, Rotary
Clubs, and other similar clubs, social
clubs, Parent-Teachers’ Association,
Chamber of Commerce, community
music and dramatic clubs, and so on.
Some communities have more of these
than others.
Isieifective Effort
There is doubtless no question but
that the objects of these various groups
are high and worthy, and they all prob
ably desire and strive in a feeble way
to do something for the progress and
betterment of the community, the
speaker said. But there soon arises
friction and conflict, petty jealousies,
and misunderstandings. So that in gen
eral there are two facts about all these
institutions: (1) No one of them is
doing more than a fraction of what it
ought to be doing to help solve com
munity problems; (2) all of» these insti
tutions and agencies as a rule are will
ing to adopt a method which will im
prove the situation if they can be con
vinced that ^ome plan will bring a
change for the better.
It is obvious that the thing to be
desired is cooperation toward a common
end. Cooperation of all these groups is
absolutely necessary, and any means
which will bring this about is of first
importance. It is here that organiza
tion plays its chief pavt. Machinery
must be put into operation which will
enable these various groups to work
together in the most effective manner
possible.
The Community Council
The speaker said that one solution of
the problem lay in the organization of
a community council. The first step is
for some local leader to call together
one representative from each organiza
tion or group along with a few repre
sentatives at large. Those chosen for
this council should consist of the leaders
in community life, and should represent
the various community interests. The
total number should not be larger than
necessary—just a small group.
These should come together and con
sider, first, the possibilities of organiz
ing such a council, and the benefits to
be derived from such an organization,
and second, whether the people of the
community as represented by the mem
bers present are willing to put in the
necessary time, money, and brains in
order to get results.
Ascertaining Needs
These representatives report back to
their respective organizations the re
sults of the first meeting, and perma
nent representatives are appointed.
These then meet a second time and per
fect the organization. At this time
committees are appointed and a survey
of the community is made to ascertain
the immediate and remote needs of the
community. When this survey has been
completed, another meeting is called
and this time the entire cf>mmunit> is
invited to be present. The findings of
these various committees are then pre
sented to this mass-meeting and an open
and frank discus.sion is had. Each prob
lem is discussed thoroughly, ard a vote
is taken to determine what the will of
the community is with regard to it.
Only those problems are selected to be
worked out which the people as a whole
favor.
The Program Adopted
The projects which are adopted at
this meeting become the community’s
working program. It usually comprises
some projects which can be carried out
at once, and others which will require a
period of years. The projects adopted
are turned over to the community
council, which acts as their custodian
and directs their carrying out.
These various problems are then dele
gated to the organizations which are
best fitted to carry out those particular
lines of activity. All problems are thus
assigned and worked out by these
organizations. As their representatives
come together in the council they either
choose or by general consent are asked
to become responsible for definite things.
They do this knowing that they will
have the .sympathy and support of the
other organizations, and that they will
be expected to produce results. If there
are problems which no one organization
can carry out, such as cooperative buy
ing and selling, it may be necessary to
organize a new group to do that work.
It was pointed out that this plan is
the result of several years’ experience
in Massachusetts, and in some of the
Western states, and on the whole it has
proved very successful, but that it
would have to be adapted to local, vary
ing conditions.
THE COTTON DOLLAR
^ A.year or more ago when the farm
price of cotton was considerably higher
than it is today an interesting research
by the United States Department of
Agriculture into the distribution of the
i consumer’s dollar paid for cotton sheet-
• ing presented some facts that should
: command the attention of the grower.
, The Department found that the 'con-
! Sumer’s dollar paid for cotton sheeting
; was distributed as follows:
[ Cents
i Cotton grower.'. 19.8
Exchange trader 3.1
Freight to mill 1.3
Cloth manufacturer 39.3
Jobber and retailer 36.6
It is observed that both the manu-
THE IDE.4L FARM
In the final analysis the ideal farm
—the truly successful farm—is the
one which yields to- the farmer and
his family a living—full, adequate,
complete—libera) in its material re_
wards, but not lacking in the social,
esthetic and etliical values which
make for character, contentni.ert
and genuine happiness.- The soil has
the capacity^ produce these returns
if the hand which turns it will sow”
the right seed in the right way, and
will properly nurture the plant. Tne
key which unlocks the wealth of the
fields and brings forth the treasures,
material and spiritual, is the intelli
gence of the farmer.—The Farmer
and His Farm, by App and Woodwari^
RURAL ELFXTRIC POWER
and
XII. EXPERIMENTAL LINES
From the foregoing .-irticles on the Dakota, Virginia, Washington,
uses of electric power on the farm and Wisconsin,
the amounts of current required, the these states experimental electric
I impression migh.t be gathered that there set up in country dis-
1. . , • 1 j • I ■ • 1 ; tricts. for the expressed purpose of
IS no prop em involved in bringing elec- - j - .. , , i ac ui
^ ^ studying the problem fn.m all its angles
I triHty to the farmer, that it is only a and at the .same time serving the
[matter of steady progress. This im-1 farmers at low cost. The lines are
: presaion is not correct. For there is a usually operated jointly by an electric
i serious problem; namely, how can elec- some state agency such
I tricity be brought to the rural dweller the^agncuUural college, the latter to
1 at a cost that he can afford?
I farm homes are
Since' experts for making the
city
; homes are congested it necessarily costs '
lines
The first of these experimental
was established at Red Wing,
steadily gone down and is now below
the actual cost of production. The
much more per customer to serve a ^ mnesota, in 1923. On the basis of
farm home than it does to serve a city investigations at Red Wing, the
home. In a city there may be 500 . committee made the follow-
families served by one mile of an elec-; statement,
trie.power line, while iti a couniry dis-, » PfaKe Its Use Pay
trict there may be only .five families i . .
•] n *1 4-u , solution IS obvious if it can' be
per mile. Consequently the power com- tt • - ue
iL attained. Having pa.a the hrst cost, if
American Country Life Association only ] Ponies tend to discourage the farmers farmer uses only a small quantity
last week spent several days discussing | froin trying to secure electric service, electric energy his cost per kilowatt
the general plight of the American ^ else they are forced to make ex.ra. high and perhaps he must
farmer. Prosperity appears to be one- charges which make the cost of elec- electricity as rather an expensive
The farmer’s net trioity seem prohibi-ive. in spite of:
sided, unbalanced
income is extremely small.
The Farmer Can Do It
And yet the farmers themselves are
largely to blame for the defenseless
position they occupy, for making no
effort to secure better protection at the
hands of their representatives in con
gress, and for the loose and unbusiness
like way in which their farming opera-
tion& are conducted.
Until the growers learn the modern
economic lesson of control of production
and better methods through cooperative
marketing and cooperative financing,
there will be but little progress or re
form along these lines. Knowledge is
power only when it is applied by those
to V7hoin it is given. Only when the
farmer, through cooperative effort, con
trols production, credits, and the market
ing of his products will he come into his
own. It is the farmer himself who
must make agriculture prosperous. At
least there is much he can do to help
himself, if only he will do it. Self-help
is about the only help the farmer is ever
likely to receive.
this tendency, however, there are some -u , .
r , . T • XT ♦u r' 1- ' ^ considerable quantjty of e ectric
successful rural lines in North Carolina i • , ^
, -n u A 14. -fu ■ 14- his kilowatt hour'^costs drop to
which will be dealt with m a later , . ^ ^
, , a very reasonable figure. There is no
article. i , ....
^ ^ ^ - ... I sense, however, in his using a large
Scientific Investigation I amount of energy just to earn a low
The problem is being attacked in a ; rate. The solution, therefore, lies in
scientific way by the national govern- j showing him how to use a considerable
ment and by 16 separate states in the [ amount of energy to his own advantage;
Union. A national committee on the . in other words to use his power in such
Relation of Electricity to Agriculture i a way as to makfe electricity pay on the
has been formed, composed of repre-, farm.”
sentatives from various electrical and ;• There are'two southern states which
agricultural organizations and three , these experimental rural lines for
government departments. The problem, the scientific study of the problem,
as the committee views it, is (a) ‘‘how They are Alabama and Virginia. In
service can be supplied to the farmer ! each case the Polytechnic Institute of
and what is involved in its establish-1 the state has a working agreement with
ment” and (b) “hOw service can be i the power company which has built the
utilized by the farmer so that it will be [ line. North Carolina as yet has neither
profitable to him. ” Similar committees an experimental line nor a committee
on the Relation of Electricity to Agri- ' on the Relation of Electricity to Agri
culture have been set up in 16 state?, : culture, yet North Carolina has more
including Alabama, California, Illinois, [rural electric power possibilities than
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Min-. any other state east of the Rocky
nesota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South ! Mountains.—A. T. Cutler.
REAL SERVICE TO THE STAIE
--- '-r= i A unique type of service is to be
A kj rrAMftiMir W&QT? I found in the Department of Rural Social
An tCUnwrill.. VviiioiC* l Economics in the State University at
"Eggs are selling on the market at j Chapel Hill, N, C. The students from
60 cents a dozen,” says the Eoxboro i Pjeh ““‘y organize a county club
X . .r J ^ V ;to further, the best interests of their
Courier, and yet there are hardly a | county. If enough interest is
dozen farmers in this county who have | manifested by the citizens throughout
as many as 50 hens. ” In another para- i the county a social and economic survey
graph in the same issue, the Courier i of the county is made by one of the
^ ^ .1 at.- I ablest students m the club, under the
says that the poor tobacco crop this | gaj-efQj supervision of the instructors in
year may yet prove a blessing, as there i the department. ^
are a number of farmers in Person I The survey sketches the historical de
county who have announced that next i forth its
. J 4.1- • 4: 4.U • wealth in natural resources, farm prod-
year they Will reduce the size of their | ^^ts, manufactures, etc., and the types
tobacco crops and devote more time | and rates of taxation. Schools, chuiches,
and acreage to wheat and other food I and living conditions in country and city
1 and feed crops. • ! ^re given careful attention One of the
[ . , . . . 'most helpful and stimulating features
North Carolina is becoming a rich , ranking of the county with the
facturer, and the jobber and the retailer, j jg progressing probably as ; other counties of the state on such
received nearly twice the amount of the j state in the Union, certainly points as hard roads, schools, illiteracy,
dollar that was paid to the grower. 1 ^hem. Bdt, this 1 rate, tax rates, wealth.
That was at a time when the price to ! anai?tc. The points on which the county
... , „ „ I state should nave more wealth »nd 1 g yrid the pros-
the grower was much higher tnan today, j make faster progress. The great-' pects for future progress shown,
and when the general impression was 1 jjjgj.gggj^g 1 q'jjg report is printed in a hundred-
that the price of raw cotton was high, j ^ condition as • page booklet (the expense being borne
' the Courier says exists in Person county. the town hall once
The people in this state make a lot of I tising), and gets into thousands of
homes in the county. It opens the eyes
Farmer’s Share too Small
Commenting on the above facts Cotton
News says, ^ “These are illuminating
figures in these days of boll weevil rav
ages and high cost of production on the
farm. It would seem that the pro
ducers of the primary wealth of the
nation should receive a larger share of
the consumer’s dollar. The sturdy
yeomen who are engaged in the titanic
fight each year against adverse seasons
and unprecedented insect depredations,
to the end that the civilized world may
be fittingly clothed, are entitled to a
larger measure of prosperity than they
have been receiving.
StriKing Contrasts
The position enjoyed by industries in
general today is in striking contrast to
that held by agriculture. On the one
hand we find railway and industrial
stocks selling at peak prices, and daily
advancing. Industrial dividends are
highly satisfactory to their owners.
Almost daily new records are established
by the stock exchange, both in aggre
gate sales and in the high average level
of prices paid for stocks.
On the other hand we find the prices
of farm products highly unsatisfactory.
Tobacco prices are low. Cotton has
money. Their farm crops and manu
factored products bring in returns ofloLthe citizens to the good and bad
r -1 1. T, . . points of their county. I hey are proud
many millions of dollars.- But enough ; ashamed of others,
of that money doesn’t stick. The peo- i it stimulates them to new efforts to fill
pie have to send it out to other states | the gaps. Altogether it is one of the
for food and feed stuffs. What is the I
use of making iiullions of dollars in to
bacco, cotton and manufactured goods
when it is sent out to other states to
buy food for man and beast?
Person county is not an exception to
the general run of counties in this state.
It is overlooking aii opportunity to
make and save large sums of money
every year by not giving more atten
tion to poultry, dairying and trucking.
Some time ago it was stated that
Durham county each year sent out
$6,000,000 for food and feed stuffs for
man and beast. That condition should
not exist. This county could almost
produce everything it needs in the way
of supplies for feeding people and the
livestock. More attention t6 raising
chickens, keeping good cows and grow
ing truck would save to 'this county
every year several millions of dollars
more than the value of the entire to
bacco crop. By feeding itself along
with the income of the industrial enter
prises and from such money-crops as
are now grown, this county could in a
few years multiply its wealth.—Durham
Herald.
service to be found
Blue Ridge Voice.
SIGNIFICANT CELEBRATIONS
This month brings two notable occa
sions in education. It is fifty years
since the University of.North Carolina
reopened its doors after the Civil "War.
When it reopened after the carpet bag
government left North Carolina, it was
as dilapidated and ill-nourished an edu
cational institution as ever began the
task of holding the lamp of knowledge
up to the sight of an unlettered and
poverty-stricken society. But it had a
sturdy inheritance and in fifty years it
has become one of the most successful
state universities in the country. Its
success is founded upon its own service
and upon an increasingly effective .state
school system. It is an important anni
versary. The reopening of the uni
versity is about as good a point to begin
the record of progress as could be found,
and in fifty years education in the South
has done much to make good the de
struction caused by slavery, the war,
of the new medical school at Vanderbilt
University. It also is a mark of the
South’s progress. This medical school
is not a “good medical school for the
South.” In building, in equipment, in
personnel, it is on a par ^th any medi
cal school in the country. It has not,
of course, the size, history, or distinc
tion of Johns Hopkins, Harvard, or the
College of Physicians and Surgeons in
New York, but its builoings are better
than those of these older institutions,
and its personnel is as distinguished as
could be gathered together by any new
institution.
These two celebrations are cheerful
signs of the return of the South toward
the level of the rest of the country in
education, after which all else will fol
low.—World’s Work.
TOWN PAYS HO TAXES
There is so much said and written
against municipal ownership of public
utilities that Elizabeth City folks in their
venture in the electric lignt, water, and
sewerage business wi|l be glad to learn
something of Ponca City, Okla.
Ponca City with a population of 15,000
is free from taxes. No board of tax
year to listen to -the lies of tax-payers
and no tax gatherer ever comes around.
Ponca City owns its light, water, and
power plants, and the profits on these
public utilities, owned and operated by
the city, pay all the rest of the ex
pense of running the city.
And water, light, and power rates in
Ponca City are lower than in other places
where citizens pay taxes and also enrich
the private owners of public utility
corporations.
Of course some one will say that Ponca
City, Okla., is a long way from Eliza
beth City, N. C. But one will find a
nearly parallel case at Warrenton, N.
C., a little town of 1,000 population,
where they have built streets, schools,
and a hotel largely out of profits from
their municipally owned public utilities.
The tax rate in Warrenton is only $1.00
and Warrenton always has a surplus in
the treasury.
The secret of the succes of municipal
ownership in Warrenton, Ponca City
and elsewhere lies in efficient and honest
management. In Warrenton the best
business men in the town give their
time freely as directors of th^e town’s
public utilities and are proud to serve
the town in that way and make just as
good a showing in the town’s business
as they make in their own. Elizabeth
City has just as good businessmen, with
just as much honesty and integrity as
one can find anywhere else. We’ve got
to learn how to Use our business sense.
and reconstruction.
The other celebration is the opening -Elizabeth City Independent.