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.
AUGUST 18, 1926
CHAPEL HILL, N C.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
VOL. XII, NO. 40
Editorial Hoard* E.
C. Branson. S. H. Hobbs. Jr.. L. R. Wilson. E. W. KniRht. D. D. Carroll. J. B. Bullitt, H. W. Odum.
Entei-ed as second-class matter November 14. 1914. at the Postoffice at Chapel Hill. N. C.. under the act of August 24. 1918
STVmmQ THE CHAIN-GANG
This study is one phase of a state
wide investigation of crime now in
progress under the direction of the
Institute for Research in Social Science
at the University. It deals with 1,500
county road gang prisoners in the stats.
Other phases of this study based on
Superior court mdictments have already
been presented through theNewsLetter.
This study of our chain-gang population
is centered around the question of the
education of the prisoners in this group.
It narrowed itself, so far as this point
is concerned, to a test of the ability of
the prisoners to read. For this purpose
the Detroit Word Recognition Test and
the Thorndike Test of Word Knowl
edge were used. The tests were given
to the men in groups, usually gathered
about the mass-hall table. At the
floater, having recently come into the
state, or moving.about frequently within
the state. Sixty-three percent of the
total—66 percent of the white and 65
percent of the negro prisoners—live in
cities; 9 percent of each race live in
small towns; and 28 percent of the
whole number—36 percent of the
whites and 26 percent of the negroes-
live in the country. Seventy-four white
prisoners, 16 percent, and 169 negro
prisoners,16 percent, are non-residents,
or floaters. Seventy-one percent of
our population are rural, butonly 28 per
cent of the chain-gang population ,;iive
in the country.
Church Membership
This item, as most of the others, was
obtained from the prisoner. An
attempt was made to make the infor-
(mation as reliable as possible under
LANDLESSNESS AND CEIME
The ownership of land tethers a
man to law and order better than
all the laws of the statute books. It
breeds in him a sense of personal
worth and family pride. It identi
fies him with the community he
lives in and gives him a proprietary
interest in the church, the school,
and other organizations and enter
prises of his home town or home
community. It enables him to hold
his family together, makes him a
better father, a better neighbor,
and a better citizen, mainly because
it makes him a stable, responsible
member of society. Landless men,
white or black, in town or country
areas, tend to be restless, roving and
irresponsible; and the restless, rov
ing, irresponsible multitudes of
America are a fundamental menace
to society. —E. C. Branson.
time certain other information i these conditions. When the prisoner
said that he was i
was obtained. Tnis includes age, occu^
pation, marital status, residence, I he was asked to name not only the
church membership, offense, and length | denomination, but the individual church
of sentence. The last two items could | to which he belonged. He must give a
usually be obtained from official j definite and prompt answer. Thirty-
records. The others, in most cases, it | eight percent of the whole number are
was necessary to obtain from che I members of the church. This includes
prisoner. In two counties were found | 27 percent of the white prisoners and
records of age, and address, and in one 43 percent of the negro prisoners,
of marital relation- | Forty-five percent of the whole popu-
Tbe following county prison camps; lation of the state ten years of age
and above are church members. The
percentage for males alone is some-
vrere visited and studied: Alamance, An
son, Buncombe, Chatham, Davidson,
Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Guilford,
Johnston, Lenoir, Mecklenburg, New
Hanover, Orange, Pitt, Robeson,
Vance, Wake, Wilson, and the Rocky
Mount Road District. Included in
these comps also were some prisoners
sentenced from the courts of Alleghany,
Ashe, Catawba, Cherokee, Graham,
Haywood, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison,
Pender, Person, Surry, Swain, and
Wilkes counties.
Age of Prisoners
The prisoners range in age from 14
to 70 years. Two hundred eighty-six
or nineteen percent of the total number
are under 21 years old. This group in
cludes 20 percent of the white prisoners
and 18 percent of the negroes. Six of
these boys—five negroes and one white-
are under sixteen. A second group
comprising 16 percent of the whites and
16 percent of the negroes are 21 to 22
years old. And a third group including
25 percent of each race are between
the ages of 23 and 27 years. Thus 60
percent of the white prisoners and 59
percent of the negro prisoners are 27
years of age or younger.
Occupation
Of the 469 white men, 143 or 31 per
cent classified themselves as belonging
to some skilled trade; 123 or 26 percent
are farmers; 67 oy 12 percent textile
workers; 20 or about 4 percent workers
in other factories, largely furniture;
^ ^ , has tended to obscure the changes in the
member of the church, ^ American agriculture, to
I divert public attention from its prob
lems, and to make their importance less
clearly and generally understood. It is,
however, vital to the economic pros
perity, social advancement, political
unity and national security of the country
that all groups give full consideration to
the position and problems of our agricul
ture in order to ascertain whether, in
what respects and why our agriculture
may have failed to keep pace with the
rest of our economic development, and
in order to establish a sound basis for
that which comes to them unbidden
and unsought. They build without
I thought of present or future. If their
i streets are straight and broad it is only
because they justhappen to be so. I f their
i commercial, industrial and residential
i sections do not encroach upon one
i another it does not indicate that it is
{because forces have been working to
I prevent such encroachment. If towns
I of this type grow and prosper it is
'because they enjoy some peculiar na-
I tural advantage which forbids com-
j munity stagnancy.
^ And then there is another type of
1 town. They have both direction and
i destination. They seek out and bid to
! come that which they otherwise would
not be given the privilege of accepting.
They build like the engineer, giving
thought to the unity of the whole and
the relationship of the component parts.
Their streets are purposely straight
and broad. They preserve well defined
boundaries between the residential,
commercial and industrial districts.
Even without the advantage of natural
opportunities towns of this type grow
and prosper.
Thus it behooves every town to
make the best of whatit has and then
to discover more that it may make the
best of that also. Established co
munities are deprived of the privilege
of determining their ownbeginings but
they are the masters of their own
destinies.—From the Madison Wiscon
sin Journal, in Charlotte Observer.
what lower.
Olfenses
The offenses for which men are
sentenced to the roads in North Carolina
range from failure to pay auto hire to
murder. Larceny is the most common
offense for which negroes are sent to
the roads. Of the 1,052 negroes included
in this study, 328 or 31 percent were
sentenced for this offense. Then fol
lows violation of prohibition laws—
manufacturing, selling, transporting,
and possessing liquor—248 cases or 24
percent of the total; affrays and as
saults, 142 cases or 14 percent of the
whole, etc. Among the white prisoners
violation of the prohibition laws leads.
Of the 469 white prisoners 160 or 43
percent are serving time for the viola
tion of the prohibition laws; 118 or 25
percent were convicted of larceny; and
49 or 10 percent of affray and assault.
Sentences
Sentences range from 15 days for
being drunk and disorderly to 10 years.
The ten-year sentences, whose number
is small, occur only in cases of prison
ers charged with two or more offenses
or technical offenses. The largest single
group-38 percent—are serving from
one to two years. Nine percent are
serving sentences shorter than three j
remain eighteen states whose registra
tion of births is so incomplete as to
exclude them from the birth registra
tion area. Of the thirty states in this
country within the registration area,
one child in every thirteen born dies
during its first year. If the same ratio
applies to the states whose birth reg
istration is incomplete we have a total
loss of 190,000 American children a
year.
That is startling, but it is a long
way from the day when parents were
considered fortunate if they were able
to bring up two out of every three of
of their children.
Still, it leaves us behind five other
nations, including New Zealand, the
best off of all countries which keep
books on their greatest asset. New
Zealand loses only one in twenty of
its children during the first year.
But there are things almost as bad
as death. There are children unfitted
or not half-fitted for life. And there
are hordes of them just enough handi
capped physically or mentally to be
drawn into the ranks of those who may
labor long but receive little happiness
or substance.
Studies made in many communities
indicate that millions of Americanschooi
children suffer from malnutrition or
physical defects, most of which can be
prevented and many of which can be
corrected.
They range from 75 percent with
dental defects, to one-half of one per
cent with organic heart trouble. In
between come those with tuberculosis,
defects of vision, etc.
Then as to mothers;
According to the United States
Census Bureau, 17,800 women in the
United States of America died from
conditions caused by childbirth in 1919.
In 1920 the rate rose to eight per 1,000.
In Italy, crowded as she is, only five
mothers die per 1,000.
Sixteen nations have a lower death
rate for mothers in childbirth than we
have.—California Health Bulletin.
CONSERVING HEALTH
One newspaper is quoted as stating
. . , that the most important happening in
co-operation and mutual adjustment in 1 country last year was the birth of
restoring thatindustry toitsproperrole|2^000,000 children.
in our national economic life. How many of them lived? This is
Agriculture is a determining factor j not known accurately, because there
in our economic welfare. It normally | - " ' 'I'ri.-rT-— . .■■■ r ---i
exerts a purchasing power for nearly EXPENDITURE FOR TEACHING AND SUPERVISION
ten billion dollars’ worth of goods and Enrolled in Rural Schools, 1924-25
services of Other groups annually. - 1
It purchases annually about a tenth ^ in the following table, based on information released by the State Superin-
of the value of the products of our ; tendent of Public Instruction, the counties are ranked according to the amount
manfacturing industries. i spent on teaching and supervision per child enrolled in rural schools in 1924-25.
It supplies materials upon which : jsjew Hanover leads, the average amount spent on teaching and supervision
depend industries giving employment j ppj. child enrolled in rural schools being $35.85. Scotland ranks last with only
to nearly half of our industrial workers, i $12.10 or about one-third as much per child.
It pays indirectly about two and a j The average expenditure on teaching and supervision per child enrolled in
half billions in wages of urban workers. ; city schools was $33.07. The average per rural child was $17.98.
It supplies about an eighth of the j xhe rank of the counties in current expenditures on teaching and super
total tonnage of freight carried by our
railroads.
Its products constitute nearly half of
the value of our exports.
It pays in taxes one-fifth of the total
cost of government.
The capital invested in it in 1919
more than equalled that invested in
our manufacturing industries, mines
and railroads combined.
It represents about a fifth of our
national wealth, and normally contri
butes about a sixth'of the national in
come.
the
vision per child enrolled is largely the result of (1) length of school terra, (2)
quality, and thus cost, of teachers, and (3) the white-negro school population
ratio. The length of the school term and superior quality of teachers mainly
explain why the average city child has nearly twice as much spent on him for
instruction as the rural child.
Department of Rural Social-Economics, University of North Carolina
- - w • 1 J I Since it supplies not only the food 1
months. This group by races includes j industrial workers, but about a ;
7 percent of the whites and 10 percent | materials of our industries I
iiei . negroes. Six percent of 1 ^ j^arket for a large part of their |
69 or ID percent unskilled laborers; and | whites and 11 percent o£ the "egroes | it forms the basis of our in-
the remaining 67 scattered among a j are in for three years or more^ ne ; 11 Poll; . 23.86
large number of occupations. Of the to tw ^
about thirty percent of our total popu-, 21.78
1,062 negroes, 496 or 47 percent are un
skilled laborers; 230 or 22 percent
farmers; 86 or 8 percent factory
workers, mostly in tobacco factories;
117 or 11 percent skilled or semi-skilled
trades—mechanics, plasterers, etc.; 76
or about 7 percent domestic service;
and the remaining 49 in various occu
pations. It is probable that the number
in skilled trades of both races is too
large. The prisoner in classifying him
self doubtless gave himself the best
rating possible. Having in many
cases worked at many jobs, he probably
chose to have recorded as his vocation
the one that in his opinion gave him
the highest social standing. In this
respect, however, these figures do not
differ from those recorded in the United
States census.
Marital Status
Forty-seven percent of the total
chain-gang population are single. By
races this number includes 44 percent
of the whites and 49 percent of the
negroes. Eleven percent of the whites
and 10 percent of the negroes are
separated or divorced. Three percent
of the total are widowed. The un
married group seems to be excessively
large.
Residence
Under this head the study attempted
to ascertain two things; whether the
prisoner lives in a city (meaning
this study a city or town of 2,600 in
habitants or nwreU Ib a small town, or
in the country; and whether he is a
Rank County Expenditure per
child enrolled
1 New Hanover $35.86
2 Durham 31.53
3 Currituck 28.68
4 Buncombe 28.08
6 Transylvania 26.48
6 Dare 25.76
7 Gaston •• 25.46
8 Craven 26.28
9 Pamlico 25.07
10 Guilford 24.66
sentences for both races for all tne.
more common offenses.
Educational Status
Twenty-nine percent of the whole
number—16 percent of the white pris
oners and 34 percent of. the negro pris
oners—are totally illiterate. Seventy-
four percent of the whole number are
unable to read a newspaper. This in
cludes 52 percent of the whites and 83
percent ofthe negroes. Twelve prisoners
out of the fifteen hundred have ac
quired a knowledge of the English
language equal to that of a high school
student or above, and five equal to
that of a college graduate. Three of
this educated group are negroes, one of
whom has reached the first year of the
high school and two the second year.
Of the group of illiterates and near
illiterates who cannot read a newspaper,
268 are boys of 14 to 20 years of age,
boys still within the public-school age.
Forty-five of these are white boys and
223 negro boys. This is practically
one out of every ten white prisoners
and one of every five negro prisoners.
The outstanding facts seem to be (1)
that the bulk of the chain-gang pris
oners are relatively young; (2) that a
large percent are unmarried; and (3)
that the general level of education is
very low.—Roy M, Brown.
AGRICULTURE IMPORTANT
The rapid industrial, commercial and
financial development of the United
States during tbe past quarter century
lation and constitutes a reservoir from' g! 68
which must be drawn a large part of | ^ 21.46
our future citizens, the standards ^ ^ oi 16
living and the social welfare of this
group cannot but have an important
effect upon the racial quality of our
people.
Moreover, the political attitudes of
this group must have .in the future, as
they have had in the past, a determin
ing influence upon the character and
development of our political institu
tions. These attitudes are inevitably
affected by the economic and social
condition of the agricultural com
munity.
When, finally, it is realized that the
strength of our agriculture may have
a vital bearing on our national se
curity in the future, it becomes clear
that the position of agriculture in
volves a far-reaching question of na
tional policy, rather than a problem of
immediate, temporary or special ad
justment. It requires the creation of
a sound, consistent, far-sighted pro
gram of economic development, em
bracing and justly balancing all interests
in the light of considerations of national
security, economic prosperity,
welfare and political unity.-
Industrial Conference Board.
social
National
TOWN GROWTH
17 Alamance 20.90
j 18 Vance 20.87
j 19 Mecklenburg 20.86.
20 Rockingham 20.86
21 Moore 20.80
22 Alexander 20.47
23 Swain 20.36
24 McDowell 20.31
26 Hyde 20.24
26 Rowan 20.17
27 Pender 20.09
28 Forsyth 19.91
29 Avery 19.60
30 Caldwell 19.41
31 Wilson 19.29
32 Graham 19.07
33 Northampton 18.90
34 Washington 18.89
35 Davie 18.80
36 Wake 18.77
37 Granville 18.39
38 Clay 18-37
39 Davidson 18.30
40 Cumberland 18.21
41 Bladen 18.14
42 Orange 18.10
43 Columbus 18.03
44 Lincoln 17.74
44 Pasquotank 17.74
46 Chatham 17.61
47 Wayne 17.68
I. 1 48 Macon 17.66
i 40 "Rpanfort 17.61
Some towns, likeTopsy, just grow up.
They concern themselves with neither 49 Beaufort
direction nor destination. They accept | 60 Onslow 17.'44
Rank County Expenditure per
child enrolled
61 Martin $17.37
62 Rutherford 17.32
53 Tyrrell 17.30
64 Iredell 17.15
56 Chowan 16.97
i 56 Camden 16.87
I 66 Haywood 16.87
i 58 Harnett 16.81
i 59 Nash 16.69
i 60 Burke 16.64
I 61 Cabarrus 16.30
i 62 Brunswick 16.21
i 63 Stanly 16.07
' 64 Mitchell 15.97
66 Gates 15.91
66 Wilkes 16.88
67 Stokes 16.86
68 Randolph 16.80
69 Yadkin 16.78
70 Person 15.70
I 71 Yancey 16.60
72 Sampson 16.56
73 Ashe 16.43
73 Johnston 16.43
76 Lee 16.40
76 Jones 16.38
77 Pitt ’ 16.25
78 Union 16.24
79 Bertie 16.16
79 Cleveland 16.16
81 Hertford 15.03
82 Watauga 14.97
88 Alleghany 14.96
84 Madison 14.92
85 Warren 14.86
86 Greene 14.76
87 Franklin 14.39
88 Richmond 14.37
89 Cherokee 14.33
90 Edgecombe 14.30
91 Surry 14.26
92 Anson 14.21
93 Robeson 14.13
94 Hoke 14.12
96 Lenoir 14! 00
96 Perquimans 13.95
97 Duplin 13 66
98 Halifax 13.66
j 99 Caswell 12.78
' 100 Scotland 12.10