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.
OCTOBER 6, 1926
CHAPEL HILL, N C.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
VOL. XII, NO. 47
Editorial Hoards fil. C, Branson. S. H. Hobbs. Jr.. L, R. Wilson. E. W. Kaiirht, D. D. Carroll, J. B. Bullitt. H. W. Odum.
Entered as second-class matter November 14, 1914. at the Postoffice at Chape! Hill, N. C.. under the act of August 24. 1911
STATE AID TO EDUCATION
STATE AID TO EDUCATION !
Tbe table which appears elsewhere |
shows how the states rank in state sup- i
port of, or aid to, or apportionment for i
education to the minor civil divisions j
*f the state. The table is based on
Financial Statistics of State Govern
ments for 1925, Federal Department
of Commerce, and tbe North Carolina
figures have been checked.
For the year ending June 30, 1926, our
state government apportioned $1,842,788
for education to the minor civil divi
sions. The per inhabitant apportion
ment was sixty-five cents, and North
Carolina ranks forty-first on this basis.
Wyoming’s state government appor
tioned an average of $8.98 per inhabi
tant. Iowa’s state government does
not contribute much financial aid to her
public schools, only 26 cents per in
habitant. Iowa is wealthy throughout
her borders and every county is prob
ably abundantly able to provide good
schools. The same is largely true of the
other states that rank below North
Carolina.
Where State Fund Goes
The bulk of our state support of
public schools is in the form of the
equalization fund which for the period
covered by the table amounted to a mil
lion and a quarter dollars. In addition to
the. equalization fund the state contrib
uted approximately six hundred thou
sand dollars to the following: the state
normal schools, teacher training,
establishment of standard highschools,
vocational education, rural libraries,
medical inspection, certification of
teachers, and other items. Thus a
part of the st^te apportionment, the
equalization fund, may be considered
direct aid. the remainder indirect aid.
The table shows that all of the
Southern states except Florida rank
ahead of North Carolina in state appor
tionment to public education, both on a
total and on a per inhabitant basis.
North Carolina’s policy, more so than
in any other state in the South except
Florida, appears to be that of local
provision of educational facilities. Our
state constitution guarantees equal
opportunities for ail children in the
state, but our state does less to equal
ize the opportunities than any other
state in the South save one, and less
than any other state of the Union save
seven.
Uneven Wealth
North Carolina is a state of uneven
wealth distribution. The richest county
averages two thousand dollars of tax-
ables per inhabitant; the poorest county
averages only four hundred and sixty-
five dollars per inhabitant. It would
be interesting to see ihe school dis
tricts of the strfie ranked from the
richest to the poorest, and in a large
measure our schools are financed on
the district plan. There are few, if
any, states in which wealth is as un
evenly distributed geographically as
in North Carolina. Some sections of
the stale are fairly rich. Other sec
tions are extremely poor. Twenty-
seven counties have less than seven
hundred dollars of taxable wealth per
‘ inhabitant. It is not a question of one
or two poor counties. The wealth de
creases gradually from the wealthiest
to the poore.st county.
The state recognizes this fact, and
provides an equalization fund of a
million and a quarter dollars (it is now
a million and a half), but everyone
recognizes that it is thoroughly inade
quate to the needs.
When our forefathers adopted our
- state constitution education was recog
nized to be a state concern. But
throughout the history of the state it
has been largely a local district and
county concern. The educational op
portunity of a child today depends
upon where he happens to be born or
raised.
In fact our educational system might
readily be characterized as one of
highly centralized administrative
thority and local financial support. The
state administers; the county or the
local district provides. We believe it is
a rather unique condition. Shall we
continue our educational system on
the basis of local wealth and willing
ness, or shall we put into practice the
accepted theory that education is the
state’s affair; and enforce the constitu
tional guarantee that every
North Carolina shall have i
chance at an education?
child in
n equal
COUNTY GOVERNMENT LAWS
All told, 8,274 public-local laws affect
ing county government io North Caro
lina were passed by the eight regular
and four extra sessions of the legisla
ture between 1911 and 1926. The count
covers sixty-five hundred and fifty-eight
county government laws passed, three
hundred and ten of them repealed,
fifteen re-enacted, and thirteen hundred
and ninety-one amended, usually at the
following session. An average of nearly
eighty-three laws per county passed,
repealed, re-enacted, apd amended in
the brief period of twelve years! This
average is greatly exceeded in certain
counties. For Robeson county, just to
cite one instance, one hundred and
forty-seven laws were passed, knocking
down, setting up, and amending various
details of local law during the period
named. Such are the amazing figures
turned in by Mr. Myron Green, one of our
county government re.search workers.
As a result, county commissioners and
other court house officers are innocently
unaware of the law under which they
are charged with conducting county
business. The county attorney, as a
rule, does not have a complete file of
the public-local laws, neither he nor
anybody else in the county. Hunting
down the law in some particular emer
gency of county affairs is a far bigger
job than hunting for a needle in a hay
stack. The changes in county govern
ment are very like the combinations of
a whirling kaleidoscope!
This endless tinkering with county
government laws makes it impossible
for county officials to keep up with the
changes. They therefore throw up their
hands in despair, and pursue tbe even
tenor -of their ways according to use,
wont and custom, quite regardless of
the law whatever it may chance to be.
As a result, county government in this
state is both headless and lawless.
Under the circumstances, there can-
LISTING TAXABLES j
The strong should bear the burdens '
of the weak, and the weak should ,
bear their own burdens. We believe i
that this is the principle upon which
our public schools should be financed.
The rich areas should contribute to
the support of schools-in the poor
areas, but only after the poor areas
have paid in proportion to their '
ability. The danger of large aid f
the schools out of the general fund
of the state treasury lies in the ten
dency of the poorer areas to shift the
burden onto the richer areas. This
tendency is seen in North Carolina
today, with our small equalization
fund. Under our present srystem of
listing property it would be fatal for
the state to attempt an equalization
program on a large scale. A pre
requisite to state support of educa
tion should be the uniform listing of
all taxable wealth in North Carolina.
Naturally this can be accomplished
only through adequate state ma
chinery. The strong should bear the
burdens of the weak, but not until
the weak have borne their own bur
dens. Not until all taxable wealth
is listed at its full market value in
money or at a uniform percent of its
true value will each bear his own
burden, and not until this is done
should the state much further ex
tend its equalization school fund.
and direction of county affairs as in
Indiana. As it is, we have county-
government legislation at the capital,
no end of it, but also no centralized
guidance, direction and supervision of
county affairs by either the state or
the county, or none that is effective.—
E. C. Branson.
devices. The county fair is a great
institution. Long may it live.—Dear
born Independent,
WHY BUREAUCRATS THRIVE
The war against centralization of
power iir- Federal bureaucracies has
been carried before the American Bar
Association. F. Dumont Smith of
Kansas, in a plea for a return to local
self-rule, declares the “old virile spirit”
has gone. He says:
“The American citizen is being
pauperized by government alms. If he
supports tbe government he asks the
government in return to suppi^t him.
If prices are too high, instead of doing
without, he wants the government to
lower them. If they are too low, he
wants the government to raise them.
He wants the government to build his
roads, educate his offspring, sanitate
him, physic him, bring his children
into the world, prescribe his dietary
and tell him what to believe in matters
of conscience.”
It is a stinging indictment, but it
stings because the tendency is to swap
individual liberty and the rights of the
states for a good, fat bonus or a juicy
bounty. If the citizen and his com
munity fail to do what must or should
be done, it will be done by the Federal
government. Consequently bureaus
multiply and the bureaucrats flourish.
As the Kansan says, enormous pow
ers have been centralized in Washing
ton. The war hastened this process,
but it was under way long before the
German war-machine started to roll
down across the Rhine. It will con
tinue so long as an organized minority is
able to enforce its will on a majority
and until there is a sharper realization
that while a citizen has undoubted
rights under his government, those
rights cannot cancel his duties. —New
York Evening Post.
among other things (1) dlothes the,
county commissioners with supreme '
legislative authority in all matters |
.purely local, provided, of course, they
HIGHWAYS AND EDUCATION
The influence which the use of the
motor car has exerted upon education
can not always be stated in statistical
terms. Studies made by the Bureau of
Education of the United States show
that in 1924 there were 19,666 motor
buses in use by rural schools and 470,-
iiOt possibly be in North Carolina, as in 000 children were transported daily to
other states, brief, simple manuals of | them by motor vehicles,
instruction for county officers, as for ' actual reports of 2,310 out of
instance in Texas, Oklahoma, and a j 3 3Q9 county superintendents in the
score of other commonwealths. 1 United States show that in this year
A State-Wide Law Needed ' were 1,424 new school consolida-
I tions, Improved roads make possible
We are wondering whether or not,i attendance at school, while the
there can be in North Carolina a state- j jjgg bus has been a large factor
wide county government law, which, elimination of the little red
scboolhouse, which, while a picturesque
element in our education system,
is far below the standard set by the
new cosolidated schools, with their elab-
do not violate ihe constitution and the Qj-^te equipment for physical ana
statute laws, (2) making the county j^gntal training of the child and better
commissioners the final fiscal agents of gj-ade of teachers. —Representative
the county in all matters touching tbe 3 g Kemp, Louisiana,
handling of county moneys, directing; —=-====
and supervising the tax list, requiring miTWTY K-ATB ’
of them annual county budgets and the IHL LUUN 1 l
apportioning of revenues to different, harvest moon, yellow as a new
county purposes, prescribing forms of , jjeavens. The
bookkeeping and reporting by the vari-1 shrouded majesty, light-
ous county offices, boards and commis-! .^g ^ canopy of clouds banked in the
sions, and (3) classifying the counties
according to wealth and population and
leaving to popular vote the form of
government any county in its class may
choose—(1) the present anomalous sys
tem in the lowest class, if the voters
wish it, or (2) the commissioner form
in .another class, as in Buncombe and
Jackson counties or (3) the county-
manager form as in Alamance, minus
the popular election of this officer.
I am only roughly outlining the rights,
west. A haunting mist softens the
lines of the high-board fence, the grand
stand and the judge’s stand at the race
track. The twin lights of hundreds of
automobiles are gently blurred .like
stars beneath a filmy cloud. The
evening breeze wafts the scent of new-
cut corn across the country. All is in
readiness for tomorrow’s county fair.
For weeks the children and their
parents have been looking forward to
the event. The women folk have, been
powers, privileges, and duties of county canning fruit and making pickles for
government as it might be if the voters ^^e exhibit. The men have fed and
locally so determine it under a state- groomed the colt, the calf and the
wide law. The legislature would still shorthorn. Tomorrow is tbe big day.
be necessarily and properly the final the households and in the fields
sovereign power. The point is to have ^nd barns careful preparations have
law that would shut out completely
or at least measurably this endless
tinkering with county government at
every session of the legislature. We
have a state-wide municipal law, why
not a state-wide county law?
It must be so or all the thinking and
work of our State Commission on County
Government is likely to be scrapped at
the very next session of the legislature.
At present, the county is not only the
creature but the victim of the legisla
ture. We must have a safe return to
local democracy, or the state in add-
tion to legislation must exercise control
TOWN-COUNTRY
North Carolina is primarily an agri
cultural state. When the farmers pros
per, all interests do, and when the
farmers have no money to spend, then
business is sorry in stores, factories,
and professional offices. If the rural
welfare is so essential to general pros
perity, it behooves the public to give a
maximum attention towards maintain
ing prosperity on the farm. The farmer
is essentially a spender, and the towns
are tbe places where he leaves his money
soon after he gets it.
For several years now, farming has
been a losing business. College gradu
ates are seldom going back to the
country, but are seeking town jobs.
There are good reasons for this. Think
ing young people want to enjoy certain
comforts, as well as to eke out an
existence.
That farming is the most independent
living one can choose, is often quoted.
Perhaps the words “haphazard,” “un-
remuneiative,” and “risky” of pro
fession would cover it better. That
there is real cause for concern is evi
dent from the bills for congressional
farm relief now pending. Satisfaetory
adjustments must arise locally, how
ever. What those measures are must
be determined by thinking men really
interested in their neighbors’ pros
perity.
For one thing, farmers should be
taught the advantages of cash and dis
counted payments, of budgeting their
expenses, and determining costs of pro
duction. Simple bookkeeping is just as
valuable in the farming business as it is
in any other industry. As yet, how
ever, a simple, inexpensive system has
not been available. The civic clubs of
the state can well afford to do some
constructive work in this direction.—
Durham Herald.
HE LIVED A FULL LIFE
One of tbe Jthree most learned lin
guists that ever lived, a citizen of
Worcester, Mass., named Elihu
Burritt. said:
“Knowledge cannot be stolen from us.
It cannot be bought or sold. We may
be poor, and the sheriff may come and
sell our furniture, or drive away our
cow, or take our pet lamb, and leave us
THE BEST LIGHTED COUNTY
That Cleveland County, N. C., is
“the best lighted county in America”
is the claim made for it by Max
Gardner. As he says in a message
just received by The Progressive Farm
er: “One of the biggest things ever
done for our county was the organiza
tion of rural community non-profit i homeless and penniless, but he cannot
corporations to supply electric power ’ lay the law’s hand upon the jewlry of
to our farmers. Today we have 800 t our minds. ”
farm homes supplied with electric' Or, it may be added, upon rifhes
power and Cleveland is the best lighted finiited only by our power to enjoy—
, . . . -.1 • , the vista of forest and mountain; the
county m America. We are rapidly m-: arch of
stalling running water, following elec-, dawn over the sparkling waters! Mr.
trie power. Nothing has approached Burritt knew fifty languages; Cardinal
the social contentment that has fol- Mezzofanti perhaps sixty. But Burritt
, , . • -x • T was more than a linguist; he was a ripe
lowed in the wake of electricity in rural scholar, a pioneer of peace- and a first-
Cleveland county.”—Progressive Farm- rate blacksmith. He made a good job
er. of his life.—Collier’s.
STATE-AID TO EDUCATION. 1925
In the following table, based on Financial Statistics of State Governments,
Federal Departmexnt of Commerce,' the states are ranked according to the per
inhabitant state government apportionment for education to the minor Civil
divisions, for the fiscal year ending 1926. The table covers public schools only,
and not higher education.
Wyoming is first with a state apportionment for education averaging $8.98
per inhabitant. The average for all the states is $2.22 per inhabitant.
North Carolina’s state government apportionment for education to minor
civil divisions was $1,842,788, or 66 cents per inhabitant, and our rank was forty-
first. The equalization fund of a million and a quarter dollars comprised the bulk
of the state-aid to public education.
S. H. Hobbs, Jr.
Department of Rural Social-Economics, University of North Carolina.
been made for the scheduled com
petitive events. Here, also, will be
a great open forum for the discus-
bion of the issues which interest the
farmer folk. The astute campaigner
for county office will be bustling about
with the proverbial box of cigars under
one arm, the other free to lift little
Johnny Jones and his sister to his knee
the while he praises them to their
parents. Properly done this means two
votes and maybe more. The displays
in the agricultural hall are properly
arranged, as well as the exhibits of
new machinery and other mechanical
State
Apport.
State-
Apport.
Rank State
apport.
per
Rank State
apport.
per
for educ.
inhab.
for educ.
inhab.
1 Wyoming
.$ 2,060,836.
....$8.98
26 Wisconsin
$4,869,683.
,...$1.71
2 Utah.
. 3,476,691.
.... 6.90
26 Indiana
5.066,716.
.... 1.63
3 Washington
. 8,602,918.
.... 6.63
27 Alabama
3,983,047.
.... 1.69
4 Nevada
388,916.
.... 6.23
28 Missouri
6,324,004.
... 1.53
6 Delaware
. 1,236,697.
.... 6.21
29 Georgia
4,716,423.
.... 1.52
6 California
. 20,776,402
4.81
30 Oklahoma
3,318,018.
.... 1.46
7 Texas
. 23,187,766.
.... 4.46
31 Tennessee
3,319,322.
.... 1.36
8 New Jersey
. 15,930.678.
4.43
32 Idaho
683,709.
.... 1.34
9 Arizona
. 1,789,921
4.19
33 Montana
818,216.
.. . 1.22
10 New York
. 41,368,746
3.70
34 West Virginia ...
1,915,399.
.... 1.17
11 Michigan
15,066,176
3.62
36 Vermont
408,318.
.... 1.16
12 Minnesota
. 9,038,647
3.46
36 Illinois
7,697,368
1.09
13 South Dakota...
. l,'?16,3B5.
.... 2.62
37 Colorado....^;
1,002,086
96
14 North Dakota...
. 1,670,678
2.46
37 Nebraska
1,310,06-2.
96
16 Maine .
. 1,862,025.
.... 2.35
39 Connecticut
1,337,974.
85
16 Pennsylvania ...
. 21,181,346
2.23
40 New Hampshire
346,932.
77
17 Virginia
. 5,630,066
2.22
41 North Carolina..
1,842,788
65
18 New Mexico....
838,866
2.18
42 Ohio
4,092,936
63
19 Maryland
. 3,212,772
2.06
42 Rhode Island ....
426,643
63
20 Mississippi
. 3,660,297
2.04
44 Massachusetts ..
2,178,062
57
2i Louisiana
. 3,808,419.
.... 2.00
45 Oxegon
414,693
48
22 Arkansas
. 3,731,923.
.... 1.98
46 Florida
566,774
45
23 Kentucky
. 4,758,24^
1.90
47 Kansas
646,044
36
24 South Carolina.
. 3,411,421.
1.89
48 T»wa
26