The news in this publi
cation is released for the
press on receipt.
THE U.NIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
NEWS LETTER
Published Weekly by the
University of North Caro
lina for the University Ex
tension Division.
APRIL 13, 1927
CHAPEL HILL, N. C.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS '
VOL. XIII, No. 22
Editorial iloai-di E. C. Branson. S. H. Hobbs. Jr.. L. E. Wilson, E. W. Knight, D. D. ChitoH. J. B. Bullitt, II. W. Odum.
Entered as second-class matter November 14, 19H. at the I’ostofTice at Chapel Hill, N. C., under the act of Augu-st 24. 1912,
THE COUNTY FINANCE ACT
A comparion act to the county fiscal
control uet is the County Finance Act.
This measure is designed to prevent the
accumulation of an unwarranted in
debtedness and to otherwise safeguard
county cr'^dit. Three types of borrow
ing are permitted, namely, (a) notes in
anticipation of taxes, (b) notes in anti
cipation of long-term loans, and (c)
serial bonds.
A county may borrow for ordinary
expenses in anticipation of taxes up to
eighty percent of the amount of un-
cullecteu taxes and other unrealised
revenue for the current fiscal year,
provided such loan is repaid not later
than thirty days after the expiration of
such fiscal year. A county may borrow
fir the purpose of paying' the principal
or interest of bonds or notes due or to
become due within four months, and
not otherwise adequately provided for,
and such loan shall be payable not later
than the end of the next succeeding
fiscal year.
A county may borrow money in anti
cipation of the receipts of the proceeds
of the sale of bonds to an amount not
exceeding Uie maximum authorized
amount of the bond issue. Such loans
shall be paid not later than three years
after the time the order authorizing
the bonds takes effect. Notes matur
ing in less than six months may be
disposed of by public or private negotia
tions, after five days of public notice.
Notes maturing more than six months
from date of issue shall be sold in the
same manner as bonds, that is, upon
sealed proposals after the sale has been
advertised for at least ten days.
All bonds shall mature in annual
series: and a tax sufficient to pay the
principal and interest of the bonds
when due shall be annually levied and
collected. Bonds shall mature within
the life-time of the improvement for
which they are issued. The act estab
lishes what shall be considered the
maximum life of each type of building
and of each type of roads which may
be constructed. The present floating
indebtedness of any county may be
funded if such funding bonds are issued
before July 1,1927; otherwise such debts
must become an item in next year’s
budget. All funding bonds must
mature within fifteen years, and all
refunding bonds within twenty years,
and the first installment become paya
ble within two years.
Debt Limitations
After the introduction, and at least
ten days before the final passage of an
order for the issuance of bonds for
school purposes, a sworn statement
shall be prepared by a person desig
nated for the purpose, showing the
existing school debt and what percent
age of the assessed valuation it con
stitutes. The total school debt of the
county shall not exceed five percent of
the assessed valuation of such county;
provided, however, that if the net school
debt at the time this act is ratified be
in excess of four-fifths of the limita
tion mentioned above, the net debt may
be increased as much as two percent of
assessed valuation: Provided further,
that if any county shall assume all
outstanding indebtedness for school
purposes of every subdivision the limit
of the net debt of such county for
school purposes shall be eight percent.
For all other than school purposes there
is also established a five percent limita
tion, with the provision that an exist
ing debt in excess of four percent may
be increased as much as two percent.
These limitations do not apply when
funding or refunding bonds are con
templated, for such bonds do not add to
the net debt. They merely substitute
one form of obligation for another.
Bonds issued for other than necessary
purposes must be submitted to a vote
of the people by virtue of a clause to
that effect in the constitution. Bonds
issued for necessary purposes do not
have to be sanctioned by popular vote
unless in particular instances the
legislature so enacts. Bonds issued for
necessary purpose under the provision
of this act must be submitted to the
voters only when a petition to that
effect, signed by fifteen percent of the
voters, is filed within thirty days after
the first publication of the order. If a;
majority of the votes cast in the elec-!
tion are opposed to the bond issue the
order must be repiealed. No referendum
is necessary in order to issue funding
or refunding bonds.
The act also contains a detailed ac
count of the procedure to be followed
in floating bond issues, safeguards
against the misappropriation of the
proceeds, and many other points. ~
Paul W. Wager.
LAWLESSNESS DISCUSSED
The Trend Toward Lawlessness was
the subject under discussion at the
last meeting of the North Carolina
Club. Mr. J. F. Ashby, a student from
Mount Airy, read a paper which be had
prepared on the subiect.
Whether this generation is any more
lawless than earlier generations or
whether the country is actually in the
throes of a crime wave is uncertain.
It may be that the newspaper reporters
are more diligent than formerly in
recording crime. It may be that crime
is being played-up by the newspapers
more. Even so, there is too much
crime, and America has acquired the
unenviable reputation of being first in
crime and lawlessness among the na
tions of the world. The ratio of homi
cides to population is only one-half as
great in Italy; one-eighth in Ireland;
one-ninth in England and Wales, one
thirty-sixth in Switzerland. Further
more, the ratio of homicides per 100,-
000 population in the United States
increased from 7.2 for the period 1911-
1921 to 10.3 in 1924. This is indicative
that there is a trend toward lawless
ness. Mr. Ashby quoted Judge J. M.
Oglesby to the effect that in North
Carolina there was cause for concern in
“the lack of respect for constituted
authority and the growing tendency
toward lawlessness.” “The alarming
amount of lawlessness” in the country
and in the state was recently comment
ed upon by Judge J. B. Finley. There
is a steady increase in lawbreaking in
Charlotte, the News of that city reports.
The cost of crime, however measured,
is stupendous. Some investigators
estimate that there is an annual pro
perty loss of ten billion dollars through
crime. The cost of crime in North
Carolina has not been carefully ap
proximated, although studies are be
ing made in regard to the administra
tive cost thereof.
Causes of Crime
Among the causes for this growth of
lawlessness and crime Mr. Ashby men
tioned a complacent public sentiment,
lax enforcement of laws, improper laws,
the failure of home, church and school
to do their duties, the World War, loss
of faith in religion, the inability of man
to adapt himself to his new complicated
civilization, and many other causes.
Perhaps the first mentioned cause is
the most important and far-reaching.
Public opinion appears to be against
the enforcement of law; the people fail
to support the police officers. They
break the minor statutes and ordinances
when it is convenient to do so, and they,
resent rigid enforcement if they are
affected. Least of all will they accept
any responsibility. Those who are not
hostile to law enforcement are apathet- [
ic. “Democracy cannot continue and
be successful,” said Mr. Ashby “if
citizens fail to shoulder the responsi
bilities that are required of them.”
Sociologists ascribe the cause of
crime almost wholly to lack of know
ledge in preventing crimes, and in treat
ing criminals. There has been a serious
lack of facts and figures relating to
crime. Recently numerous crime com
missions have been constituted and
their findings are enlightening. For
instance, the Missouri Crime Com
mission has found that crime in Mis
souri is not a hazardous occupation. In
St, Louis in one year there were 149
cases of homicide and 23 punishments;
2,701 burglaries and 107 punish
ments; 2,076 robberies and 86 punish
ments. The chances of escaping the
penalty for crime are far too great.
There is an insufficient amount spent
on crime prevention in comparison to
the expenditures for punishment. The
criminologists and welfare workers
are beginning to penetrate the breed
ing places of crime, and the preventive
work should be encouraged.
Foolish sentimentality in respect
DUTIES AND RIGHTS
People who begin by surrendering
their duties to a government, end
by being compelled to surrender
their rights. The American nation
has kept its rights by attending to
its duties. But fashions change.
It is a bad habit to run to Wash
ington for everything, just as it will
be a bad condition if ever Wash
ington comes to run everything. —
Dearborn Independent.
to the criminals must cease. With
more definite knowledge of crime and
criminals, a change in public sentiment,
stricter enforcement, and the adapta
tion of mankind to new conditions, it
is felt that the present trend of law
lessness will be effectually halted.
OUR NATIONAL WEALTH
The national wealth of the United
States, as estimated by the National
Industrial Conference Board, in 1926
amounted to 366.3 billion dollars. This
is the first estimate of national wealth
published since the census estimate of
1922, which was 320.8 billion dollars for
that year. For 1912, the census esti
mate of the national wealth was 186,3
billion dollars.
Stating the amounts for 1912 and 1926
in terms of 1913 dollar purchasing yalue
so as to eliminate the difference in pur
chasing values of the dollar in the pre
war and post-war periods and to make
the two figures comparable, the Con
ference Board places the national wealth
in 1912 at 188 billion dollars, and in 1925
at 223.9 billion dollars of 1913 purchasing
value. The nominal increase in wealth
of 90.7 percent during the thirteen-year
period thus becomes a real increase of
19.1 percent, or nearly one-fifth.
The term “national wealth” as used
in this estimate represents tangible,
physical objects only, and therefore ex
cludes credits and currency. It specifi
cally includes land and the structures
and other improvements thereon, the
equipment of industrial enterprises and
farms, livestock, railroad and public
utility land and equipment, personal
property, motor and other vehicles and
gold and silver coin and bullion. Of all
of these, real property, that is land and
improvements, constitutes more than
half, or 172.7 billion dollars' worth.
Approximately three-fourths of the
total wealth of the nation is in the
nature of fixed assets, devoted to use as
dwellings or to industrial and trans
portation enterprises.
Of the 172.7 billion dollars inland and
improvements, about 22.7 billion dol
lars’ worth is tax-exempt property, in
cluding the land, buildings and public
works of the federal, state and local
governments, municipal enterprises and
the land and improvements belonging
to religious, charitable, educational
organizations and other property ex
empted by state laws.
Railroads and public utilities, accord
ing to the Conference Board’s estimate,
represent a total investment of 89.2
billion dollars of physical property. Of
this total value, land represents only
13.3 percent or 5.2 billion dollars; im
provements, 66.4 percent, or 22.2 billions
and equipment 30.3 percent or 11.8 bil
lions.
The total value of the equipment of
farms, including livestock, and of
fcctories is placed at 26.8 billion dollars,
lands and buildings belonging to them
being included under the general
national asset of land and improve
ments. All merchandise and industrial
products on hand were valued at 40
billion dollars. Personal property, con
sisting of such objects as furniture,
clothing, jewlery and the like amounted
to 44.1 billions or more than the physi
cal value of all our railroads and public
utilities, and considerably mpre than
the entire equipment of all the farms
and factories.
Automobiles are classed with gold and
silver coin and bullion as “miscellan
eous”. But the total value represented
by our entire stock of gold and silver
bullion and coins plus all the nation’s
automobiles, numbering nearly 20,000,-
000, together make up by far the
smallest item, a total of 9.8 billions, or
less than two and three-fourths per
cent of our total national wealth.
RURAL AMERICA
Did you know that in Rural America:
There are forty-five million people?
Thirty million people live on farms?
There are more children per thousand
of population than in the cities?
Only one person in five goes to Church?
One seventh of all town and country
communities are without non-Roman
Churches?
Seven out of ten rural churches have
only a fraction of a pastor apiece?
One-third of all rural pastors have to
supplement their income by secular
work?
Two out of five rural churches are
standing still or going backwards?
There are four million boys and girls
who never go to Church or Sunday
School?
Eighty-three percent of the members
of the Episcopal Church live in cities
and towns?
County after county in the United
State.s hasn’t a single Episcopal
Church?
The Episcopal Church is awakening to
the challenge at its doors?
The Division for Rural Work at the
National Council, 281 Fourth Avenue.,
New York City, stands ready to help
the Churches’ Rural Work, anywhere
and everywhere.—The Church at Work.
EXPENDITURES OF OUR STATE GOVERNMENT FOR 1925
The following table, based on Financial Statistics of States, Federal Depart
ment of Commerce, itemizes the governmental cost payments of Nortb Caro
lina’s state government for the year 1026. Expenditures are classed under
nine heads, with sub-heads showing the amounts spent on various items. A
study of the table will familiarize the reader with the many activities of our
state government, along with the amount spent on each item in 1926.
Interest on state debt, $4,421,994, is not included below. The bulk of our
state debt has been incurred to build highways, and interest on the highway
debt is specially provided for.
The total cost of operating the general departments of our state in 1925
was $16,679,744. The per inhabitant cost was $6.09, and on this basis North Caro
lina ranked forty-second among the states.
S, H. Hobbs, Jr.
Department of Rural Social-Economics, University of North Carolina
Total Expenditure of general departments $16,679,744
1. General government $1,463,460
a. Legislature $203,400
b. Legislative investigations 10,677
c. Chief executive 53,417
d. Auditor 66,964
e. Special auditing state accounts 29,973
f. Auditing accounts minor civil divisions 66,262
g. Treasurer 34,182
h. Collection of revenues 469,997
i. Other financial 42,860
j. Law offices and accounts 28,665
k. Secretary of state 32,317
l. Supreme court 62,379
m. Other courts 209,768
n. Elections 14,629
6. General government buildings 149,700
2. Protection to person and property 664,146
a. -Police 6,699
b. Militia and armories 132,368
c. Fish and game warden 87,410
d. Regulation of financial institutions 47,441
e. Regulation of insurance companies 45,994
f. Regulation of public ser\;;ce corporations 68,340
g. Regulation of professional occupations 4,067
h. Regulation of sale of feed, seed, fertilizer 81,366
i. Regulation of sale of oil and gas 62,223
j. Regulation of weights and measures 100
k. Regulation of labor 16,917
l. Fire warden 23,013
m. Prohibition enforcement 61,288
3. Development and Conservation of Natural resources $927,221
a. Agriculture: supervising, extension, experiment
stations, etc 809,727
b. Geological survey 117,494
4. Conservation of health and sanitation $780,315
a. Supervising department 114,479
b. Vital statistics 23,746
c. Prevention and treatment of communicable dis
eases 426,879
d. Conservation of child life 114,716
e. Food inspection and regulation 6,903
f. Regulation of professional occupations 13,073
g. Other health and sanitation 81,619
6. Highways (construction not included) $3,310,684
a. Supervising department 260,971
b. Roads maintained by the state 2,821,682
c. Bridges 236,707
d. Waterways 1,424
6. Charities, Hospitals, and Corrections $3,051,175
A. Charities
a. Supervising department 39,692
b. Care children 67,290
c. Blind, deaf and mute 283,736
B. Hospitals
a. Insane 1,178,217
b. Feeble-minded and other special 221,660
C. Corrections
a. Institutions for adults 1,127,157
b. Institutions for minors 142,002
c. Pardon and parole boards 1,632
7. Education $5,233,447
A. Schools
a. Supervising department 160,962
b. State institutions 3,072,413
c. Apportionments to minor civil divisions 1,842,788
d. All other 83,104
B. Libraries
a. State 69,931
b. Other 4,249
8. Recreation $11,092
a. Education 8,246
b. Parks and reservations 2,847
9. Miscellaneous $1,238,204
a. Pensions, etc. to former state employees 16,900
b. Pensions, soldiers and sailors 1,122,826
c. Mothers’ aid 29,603
d. Other special relief 13,676
e. Administration of public trusts and investments ... 21,005
f. Printing and stationery 32,716
g. Other miscellaneous, 1,678