Annual report of the Bureau of Labor and Printing of the State of North Carolina |
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Library of the University of North Carolina Endowed liy the J)ialectic mjkI Philsui-thropic S(»cieties. "2.^1 _ N^lL. l^o^r V/^'VERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00033934930 This book may be kept out one month unless a recall notice is sent to you. It must be brought to the North Carolina Collection (in Wilson Library) for renewal. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Ensuring Democracy through Digital Access (NC-LSTA) http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportofbu1904nort EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA H. B. VARNER, Commissioner. GEO. B. JUSTICE, Assr. Commissioner. RALEIGH : E. M. UzzELL & Co., State Printers and Binders. 1904. J EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE YEAR 904. H. B. VARNER, Commissioner. GEO. B. JUSTICE, Asst. Commissionef RALEIGH : E. M. UzzELL & Co., State Printers and Binders. 1904. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL To Els Excellency, Egbert B. Glenn, Governor: Sie:—As provided bj law, I hand you herewith the Eighteenth Annual Keport of the Bureau of Labor and Printing. The reports presented are as complete as it is possible to secure with the facili-ties available under present conditions. As will be seen from the reports, especially of the farmers, labor is scarce, and in a good many cases unreliable. This state of affairs is attributable, I think, to the ignorant state in which a majority of the laborers are to be found. Unable to comprehend the value of an education in any line, they do not educate themselves to accept a hio'her class of emplovment than that to which they have always . . -i been accustomed. Consequently they remain in what is commonly known as the lower class—also remain in a dissatisfied state, and are unable to accoimt for it. Under such conditions it is impossible to get a reasonable amount of service from them, and the same reason is to be assigned for their not taking hold of any means of making livings on their own account. Among this class are found the men who cannot see how anything that is not directly beneficial to them can be right; the men who consider that there is no other place in life for them above that which they now hold—the same men who have concluded that the positions of society are fixed by immutable laws, and an effort in the upward direction never occurs to them. From the more careless and naturally vicious of this class come the criminals. There are exceptions, but in E"orth Carolina the un-educated criminal is the rule, the educated criminal the exception. As fast as this class is thinned by death, or other causes, it is filled, and over-filled, by the younger generation, who may be kno^vn in advance by their absence from school, and their failure to direct themselves to any kind of employment that would naturally supply their wants and necessities. The remedy is apparent : strict vagrancy laws, compulsory attendance on the public schools. Letter of Transmittal, There seems to be more and more disinclination on the part of the various factories and other establishments to answer the ques-tions on the blanks sent out from this office. Various reasons are assigned for this. Some do not realize the importance of the blanks to us, and some resent it as an unnecessary and impudent peep into their private affairs, and other excuses are made for withholding the information. To make a personal canvass is the only possible way to make the report complete, and this cannot be done owing to the smallness of the appropriation. I would urge that the means to put the Department on a level with similar departments in other States be approj)riated from the general fund. 1 desire to express to those persons and firms who have so kindly furnished me with the information asked, my sincere appreciation. I have the honor to be, Very truly yours, Henry B. Varner^ Commissioner. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Agricultural Statistics. II. Miscellajyeous Factories. III. Cotton and Woolen Mills. IV.—FuRA^iTURE Factories. V. ISTewspapers. VI.—Trades. VII. — Telephone Industry. VIII. jSTortii Carolina Mining Industry. IX. Railroad Employes. Bureaus of Labor. CHAPTER 1. AGKICULTUEAL STATISTICS. The tables following are made out from returns to blanks sent out from this Department to the farmers of the State. The results ar-rived at represent the opinion of a majority of these farmers. For instance : If Ave have five farmers reporting from a certain county, and three of them report that the value of land has decereased, while two report that the value has increased, that county is entered on the report as showing a decrease in the value of land. The same opera-tion serves to arrive at the other results of the same table, as well as the tables following. Immediately following the tables will be found a general summary of the information in the table. l^ORTH Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Tabi,e No. i—Showing Condition ofFarm Land and Labor by Counties. County. Value of Land, In-creased or Decreased? Fertility of Land Main-tained? Tendency to Larger or Smaller Farms ? Labor Plentiful or Scarce ? lar? ble? Alamance increased--! Alexander increased -.; Alleghany increased ._ Anson increased -.[ Ashe increased--] Beaufort increased-- Bertie increased _-j Bladen .-- increased .- Brunswick ; increased -. Buncombe neither ! Burke increased -.1 Cabarrus increased -. Caldwell increased-- Camden increased --| Carteret increased--! Caswell 1 neither Catawba increased -. Chatham increased -- Cherokee increased -- Chowan increased -- Clay increased -- Cleveland increased -- Columbus increased -- Craven increased --j Cumberland 1 increased ..{ Currituck 1 increased-- Dare ! increased-- Davidson — Davie Duplin Durham — Edgecombe. Forsyth Franklin -_- Gaston Gates Graham — Granville— Greene Guilford _-_ Halifax Harnett -_- Haywood .-- Henderson - Hertford -.. Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnson Jones increased -. increased .. increased -- neither increased -. increased-, increased -. increased -- increased -. increased -. neither increased -- increased -. increased .. increased -. increased .. increased -. increased -. increased -. it:creased -. increased -. increased -. increased -- yes-no - yes. yes-yes-yes-yes. yes- 3'es-yes-yes-no . j'es-no . yes-smaller . smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller smaller. larger - larger .. smaller . smaller neither . smaller. smaller. smaller smaller - yes ' smaller. no smaller. yes smaller. yes smaller. yes- smaller. no smaller. yes smaller. j-es-.. yes. -. 3'es_.. yes- -. yes. .. yes.-, yes--. yes-.. yes... yes... yes... yes--- yes... yes... yes. .. yes-_. yes_.. yes... yes.-, yes... yes-.. yes... yes--. yes. .. yes-.. yes... yes-.. yes--. larger smaller . larger -, smaller neither . smaller, smaller . smaller, smaller smaller smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller, larger .. smaller, smaller, smaller smaller smaller, smaller smaller, smaller, larger -. smaller smaller, smaller smaller no - no - no - no - uo _ no - uo - no - no - no - no - uo - uo - no - no - uo - uo - no - uo - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - scarce 1 no - scarce 1 )'es-scarce uo . scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce . plenty - scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce - scarce . scarce . plenty - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce - scarce . plenty, scarce . scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - uo - uo - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - uo - no - no - no - no - no - no - no. no. no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. no. no. -: yes. ; no. yes. no. { no. ! no. }es. yes. no. no. I no. I y^s I no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. j no. 3'es. I yss. ! yss. yes. no. no. I no. yes. yes. yes. uo. uo. uo. no. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. Condition of Fakmeks. Average Table No. i—Continued. County. Value of Land, In-creased or Decreased? Fertility of Laud Main-tained? Lenoir increased.. Lincolu iucreased-- McDowell ' increased -- Macon ' increased-. Madisou increased -. increased -- increased -- increased -- increased .- increased .. Martin Mecklenburg ... Mitchell Montgomery .. Moore Nash increased -- New Hanover ! increased -- Northampton 1 increased -- Onslow ! increased -- Orange neither Pamlico increased -- Pasqnotank increased _- Pender --' increased-- Perquimans 1 increased -- Person ' increased -- Pitt i increased-- Polk ' iucreased-- Randolph increased.. Richmond increased -. Robeson \ increased -- Rockingham neither Rowan increased -- Rutherford increased.. Sampson increased. - Scotland ; increased -- Stanly - I increased.. Stokes increased.. Surry- increased .. Swain increased -- Transylvania increased Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey increased -- increased .. neither increased .. neither increased -. increased -. increased -. increased -. increased .. increased -. increased .. no yes j'es yes yes no yes yes yes 3'es yes yes yes yes J'es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes 3'es 3'es yes no yes-.., }-es yes yes j-es yes yes Tendency to Larger or Smaller Farms? smaller .. smaller .. smaller -- smaller .- smaller., smaller., smaller., smaller -- smaller., smaller., smaller .. smaller .. smaller .. smaller., smaller., larger ... smaller .. smaller .. smaller .. smaller., smaller .. smaller .. smaller . smaller . larger ... smaller smaller smaller. smaller . larger .. smaller smaller. smaller. smaller smaller. smaller - 1 smaller. I smaller. \ smaller smaller. smaller . smaller smaller. smaller smaller . smaller. 1 smaller. Labor Plentiful or Scarce ? Negro Labor Relia-ble? scarce _ scarce . scarce . scarce - plentj'- scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce pleut3' Em-ploy-ment Regu-lar? no -- yes. no -- no. no -- no. no -- no. no -. no. no -. yes. no -. J'es. no -- no. no -- yes. no -. no. no -. no. no -- yes. no -- no. no -- no. no .-! no. no -- no. no -- yes. no -- yes. no -- yes. no -. no. no --' yes. no -- no. no -- no. no -.: no. no -- yes. no .. no. no -.1 no. no -- no. no -- no. no -- no. no -. j-es. no -. yes. no -- yes. no -- no. no .- yes no -- no. no -- no. no -- no. no .- yes no -- yes no .. yes no -. no. no -- no. no -- no. no -- : no. no -. no. no -- 1 no. 10 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table' No. 2 — Showing Wages, Cost of Living, etc. County. In-crease in Cost of Liv-ing? Highest Paid Men ? Lowest Paid Men ? Highest Paid Women ? Lowest Paid Women ? Children? Wages Increased Decreased? Alamance .. Alexander-. Alleghany -. Anson Ashe Beaufort --. yes., yes., yes-- yes.. yes., yes.. Berlie \ yes.. Bladen yes-- Brunswick — yes.- Buncombe yes-- Burke yes.- Cabarrus ves.. Caldwell yes.. Camden yes.. Carteret yes.. Caswell no .. Catawba yes_- Chatham yes.. Cherokee yes.. Chowan yes-- Clay yes-- Cleveland ves.. Columbus yes.. Craven yes-- Cumberland __ ves-. Currituck yes.. Dare yes.- Davidson yes-- Davie yes.. Duplin yes.. Durham yes.. Edgecombe yes-- Forsyth yes-- Franklin yes.- Gaston .- yes.. Gates yes.. Graham yes.. Granville yes_- Greene yes-. Guilford yes.. Halifax yes.. Harnett yes.. Havwood ves.. Henderson — ves.. Hertford yes.. Hyde ves.. Iredell yes.. Jackson yes.. Johnston 3'es-- Jones yes_- 18.55 19. 80 21.45 14. 00 29.25 22.50 15-75 20. 20 14-95 17.70 13-45 17. 60 20. 15 15.00 26. 00 13-85 10. 00 16.30 21-35 21.80 24- 15 17. 20 19-85 21.50 16.25 19-25 22.00 20. 15 13. 00 17-65 17-25 14-45 32-50 13.80 15. 20 18.15 23. 00 18. 00 18. 20 15.20 18. 00 16. 15 22.50 20.45 20.25 17-65 15-50 23-05 18.65 18. 00 6.50 8.95 II. 70 9. 00 13.00 14. So 11.50 14-40 11. 70 10. 00 8.30 9.40 12. 00 10. 00 17-35 9. 00 7. 00 11.50 13.00 14. 10 11.80 9-85 12.95 14- 50 7.90 11. 15 14-75 12.45 6. 00 11.65 8.90 9-30 9-75 9-70 10.55 II. 60 13.60 9. 00 7.50 13.00 II. 50 10. 10 10.50 ir.85 15-50 12.50 6.50 13-50 13-35 14.25 13.00 9-85 1-05 3-85 5-80 4-50 I. 00 2.50 3.00 1. 70 o. 00 2. 40 2. 00 6. 00 1.85 8.90 6.50 1-50 1-05 3-90 1.50 0-55 3.00 4.75 0. 00 0.75 8.20 6-45 5- 00 1-05 7.25 0.65 3- 00 0.75 2. 60 3- 10 1-75 1-05 1. 70 o. 00 2.50 I. 2. I. 5- 20 5-35 6.50 7- 50 6.50 9-30 6.75 9. 10 7-15 5. 20 4. 00 6. 40 7-25 9-75 6.05 5-65 9. 10 10. 40 5.00 10. 00 7-75 10.85 6. 00 7-15 7-30 8.00 7-50 5-90 7-15 6.50 9-50 9. 60 2.50 7-30 8.25 9-50 % 6.50 5.65 none. 5- 20 6-75 7.80 9. 10 6.50 6.50 6.50 3-45 6.25 7-25 4. 00 7.70 5.60 4. 00 2. 00 7.70 8.80 6. 20 3. So 6.50 6.50 4. 60 6.45 8.00 8-45 6.50 6.50 3-70 5.05 7.80 7.40 8-45 5. 60 7. 60 ' 4-25 6.50 8.50 6.75 8.25 7-35 6.50 7-75 7-50 4. 00 8.65 7-35 7-25 ncreased. 10. ncreased. ncreased. 10. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. no. ncreased. ncreased. no. ncreased. lO. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. no. no. no. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. no. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. no ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. no. ncreased. ncreased. Condition of Farmeks. 11 Average Table No. 2—Continued. County. In-crease in Cost of Liv-ing ? Highest Paid Men? Lenoir Liucolu McDowell Macoii Madisou Martin Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank - Perquimans .. Person Pitt Polk Randolph .- Richmond Robeson Rockingham- - Rowan -- Rutherford — Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain ! yes Transylvania -I yes.. Tyrrell-.- Uniou Vance Wake Warren ' yes.. Washiugton - j yes-- Watauga 1 yes-- Wayne 1 yes-. Wilkes -.1 yes-- Wilson ; yes-- Yadkin ! yes.. Yaucey 1 yes-- yes-- 3'es-- yes-- ye.s-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- no -- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- 5'es yes yes yes-- 22.75 17. 00 21.50 23- 25 21. 10 26. 00 19.70 24. 20 16. 25 17-50 12. 20 23.40 15.60 18.75 10. 90 35-75 18. 00 20. 15 26. 00 17-25 17. 00 19-50 18.75 15.00 17.40 20. 80 18.50 11. 15 21. 40 16. 20 23. 10 19. 00 27.30 18.70 22. 50 15.40 15.00 19. 10 10. 00 23-30 27.30 14. GO 16. 10 20. GO 15- Sg 22.75 Lowest Paid Men? 13-25 10. 80 11. 90 II. 90 13-75 19-50 12.65 13-95 8. 10 10. 00 8.40 13.60 10. 10 12.50 7. GO 17. 00 16. 60 13. OG 14-35 8. OG 9.8G 10. 00 13-75 10. 40 7-25 10. 60 10. 40 10.75 11.00 8.70 12. 2G 10. 60 13. 10 12. 80 14. 60 10. 60 11. 8g 10.30 7. OG 11.65 13.80 9-65 8.60 10. CO 9. GO 12. 00 Highest Paid Women ? Lowest Paid Women ? 14.40 14-30 12.80 14. 10 9. OG 13.00 12. GO 12.35 12. 25 10. 90 9.40 13.00 11. 40 14. 00 8. OG 22. 25 35 50 50 45 II. 40 10.65 IG. 00 12.75 10.50 12.30 9-15 11-55 14.40 9. GO 10. 8g 11. 10 13. 00 11.50 13-00 IG. 50 9.90 16. IG 5-00 15-35 13.00 12. 40 10.40 15. OG II. 00 11.50 Wages Increased Children? Decreased? 9-15 10. 40 6,85 6. 40 7. 00 10. 40 9-05 6.65 8. 10 8.40 7.20 j 10. 00 7.90 10.50 6. OG 15.00 6. GO 8.50 11-75 7-50 8. 20 6.50 8. GO 9-15 7-65 6. 90 6.25 7-50 6.85 4. 00 6. 90 6.15 6.50 6. 90 6.50 7-50 6. 40 II. 2G 3.OG 9.40 5-25 7-25 6.50 8. OG 6. IG 6.50 6.55 9. 10 6.50 5-50 6.50 7- 70 7-55 5-50 6.15 6. 40 7.15 8. 10 7-50 3-75 13.00 8.75 6.15 8.35 5-75 6.50 5-75 4. 00 6.50 6.50 8.30 6.50 4-45 6.50 4-75 6.50 6. 40 8.50 6.95 4-65 6.50 4-50 9-55 none. 8.25 6. 50 6. 20 5- 10 7. 00 4-25 6.50 increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. 12 JSToRTH Cakolhsta Labob Statistics. Average Table No. 3 — Showing Cost of Production. County. Cost to Produce. 500 ib Bale Cotton? Bushel Wheat? Bushel Corn ? Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? Alamauce— Alexander ._ Alleghapy .. Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick .- Buncombe .- Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe - Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson -- Hertford Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston — Jones 36.66 33- 00 26. 27. 27. 17- 30. 31- 35- 25- 25- 35- 29-37 23- 25- 25- 3°- 24. 25- 20. 20. 30- 31.00 30. 26. 34- 25- 28. '36.' 22. 26. 33- 24. 25 I- 50 50 30 I 50 I-o. 70 .81 .90 .96 .65 35 72 05 77 83 67 50 .50 57 75 92 "69' 74 25 50 •63 .58 .85 .65 45 .87 .56 •71 .60 • 50 •79 • 56 • 78 1.50 •53 •63 • 15 .67 I. 10 .81 o. 45 43 63 55 60 36 45 71 42 42 70 54 58 43 50 45 36 35 57 43 39 50 46 21 50 40 40 50 40 45 55 73 55 42 46 34 41 50 43 47 50 58 43 45 50 28 32 60 6r 30 o. 29 42 40 43 35 25 35 20 33 40 42 40 36 37 30 31 30 35 27 36 35 15 25 20 40 30 25 50 33 20 35 40 35 26 29 40 45 36 28 32 28 33 16 29 35 38 15 5^50 7-25 4. 00 6. 00 8.75 5.00 lo. 00 7^50 11.50 6. 90 5- 00 7. 00 10. 00 5.00 20. 00 7. 00 8.00 4.87 10. 00 6.33 7. 00 8.65 II. 20 8.00 6.80 5.60 9-33 6.25 7. 00 7. 00 5.00 10. 00 7.40 5- 50 Condition of Fakmees. 13 Average Table No. 3 — Continued. County. Leuoir Lincoln McDowell Macou Madisou Martin Mecklenburg - Mitchell Montgomery -. Moore ..- Nash New Hano%'er . Northampton . Ouslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank--. Pender Perquimans--. Person Pitt Polk -.- Randolph Richmond -.- Robeson Rockingham - Rowan Rutherford - - Sampson Scotland Stanly .- Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrreil - Union -- . Vance Wake Warren Washing,ton . Watauga Wayne Wilkes ...... Wilson Yadkii Yance}' 500-fc Bale Cotton'; 30-25 35- 00 40. 00 30-50 26. 4o 28.75 22. 15 25.00 31.00 21. 00 30. 00 25.00 32.30 23-33 35- 20 28.75 45- 00 35- 00 30. 00 29. 12 30. GO 25. 10 22.33 28. 40 29. 20 35- 00 25.00 27. 40 34.00 26.30 25.00 32-50 30. GO 27-50 Cost to Produce. Bushel Wheat? 0.67 .66 .^o 77 .55 Bushel Corn? Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? .60 -75 .61 .70 .80 80 72 0.35 45 49 44 33 39 47 39 44 51 40 54 33 60 35 40 35 35 50 46 43 50 60 56 47 46 56 33 53 52 45 42 61 47 40 54 44 58 50 33 65 64 52 65 48 67 23 15 38 40 35 25 30 32 40 38 20 44 58 36 34 45 28 33 34 40 35 45 34 24 44 33 35 30 40 36 44 33 55 28 33 6. 00 10. GO 6. 40 4. OG 7.90 7. Sg 5-70 4. 00 9-30 7. 20 6. OG 5- 50 7. 20 6. 20 10. 00 10.50 20. 00 8.00 6. 40 5.00 5. 6g 5-50 8. OG 4. 20 14 North Caroli^sta Labor Statistics. Average Table No. ^—Showing Market Price of Crops. County. Alamance Alexander ... Alleghany ... Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick... Buncombe .. Burke Cabarrus — Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham — Cherokee — Chowan Clay Cleveland— Columbus .. Craven Cumberland Currituck— Dare Davidson — Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe - Forsyth Franklin ... Gaston Gates Graham Granville ... Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood ... Henderson.. Hertford Hyde Iredell Jackson — Johnston _. Jones "Present Market Price— 500 ib Bale Cotton ? 56.66 "54.' 68' 50.00 55.00 50.00 55- 00 62.50 54- 00 50.00 50.00 55- 00 62.50 70. 00 50.00 52.81 40. 00 53-25 48. 00 53-33 45.00 50.00 40. 00 70. 00 50.00 52.50 62.50 48.62 50.31 54.50 50.00 50.00 47.50 55.00 50.62 49.00 50.00 51.25 49-75 52.50 50.00 54.25 59.38 Bushel Wheat? Bushel Corn? I. 00 .98 I. 00 I. 06 I. 00 .80 I. 01 I. 00 .98 .98 •50 .78 .94 I. 00 I. 20 I. 02 I. 00 •98 I. 00 .87 1. 00 •95 1. 00 .95 .85 •91 •93 1. 12 1. 00 I. 00 •90 .90 1.02 .90 .96 1.07 1.03 I 00 I 00 95 Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco? 75 90 88 81 00 68 80 81 63 81 80 84 90 55 80 87 80 80 92 72 91 90 75 70 72 68 60 72 65 85 80 79 75 78 71 93 00 0.53 50 40 55 59 46 55 62 45 f5 41' 52 48 50 60 52 50 56 55 56 10. 00 9-50 10. 00 8.00 8.00 7. 00 10. 00 10. 00 7- 50 7. 60 6. 00 12.50 8.00 7-50 8.00 7.00 10.00 6.00 7.50 7.66 7.00 7.75 25.00 25.00 7.00 6.00 7.00 6.50 7.50 13.50 8.00 7.50 Condition of Fariniers. 15 Average Table No. 4 — Continued. County. 'Present Market Price— 500-ib Bale Cotton ? Bushel Wheat? Bushel Corn? Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? Lenoir Lincoln McDowell Macon Madison Martin Mecklenburg _ Mitchell Montgomery -- Moore Nash New Hanover. Northampton . Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham.. Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania . Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington .. Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey 52. 50 56.50 1.05 1.00 1. 01 1. 00 1.03 54-35 53-75 53-12 51-75 I. GO 1.02 I. 01 1.02 .98 0.97 .87 .87 .87 .86 .80 -85 1. 00 .87 .85 -78 51.87 52.50 1. 00 ,90 54-50 52.70 57-50 60.00 48.75 62.50 65.00 54-00 47-75 .85 -75 54-50 56.50 50.41 52.08 56.00 70.00 55.00 54-00 50-75 54.00 55.00 50.00 52.05 75.00 50.00 50.00 .96 1.05 I. GO I. 00 liOO •97 .92 .80 I. GO 1.02 1.02 1.05 I. 00 1.04 •94 .86 1.07 .95 1. 00 .90 I. GO 1.05 I. GO I. 10 •93 1.06 .87 ,80 .79 .75 ,62 ,68 .60 .79 .72 .96 .83 .75 .82 ,8g ,62 83 .90 .62 •79 • 75 • 85 .69 1. 00 •91 •83 • 73 •77 1. 00 5-50 10.00 20.00 10. 00 6.75 7.00 6.33 8.87 6.75 5- 00 6.25 7-30 10.00 5-50 7.60 6.60 12.50 22.50 25. OG 7. GO 25.00 9.00 8. GO 7-15 = Period between July ist and October ist. 16 ]SroETir Cakolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. ^—Showing Cost, Price County. Profit. Cost. Price. Profit. Alamance . . Alexander . Alleghany - - Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick. . Buncombe- Burke Cabarrus — Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee. Chowan Clay Cleveland - Columbus - Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson — Davie Duplin Durham Bdgecome - Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham - . - Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson . Hertford ..- Hyde - Iredell Jackson Johnston — Jones 36.66 33- 00 56.66 '54."68" 26.25 27.50 27-75 17-50 50.00 55- 00 50.00 55-00 30.00 31-65 35-00 25.00 25.00 35- 00 54-00 50.00 50.00 55.00 62.50 70.00 29-37 23.40 25.00 25. 66 30.00 24.00 25.00 20. 00 20.00 30.70 52.81 40. 00 53-25 48. 00 53-33 45-00 50.00 40.00 70.00 50.00 52.50 31.00 48.62 30.00 26. 60 34.00 50.31 54-50 50.00 25.00 28.00 t 47.50 36.26 22.32 50.62 49.00 26.25 21.50 22.50 51-25 49-75 52.50 33-30 24.50 50.00 54.25 21.68 23.75 27.50 27-25 37.50 24.00 18.35 15.00 30.00 37.50 35.00 25.44 29.85 23.00 27.67 15.00 26. 00 15.00 50.00 30.00 21.80 17.62 20.31 27.90 16.00 19.50 14.36 26.68 25.00 28.25 30. 00 13.70 29-75 o. 70 .81 -90 .96 -65 •63 -58 -85 -65 -45 .87 .56 .71 .60 .50 .79 .56 .77 1.50 .53 .63 .15 .67 I. 10 .81 .80 1. 01 1. 00 .98 .98 -50 .78 .94 1. 00 I. 20 I. 02 1. 00 .98 1. 00 .87 .00 .95 .00 .95 .85 •91 93 , 12 1. 00 .90 -90 1.02 .90 .96 1.07 1.03 1. 00 I. 00 -95 0.30 -17 . 10 . 10 -35 •32 .42 . 10 . 20 .46 .06 -56 .40 .40 . II .46 . 12 ^54 .54 .40 -33 1. 10 .14 CoNDITIOiSr OF FxVRMERS. lY and Profit on Products by Counties. Profit. go. 45 •43 63 55 60 36 45 7f 42 42 70 54 58 43 50 45 36 35 57 43 39 50 46 21 50 40 40 50 40 45 55 73 55 42 46 34 41 50 43 47 50 58 43 45 50 28 32 60 65 30 |o. 75 90 88 81 I 00 i 68 80 81 63 81 80 84 90 55 80 81 80 80 92 72 91 90 75 70 72 68 60 72 65 85 80 79 75 78 71 93 00 80 98 78 74 86 81 84 80 62 88 81 82 87 ,0.30 • 47 • 25 .26 .40 •32 •35 . 10 .21 •39 . 10 •30 •32 . 12 •30 •36 • 44 •45 •35 •29 • 52 .40 •29 •49 . 22 .28 . 20 .22 • 25 .40 • 25 .06 . 20 .36 • 25 •59 •59 •30 • 55 31 .24 .28 •38 •39 •30 •34 • 56 . 21 • 17 •57 Cost. .0.29 ,42 40 43 35 25 27 36 35 15 25 20 40 30 25 50 33 20 35 40 35 26 29 40 45 36 28 32 28 33 :o.53 • 50 40 55 59 Profit. (O. 24 .08 46 Tobacco. 5^50 7^25 10.00 9- 50 12 24 21 , 21 25 , 12 .13 .02 •33 •29 .29 .45 . 20 4.00 6.00 8.75 5.00 10.00 10.00 8.00 * 8.00 7.00 10.00 7^50 ,26 , 22 , 20 •43 . 21 .30 ii^50 6.90 5.00 7.00 7. 60 6.00 10.00 5.00 12.50 7^50 ,27 15 , 22 ,42 , 10 •25 . II .26 .19 . 10 .15 .16 . 22 .24 • 27 •23 20.00 7.00 8.00 4^87 10.00 6.33 7.00 8.65 * 7.00 10.00 6.00 7^50 7.66 7.00 7.75 II. 20 8.00 6.80 5.60 9-33 6.25 7.00 7.00 25.00 7.00 6.00 7.00 6.50 7-50 13-50 25 24 iS i9 .45 5- 00 10.00 7.40 5- 50 8.00 7^50 4- 50 2.25 4.00 t.75 90 ,90 2.50 2.50 2. GO 1-13 2.50 ••33 i^i5 13.80 .20 .40 t2.33 25 • 50 6.50 3.00 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 IX 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 ^9 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 18 JSToKTH Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 5- County. Profit. Profit. 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 6r 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 8r 82 83 84 85 86 47 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 Lenoir Lincoln -. McDowell Macon Madison Martin Mecklenburg . Mitchell Montgomery- . Moore Nash New Hanover. Northampton . Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotauk--- Pender Perquimans . - Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham-. Rowan Rutherford — Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain . Transylvania . Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington . . Watauga Waj-ne - Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yaucev-- 30.25 35- 00 I 59- 38 52.50 40. 00 30.50 54-35 26. 40 28.75 22. 15 25.00 31.00 21.00 30. GO 25.00 32. 30 23-33 35.20 28.75 45.00 35-00 30. GO 29. 12 30.00 25.10 22.33 28.40 29. 20 53-75 53-12 51-75 51-87 52.50 54-50 52.70 57-50 48.75 62.50 65.00 54.00 47-75 54-50 56.50 50.41 52.08 56. GO 35-00 25.00 27.40 34.00 26.30 25.00 32-50 30.00 27.50 70.00 55- 00 54-00 50-75 54.00 55- 00 50.00 52.05 50.00 29.13 17-50 23.85 27-35 24-37 29.60 20.87 31-50 22. 20 29-37 22.30 20.00 17.50 30.00 24.00 18.63 24.50 31.40 2h.o8 23. 68 26.80 35.00 30.00 26.60 16.75 27.70 30.00 17.50 22.05 22.50 72 1.05 I. GO I. 01 I. 00 1.03 I. 00 I. 02 I. 01 1.02 I. 00 .90 85 •75 .98 .96 1.05 I. GO I. 00 I. 00 .97 .92 .80 I. 00 1.02 1.02 1.05 I. 00 1.04 •94 .86 1.07 •95 1. 00 .90 1. 00 1.05 1. 00 I. 10 •93 I. 06 0.38 -34 . II •23 ,40 27 40 32 .18 18 ,60 .37 ,26 67 ,26 . II .08 .23 38 ,26 •31 .26 43 .27 •32 • 49 .06 35 45 30 .40 10 13 28 .55 20 15 Condition of Farmers. 19 Continued. Cost. Price. Profit. Profit. Tobacco. Profit. ;o.97 .87 .87 .87 .86 .80 .85 1. 00 .87 .85 .78 * .87 .So •79 •75 .62 .68 .60 •79 .72 .96 •83 •75 .82 .So .62' •83 .Si .88 .88 .98 .90 .62 .81 .79 •75 .85 .69 I. GO •91 •83 •73 •77 1. 00 ;o.62 ,42 38 43 53 53 47 19 40 22 33 25 29 26 53 33 15 26 33 16 27 5i 35 29 43 46 37 43 22 27 35 17 35 36 35 27 31 08 29 33 ;o.67 •55 52 48 44 io. 24 .28 19 .14 •19 25 22 ,26 19 15 % 6.00 % 5.50 % 0.50 10.00 6.40 10. 00 6.75 .35 .28 • 45 .08 •15 . 12 • 25 . 20 .16 • 15 • 17 .28 .16 .14 .18 • 15 •29 •43 .18 .02 •23 •19 . 22 . 20 .08 •19 .18 . 20 . 10 • 17 . 12 • 17 • 15 .16 •15 4.00 7. 90 7.80 5.70 4.00 9-33 7. 20 6.00 5-50 7.20 6. 20 10.00 10.50 20. GO 8.00 6.40 5.00 5.60 5-50 8. GO 4. 20 7.00 6.33 8.87 6^75 5- 00 6.25 7.30 5.50 7.60 6.60 12.50 22.50 25.00 7.00 25.00 9.00 8. GO 7^15 3.00 ti-57 1.07 1.05 I. 00 3- 08 . IO .40 .40 2.50 12. 00 5- 00 1. 00 18.60 3-50 95 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 49 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 8r 82 S3 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 * No selling price reported. flvOSS. 20 ISToKTii Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. (^—Showing Educational, Moral and Financial Conditions. County. Educa-tional Condition? Is it Improv-poor - poor good poor poor - poor. good poor fair. . good poor poor Alamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick - Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell good Camden poor Carteret good Caswell poor Catawba good Chatham . . __ , poor Cherokee ; fair. Chowan \ poor Clay ' fair- Cleveland fair- Columbus ! poor Craven poor Cumberland poor Currituck good Dare- fair- Davidson [ poor Davie poor Duplin 1 fair- Durham ^ fair- Edgecombe \ good Forsyth j fair-. Franklin poor Gaston ' fair-. Gates — good Graham . fair-. Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood I fair Henderson i fair- Hertford j poor Hyde j poor Iredell ! fair- Jack'^on I poor Johnston | poor poor -. good -- poor.-, fair- -. poor.-. yes--- yes--- 3'es--. }'es yes yes--. yes no --. 3'es — yes )-es yes yes yes yes yes-.. yes yes yes yes j'es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes ves Moral I ,J^ *'^ Condition?; I'?P'"o^- ing? poor - good fair-- fair-- poor. fair- - good poor. fair- - good poor-good good fair- - good fair-- good poor good fair- - good good fair- - good poor-good fair- . poor. fair-no ' poor -. fai fair. . fair- - good good good poor . good good good good good yes , good yes_ yes. yes. yes- J'CS-yes-yes. yes. )'es. yes-yes-yes-yes-yes- 3'es-yes-yes- 3'es. fair-fair- - good good poor, poor. no yes yes yes no yes yes uo no -.. . yes uo }-es yes )'es yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes — )-es yes... yes 3'es no — yes yes— no ,-. yes no — yes yes--- yes .- j'es yes 3'es yes--- yes 3'es 3'es yes yes yes yes Condition? ^'J'^P''?^- poor poor- — good — fair fair fair fair fair fair fair poor fair good — poor good fair poor fair-- . . fair . good — fair good good — good — fair good fair good — fair poor fair fair fair fair poor... fair good - fair good . fair good - good - fair good . good . fair fair poor... poor.. uo. yes. no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. uo. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. J'es. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. Condition of Tarmees. 21 Average Table No. 6—Continued. Countj- Educa-tional Condition? Is it Improv- Joties poor-- Lenoir good - Lincoln poor.. McDowell poor-- Macon poor-- Madison fair.-- Martin fair, _ Mecklenburg fair... Mitchell fair--- Montgomery poor.- Moore fair- - Nash fair--- New Hanover ; good . Northampton --- fair. Onslow fair--- Orange- . poor - Pamlico --_ poor.- Pasquotank fair. -. Pender poor.- Perquimans — fair- . Person good - Pitt fair--- Polk - --- poor-^ Randolph: fair- Richmond poor.- Roheson poor.. Rockingham ^ fair... Rowan poor. Rutherford , poor.. Sampson ; fair- Scotland fair... Stanlv : poor Stokes j poor- Surry [ fair- - Swain 1 poor- Transylvania 1 poor Tyrrell ! fair-. Union i fair-. Vance fair-. Wake ' poor Warren ' good Washington • fair-. Watauga fair- Wayne poor- Wilkes 1 fair-- Wilsou- Yadkin Yancey poor-poor, poor. Moral Condition? yeS-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-no - }-es-yes-yes-yes-yes poor-yes I fair- . yes ' good yes ' fair- . yes good yes 1 good poor _ fair — good - poor. good - fair— fair fair fair fair poor.-- fair good - - fair- — fair fair Is it Improv-yes yes yes yes yes yes yes poor, fair. . poor. fair-fair- . fair- fair. yes poor.--- ves fair yes good — j-es fair yes fair yes I good — yes good — yes fair }-es good — yes good _-. yes j fair- --. yes .-! poor yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-no - ves-fair-good fair- . fair- . fair- - good fair-- yes-- --I yes-- --j yes-- -- no -- .-j yes_- -- no -- 1 --: yes-- --I yes-- -.' yes-- yes-- yes-- yes j poor-- yes 1 good - Financial Condition? good -- good -- poor--, poor--- fair good -- poor--. fair fair Is it Improv-ing? poor fair fair-fair- - good good fair. - fair-- fair-- good good poor-ves good yes-, yes-. yes-, yes-, yes-. yes-. yes-yes-. yes-. yes-no - yes-no - yes. 3'es- )'es-yes . yes- 5'es. yes. ves-good — poor fair fair good — good — fair fair poor poor good — yes i good —\ yes. ; fair yes yes. yes no no yes yes 5'es no yes yes good fair-- poor--. fair poor.-, poor.-. fair fair fair poor... poor.- yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. 3'es. no. no. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. 22 ISToiiTH Carolina Labor Statistics. SUMMAEY. Table JSTo. 1 shows an increase in the value of land in eighty-nine counties ; no change in eight counties. 'No county reports a decrease in the value of land. Fertility of land is reported maintained in eighty-eight counties; nine counties report that it is not. Nine coun-ties report tendency to have larger farms, eighty-seven smaller, and two report no change. Five counties report labor plentiful ; ninety-two scarce. One county reports negro labor reliable ; ninety-six un-reliable. Thirty-nine counties report employment regular ; fifty-eight irregular. In Table 'No. 2 ninety-five counties report increase in cost of liv-ing; two report no increase. Highest average wages paid men, $18.86, an increase of $1.09 per month over last year; lowest, $11.07, an increase of 30 cents. Highest average wages paid wo-men, $11.54, an increase of 54 cents per month over last year; low-est, $6.16, a decrease of 84 cents from last year. Average Avages of children, $5.50, 62 cents less than last year. Table JSTo. 3 shows that sixty-nine counties produce cotton at $30.36 per bale of 500 pounds; twenty-eight counties do not report. Eighty-three counties produce wheat at a cost of 76 cents per bushel; fourteen counties do not report wheat. ISTinety-six counties produce corn at 46 cents per bushel ; one county does not report corn. Ninety-two counties produce oats at 32 cents per bushel; five counties do not report oats. Sixty counties produce tobacco at $8.63 per one hundred pounds. Table jSTo. 5 shows cost of production, selling price and profit on cotton, wheat, corn, oats, and tobacco, upon each of which, with one or two exceptions, it will be noted that there is a substantial profit. Table No. 6 shows the educational, moral and financial conditions of the various counties. Fourteen counties report the educational condition good, thirty-four fair and forty-nine poor; ninety-three counties report improvement, four counties no improvement. Thirty-six counties report moral condition good, forty-one fair, twenty poor ; eighty-three counties report improvement, fourteen no improvement. Twenty-nine counties report financial condition good, seventy-three Condition of Farmers. fair, and twenty-four poor; eighty counties report improvement, seventeen rej^ort no improvement. Following will be found letters expressive of the sentiment of farmers of various parts of the State relative to compulsory educa-tion, and suggestions as to what they think would he beneficial to the laboring classes. 24 ' IvToKTi-r Carolina Labor Statistics. LETTERS FEOM FARMEES. The following letters are selected from among the large number received for publication : Wage-earners Must be More Reliable.—To better the condition of wage-earners in my neighborhood the laborer must be more attentive to duty, more reliable. That Avould enable the employer to pay better wages, and thereby both would be benefited. I am strictly in favor of compulsory school law, or else have no public schools.—M. W. Brown, Hallsville. Schools Sufficient if Parents Would Send.—Wage-earners need to make better time. The working men in this section don't average half of their time at woik. Those who work regular are getting a good living and saving some money. There are enough schools to give every child sufficient education to vote under the Constitutional Amendment if the parents would send their chil-dren to school. There are not more than fifty per cent, of the children who go to the public schools.—B. F. Gregory, Jacocks. Compulsory Education and Smaller Districts.—I favor compulsory edu-cation and smaller districts. The present system of enlarging the districts is bad. In this county they have enlarged the districts and made it impossible for many of the poor children to ever attend school at all. I find those who live near the new school-houses favor the present system. I thinlc it would be wise for those who make our laws to look into this matter. While I belie\-e our legislators did Avhat they thought best for the people, at the same time i am convinced that our present school law is the worst one that has been in force in the last twenty years. I have no children to educate, but as a tax-payer, and one who wants to see the citizens of North Carolina as well educated as those of any other State, I would say tax the people and have more schools; then compel them to send their children.—J. R. Kenion, Tolers. School-houses too Far Apart.—The present system of free schools is not as good as the old way. The school-houses are so far apart that the children will have to walk from four to five miles to get to school, and that is too far foT children to have to walk in bad weather, or any kind of weather, as far as that is concerned. We ought to have more school-houses and closer together. 1 think in this school district they abolished three schools and made one of the three, Avhich I don't think is right, as they have to build a larger house and put two teachers in it, and the poor children have the walk of four or five miles for a little learning.—W. J. Freeland, Billsboro. Negroes Don't Need to be Compelleid.—Our county has several logging con-cerns, and what labor there is flocks to them. They get better wages there than our farmers can afford to pay, consequently every farmer has to pitch his crop COXDITIOX OF FaEMEES. according to Ins own force. In regard to compulsory education, I am and have always been in favor of it for the white people. It is not necessary for the negro in this county, for they will send their children every day if they have to live on bread alone, while the whites are careless about the education of their children generally. While the white people are straining every nerve to make money, regardless of education, the negro is working every way he can to get his vote back, and I tell you a lot are going to pass in 1908.—J. B. Petteway, /acksonville. Compulsion Justifiable.—We have a class of people in this section of country who do not and will not send their children to the free school; so we think it justifiable to enact a law to remedy this negligence, which can only be done by a compulsory school law.—W. A. Nelson, Jewel. Negro Labor Worthless.—With reference to the condition of wage-earners, I may state that it is steadily improving. The wage-earners are fast becoming tenants—at first for a share of the crop, using the landlord's team; then for a stipulated rental of either money or cotton, using their own team. There is less money in this for the land owner; but also there is less responsibility and less trouble mth inefficient labor. The majority of our laborers are negroes, who are becoming more and more worthless and less and less trustworthy. In this day of general prosperity, at least through this section of the State, instead of saving their surplus and making permanent investments, they are spending their money for flashy buggies and other luxuries with which to live the life of the easy. It may be out of place to say it, but I believe and have been very reluctantly driven to the conclusion that the negro farm hand will finally have to be replaced by the immigrant, and that the South cannot expect any marked agricultural development until that day conies. Of course I, as much so as any-body else, am in favor of keeping the negro as long as possible; but his increas-ing inefficiency will eventually drive us to make what now seems to be a revolu-tionary departure from the path beaten hard by the past generations of our ancestors. Concerning compulsoiy education, I am an ardent advocate of it, provided it is restricted to the white race. Emphatically, I am not in favor of compulsory education of the negro, because, in the first place, the little that he already has is taking him from the farm; secondly, he appreciates most what he works hardest for, and the negro does not appreciate what we have already done for him* On the other hand, I am in favor of compulsory education for white children, because the very foundation of a republican form of government depends upon an intelligent ballot, and an intelligent ballot depends on a good system of schools. And I hold that compulsory education is the best system because it does not afl'ect the parent who will send his children to school any-how; while the illiterate parent, without the education himself, does not realize the need of it for his children and will not make the necessary sacrifice to give it to them. And it is towards this class of people—not all of them illiterate, however—that compulsory education should be directed.—J. Henry Stephen-son, Pendleton. 26 JSToRTii Carolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education.—We would like to say that negro labor is very unsatisfactory because there is no dependence to be put in them. Negro labor is very scarce, both men and women. We work from about eight to twelve men and from ten to twelve women. We pay men from seventy-five cents to a dollar per day; they pay their own house rent and board. We are in favor of com-pulsory education because there are so many children that do not go to school and ought to go.—W. H. Mills & Son, Wilmington. Opposed to Compulsory Education Under Present Circumstances.—I am opposed to compulsory education. If it could be arranged for each race to pay' its OAvn taxes, then I would advocate compulsory education. When you educate the negro it unfits him for farm work and makes him a fit subject for the peni-tentiary. — George B. Cooper, HiUiardston. Wage-earners Should pe Eeliable.—Wage-earners must be more punctual and more reliable, as we cannot rely upon our labor now. We know not how to pitch a crop on account of labor being so uncertain. I favor compulsory education for white people only. I favor special tax for the white race, and tax each race to educate themselves.—G. Rice, Sprivghope. Agricultifre Should be Taught—Three-months Term Compulsory.—Per-haps a three-months compulsory school would be a good thing, for some parents will never send their children to school unless compelled to. A three-months term—say December, Januaiy and February—would not bother farm operations much. Agriculture should be taught in all country schools. The condition of our public roads is a great drawback to school attendance. — John Humphrey, Clark. Should be Misdemeanor to Break Contract.—We have great trouble here with our wage hands; they will make firm trades and leave when the farmers get ready to cultivate their crops. We would like to have some way to confine them and make' them follow out contract; also tenants working on halves will leave their crops. I would like for it to be a misdemeanor for any one who will not follow his contract, verbal or wi-itten. Compulsory school law would be a great thing in our county, for most of the laboring people will not send their children to school as they could. The parents aroimd thS cotton mills don't work any, but depend on their children to keep them up.—W. F. Logan, Crocker. Negroes Attend School Without Compulsion.—In this section we have good high schools; we have five in a radius of seven miles, three in a radius of three miles. The colored people do not need compulsory school laws, as all go to school. The whites do need it—numbers of them never go that could. The schools are better attended in this section than some adjacent ones with which I am acquainted.—A. G. Gantt, Belicoocl. Condition of Eaemees. 27 Wage-earners Doing Well.—There are few wage-earners in this part of the county. The few here are doing well. Tlie people generally send their children to school as much as tiiey can with few exceptions.—J. T. Hawkins, Lattimore. Parents Do Not Realize Need.—I beg to make the following suggestions relative to the needs of wage-earners: One among the greatest needs of the wage-earners is a knowledge of how to economically spend a dollar after they have made it. Many of them are utterly ignorant as to the laws of thrift and economy, and ncne the less so as regards the laws of health—the strict observ-ance of the hygenic laws. As to compulsory educatiou, I have always been in favor of that, for the reason that nearly all parents who do not send their child-ren to school are illiterate and do not realize the great importance of an edu-cation; hence their utter indifferance in regard to sending their children to school.—A. B. DoRSEY, Bebcood. Forced Attendance Necessary.—There is not very much public work in Clay county. I am in favor of compulsory education, as we are forced to pay taxes to support public schools, and I think people ought to be forced or com-pelled to give theii children the benefits of the public schools. Education has been neglected in our county for the past three or four years, but there is being quite an interest manifested among our people at this time.—R. R. Alex-ander, Hayesville. Compulsory Education Greatest Need. — The greatest possible need of North Carolina to-day is compulsory education. If the State A\dshes to keep abreast of her sister States, she must educate her boys and 'girls, and I see no way it can be done short of a compulsory school law. Tlie working class of peo-ple are becoming more and more neglectful concerning this particular duty which they owe their children. They should be compelled to send them to school from six to sixteen years of age, six months in the year, and no child should be allowed to work in a mine or factory under fourteen. If the next Leg-islature will enact such a law the State will soon be filled witli brighter, smarter and more intelligent people, and the State's illiteracy will not be the target of outside criticism.—W. D. WeTuCH,' Mintonsville. Reason for Approving Compulsion.—The adoption of the amendment to the State Constitiition places the youth of the State at the mercy of the interest taken by the parent in his education, and unless the parents of some of the children are compelled to send their children to school, those children who have ignorant and prejudiced parents mil not be sent; therefore, the innocent child is the sufferer and not his parent. I find that all of the school preju-dice is with the very ignorant and not with the intelligent classes, hence my reason for approving compulsion. I recommend larger school districts and longer terms with good teachers.—J. E. Bryan, Moncure. 28 jSTokth Carolhs-a Labor Statistics. Igin'ORANT Parents Responsible.—With the blessing of an abundant wheat crop we feel encouraged as regards the condition of the working class. We are getting on a more solid foundation since we quit raising tobacco and cot-ton and turned our attention to wheat and corn and to forage plants, such aa peas and grass. But there is much yet to be learned by our farmers in the way of practical farming. Farmers are beginning to wake up and to quit using so much commercial fertilizer, and to turn their attention more to making manure and sowing peas and such crops as will tend to improA^e instead of impoverish their lands, and by improving an acre instead of working over five or more for what one will produce. A compulsory school law will benefit that class who are entirely dependent upon public schools. I know several families who do not send their children to school because they themselves have bat-tled through life with no education. They think that their children can do the same. Shame on such parents. Let the Legislature this winter give us a compulsory school law to operate at least three months in the year upon all children from eight to fifteen years. This we think will suffice to place chil-dren through the common school course. It is a duty parents owe their chil-dren, and thev should be made to do so. — W. H. H. Hautdey, Hudson. Fourteen Weeks Every Year.—In regard to making anj- suggestions in regard to wage-earners, I am at a loss as to what to suggest. I am trying to hire a good hand for another year, but I cannot find one. I am satisfied I could start out one morning and covild borrow one hundred dollars easier than 1 could find a good farm hand. In the first place, if farmers could control the prices of farm products to some extent they could afford to pay better wages, and tliat would be some inducement to keep wage-earners on the farm instead of going to town and working in the cotton mills. As to compulsory education, T would say amen ! I think every child of school age should be compelled to attend a public school at least fourteen weeks every year, unless the parents be in very needy circumstances and dependent on their children, but such cases could be remedied by the county eom,missioners through the school board of education giving aid to all such.—W. C. Klutz, Concord. Families Unable to Clothe Children.—We need more men on the farms. We have numbers of laboring men, but the most of them are at sawmills and other public works where wages are better. The public works pay more for labor than farmers can afl'ord to pay. as men expect as much and board on farms as they get at the public works. Acres of our land, and even farms, are neglected for the reason that the men go to public works; they get their pay_ regularly and most of them spend it as fast as they earn it; indeed, they are forced to spend it to live. As regards compulsory school law, I am not in favor of it, for the reason that there are a number of families who are not able to clothe their children decently and buy books for them. I have known chil-dren who could not go to school for the reason that they did not have the books. I think doing away with the old school books and endorsing new books has kept more or less children out of school. It seems to me that if the princi- CoXDITIOIs OF FAiniEPvS. ' 29 pies of mathematics were correct the old arithmetic Avould answer a good pur-pose, and if our language was correct the old grammars would answer where people are too poor to buy new books. I am bound to think it an unfair law toward the poor of our State.—L. M. Simmons, Bridgeicatc)-. ^YAGE-EARNERS Won't Take IxTEREST. — As to the needs of wage-earners, they need to take more interest in their labor and not to be so shiftless and unconcerned about their employment. Tlie majority of farm laborers take too little interest in their work or whether it benefits their employer, and in most instances are improvident and disposed to spend more than they earn. Of course, there are some exceptions. As a general thing they need to work more regularly and lay by something.—J. H. Doighton, Laurel Springs. CoMrEi> Six ^Months' Attenda>-ce.—The need of wage earners is for them to make all time. It is seldom we can get them to make over half time. Every child in the South should go to school six months out of every year, and unless we have compulsory education the South will be still farther behind in edu-cation.— H. B. Jones, liockyhock. Should Attend Four Months, or Longer.—I favor a compulsory school law, from the fact that people as a rule will not pationize the schools in their com-munity as they should, especially the farming class. I think all children from six to fifteen years, anyway, should be compelled to attend school four months, if no longer, in each year.—G. H. BaivER, Tyner. Let Each Race Educate Its Own Children.—First of all, divide the school fund: let each race educate its own children and have compulsory education. The law that makes a man become responsible for a hand's debts if he hires him from another inan before his time is out is a good one, and it is making-labor moi'e reliable in this section.—A. B. Walker, Anderson. Wants Every Man to Have to Send.—I favor a compulsory school law. as there are some of my neighbors Avho don't send their children to school, and the free school close to them. I Avould like to see the time when every man will have to send his children to school at least four months in the year. I have nine children myself, and I think the graded school is one of the best things that has ever been in the way of educating the children, especially the jjoor class.—P. B. Bush, Lenoir. Compulsory School Law Would be Good.—Our farming lands are certainly not diminishing any in value, but at the same time I can"t say they are on an especial boom. I think the farmers are becoming more appreciative of their homes, and in many instances the farmers are in touch with all the modern methods of farming- while manv of them are clinging to old methods and con- 30 ISToBTii Carolina Labor Statistics. sequently are doing very little good. Labor is somewhat scarce of late and prices for same have advanced to what they used to be. The G. W. Vanderbilt estate and other public works have influenced the price of labor in this county; they give one dollar per day usually and often more, but farm hands among the average farmer aie about as I have quoted. There are not many negroes in our county outside our city limits, our hired help being mainly white people. Our farm hands usually have their houses and wood furnished free of rent. I think a compulsory school law would be good for our section. There is too much indifference about sending children to school, especially in the rural dis-tricts. Our county, taken as a whole, is enjoying great improvement along the farming line.—R. C. Crowell, Acton. Opposed to Compulsory Education Except as a Last Resort.—I had hoped the Constitutional Amendment would solve the problem of education, and still believe when it goes into actual operation in 1908 that it will compel men to educate. I am opposed to compulsory education except as a last resort. I think that people are best governed who are governed least. There is a class who are indifferent about the education of their children, but, as stated above, I think that indifference will disappear when their right to vote is taken away by reason of their ignorance. A compulsory law would create great friction and big expense to tax payers.—C. P. Weaver, Weaverville. Should Have Four Months of Compulsory Attendance.—It seems to me that the white people are not interested in education as they should be. I think the State should take hold of this matter and devise better legislation whereby the uninterested shoulcT be comi>elled to do something on their part. Let the State furnish those who can't get books for their children^ and then compel them to send their children at least four months in the year, and if you get them interested by sending four months they will want to get a six-months school. We need a better school system than we have now. It seems to me with the improvement in the country there might be some improvement in the public schools of our State. People are living better now and are improving every year. Why- not improve the schools'? — Elisiia Sellers, Supply. Reliability Necessary.—With my experience of three years in the school-room, fifteen as a wage-earner, one in the army, and four as a farmer, I think the greatest need of the wage-earner is reliability. Teach them to be truthful, so their employer will believe what they say; then to be prompt and obedient; then they will never lack Avork. If it's right to force men to pay the tax, then it's right to force them to get the benefit of it. Sixty per cent, of the money is wasted on account of non-attendance. I quit teaching on this account, and wages—I could make more at something else. Our teachers are nearly all women. I am in favor of a constitutional amendment giving the negro what he pays and no more. Raise the standard and price of teachers and force the children to go.—F. D. McLean, Bladenhoro. CoxDiTiox OF Farmers. 31 Knowledge Necessary to the Wage-earxek.—I think if wage-earners could see the folly of trying to beat the one who employs them, and learn that to do good, honest work that would benefit them, they could improve their condition. The way our public schools are governed now is a sliame. We are paying double taxes, our school terms only ten weeks, and not more than one-fourth the chil-dren attend school. But just how a compulsory school law could be enforced without injury to farmers and wage-earners I cannot see. Farmers as a rule have to work their children on the farms ; so if white and black are both forced into school, who will gather the crops?—I. F. Hilbubx, Bladenboro. Mild Compulsory Law Necessary.—I deem a mild compulsory educational enactment to be absolutely necessary, else we will have right many white boys who will become of age after 1908 who will be unable to vote under the Consti-tution.— T. H. Smithwick, Merry Hill. Farm Labor Scarce.—In the country, owing to the scarcity of farm labor many farmers could not spare their children. This would be my only objection to the compulsory school law. If our Educational Board and School Committee always looked to the best interest of the children I would favor a compulsory school law for a term of four months each year. Negro labor is not at all reliable, owing to scarcity, and of very poor grade. The saw-mills and timber firms hije the best negro labor and pay more than is paid for farm labor.—N. A. Pursser, Chocowinity. Compulsory School Law.—I think a compulsory school law is just what we need. There are plenty of sorry people in my community who don't pretend to send to school who could send, nothing to prevent. They have clothes and tuition costs nothing, and not far to go, and I think they ought to be made to go.—T. S. Majxwell, Fig. Compulsory Attendance.—If the State forces money from its citizens to school all its children, it, in justice to the children, should compel their attendance upon a majority of the term each year, until they reach a proper stage of proficiency or their educational welfare be cared for in private schools. Compulsion in attendance is as fair as compulsion in providing.—H. A. Eller, Berlin. Laboring Classes Need Education.—I am quite sure if wage farm hands would study to farm in a systematic way they could command better wages, as many of the farmers are not with the laborers, having other occupations and pro-fessions to which they themselves give their attention, leaving to the farm hands the management of the crops, etc. I favor compulsory education from a general standpoint. Many of the laboring classes are illiterate and cannot appreciate the advantages of an education. The rising generation would be better fitted for all the vocations of life, making a better representative people for our Common-wealth, and have a capacity for thinking and acting for themselves. Education inspires confidence. Once attained, we have a higher class of citizenship. Those 32 XoRTJi Cakolixa Labor Statistics. who fail to meet the requirements of the qualification clause of the Constitutional Amendment will naturally feel demoralized and will become discontented. Let us have better schools, and a better class of voters will follow.—W. C. Greer, Grassy Creek. ISToTiiixG More Needful thajs* Compulsory Education.—In discussing the question of compulsory education, to my mind there is no one thing more needful in this grand old State. Most of the wage-earners are very illiterate; they will not do to depend upon; they can't work machinery, and they depend wholly upon physical strength to sustain their livelihood; so, in my opinion, if they were edu-cated, even in the public schools, they would be more in demand, bring better wages, and do the* same work more easily. In my covmty there are several who can neither read nor write, who live a very short distance from the school-house. In the fall and winter, while the opportunity is given them for attending school they are off hunting rabbits, etc.: and since this is the case ^^dth most "renters" and "croppers," it would be better to have a law that would compel them to attend school at least three months in each year. In my opinion it would be bet-ter to restrict the law so that the child Avould be compelled to attend two-thirds or three-fourths of his time; and as to age limit, it should be about fifteen or six-teen years; by that time the child can get some idea of the good derived from an education, and will willingly and freely attend longer. It is the opinion of most of the 3'oung boys who are growing up in gross ignorance that they will by some mysterious way be allowed to vote in 1908, eA^en though they cannot read or write; and they have not a sufficient amount of reason to convince them to the contrary. So I think a compulsory school law would be the very thing to teach them to read and Avrite, until their reasoning faculties become developed; then will we have the youth trained up in the knowledge of the law, and he will make a better citizen than he otherwise would, and will be an honor to himself, his parents and his country. In conclusion, let us by another year have a compul-sory attendance school law, for the State is suffering for the want of it.—J. P. Wagoner, Elon College. Can't Suggest the Remedy.—I can hardly say what I think in regard to laborers. The trouble (or one) is, they all scorn to pay any attention what-ever to anything but the time they get in at their work. They let their daily work run them alone, or go into debt—and they generally get into debt pretty soon after they gio to public works, and live out of the company's store and pay a higher price than other merchants sell at. They will not even try to make their garden truck in the evenings after work hours, but depend on the company's store for their meat, bread, etc., and, as before, generally come out in debt. This needs regulating; but just what or how I can't say. As to compulsorj^ education, I say yes, let it come, and come in a waj' that all these careless parents about their children will be forced to send to school during the free school six or more months in each year. We have our school tax to pay, and, to save me, I can't see how it's harder on the "poor people" to send to school than on us to pay the tax. GiA'e us a compulsory school law and make it binding, so that in 1908 all (white boys especially) can read and write and be entitled to vote without any questions.—T. M. Frizell, Beta. Condition of Farmers. 33 Favor Mild Form.—I would favor compulsory education in a mild form, giving such protection to the more unfortunate who would be unable to withstand the full force of compulsion without protecting provisions. It is a query with me what to suggest for the betterment of the condition of the rising generation. I have heretofore suggested that some kind of manufacturing establishment that would give employment to women and girls might help some in this section, as this is a mountainoiis section and not a large grain-making section, as there is but a small per cent, of the land susceptible to cultivation, but by the original methods fruits, vegetables and grains all grow well here. The lumber business and bark is giving employment to a great many.—J. B. Raby, Wilmot, Compelled to Favor It.—It seems since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment we are compelled to favor a law that will constrain parents of some children to send them to school ; otherwise they will never be able to read and write.—J. M. Kennee, Scroll. Increased Attendance.—Compulsory school law increased attendance in our schools last year twenty per cent. It will be a great help to the cause of educa-tion if the law is put in force. If not, it will become a dead letter — Wiley Hickman, Leatlierman. Wage-earners Need Libraries.—As to Avage-earners, they need regular em-ployment all the year round and access to a good library and reading-room. Compulsory education is necessary to make legal voters of our boys under the Amendment Avhen they become of age. Let us have it by all means.—Z. M. Leatherman, Leatlierman. Favors Compulsory School Law.—I favor compulsory school law. Our pub-lic school district has been consolidated and a local tax levied of forty-five cents on poll and fifteen cents on one hundred dollars worth of property. The school is in session now, and they have sixty-two scholars out of one hundred and twenty-five. It is the poorer class that do not send to school. We are compelled to pay our school tax and the children it is intended for do not get the benefit of it.—J. M. Haney', Nealsville. Believer in Compulsory Education.—I believe in compulsory education. It looks hard, and yet it will eventually have to come, for, as you will see, we have a great number of people who care nothing for education, and these people have families and care nothing about educating their children; hence I favor compell-ing these people to school their children. As for farm labor, it is scarce and high, and if we people have to pay farm hands any higher wages than we now do it will pay us best to turn our lands to grass farms instead of cotton, wheat and corn.—H. A. Gilleland, Lowesville. Parents' Neglect Responsible.—Since the passage of the Constitutional Amendment I think that we should have a system of compulsory education to 3 34 ^OETii Cakolika Labok Statistics. educate the poor children of the country. Their parents are in a large per cent, ignorant and are neglecting the education of their children -where a compulsory system would learn them to read and write^ if no more.—J. F. Killiaji, Denver. Whites Take Advantage of Schools.—The whites all give their children a common school education. There is not a white child here of school age who can-not read and write. We are opposed to the education of the negro except in indi-vidual cases. To educate the masses makes them unfit for farm work. They con-gregate in the slums of our towns and cities and usually become criminals. An educated negro will not work as a farm hand, and usually fails as a cropper. The whites here are getting bitterly opposed to the system of being taxed to edu-cate negro children at the expense of their own, or, in other words, in taking the mioney paid by the white people and using it to educate the negro. The negro here gets a longer term than the whites under the present system. There must be a change, or else there will be trouble ahead for the party that persists in keeping this system of taxation upon the statute books. Let the whites receive all the money jDaid by white tax-payers for the use of white schools only, and all will be well.—J. W. McIxtosh, Loicesville. Constrained to Yield to Compulsory Education.—My views as to compul-sory education have somewhat changed during the last twelve months. My expe-rience as a school committeeman has brought about this change. It seems to me that the State is doing her part in the way of furnishing educational opportuni-ties to the children of the State, and we are not reaching a certain class of chil-dren who, above all others, need the help that the State is offering. All efforts made by the committee, the teacher and the best element of the neighborhood to get them to attend school, so far, has been a complete failure in this section, and I presume that other sections have the same trouble. Therefore I feel constrained to yield to the plan of compulsory education that will accomplish more good and less waste of the people's money. As to wage-earners, they only need honest pro-tection, and I think the laws at present are sufficient for that. It is an unusual occurrence that an honest laborer has any trouble with the one who has him employed. I believe most men Avho hire labor really take pleasure in paying and protecting the laboring class who try, or even half-way try, to deal honestly with their employer. On the other hand, none of us are willing to pay full wages for half work.—J. H. Smith, Svnthfield. Public Libraries Necessary.—A well-selected public library in every school district would be beneficial to the wage-earners. We have a mild compulsory school law in this county, which is already giving our children an opportunity for an education. The law compels our citizens to pay tax for the support of the government. Why not compel them to send their children to school so as to enable them to become better citizens? — John E. Eickman, Leather-man. Condition of Faemeks. Compulsory Education One of Greatest Needs.—I think that more regular employment, with better tenant-houses and more opportunities for mental and social improvement, even at the present wages, would greatly improve the wage-earner's present condition, provided that the prices of commodities upon which he has to live were not increased from their present ratio. Compulsory educa-tion is one of the greatest needs of the laboring classes, from the fact that this class of people have to live by their labor, and, if not restrained by legislation, ^\^ll sacrifice mental improvement to the promotion of manual labor, much of which is wrongly directed and misguided; all of which amounts to little or noth-ing. We shall never, in my opinion, have a universal educational system until we reach the point of compulsion, and it Avould not only benefit the laboring classes, but the whole people. I think that any State owes this system of educa-tion to its citizens.—M. J. Green, Whitford. Compulsory Education—Strenuous Temperance Law.—The educational con-dition of the working people has improved greatly under the present administra-tion of Governor Aycock. The moral and religious condition has improved be-yond all expectation under the Watts law; and with a still more strenuous tem-perance law, removing the entire liquor traffic from the State, if possible, and a compulsory educational law, in a fcAV years we would have the best State in the Union; all of which I favor very much.—I. R. Self, Lincolnton. jSTeed System of Compulsory Education.—I think we need a system of com-pulsory education. It would be a blessing to the little children if they could be kept out of the cotton mills three or four months in the year, even if they didn't learn anything. — Thomas F. Cornwell, Lincolnton. Favors Compulsory Education.—I favor compulsory education. If notliing happens to change present conditions, in ten or fifteen years the negro boys will be voting and whites will be disfranchised. Now on my farm I have six white families and twelve children of school age, and not more than four went at all, and most of the term only one. There are nine colored families, and not a single child stayed at home. If they went hungry or unclothed, they every last one went to school ; could not hire any of the larger ones to get them to work, but the white children would Avork for you every day. So you see from this that it is only a question of years, under the present system, until the white children will not be in it. Make them all go by compulsion; and then, as to hands—they will not make regular hands��stop every Saturday, or a part of it, and lots of days when you need them most; "grass a-groAving"; they are out fishing or off killing time at something. — William D. Avera, Smithfield. Opposed to Compulsory Education.—In regard to compulsory education, I would say that I am opposed to it, or to any compulsory law that is not really necessary for good government. As to suggestions relative to wage-earners' needs, I would say, as I understand the law as it now is, we have about all we 36 ]S[oRTii Carolina Laboe Statistics. need along this line for honest laborers and honest employers to get along wath smoothly, and don't think that any law could be enacted that would govern the dishonest man better tnan what we have now, whether he be a laborer or an employer.—M. P. Lassiter, Smithfield. Favor Modified Compulsory Law.—I certainly favor a modified compulsory school law, and unless we get something of this kind soon Ave will have failed to do our duty in solving the educational problem that confronts us. The educa-tional, moral and religious status of our people is improving some, I believe, but it is so little that it is almost imperceptible. The question as to wage-earners is too wide, too long and too deep for me to say anything intelligently in regard to it, but I believe there is "something" that ought to be done along that line, and, hoping you will find that something, I am—A. L. Ensley, Syhm. No Other Way.—The labor in this section has diminished until farmers can only rely upon their own force, themselves and children. In case of a little grass during the summer months, what few hands are left command from seventy-five cents to a dollar per day. People have been forced to reduce the acreage, as they cannot rely upon floating labor. As to compulsory education, I am satisfied the majority of children will never be benefited by the public or any other system of schools until they are compelled to attend them. Most of the illiterate parents say: "Well, I had no education, and my children must do as I have, and I must keep them at home to work like I did when I was a boy." As the law now requires every voter to read and Avrite after 1908, I see no way to save our poor Avhite boys from disfranchisement but to educate them and the sooner this step is taken the better for the youngster. — Joseppi J. Foster, Centerville. Schools Much Improved.—I cannot see why avc should be taxed to pay a teacher to sit in a school-house half of his time with but few of the children. We are in need of more mind power throughout my section. I must say our schools have been very much improved, but there is room for a good deal more. My price for men hands is tAvelve dollars in money; then they have a good three-room house, yard, good garden and potato "patch which I have them to plow when plowing my crop. I give twelve dollars and twenty-one pounds of meat, one bushel of meal, and pay at the end of the month. Women living in these houses work by the day; come out after breakfast, have two hours at dinner, and get forty cents a day. Children get twenty cents and work on the same basis. — M. H. Smithson, Battlehoro. Would be Great Thing.—As to wage-earners, there is but one thing to be done—that is to make them keep at work; all loose labor don't seem to Avork more than two days in the Aveek. I am only speaking for my own section of the county, especially among the colored people. Compulsory education would be a great thing for good, as there are some families that do not send at all; they Avould rather loaf around. I say let compulsory education come with this next Legislature.—C. A. Kiser, Cherryville. Condition of Farmers. 37 Nothing but Compulsion Will Do.—I don't see any remedy for the wage-earner in his and the land owner's present conditions—the future looking for low prices and the farms run down to small yield per acre. If the wage-earner could be induced to become more interested in favor of the employer he w^ould be more able to get better wages. As to compulsory education, I can't suggest in my experience as a committeeman for four years anything that will be very effective except a compulsory law and it enforced.—-H. F. Foebes, Croicdei-'s Creek. Need Better Education.—I can't say what about labor, but I know we need better education. We need more money, better school buildings and longer terms of school, and I think it would be a good thing to make a man pay a small fine when he can and won't send his children to school.—A. H. Baker, Lucia. Compulsory Education.—I think compulsory education—any way so far as our free schools are concerned, which do not amount to more than four months in tlie year—should be established. As for wage hands, we have no way of holding them responsible for favors or advancements made on crops without a good deal of litigation, which usually leaves the landlord in worse shape than when he started. If there could be some means by which we could force them to abide by their contracts mthout so much litigation^ the labor problem would be very much improved.—W. I. Warren, Lucia. Labor Question Serious.—The labor question in our section has become to be a serious problem. The cotton mills have been built so fast for the last few years, and the times so hard on the farms, and prices for labor so low that the larger per cent, of the intelligent white farm laborers have quit the farms and gone to the mills, and most of the best negro workers have left the countrj^, leav-ing behind the lower class of white people and worthless negroes to do our work, and they, seeing the situation as it is, demand high prices for the kind of work they do. So unreliable is the labor that many of our farmers have abandoned hiring altogether, and many that once did not work their families have put them to work in fields, and it works so nicely vsdth them that they would not return to the old system of hiring, as they have found that with their own folks and im-proved tools they can live better and have more than when they employ the kind of labor they can get. But still there is good demand for all the labor that is here, even if it is inferior. Now, as to compulsory education, ^\dll say that I am opposed to it, from the fact that it will make bad matters worse with a great many of our people. We favor educating everybody who wants to be educated, but we cannot see the propriety or justice or necessity in making people go to school if their parents don't want them to go. But the main reason we oppose compulsory education is that we have many widows who have children that they are dependent upon for a living, and to compel them to go to school would make it hard on them. I don't think we need to bother ourselves about educating them on account of the Constitutional Amendment. People who don't care enough for themselves to try to get an education are not, in my opinion, the kind of folks to say who shall be our servants (or rulers, as some call them). And 38 I^OETii Carolina Laboe Statistics. again, I think it a slim argument in favor of education to say that by so doing it will enable a fellow to vote ; it would seem by that that all our politicians want them educated for is to get them qualified to vote. I favor educating people in order to make them more intelligent citizens, and favor it so as to enable him or her to live in this world with more ease. — Egbert L. Abernethy, Mount Holly. Wage-earner All Right.—The wage-earner is well cared for on the farmj he can get regular employment; a house and enough land for a garden is given free of cost, and if he meets misfortune in sickness or anything else money is ad-vanced him. In my opinion the laborer who has enough education to read and write a little is of more benefit, both to his family and employer, than one who has a little more; the former one is satisfied on the farm, while the latter is only content at trying to cast the farm life aside. He tries politics to secure an office, or relies on his education in buying and selling to earn a living, and the most of them fail, so far as making a success is concerned. As a rule, the negro with a little education is more apt to get into the toils of the law. I don't believe in educating the negro beyond a certain point, for many of them go to a city thinking to get some light job in which their education will help them and often return in a Avorse condition than their brothers whom they left behind on the farm. I don't know that the enforcement of the law requiring all voters after 1908 to explain any part of the Constitution to the satisfaction of a judge to be of benefit both to the laborer and employer, for the reason stated above. With regard to the farming interest in this section, it is confined to trucking, raising potatoes, melons, beans and peas and corn on a small scale.—N. C. Newbern, Jarvishurg. Should be for Six Months.—Compulsory education should be so arranged that the children could go to school six months in the year, beginning with Sep-tember and ending with February. This would not conflict much with the crop season, since people are compelled to work their children to make support. There is no labor in this section of the State to be hired under any circumstances. What there was has gone to public works. The education of the negro is of the wrong kind; they should be taught to read and write and the methods of labor and farm work in connection. I have had much experience with the negro during m.y life. My father owned many of them before the war, and, being the only son, I was reared on the farm with them and learned to know much of them and their habits and natures; also since the war I have worked many of them and have had many dealings with them and think that I know them well. Educated negro labor as it has been since the war is a mere farce. If I want an honest day's labor from a darkey I always try to get an ex-slave to do it instead of the new negro. If the negro could have been taught and his life planned and character shaped by the white Southern people, the race question would have never been or existed as it does to-day. He is taught from his grave to hate and strive against his best friend, the Southern white man. The new white man and the new negro are at variance, and it will continue unless the mode of training be changed and both taught the head and hand in their training. The negro labor is the best the Condition of Fakmeks. 39 South can get if the training could be in agriculture along ^\dth his mental teachings. High-priced labor is detrimental to the negro wage-worker in this section, for just as soon as he gets a few»days' labor in hand he is disposed to loaf about until he needs something that will force him again to work. This makes labor very unreliable, and one other objection is that the white man will not hesitate to influence hands from his neighbor by offering more wages, especially in the harvest season, such as cotton and peanut picking. I have many times had to advance the price or lose my hands. Such is wrong and against the wage-earner, for it makes him unreliable, and you cannot depend on him, for he will go where the most money is to be had.—K. R. Maddrey, Pen-dleton. Compulsory Lavp, with Exceptions.—I would favor a compulsory educa-tional law, except in cases where the parents are so poor that they are obliged to have the labor of their children the whole year round. I think the government should provide food and clothing for the very poor children whose parents are not able to furnish the same. — Jacob Kiser, Bessemer City. Lack or Interest Responsible for Present State of Schools.—I favor a compulsory school law in general in this county. Graham County schools are run up to the requirements of the law. We have four months' school in all of the districts, but on account of the parents the average is very small. It is dilatoriness and lack of interest in school, and their ciiildren -will have good schools, good teachers, schools conveniently located as a general rule. The law forces the County Board of Education to have four months' school the county over; then if the parents won't send, make them send. I have been connected with the public schools of this county for six years. I think that a compulsory school law would be the best for the children of dilatory parents, and it won't hurt those who have a desire to educate their children.—W. H. Garrison, Yellow Creek. Not Ready Yet.—Just so soon as the State will afford sufficient aid to run schools from eight to ten months, then we are ready for compulsory school law.—P. C. Sawyer, Brock. Compulsion the Only Remedy.—Since the new laAV has been passed I am in favor of compulsory school law. It is the only remedy for educating our people I see at present. There are a great many people who don't know what education is; therefore they don't send their children to school.—O. R. Crisp, Japan. Compulsory Education.—I am candid in saying I favor compulsory educa-tion. I have had quite an experience in the affairs of our public schools, and I feel that this is the only means by which we can get all of our children in school. I think our people are somewhat on the up-grade socially, intellectually, finan-cially and religiously. Our people are trying to economize and live within their means. Some young men are striving for an education. There is some improve- 40 ISToKTH Oaeolina Labor Statistics. ment among the colored people since they cannot vote. While many have left the county, those here are more orderly, more respectful and easier to deal with. — D. N. Hunt, Oxford. Educated Negroes No Good.—Compulsory education might do if not for the negro race. We people down here do not believe in the education of negroes. The Southern white people do not need the educated negro. Let him go where he is wanted and needed. We do not care for the negro only as he cares for us; the negro's work is all Ave want from the negro. The white people's money is all the negro wants from the white people. An 'educated negro is no good for work. H. F. Haedy, Jason. Not for Negroes.—I am not in favor of compulsory edvication. It might be all right for the white race, but I am not in favor of negro education in any way, as I have noticed all my days that education was a great disadvantage to the negro, for when they begin to have the least education they are worth but very little to the white race as laborers, and the Southern whites have but very little use for the negro except for his labor. I long to see the day come when the whites shall pay the tax to educate the whites and the negro pay the tax to educate the negro. I am not in favor of educating the negro in the South, as such are no good as laborers. We would not need any compulsory school law if it were not for the negro. Our people down here are fully disgiisted with the education of negroes.—W. D. Mewborn, Jason. Opposed to Compulsion.—I do not favor compulsory education any more than I do compulsory religion. People do not take kindly to anything of a compulsory nature. If we have a compulsory school law that means that we are going to compel the negro to again become a voter; to that I am unalterably opposed. Let the negrb educate his own children. I do not want to see the white man taxed to educate the negro. We educate the negro and he lands in the peniten-tiary. There is not one in fifty that is not ruined by an education; as soon as he can read and write he wants a position, and if he can't get it he becomes a loafer and a thief. The negro is an inferior being, and was created for a servant, and when we try to change any of God's plans we make a failure, and we cer-tainly make a grand failure in educating the negro. Compulsory education means his re-enfranchisement; that we do not want. The Anglo-Saxon must control; we are in proper shape now to rule, and we must do it. Then let us have a division of the school fund. As to the wage-earners, all the majority of them need is to practice economy. Some men soon save enough to have a little home, while others getting the same Avages are always behind and are the first to find fault Avith their employers.—C. A. Tickle, Gibsonville. Decidedly in Favor of Compulsory Education.—I think if Avage- earners Avould do better and more Avork and be more trustAvorthy it Avould aid them to get better Avages. I am decidedly in favor of compulsory education. We have to pay school taxes and I am in favor of a compulsory attendance.—F. G. Chil-cutt. Brown's Suvumit. Condition of Fakmees. 41 Wage-earners Shovld be Bound to Fill Contracts.—Tlie school question in the negro belt of North Carolina is a difficult problem. The whites pay largely the school tax and the blacks seem to make the best use of it. There is more Ignorance in the wliite race that is growing up than there is in the black. The whites do not make the best of the opportunities afforded them, while the blacks use it to the very best advantage. The result will be in 1908 there will be a larger per cent, of whites disfranchised than blacks. If there could be an effective law enacted that would bind the wage-worker to stay his time with his employer it would be to the advantage of both the wage-worker and his em-ployer.—^ D. S. Moss, Moss. HoNESTT Wage-earners' Greatest Need.—I believe if those who work for Avages would come up to the plan of doing good, honest work and not try so hard to beat those who employ them, that they would soon see that this would improve their conditions very much. I notice that whenever you find a hand that will go out and do an honest day's work and not have to be followed and watched all day, he can get all the work he can do, and that those who have to employ hands are quite ready to employ him and pay good wages. As to compulsory school law, I have come to believe that some measure of that kind will necessarily have to be enacted, but am not prepared to say what the strength of such a law should be.—-W. P. Raiford, Princeton. Strongly Favors Compulsory Attendance.—I am so strongly in favor of compulsory education and the no-fence law, or stock law, that I am an exponent of the doctrine. The more observation and experience I have the more convinced am I in these theories. I have had over fifteen years' experience as superinten-dent of schools in some of the best cities in the South. It is in my opinion farci-cal for the State to provide public free schools to protect itself against illiteracy and ignorance and not force attendance at said schools.—H. V. Moulton, Dunn. Wage-earners Not Reliable.—As to wage-earners, they are not reliable; if more of them should settle and go to work. If we credit the most of them we get beat, so the farmers in this country try to do most of their work. As to education, I am in favor of some kind of compulsory law in our mountain coun-try, the poor class won't send their children to the free schools.—C. E. Clark, Clyde. School System a Failure Without Compulsion.—^I am strongly in favor of a compvilsory school laAV and the greatest blessing that could come to the laboring people of this mountain country would be a law that would compel them to send their children to the public schools. In some communities up here the free school system is a failure without a compulsory school law.—L. N. Pin-ner, Canton. Compulsory Education for Wage-Earners.—I favor compulsory education. Think it would be a great deal better for the wage-earners, and also thinlc that 42 I^OKTH Oaeolina Labor Statistics. agriculture taught in the public schools would be very beneficial to them, think it would interest them in their work and make them try harder to make farm-ing a success.—T. E. Osborne, Hills River. Would not Be Best.—I don't think that compulsory school law will be very good in our county, as we are most all farmers and we can't spare our children more than four months, and we already have four months of free school.—J. J. RussEL, Boomer. Should be Compelled.—I believe it would be proper to compel people to send their children to school a fixed number of months during the year.—J. J. Lank-ford, Bhtff. Nothing Better than Education.—I am in favor of a compulsory educa-tional law. I think it would improve the morals and greatly improve the lower class of people. We are far behind in point of education in this county. I can't say what would benefit the wage-earners in this county unless education.—D. M. Young, Clarissa. Good for Whites.—Our class of wage-earners are of the lowest type of the negro race and they would appreciate nothing on earth that could be done for them. I am satisfied that the_ day is not far distant when a radical change must happen in our county as the negroes are moving to the towns and what few are left are not worth the powder and shot it would take to kill them. We have a little white labor which is all right and seems to be getting along well. As to compulsory education, I believe in it so far as the white race is concerned, and as to the negro the more education you give him the more trouble he will give you. Our school system has improved very materially since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment.—E. L. Gibes, Middletown. Would Force Hardship.—As to my views on compulsory education, I have this to say: It would force quite a hardship on the poorer class of people to compel them to send their children to school as they are most dependent upon their children for farm labor during spring season, lasting about five montha. I am in favor of compelling the parents to send their children to the free school, making the session six months in the year, summer and fall. — Geo. P. Carter, Fairfield. Better Teachers the Neeid.—I think it would be well if we had more houses and better houses for the Avage-earners, also if we had better teachers in their public schools; teachers that would take more interest in learning them manners and politeness as well as books. I think it advisable that the children be com-pelled to attend the public schools that they might be able to read and write the Constitution.—J. W. Gibbs, Middletotcn. Negroes Making Most Rapid Strides.—I have often felt the need of an edu-cation, especially so the older I get. My education being limited, I am in favor Condition or Farmers, 43 of compulsory education—for, really I think the negroes are making more rapid strides along educational lines than the Avhites. It is a sad fact, but I think it nevertheless true. Our Governor has done much for education in North Caro-lina.—^ 0. P. Shell, Dunn. Ix Favor of Compulsion.—I am in favor of compulsory education. I believe it would be a good thing for the people for there are some who will not send their children to school unless they are forced to, and I believe that we ought to have a way to make them. Tlieir fathers and forefathers have no education and they think just because they have gotten along all right that their children can, and I think it is time for that to stop. If the wage-earners will go to work their wages will be raised high enough, for they are raising every day. In the spring a hand could be hired for sixty cents a day and now there can't be a hand gotten for less than seventy-five cents and a dollar a day. They are so lazy they Avon't work regularly, they will work just long enough to get something to go on and then quit.—J. A. Piiarr, Canton. Nothing Necessary in Legislation for Wage-Earners.—I can't conceive anything that is necessary to improve the condition of the wage-earner at this time. He receives good wages and can get all the work he wants to do. I cannot recommend compulsory education (among the whites) too strong; they do not avail themselves of the advantages they have, they do not use their opportuni-ties. Unless something is done to awaken the masses 1908 will find many of our people disqualified. The negro needs nothing to stimulate him, he uses every means that comes his way. The less education he has the better laborer he makes. Education with him is no failure. — John M. Clayton, Engleha'rd. Don't Want Compulsory Education.—We are in pretty fair condition gen-erally. There are plenty of hands. The tendency of oiir farmers is to get the improved machinery to work the land, so that hoe hands are all that are wanted now. The most of our people are working on the tenant system, and that will soon give way to hard labor. We have found that our farms will run down on the tenant system, for we cannot get them to work in the winter. The negro will go to school the whole time if there is a school for him to go to. The educar tional conditions are pretty good. There is no danger of the negro getting ahead of our race of children, for they take double the schooling the whites do; there are a few cases where the negro is quick to learn. We as a people generally are not in favor of compulsory education; it might do some good, but do much harm. The people are in good financial condition, generally speaking—some pocket change on hand—^well, you know some people will never haA^e anything but a scant living. The most of the people have a broad smile on now ; crops have worked out good—corn, very good; wheat, fine crop; cotton, the very best; oats, very good. All things point to success.—P. W. Eagle, Statesville. Impossible for Some.—It seems to me that if we had a compulsory school law it would almost be impossible for some people to send their children to school. 44 JSToETii Caeolin-a Labor Statistics. We have some poor people who live three or four miles from any school-house and are not able to board their children away from home, yet it seems that there must be something done to educate them^ since the amendment requiring them to read and write the Constitution correctly after 1908. If we had a compulsory law not to exceed four months in the year it might be of some benefit to us. I don't think longer than that would do. The people are obliged to work out a sup-port.— J. P. Reed, Beta. Compulsory School Law.—I favor compulsory school law. Laborers should live more economically, making more garden, etc., to eat, and buying less in the commissary store. I hope all laborers will try this way one year.—S. W. Ens-ley, Beta. Education Would Improve.—I do not know what to say about what would benefit Avage-earners ; only I can say this much, and that is to give them better education and it will improve the wages of the people. I am in favor of a com-pulsory school law and think it would be a good thing for our people in our sec-tion, as a lot of them live in a short distance from the schools and do not send but part of the time and some of them don't send at all.—W. V. Davis, Beta. Wage-earners Should be Moke Punctual.—Tlie wage-earners need to be more punctual and work more to benefit their employers. As to compulsory educa-tion, as school-houses are now situated in some localities it would be a hardship on some. If houses were more conveniently located I might favor compulsory education.—V. B. Knight, Lawrence. Compulsion Absolutely Necessary.—Judging from my own school district, I am highly in favor of compulsory education. Some families take no interest in the schools at all. A man in this county who has five children of school age — three boys and two girls—says the school is all right, is satisfied Avith the teacher, but refuses to send any of them to school. None of them have been to school a day in their lives. There is no Avay for some children to get their rights except by the passage and putting into eff'ect a compulsory school law.—P. E. Head, Decatur. Favors Education.—I favor education in any way that it may be brought about, and am very proud indeed to see the advance that has been made in recent years along this line. I have served four years on the school board of our county and am convinced that compulsory education is the only thing that will over get proper attendance on our public schools. We have in our home district eight months of free school maintained by those of us who feel able by voluntary subscription, and yet the attendance is poor, so far as the tenant class goes. They are treated nicely at our school and we visit them and insist that they go, and yet some of them Avill not attend more than one or two months. I hope I have a liberal and broad view on educational lines toward all classes, but I must say that I think the education of the negro under the present system is unsatis-factory and in a large measure a useless expenditure. The whites of the South CoNDiTioisr OF Faeimers. 45 will not teach them, and the negroes have no teachers in our county woithy of the name. I am informed by our present Superintendent, and his predecessor also, that they are forced to accept men and women to take charge of the work who are not fitted in any capacity for the job.—W. A. Bizzeix, Neicton Grove. Compulsory Education Needful.—As to compulsory education, I think it very needful. So many of our people let their children stay at home when they should send them to school. Others hire them out for a small sum, when they could easily get along without it. Tlie demand for labor is so pressing that people keep their children out of school to Avork, while a goodly number of men folks walk around. — James N. McLaueix, Stewart. Favors Stringent Vagrancy Law.—I am in favor of compulsory education, especially the poor laboring class of white children. They are very much in need of help along this line. Further, I favor some stringent vagrant law passed to force the lazy, loafing class to work, and we would have less crime and judicial expense on our State and less cause for lynchings, riots, etc.—D. D. Gibson, Gibson. Xo Law Will Help Wage-earners.—There is no law that will do the wage-earners any good unless they try to save Avhat they make. My view on compul-soiy education is that we should send our children four months in the year, and from seven to fourteen years of age, any way; then those who will not send should be compelled to send.—J. W. Veach, Thomasville. Xeed More Education.—It seems that wage-earners need steady employment and more economy and a good education. I am highly in favor of compulsory education. Our people need more education worse than they need better wa^es. I sometimes think that wages are too good and the temptation too great to make money, and that is A\hy there are not more young men and women in school. If wages were less and professional wages higher, more people would educate them-selves. Pass a law that all children shall attend school at least four months in each year, from six to sixteen years of age, and when they become reconciled to that, make it six months, and so on, until our people are educated.—A. S. Mil-ler, Mannersville. Good Thing if Books are Furnished.—I think compulsory education a good thing, provided books can be furnished the children; otherwise I don't favor it. — G. W. HowAEiD, Hallsville. Compulsion the Only Way.—I think that compulsory education is the only way that the children in the rural districts will ever be educated. Force them to send to school, say one-third of the year.—0. P. Grifton, Centreville. Education Ruins the Negro.—Education is ruining the negro as a farm laborer. The women work very well by the day, but they are not certain. Any 46 IToKTH CaeolijSta Laboe Statistics. farmer Avho depends on hired negroes to run his plows is liable to find his hands absent any Monday morning after pay-day. We need a good class of white labor, but the Greek and Scandinavian won't do.—W. S. Parkek, Henderson. Labor Question Serious.—As a general thing our people are opposed to com-pulsory education. The labor question is a serious one with us. The labor is trifling and unreliable^ and on a whole it is unsatisfactory. We seem to need some legislation along the line of compelling a laborer to stick to his contract. A good many of them don't regard it at allj and we don't seem to have any way of reaching them.—D. D. Peele, Fremont. Lumber Business Takes Farm Hands.—The lumber business is carried on extensively in Wilkes County; so farm hands are scarce. Fai'mers are doing well in this neighborhood. Most of them have money to pay for what they do not make on the farm. There are very few idle people in this community. As to compulsory education, I know of several men that voted for the Amendment to the Constitution that are not sending their children to school. Compulsion or no compulsion, there are going to be a good many young men deprived of their right to vote after 1908. I have taught for the last five winters and have endeavored to get all the families to send. Some tell me they are not able to buy books and clothing for their children. Some, no doubt, are not; others make that for an excuse. If our State's financial condition was able to provide for the very poorest, I would favor compulsory education. We need more enthusiasm in education, especially in public schools. Most people want their children edu-cated, but are more interested in their own financial condition.—I. M. Crouch, Moravian Falls. Compulsion for Teachers as Well as Pupils.—I am in favor of a compul-sory school law that would compel parents to school their children, and a law that would compel teachers to do their full duty. My observation has been that both parents and teachers are at fault. Parents are in some cases negligent, and there are teachers that are failures. In my opinion about fifty per cent, of the teachers are worthy of their profession; the balance are not. — Martin DeHart, Sicain. More Education—Less Use for Farm Labor.—My observation is that the more education a negro gets the less use he is for farm or other labor.—W. J. ]\IiERCER, Skinnersville. Better Houses and Teachers.—I cannot advocate compulsory education until we have better houses and better teachers. It would be next to criminal to com-pel children to be crowded into some of the houses Ave have, in the care of some of the teachers we have in this and adjoining counties.—E. L. Wolf, Pinnacle, R. F. D. No. 1. Educated Laborers Always in Demand.—I am of the opinion that the only thing necessary for the general building up of the masses of the people is that Condition of Farmers. 47 they be better enlightened, and as they improve intellectually they will improve morally and financially. Then to educate the wage-earner it is necessary that we have compulsory school laws; and of course many will oppose such a law, but as the people become more advanced in literary and scientific training they will eradicate all opposition to a compulsory school system. Educated laborers are in demand, and all who employ seek the better class and are willing to pay higher wages. My opinion is that we could do nothing better for the wage-earner than to compel him to qualify himself for earning a living. Then his service will be in demand.—T. M. Burrus, Jr., Rockford. Eis^FORCE Vagrancy Law.—I thinlc the best thing to better the condition of the wage-earners in this section would be the rigid enforcement of the vagrancy laws, thereby preventing such a large number being drones and lying around in idleness. I would venture the opinion that fully thirty-three per cent, are principally supported by their wives and children, while they are in idleness. I am in favor of the compulsory educational law, if fully enforced. I believe by educating the rising generation morally and mentally the idleness and depend-ence on wife and children would be overcome to a great extent.—G. E. Greenlee, Mica. Laborers Won't Stick.—I am at a loss as to what to say that would be of benefit to the landlord and tenant. As to the laborer, he will not stick, except on the chain-gang, where he does good work and makes excellent roads. It does not make any difference whether he is working for wages or part of the crop, if he takes a notion to move he moves. Tlaere are exceptions. — James A. Wilson, Huntersville. Compulsory Education for Whites.—I am in favor of compulsory education for the white race only. We do not need it for negroes. They will go to school all the time if the white man will feed them. I think all white children should attend school at least four months in the year. Our land would increase in value right along if we had plenty of reliable labor. I think the best thing to do for the laboring class is to make them stand up to their contracts with employers. Pay him fair wages and make him send his children to public school.—W. M. Long, Charlotte. Wage-earners Change Places too Often.—There may be some who would press the wage-earners, but as a rule our farmers are willing to pay all their crops will allow. Tobacco is our main money crop. That has sold so low for several years that the producer cannot afford to pay high wages. The wheat crop for the two years previous to this cost more than the market value. This year the crop is a good average. One trouble with wage-earners and tenants is that they are disposed to change places, or work, too often. When doing well they often become dissatisfied and change, if only for the worse. I am unable to suggest any legislation that would improve their condition.—P. Oliver, R. F. D. No. 1, King. 48 ISToETir Caeolina Labor Statistics. Lack of Ambition Responsible.—It seems to me that the great need of the wage-earners of our section is ambition, in order that they may give the necessary attention to their calling. They don't seem to look any further ahead than pay-day; consequently there is nothing mutual between employer and employee. I think it is impossible for a wage-earner to have any permanent success unless he has some sympathy and has some interest in the success of those who employ him. I favor a compulsory school laAV, as I thinlc that is the only way for the State to prove that it was in earnest in passing the Constitutional Amendment.—E. J. Farthing, Hattie. Labor Gone to Cotton MIlls and Public Works.—The advance in the price of farm products has advanced the value of farming land, and the demand for timber has increased the value of timbered land. The fertility of land is decreas-ing by continual cultivation in cotton. White labor has gone to cotton mills and negro labor to public works. No negro considers a contract for labor binding, nor does he consider the necessity of regular employnient. Many of the white laborers are no more reliable than the negroes.—H. G. Scarboro, Mt. Gilead. Negro No Good as Skilled Laborer.—The labor problem at present is more serious than we have ever seen here. The greater per cent, of farm laborers are negroes, and they have become so unreliable and treacherous that dealing with them is very unsatisfactory. Most of the white laborers are in the cotton mills and lumber plants. For the white race I am highly in favor of education, but do not favor the compulsory school law. I believe that it would be best for both the white race and the negro for the school tax to be taken from the negro. The negro, or the greater per cent, of them, is fit for nothing except common labor. He is no good for skilled labor. When they attend the public schools they become more worthless and treacherous than ever.—R. E. Andrews, Allenton Ferry. Favored Compulsory Education for Twenty Years.—My views on compul-sory education have been for twenty years favorable, notwithstanding I have read what has been said for and against it. I have given it a great deal of study, and I am sure that nothing but compulsory education will ever make our people what they should be. I know that those who oppose it can make some fine argu-ments as to the poor not being able to send or spare their children, and the poor widows, etc. These we will always have with us, and I know there is not a man in the State that sympathizes with them more than I do. If you expect your sons and daughters to be more than hewers of wood, you will have to educate them. You say you can't dress them. Pshaw! Send them in their rags and educate them. Afterwards they will leave their rags behind.—W. T. Mayo, Messick. Cause of Non-attendance.—The low average attendance of our schools is due to several causes—bad school-houses, the lack of interest on the part of the teachers, also incompetence of teachers. I think if our schools were what they should be we would not need a compulsory school law.—W. G. Harris, Island Ford. Condition of Farmers. 49 Wants Wage-eaeners to File Contract.—We want a law to bind wage-earners, so when they start in with a man to compel him to work out the time and forbid all others employing him. — Martin S, Beam, Ellenboro. Wage-eaknees Thriftless.—It is difficult to suggest just what wage-earners most need. They, as a rule, are somewhat thriftless; they seldom even attempt to save any part of their wages for investment in property, being satisfied with the idea that every day will provide for itself. Tliere are, of course, many excep-tions to this general rule, and many wage-earners have comfortable balances in our banks and have their homes and yards beautifully but not luxuriously fur-nished.— A. L. RuCKER. Rutherfordton. CoMPULSOEY School Law Would Benefit.— I think a compulsory school law would be a benefit to Yadkin and adjoining counties, and make every parent send his children to school if he is able; if not, make the county send them and have some way provided for them to go comfortably.—B. L. Sizemobe, Einshaw. Favors Compulsory Education.—I favor compulsory education, and am op-posed to boys and girls who only teach in the free schools in order to get a little money. We have too much of this class of teachers. I favor a free school sys-tem that will not allow extra charges for extra studies. I am in favor of paying more for teachers who employ their whole time in teaching school, and I am opposed to the little four-months teachers receiving as much per month as a man or woman who teaches nine months in a year.—R. J. Ross, New London. Wage-eaenees Unreliable.—The wage-earner is on top of the fence. All that is needed is reliability and faithfulness to duty. Few farmers can afford to start a crop with the uncertainty of labor. If the destitute can be provided for, I favor compulsory education.—J. C. Millee, Salisbury. PovEBTY Great Deawback.—In regard to compulsory school law, I would only favor it if the State would furnish books free; also, many of our people can scarcely afi"ord the time for their children to be at school, much less the cost of books. I mean by this that in many instances children are almost necessarily compelled to help support themselves and the family. Poverty is the great draw-back— not the disinclination of the people to education. Decrease in the cost of living and increase in the price of the products of the farm—and this includes decrease in transportation rates, etc.—are things that will make it possible for our poor to get an education free or otherwise.—H. G. Peatt, Madison. Wage-earners Need Education.—I thinlc that wage-earners need better educa-tion and, above all, more religion. My reason for not liking the compulsory school law is, there are so many poor people who must keep their children at work to earn bread.—A. S. Tyner, Moss Neck. 4 50 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Moral Suasion a Failure.—If some plan could be originated to make "all men honest," not only the laboring classes, but others as well, would be benefited. If people were educated to give full value for what they obtain from their fellow-man, whether it be in labor, kind or money, the country would be made better. "An honest man is the noblest work of God," is not only true, but one of the greatest necessities of the day. When I hire a man to do a day's work at the usual price, and he is not honest enough to do the work unless I stay in sight, why he is not worth the price; while on the other hand a man gives me a full, honest day's work and I refuse to pay the usual price, I am equally as dishonest as the other man. I try to impress upon all my hands the principle of giving "value received." Compulsory education is a knotty problem, but after a year's connection with the public school work in our county I am almost persuaded that a compulsory educational law, with proper safeguards, so as not to work a hard-ship on any one, would be an untold blessing to the rising generation. It is a sad truth that only about thirty-three and a third per cent, of the white and colored children are in attendance upon the public schools even for four months in the year. "Moral suasion" seems to be a failure with both parent and child.—E. F. McRae, Maxton. Would be Time Lost.—I think to raise money by taxation and let the money be divided between the whites and blacks, so that each one would get a share according to the tax he paid, would be right, or about in that proportion. I think to compel some children to go to school would be time lost, but make every man pay a school tax enough to run a good school eight months in a year; then those who want an education will get it all right. But, I am sorry to say, some people don't want their children to have any.—J. E. Carlyle, Lowe. Compulsory Education, with Exceptions.—^As to compulsory education, I mil say that when I see a certain class of young men inclined to loaf and hunt when there is a public school in session in easy reach of them, I think they should be compelled to go. On the other hand, when I see parents who are dependent on their children's labor for a support, 1 cannot say which I favor strongest. I think the first should be made to go to school; the latter should be allowed to stay at home.—E. L. Odum, Mossneck. Can't Send More than Four Months.—In regard to compulsory education, there are a great many farmers whose children are the only help they have to make the crop, and for this reason this class of farmers could not send their children more than four months a year. Should we have longer terms of school, those who were able would send their children.—T. F. Stanback, Mangum. Vagrancy Law Would Improve.���I think that we ought to have a law to com-pel all parents to educate their children as far as possible, but I do not believe in educating the negro race; to educate a negro is to make him' worthless. I believe a vagrant law would improve the negro race more than all the education Condition of Farmees. 51 ever could^ and many whites ought to be under the same law; some of them, strong, able-bodied men, are worthless and ought to be made to go to work.—N. A. McNeill, Roherdell. Favors Compulsion if Law Will Peovide Books, etc.—I favor a compulsory school law if it is a way to enable the poor to go to school—that is. that the law furnish funds to supply clothing and books where it is necessary; this to be decided by a man appointed for the business.—J. I. Branscom, ColUnsville. Educated Negroes No Good.—The farmers' troubles are growing greater yearly, owing to the scarcity of negro labor. Our effort to educate him has les-sened his will to work, has made him four times as likely to become a criminal; in fact, when a negro gets a fair education in the South there is one of four things he is going to do—preach, teach, commit some crime and get in the peni-tentiary, or go North. Our large appropriation for negro education has greatly decreased our supply of labor in the South. It is the educated negro that emi-grates. The Solicitor in my district tells me that over eighty per cent, of his convictions are among the young educated negroes. Out of twenty-seven negro men on my plantation three can read and -write, two of the three have served a term in the penitentiary; of the twenty-four illiterates not one of them have ever been in prison. There have been a great many young negroes to learn to read and wi-ite while being reared on my plantation, but not one in the county now — all gone North. Wages are ten to twenty-five cents per day higher than in former years, and this seems to decrease the supply of labor. When they get higher wages they work fewer days in the week. The lumber and mill men hire to settle but once a month, as the negroes have got to have a few days to get clear of their earnings before renewing their work.—J. J. Laughinghouse, Grimesland. Opposed to Compulsory Education.—In regard to compulsory education, I am opposed to it. It would be good for whites under the present law, but it would prove a curse to the negro, because when a negro gets some education it ruins him. He is no good for a laborer. I don't see how our coming Legislature could hardly make that law without ruining farmers and the negro.—W. C. Clark, Blackjack. Compulsory Education Not Yet.—I am not in favor of compulsory education until we can have the money paid by the white race go to the education of the white children only. When this can be done I am in favor of taxing all the property in the State to an amount sufficient to keep a school in every district at least six months in every year.—W. A. Nichols, GreenviUe. Division of Taxes, then Compulsory Education.—The people who work for wages are in better condition today than ever before. There is plenty of work at good prices; therefore no need for idleness; but such labor here is very unrelia-ble, being nearly all negroes, who pretend to work two or three days in the week; the remainder of the time is spent in attending lodge meetings and attending 52 I^ORTH Carolina Labor Statistics. church and loafing and stealing at night. The only thing that can benefit them is to teach them to work six days in the week and be honest, which is hard to do. I am not in favor of compulsory education until the taxes paid by the white race can be appropriated to white schools only. Experience has taught me that it is worse than useless to educate the negroes, as nearly all of them who can read and write are either in the State's prison or loafing on the street corners, which is one reason for the present scarcity of labor. When the school taxes can be properly divided, giving each race what it pays, then I am in favor of such a tax levy that will keep a public school in each and every district in the State for at least six months in the yearj and perhaps it would be better to enact a law to compel each healthy child of school age to attend at least eighty days in every year.—J. W. Smith, Greenville. Vagrancy Law Necessaey.—In regard to compulsory attendance of public schools, I think it would be of great benefit to the educational advancement of our State. I think, a vagrant law should be enacted that would give magistrates jurisdiction to put criminals on the public roads for thirty days.—J. Maeshall Cox, Winterville. Compulsory Education—Compulsoey Labor.—Any law that would tend to-ward benefiting the wage-earner morally, that would teach him to do honest work for an honest dollar, would inspire confidence in his employer, would be of great benefit to the wage-earner. Compulsory education won't do unless we have com
Object Description
Description
Title | Annual report of the Bureau of Labor and Printing of the State of North Carolina |
Creator | North Carolina. Department of Labor and Printing. |
Date | 1904 |
Subjects |
Agricultural statistics Cotton--North Carolina Education First person narrative Furniture industry and trade Genealogy Industries Labor laws and legislation--North Carolina--Periodicals Mines and mineral resources--North Carolina--Periodicals North Carolina--Newspapers North Carolina. Department of Labor--Periodicals North Carolina--Economic conditions--Periodicals Railroads Telephone Textile industry |
Place | North Carolina, United States |
Time Period | (1900-1929) North Carolina's industrial revolution and World War One |
Publisher | Raleigh, N.C. :The Bureau,1900-1908 ;(Raleigh:Edwards & Broughton, and E.M. Uzzell, state printers). |
Agency-Current |
North Carolina Department of Labor |
Rights | State Document see http://digital.ncdcr.gov/u?/p249901coll22,63754 |
Physical Characteristics | 9 v. :ill. ;24 cm. |
Collection | University Library. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Type | text |
Language | English |
Format |
Annual reports Periodicals |
Digital Characteristics-A | 15763 KB; 268 p. |
Digital Collection | North Carolina Digital State Documents Collection |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Related Items | Continues: North Carolina. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Annual report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State of North Carolina. |
Title Replaced By | North Carolina. Department of Labor and Printing..Annual report of the Department of Labor and Printing of the State of North Carolina |
Title Replaces | North Carolina. Bureau of Labor Statistics..Annual report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State of North Carolina |
Audience | All |
Pres File Name-M | pubs_edp_annualreportbureauoflabor1904.pdf |
Pres Local File Path-M | \Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_edp\images_master\ |
Full Text | Library of the University of North Carolina Endowed liy the J)ialectic mjkI Philsui-thropic S(»cieties. "2.^1 _ N^lL. l^o^r V/^'VERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00033934930 This book may be kept out one month unless a recall notice is sent to you. It must be brought to the North Carolina Collection (in Wilson Library) for renewal. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Ensuring Democracy through Digital Access (NC-LSTA) http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportofbu1904nort EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA H. B. VARNER, Commissioner. GEO. B. JUSTICE, Assr. Commissioner. RALEIGH : E. M. UzzELL & Co., State Printers and Binders. 1904. J EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE YEAR 904. H. B. VARNER, Commissioner. GEO. B. JUSTICE, Asst. Commissionef RALEIGH : E. M. UzzELL & Co., State Printers and Binders. 1904. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL To Els Excellency, Egbert B. Glenn, Governor: Sie:—As provided bj law, I hand you herewith the Eighteenth Annual Keport of the Bureau of Labor and Printing. The reports presented are as complete as it is possible to secure with the facili-ties available under present conditions. As will be seen from the reports, especially of the farmers, labor is scarce, and in a good many cases unreliable. This state of affairs is attributable, I think, to the ignorant state in which a majority of the laborers are to be found. Unable to comprehend the value of an education in any line, they do not educate themselves to accept a hio'her class of emplovment than that to which they have always . . -i been accustomed. Consequently they remain in what is commonly known as the lower class—also remain in a dissatisfied state, and are unable to accoimt for it. Under such conditions it is impossible to get a reasonable amount of service from them, and the same reason is to be assigned for their not taking hold of any means of making livings on their own account. Among this class are found the men who cannot see how anything that is not directly beneficial to them can be right; the men who consider that there is no other place in life for them above that which they now hold—the same men who have concluded that the positions of society are fixed by immutable laws, and an effort in the upward direction never occurs to them. From the more careless and naturally vicious of this class come the criminals. There are exceptions, but in E"orth Carolina the un-educated criminal is the rule, the educated criminal the exception. As fast as this class is thinned by death, or other causes, it is filled, and over-filled, by the younger generation, who may be kno^vn in advance by their absence from school, and their failure to direct themselves to any kind of employment that would naturally supply their wants and necessities. The remedy is apparent : strict vagrancy laws, compulsory attendance on the public schools. Letter of Transmittal, There seems to be more and more disinclination on the part of the various factories and other establishments to answer the ques-tions on the blanks sent out from this office. Various reasons are assigned for this. Some do not realize the importance of the blanks to us, and some resent it as an unnecessary and impudent peep into their private affairs, and other excuses are made for withholding the information. To make a personal canvass is the only possible way to make the report complete, and this cannot be done owing to the smallness of the appropriation. I would urge that the means to put the Department on a level with similar departments in other States be approj)riated from the general fund. 1 desire to express to those persons and firms who have so kindly furnished me with the information asked, my sincere appreciation. I have the honor to be, Very truly yours, Henry B. Varner^ Commissioner. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Agricultural Statistics. II. Miscellajyeous Factories. III. Cotton and Woolen Mills. IV.—FuRA^iTURE Factories. V. ISTewspapers. VI.—Trades. VII. — Telephone Industry. VIII. jSTortii Carolina Mining Industry. IX. Railroad Employes. Bureaus of Labor. CHAPTER 1. AGKICULTUEAL STATISTICS. The tables following are made out from returns to blanks sent out from this Department to the farmers of the State. The results ar-rived at represent the opinion of a majority of these farmers. For instance : If Ave have five farmers reporting from a certain county, and three of them report that the value of land has decereased, while two report that the value has increased, that county is entered on the report as showing a decrease in the value of land. The same opera-tion serves to arrive at the other results of the same table, as well as the tables following. Immediately following the tables will be found a general summary of the information in the table. l^ORTH Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Tabi,e No. i—Showing Condition ofFarm Land and Labor by Counties. County. Value of Land, In-creased or Decreased? Fertility of Land Main-tained? Tendency to Larger or Smaller Farms ? Labor Plentiful or Scarce ? lar? ble? Alamance increased--! Alexander increased -.; Alleghany increased ._ Anson increased -.[ Ashe increased--] Beaufort increased-- Bertie increased _-j Bladen .-- increased .- Brunswick ; increased -. Buncombe neither ! Burke increased -.1 Cabarrus increased -. Caldwell increased-- Camden increased --| Carteret increased--! Caswell 1 neither Catawba increased -. Chatham increased -- Cherokee increased -- Chowan increased -- Clay increased -- Cleveland increased -- Columbus increased -- Craven increased --j Cumberland 1 increased ..{ Currituck 1 increased-- Dare ! increased-- Davidson — Davie Duplin Durham — Edgecombe. Forsyth Franklin -_- Gaston Gates Graham — Granville— Greene Guilford _-_ Halifax Harnett -_- Haywood .-- Henderson - Hertford -.. Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnson Jones increased -. increased .. increased -- neither increased -. increased-, increased -. increased -- increased -. increased -. neither increased -- increased -. increased .. increased -. increased .. increased -. increased -. increased -. it:creased -. increased -. increased -. increased -- yes-no - yes. yes-yes-yes-yes. yes- 3'es-yes-yes-no . j'es-no . yes-smaller . smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller smaller. larger - larger .. smaller . smaller neither . smaller. smaller. smaller smaller - yes ' smaller. no smaller. yes smaller. yes smaller. yes- smaller. no smaller. yes smaller. j-es-.. yes. -. 3'es_.. yes- -. yes. .. yes.-, yes--. yes-.. yes... yes... yes... yes--- yes... yes... yes. .. yes-_. yes_.. yes... yes.-, yes... yes-.. yes... yes--. yes. .. yes-.. yes... yes-.. yes--. larger smaller . larger -, smaller neither . smaller, smaller . smaller, smaller smaller smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller, larger .. smaller, smaller, smaller smaller smaller, smaller smaller, smaller, larger -. smaller smaller, smaller smaller no - no - no - no - uo _ no - uo - no - no - no - no - uo - uo - no - no - uo - uo - no - uo - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - scarce 1 no - scarce 1 )'es-scarce uo . scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce . plenty - scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce - scarce . scarce . plenty - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce - scarce . plenty, scarce . scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - uo - uo - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - uo - no - no - no - no - no - no - no. no. no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. no. no. -: yes. ; no. yes. no. { no. ! no. }es. yes. no. no. I no. I y^s I no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. j no. 3'es. I yss. ! yss. yes. no. no. I no. yes. yes. yes. uo. uo. uo. no. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. Condition of Fakmeks. Average Table No. i—Continued. County. Value of Land, In-creased or Decreased? Fertility of Laud Main-tained? Lenoir increased.. Lincolu iucreased-- McDowell ' increased -- Macon ' increased-. Madisou increased -. increased -- increased -- increased -- increased .- increased .. Martin Mecklenburg ... Mitchell Montgomery .. Moore Nash increased -- New Hanover ! increased -- Northampton 1 increased -- Onslow ! increased -- Orange neither Pamlico increased -- Pasqnotank increased _- Pender --' increased-- Perquimans 1 increased -- Person ' increased -- Pitt i increased-- Polk ' iucreased-- Randolph increased.. Richmond increased -. Robeson \ increased -- Rockingham neither Rowan increased -- Rutherford increased.. Sampson increased. - Scotland ; increased -- Stanly - I increased.. Stokes increased.. Surry- increased .. Swain increased -- Transylvania increased Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey increased -- increased .. neither increased .. neither increased -. increased -. increased -. increased -. increased .. increased -. increased .. no yes j'es yes yes no yes yes yes 3'es yes yes yes yes J'es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes 3'es 3'es yes no yes-.., }-es yes yes j-es yes yes Tendency to Larger or Smaller Farms? smaller .. smaller .. smaller -- smaller .- smaller., smaller., smaller., smaller -- smaller., smaller., smaller .. smaller .. smaller .. smaller., smaller., larger ... smaller .. smaller .. smaller .. smaller., smaller .. smaller .. smaller . smaller . larger ... smaller smaller smaller. smaller . larger .. smaller smaller. smaller. smaller smaller. smaller - 1 smaller. I smaller. \ smaller smaller. smaller . smaller smaller. smaller smaller . smaller. 1 smaller. Labor Plentiful or Scarce ? Negro Labor Relia-ble? scarce _ scarce . scarce . scarce - plentj'- scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce - scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce . scarce - scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce . scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce pleut3' Em-ploy-ment Regu-lar? no -- yes. no -- no. no -- no. no -- no. no -. no. no -. yes. no -. J'es. no -- no. no -- yes. no -. no. no -. no. no -- yes. no -- no. no -- no. no .-! no. no -- no. no -- yes. no -- yes. no -- yes. no -. no. no --' yes. no -- no. no -- no. no -.: no. no -- yes. no .. no. no -.1 no. no -- no. no -- no. no -- no. no -. j-es. no -. yes. no -- yes. no -- no. no .- yes no -- no. no -- no. no -- no. no .- yes no -- yes no .. yes no -. no. no -- no. no -- no. no -- : no. no -. no. no -- 1 no. 10 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table' No. 2 — Showing Wages, Cost of Living, etc. County. In-crease in Cost of Liv-ing? Highest Paid Men ? Lowest Paid Men ? Highest Paid Women ? Lowest Paid Women ? Children? Wages Increased Decreased? Alamance .. Alexander-. Alleghany -. Anson Ashe Beaufort --. yes., yes., yes-- yes.. yes., yes.. Berlie \ yes.. Bladen yes-- Brunswick — yes.- Buncombe yes-- Burke yes.- Cabarrus ves.. Caldwell yes.. Camden yes.. Carteret yes.. Caswell no .. Catawba yes_- Chatham yes.. Cherokee yes.. Chowan yes-- Clay yes-- Cleveland ves.. Columbus yes.. Craven yes-- Cumberland __ ves-. Currituck yes.. Dare yes.- Davidson yes-- Davie yes.. Duplin yes.. Durham yes.. Edgecombe yes-- Forsyth yes-- Franklin yes.- Gaston .- yes.. Gates yes.. Graham yes.. Granville yes_- Greene yes-. Guilford yes.. Halifax yes.. Harnett yes.. Havwood ves.. Henderson — ves.. Hertford yes.. Hyde ves.. Iredell yes.. Jackson yes.. Johnston 3'es-- Jones yes_- 18.55 19. 80 21.45 14. 00 29.25 22.50 15-75 20. 20 14-95 17.70 13-45 17. 60 20. 15 15.00 26. 00 13-85 10. 00 16.30 21-35 21.80 24- 15 17. 20 19-85 21.50 16.25 19-25 22.00 20. 15 13. 00 17-65 17-25 14-45 32-50 13.80 15. 20 18.15 23. 00 18. 00 18. 20 15.20 18. 00 16. 15 22.50 20.45 20.25 17-65 15-50 23-05 18.65 18. 00 6.50 8.95 II. 70 9. 00 13.00 14. So 11.50 14-40 11. 70 10. 00 8.30 9.40 12. 00 10. 00 17-35 9. 00 7. 00 11.50 13.00 14. 10 11.80 9-85 12.95 14- 50 7.90 11. 15 14-75 12.45 6. 00 11.65 8.90 9-30 9-75 9-70 10.55 II. 60 13.60 9. 00 7.50 13.00 II. 50 10. 10 10.50 ir.85 15-50 12.50 6.50 13-50 13-35 14.25 13.00 9-85 1-05 3-85 5-80 4-50 I. 00 2.50 3.00 1. 70 o. 00 2. 40 2. 00 6. 00 1.85 8.90 6.50 1-50 1-05 3-90 1.50 0-55 3.00 4.75 0. 00 0.75 8.20 6-45 5- 00 1-05 7.25 0.65 3- 00 0.75 2. 60 3- 10 1-75 1-05 1. 70 o. 00 2.50 I. 2. I. 5- 20 5-35 6.50 7- 50 6.50 9-30 6.75 9. 10 7-15 5. 20 4. 00 6. 40 7-25 9-75 6.05 5-65 9. 10 10. 40 5.00 10. 00 7-75 10.85 6. 00 7-15 7-30 8.00 7-50 5-90 7-15 6.50 9-50 9. 60 2.50 7-30 8.25 9-50 % 6.50 5.65 none. 5- 20 6-75 7.80 9. 10 6.50 6.50 6.50 3-45 6.25 7-25 4. 00 7.70 5.60 4. 00 2. 00 7.70 8.80 6. 20 3. So 6.50 6.50 4. 60 6.45 8.00 8-45 6.50 6.50 3-70 5.05 7.80 7.40 8-45 5. 60 7. 60 ' 4-25 6.50 8.50 6.75 8.25 7-35 6.50 7-75 7-50 4. 00 8.65 7-35 7-25 ncreased. 10. ncreased. ncreased. 10. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. no. ncreased. ncreased. no. ncreased. lO. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. no. no. no. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. no. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. no ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. ncreased. no. ncreased. ncreased. Condition of Farmeks. 11 Average Table No. 2—Continued. County. In-crease in Cost of Liv-ing ? Highest Paid Men? Lenoir Liucolu McDowell Macoii Madisou Martin Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank - Perquimans .. Person Pitt Polk Randolph .- Richmond Robeson Rockingham- - Rowan -- Rutherford — Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain ! yes Transylvania -I yes.. Tyrrell-.- Uniou Vance Wake Warren ' yes.. Washiugton - j yes-- Watauga 1 yes-- Wayne 1 yes-. Wilkes -.1 yes-- Wilson ; yes-- Yadkin ! yes.. Yaucey 1 yes-- yes-- 3'es-- yes-- ye.s-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- no -- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- yes-- 5'es yes yes yes-- 22.75 17. 00 21.50 23- 25 21. 10 26. 00 19.70 24. 20 16. 25 17-50 12. 20 23.40 15.60 18.75 10. 90 35-75 18. 00 20. 15 26. 00 17-25 17. 00 19-50 18.75 15.00 17.40 20. 80 18.50 11. 15 21. 40 16. 20 23. 10 19. 00 27.30 18.70 22. 50 15.40 15.00 19. 10 10. 00 23-30 27.30 14. GO 16. 10 20. GO 15- Sg 22.75 Lowest Paid Men? 13-25 10. 80 11. 90 II. 90 13-75 19-50 12.65 13-95 8. 10 10. 00 8.40 13.60 10. 10 12.50 7. GO 17. 00 16. 60 13. OG 14-35 8. OG 9.8G 10. 00 13-75 10. 40 7-25 10. 60 10. 40 10.75 11.00 8.70 12. 2G 10. 60 13. 10 12. 80 14. 60 10. 60 11. 8g 10.30 7. OG 11.65 13.80 9-65 8.60 10. CO 9. GO 12. 00 Highest Paid Women ? Lowest Paid Women ? 14.40 14-30 12.80 14. 10 9. OG 13.00 12. GO 12.35 12. 25 10. 90 9.40 13.00 11. 40 14. 00 8. OG 22. 25 35 50 50 45 II. 40 10.65 IG. 00 12.75 10.50 12.30 9-15 11-55 14.40 9. GO 10. 8g 11. 10 13. 00 11.50 13-00 IG. 50 9.90 16. IG 5-00 15-35 13.00 12. 40 10.40 15. OG II. 00 11.50 Wages Increased Children? Decreased? 9-15 10. 40 6,85 6. 40 7. 00 10. 40 9-05 6.65 8. 10 8.40 7.20 j 10. 00 7.90 10.50 6. OG 15.00 6. GO 8.50 11-75 7-50 8. 20 6.50 8. GO 9-15 7-65 6. 90 6.25 7-50 6.85 4. 00 6. 90 6.15 6.50 6. 90 6.50 7-50 6. 40 II. 2G 3.OG 9.40 5-25 7-25 6.50 8. OG 6. IG 6.50 6.55 9. 10 6.50 5-50 6.50 7- 70 7-55 5-50 6.15 6. 40 7.15 8. 10 7-50 3-75 13.00 8.75 6.15 8.35 5-75 6.50 5-75 4. 00 6.50 6.50 8.30 6.50 4-45 6.50 4-75 6.50 6. 40 8.50 6.95 4-65 6.50 4-50 9-55 none. 8.25 6. 50 6. 20 5- 10 7. 00 4-25 6.50 increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. 12 JSToRTH Cakolhsta Labob Statistics. Average Table No. 3 — Showing Cost of Production. County. Cost to Produce. 500 ib Bale Cotton? Bushel Wheat? Bushel Corn ? Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? Alamauce— Alexander ._ Alleghapy .. Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick .- Buncombe .- Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe - Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson -- Hertford Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston — Jones 36.66 33- 00 26. 27. 27. 17- 30. 31- 35- 25- 25- 35- 29-37 23- 25- 25- 3°- 24. 25- 20. 20. 30- 31.00 30. 26. 34- 25- 28. '36.' 22. 26. 33- 24. 25 I- 50 50 30 I 50 I-o. 70 .81 .90 .96 .65 35 72 05 77 83 67 50 .50 57 75 92 "69' 74 25 50 •63 .58 .85 .65 45 .87 .56 •71 .60 • 50 •79 • 56 • 78 1.50 •53 •63 • 15 .67 I. 10 .81 o. 45 43 63 55 60 36 45 71 42 42 70 54 58 43 50 45 36 35 57 43 39 50 46 21 50 40 40 50 40 45 55 73 55 42 46 34 41 50 43 47 50 58 43 45 50 28 32 60 6r 30 o. 29 42 40 43 35 25 35 20 33 40 42 40 36 37 30 31 30 35 27 36 35 15 25 20 40 30 25 50 33 20 35 40 35 26 29 40 45 36 28 32 28 33 16 29 35 38 15 5^50 7-25 4. 00 6. 00 8.75 5.00 lo. 00 7^50 11.50 6. 90 5- 00 7. 00 10. 00 5.00 20. 00 7. 00 8.00 4.87 10. 00 6.33 7. 00 8.65 II. 20 8.00 6.80 5.60 9-33 6.25 7. 00 7. 00 5.00 10. 00 7.40 5- 50 Condition of Fakmees. 13 Average Table No. 3 — Continued. County. Leuoir Lincoln McDowell Macou Madisou Martin Mecklenburg - Mitchell Montgomery -. Moore ..- Nash New Hano%'er . Northampton . Ouslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank--. Pender Perquimans--. Person Pitt Polk -.- Randolph Richmond -.- Robeson Rockingham - Rowan Rutherford - - Sampson Scotland Stanly .- Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrreil - Union -- . Vance Wake Warren Washing,ton . Watauga Wayne Wilkes ...... Wilson Yadkii Yance}' 500-fc Bale Cotton'; 30-25 35- 00 40. 00 30-50 26. 4o 28.75 22. 15 25.00 31.00 21. 00 30. 00 25.00 32.30 23-33 35- 20 28.75 45- 00 35- 00 30. 00 29. 12 30. GO 25. 10 22.33 28. 40 29. 20 35- 00 25.00 27. 40 34.00 26.30 25.00 32-50 30. GO 27-50 Cost to Produce. Bushel Wheat? 0.67 .66 .^o 77 .55 Bushel Corn? Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? .60 -75 .61 .70 .80 80 72 0.35 45 49 44 33 39 47 39 44 51 40 54 33 60 35 40 35 35 50 46 43 50 60 56 47 46 56 33 53 52 45 42 61 47 40 54 44 58 50 33 65 64 52 65 48 67 23 15 38 40 35 25 30 32 40 38 20 44 58 36 34 45 28 33 34 40 35 45 34 24 44 33 35 30 40 36 44 33 55 28 33 6. 00 10. GO 6. 40 4. OG 7.90 7. Sg 5-70 4. 00 9-30 7. 20 6. OG 5- 50 7. 20 6. 20 10. 00 10.50 20. 00 8.00 6. 40 5.00 5. 6g 5-50 8. OG 4. 20 14 North Caroli^sta Labor Statistics. Average Table No. ^—Showing Market Price of Crops. County. Alamance Alexander ... Alleghany ... Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick... Buncombe .. Burke Cabarrus — Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham — Cherokee — Chowan Clay Cleveland— Columbus .. Craven Cumberland Currituck— Dare Davidson — Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe - Forsyth Franklin ... Gaston Gates Graham Granville ... Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood ... Henderson.. Hertford Hyde Iredell Jackson — Johnston _. Jones "Present Market Price— 500 ib Bale Cotton ? 56.66 "54.' 68' 50.00 55.00 50.00 55- 00 62.50 54- 00 50.00 50.00 55- 00 62.50 70. 00 50.00 52.81 40. 00 53-25 48. 00 53-33 45.00 50.00 40. 00 70. 00 50.00 52.50 62.50 48.62 50.31 54.50 50.00 50.00 47.50 55.00 50.62 49.00 50.00 51.25 49-75 52.50 50.00 54.25 59.38 Bushel Wheat? Bushel Corn? I. 00 .98 I. 00 I. 06 I. 00 .80 I. 01 I. 00 .98 .98 •50 .78 .94 I. 00 I. 20 I. 02 I. 00 •98 I. 00 .87 1. 00 •95 1. 00 .95 .85 •91 •93 1. 12 1. 00 I. 00 •90 .90 1.02 .90 .96 1.07 1.03 I 00 I 00 95 Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco? 75 90 88 81 00 68 80 81 63 81 80 84 90 55 80 87 80 80 92 72 91 90 75 70 72 68 60 72 65 85 80 79 75 78 71 93 00 0.53 50 40 55 59 46 55 62 45 f5 41' 52 48 50 60 52 50 56 55 56 10. 00 9-50 10. 00 8.00 8.00 7. 00 10. 00 10. 00 7- 50 7. 60 6. 00 12.50 8.00 7-50 8.00 7.00 10.00 6.00 7.50 7.66 7.00 7.75 25.00 25.00 7.00 6.00 7.00 6.50 7.50 13.50 8.00 7.50 Condition of Fariniers. 15 Average Table No. 4 — Continued. County. 'Present Market Price— 500-ib Bale Cotton ? Bushel Wheat? Bushel Corn? Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? Lenoir Lincoln McDowell Macon Madison Martin Mecklenburg _ Mitchell Montgomery -- Moore Nash New Hanover. Northampton . Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham.. Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania . Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington .. Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey 52. 50 56.50 1.05 1.00 1. 01 1. 00 1.03 54-35 53-75 53-12 51-75 I. GO 1.02 I. 01 1.02 .98 0.97 .87 .87 .87 .86 .80 -85 1. 00 .87 .85 -78 51.87 52.50 1. 00 ,90 54-50 52.70 57-50 60.00 48.75 62.50 65.00 54-00 47-75 .85 -75 54-50 56.50 50.41 52.08 56.00 70.00 55.00 54-00 50-75 54.00 55.00 50.00 52.05 75.00 50.00 50.00 .96 1.05 I. GO I. 00 liOO •97 .92 .80 I. GO 1.02 1.02 1.05 I. 00 1.04 •94 .86 1.07 .95 1. 00 .90 I. GO 1.05 I. GO I. 10 •93 1.06 .87 ,80 .79 .75 ,62 ,68 .60 .79 .72 .96 .83 .75 .82 ,8g ,62 83 .90 .62 •79 • 75 • 85 .69 1. 00 •91 •83 • 73 •77 1. 00 5-50 10.00 20.00 10. 00 6.75 7.00 6.33 8.87 6.75 5- 00 6.25 7-30 10.00 5-50 7.60 6.60 12.50 22.50 25. OG 7. GO 25.00 9.00 8. GO 7-15 = Period between July ist and October ist. 16 ]SroETir Cakolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. ^—Showing Cost, Price County. Profit. Cost. Price. Profit. Alamance . . Alexander . Alleghany - - Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick. . Buncombe- Burke Cabarrus — Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee. Chowan Clay Cleveland - Columbus - Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson — Davie Duplin Durham Bdgecome - Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham - . - Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson . Hertford ..- Hyde - Iredell Jackson Johnston — Jones 36.66 33- 00 56.66 '54."68" 26.25 27.50 27-75 17-50 50.00 55- 00 50.00 55-00 30.00 31-65 35-00 25.00 25.00 35- 00 54-00 50.00 50.00 55.00 62.50 70.00 29-37 23.40 25.00 25. 66 30.00 24.00 25.00 20. 00 20.00 30.70 52.81 40. 00 53-25 48. 00 53-33 45-00 50.00 40.00 70.00 50.00 52.50 31.00 48.62 30.00 26. 60 34.00 50.31 54-50 50.00 25.00 28.00 t 47.50 36.26 22.32 50.62 49.00 26.25 21.50 22.50 51-25 49-75 52.50 33-30 24.50 50.00 54.25 21.68 23.75 27.50 27-25 37.50 24.00 18.35 15.00 30.00 37.50 35.00 25.44 29.85 23.00 27.67 15.00 26. 00 15.00 50.00 30.00 21.80 17.62 20.31 27.90 16.00 19.50 14.36 26.68 25.00 28.25 30. 00 13.70 29-75 o. 70 .81 -90 .96 -65 •63 -58 -85 -65 -45 .87 .56 .71 .60 .50 .79 .56 .77 1.50 .53 .63 .15 .67 I. 10 .81 .80 1. 01 1. 00 .98 .98 -50 .78 .94 1. 00 I. 20 I. 02 1. 00 .98 1. 00 .87 .00 .95 .00 .95 .85 •91 93 , 12 1. 00 .90 -90 1.02 .90 .96 1.07 1.03 1. 00 I. 00 -95 0.30 -17 . 10 . 10 -35 •32 .42 . 10 . 20 .46 .06 -56 .40 .40 . II .46 . 12 ^54 .54 .40 -33 1. 10 .14 CoNDITIOiSr OF FxVRMERS. lY and Profit on Products by Counties. Profit. go. 45 •43 63 55 60 36 45 7f 42 42 70 54 58 43 50 45 36 35 57 43 39 50 46 21 50 40 40 50 40 45 55 73 55 42 46 34 41 50 43 47 50 58 43 45 50 28 32 60 65 30 |o. 75 90 88 81 I 00 i 68 80 81 63 81 80 84 90 55 80 81 80 80 92 72 91 90 75 70 72 68 60 72 65 85 80 79 75 78 71 93 00 80 98 78 74 86 81 84 80 62 88 81 82 87 ,0.30 • 47 • 25 .26 .40 •32 •35 . 10 .21 •39 . 10 •30 •32 . 12 •30 •36 • 44 •45 •35 •29 • 52 .40 •29 •49 . 22 .28 . 20 .22 • 25 .40 • 25 .06 . 20 .36 • 25 •59 •59 •30 • 55 31 .24 .28 •38 •39 •30 •34 • 56 . 21 • 17 •57 Cost. .0.29 ,42 40 43 35 25 27 36 35 15 25 20 40 30 25 50 33 20 35 40 35 26 29 40 45 36 28 32 28 33 :o.53 • 50 40 55 59 Profit. (O. 24 .08 46 Tobacco. 5^50 7^25 10.00 9- 50 12 24 21 , 21 25 , 12 .13 .02 •33 •29 .29 .45 . 20 4.00 6.00 8.75 5.00 10.00 10.00 8.00 * 8.00 7.00 10.00 7^50 ,26 , 22 , 20 •43 . 21 .30 ii^50 6.90 5.00 7.00 7. 60 6.00 10.00 5.00 12.50 7^50 ,27 15 , 22 ,42 , 10 •25 . II .26 .19 . 10 .15 .16 . 22 .24 • 27 •23 20.00 7.00 8.00 4^87 10.00 6.33 7.00 8.65 * 7.00 10.00 6.00 7^50 7.66 7.00 7.75 II. 20 8.00 6.80 5.60 9-33 6.25 7.00 7.00 25.00 7.00 6.00 7.00 6.50 7-50 13-50 25 24 iS i9 .45 5- 00 10.00 7.40 5- 50 8.00 7^50 4- 50 2.25 4.00 t.75 90 ,90 2.50 2.50 2. GO 1-13 2.50 ••33 i^i5 13.80 .20 .40 t2.33 25 • 50 6.50 3.00 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 IX 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 ^9 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 18 JSToKTH Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 5- County. Profit. Profit. 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 6r 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 8r 82 83 84 85 86 47 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 Lenoir Lincoln -. McDowell Macon Madison Martin Mecklenburg . Mitchell Montgomery- . Moore Nash New Hanover. Northampton . Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotauk--- Pender Perquimans . - Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham-. Rowan Rutherford — Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain . Transylvania . Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington . . Watauga Waj-ne - Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yaucev-- 30.25 35- 00 I 59- 38 52.50 40. 00 30.50 54-35 26. 40 28.75 22. 15 25.00 31.00 21.00 30. GO 25.00 32. 30 23-33 35.20 28.75 45.00 35-00 30. GO 29. 12 30.00 25.10 22.33 28.40 29. 20 53-75 53-12 51-75 51-87 52.50 54-50 52.70 57-50 48.75 62.50 65.00 54.00 47-75 54-50 56.50 50.41 52.08 56. GO 35-00 25.00 27.40 34.00 26.30 25.00 32-50 30.00 27.50 70.00 55- 00 54-00 50-75 54.00 55- 00 50.00 52.05 50.00 29.13 17-50 23.85 27-35 24-37 29.60 20.87 31-50 22. 20 29-37 22.30 20.00 17.50 30.00 24.00 18.63 24.50 31.40 2h.o8 23. 68 26.80 35.00 30.00 26.60 16.75 27.70 30.00 17.50 22.05 22.50 72 1.05 I. GO I. 01 I. 00 1.03 I. 00 I. 02 I. 01 1.02 I. 00 .90 85 •75 .98 .96 1.05 I. GO I. 00 I. 00 .97 .92 .80 I. 00 1.02 1.02 1.05 I. 00 1.04 •94 .86 1.07 •95 1. 00 .90 1. 00 1.05 1. 00 I. 10 •93 I. 06 0.38 -34 . II •23 ,40 27 40 32 .18 18 ,60 .37 ,26 67 ,26 . II .08 .23 38 ,26 •31 .26 43 .27 •32 • 49 .06 35 45 30 .40 10 13 28 .55 20 15 Condition of Farmers. 19 Continued. Cost. Price. Profit. Profit. Tobacco. Profit. ;o.97 .87 .87 .87 .86 .80 .85 1. 00 .87 .85 .78 * .87 .So •79 •75 .62 .68 .60 •79 .72 .96 •83 •75 .82 .So .62' •83 .Si .88 .88 .98 .90 .62 .81 .79 •75 .85 .69 I. GO •91 •83 •73 •77 1. 00 ;o.62 ,42 38 43 53 53 47 19 40 22 33 25 29 26 53 33 15 26 33 16 27 5i 35 29 43 46 37 43 22 27 35 17 35 36 35 27 31 08 29 33 ;o.67 •55 52 48 44 io. 24 .28 19 .14 •19 25 22 ,26 19 15 % 6.00 % 5.50 % 0.50 10.00 6.40 10. 00 6.75 .35 .28 • 45 .08 •15 . 12 • 25 . 20 .16 • 15 • 17 .28 .16 .14 .18 • 15 •29 •43 .18 .02 •23 •19 . 22 . 20 .08 •19 .18 . 20 . 10 • 17 . 12 • 17 • 15 .16 •15 4.00 7. 90 7.80 5.70 4.00 9-33 7. 20 6.00 5-50 7.20 6. 20 10.00 10.50 20. GO 8.00 6.40 5.00 5.60 5-50 8. GO 4. 20 7.00 6.33 8.87 6^75 5- 00 6.25 7.30 5.50 7.60 6.60 12.50 22.50 25.00 7.00 25.00 9.00 8. GO 7^15 3.00 ti-57 1.07 1.05 I. 00 3- 08 . IO .40 .40 2.50 12. 00 5- 00 1. 00 18.60 3-50 95 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 49 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 8r 82 S3 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 * No selling price reported. flvOSS. 20 ISToKTii Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. (^—Showing Educational, Moral and Financial Conditions. County. Educa-tional Condition? Is it Improv-poor - poor good poor poor - poor. good poor fair. . good poor poor Alamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick - Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell good Camden poor Carteret good Caswell poor Catawba good Chatham . . __ , poor Cherokee ; fair. Chowan \ poor Clay ' fair- Cleveland fair- Columbus ! poor Craven poor Cumberland poor Currituck good Dare- fair- Davidson [ poor Davie poor Duplin 1 fair- Durham ^ fair- Edgecombe \ good Forsyth j fair-. Franklin poor Gaston ' fair-. Gates — good Graham . fair-. Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood I fair Henderson i fair- Hertford j poor Hyde j poor Iredell ! fair- Jack'^on I poor Johnston | poor poor -. good -- poor.-, fair- -. poor.-. yes--- yes--- 3'es--. }'es yes yes--. yes no --. 3'es — yes )-es yes yes yes yes yes-.. yes yes yes yes j'es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes ves Moral I ,J^ *'^ Condition?; I'?P'"o^- ing? poor - good fair-- fair-- poor. fair- - good poor. fair- - good poor-good good fair- - good fair-- good poor good fair- - good good fair- - good poor-good fair- . poor. fair-no ' poor -. fai fair. . fair- - good good good poor . good good good good good yes , good yes_ yes. yes. yes- J'CS-yes-yes. yes. )'es. yes-yes-yes-yes-yes- 3'es-yes-yes- 3'es. fair-fair- - good good poor, poor. no yes yes yes no yes yes uo no -.. . yes uo }-es yes )'es yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes — )-es yes... yes 3'es no — yes yes— no ,-. yes no — yes yes--- yes .- j'es yes 3'es yes--- yes 3'es 3'es yes yes yes yes Condition? ^'J'^P''?^- poor poor- — good — fair fair fair fair fair fair fair poor fair good — poor good fair poor fair-- . . fair . good — fair good good — good — fair good fair good — fair poor fair fair fair fair poor... fair good - fair good . fair good - good - fair good . good . fair fair poor... poor.. uo. yes. no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. uo. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. J'es. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. Condition of Tarmees. 21 Average Table No. 6—Continued. Countj- Educa-tional Condition? Is it Improv- Joties poor-- Lenoir good - Lincoln poor.. McDowell poor-- Macon poor-- Madison fair.-- Martin fair, _ Mecklenburg fair... Mitchell fair--- Montgomery poor.- Moore fair- - Nash fair--- New Hanover ; good . Northampton --- fair. Onslow fair--- Orange- . poor - Pamlico --_ poor.- Pasquotank fair. -. Pender poor.- Perquimans — fair- . Person good - Pitt fair--- Polk - --- poor-^ Randolph: fair- Richmond poor.- Roheson poor.. Rockingham ^ fair... Rowan poor. Rutherford , poor.. Sampson ; fair- Scotland fair... Stanlv : poor Stokes j poor- Surry [ fair- - Swain 1 poor- Transylvania 1 poor Tyrrell ! fair-. Union i fair-. Vance fair-. Wake ' poor Warren ' good Washington • fair-. Watauga fair- Wayne poor- Wilkes 1 fair-- Wilsou- Yadkin Yancey poor-poor, poor. Moral Condition? yeS-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-. yes-no - }-es-yes-yes-yes-yes poor-yes I fair- . yes ' good yes ' fair- . yes good yes 1 good poor _ fair — good - poor. good - fair— fair fair fair fair poor.-- fair good - - fair- — fair fair Is it Improv-yes yes yes yes yes yes yes poor, fair. . poor. fair-fair- . fair- fair. yes poor.--- ves fair yes good — j-es fair yes fair yes I good — yes good — yes fair }-es good — yes good _-. yes j fair- --. yes .-! poor yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-no - ves-fair-good fair- . fair- . fair- - good fair-- yes-- --I yes-- --j yes-- -- no -- .-j yes_- -- no -- 1 --: yes-- --I yes-- -.' yes-- yes-- yes-- yes j poor-- yes 1 good - Financial Condition? good -- good -- poor--, poor--- fair good -- poor--. fair fair Is it Improv-ing? poor fair fair-fair- - good good fair. - fair-- fair-- good good poor-ves good yes-, yes-. yes-, yes-, yes-. yes-. yes-yes-. yes-. yes-no - yes-no - yes. 3'es- )'es-yes . yes- 5'es. yes. ves-good — poor fair fair good — good — fair fair poor poor good — yes i good —\ yes. ; fair yes yes. yes no no yes yes 5'es no yes yes good fair-- poor--. fair poor.-, poor.-. fair fair fair poor... poor.- yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. 3'es. no. no. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. 22 ISToiiTH Carolina Labor Statistics. SUMMAEY. Table JSTo. 1 shows an increase in the value of land in eighty-nine counties ; no change in eight counties. 'No county reports a decrease in the value of land. Fertility of land is reported maintained in eighty-eight counties; nine counties report that it is not. Nine coun-ties report tendency to have larger farms, eighty-seven smaller, and two report no change. Five counties report labor plentiful ; ninety-two scarce. One county reports negro labor reliable ; ninety-six un-reliable. Thirty-nine counties report employment regular ; fifty-eight irregular. In Table 'No. 2 ninety-five counties report increase in cost of liv-ing; two report no increase. Highest average wages paid men, $18.86, an increase of $1.09 per month over last year; lowest, $11.07, an increase of 30 cents. Highest average wages paid wo-men, $11.54, an increase of 54 cents per month over last year; low-est, $6.16, a decrease of 84 cents from last year. Average Avages of children, $5.50, 62 cents less than last year. Table JSTo. 3 shows that sixty-nine counties produce cotton at $30.36 per bale of 500 pounds; twenty-eight counties do not report. Eighty-three counties produce wheat at a cost of 76 cents per bushel; fourteen counties do not report wheat. ISTinety-six counties produce corn at 46 cents per bushel ; one county does not report corn. Ninety-two counties produce oats at 32 cents per bushel; five counties do not report oats. Sixty counties produce tobacco at $8.63 per one hundred pounds. Table jSTo. 5 shows cost of production, selling price and profit on cotton, wheat, corn, oats, and tobacco, upon each of which, with one or two exceptions, it will be noted that there is a substantial profit. Table No. 6 shows the educational, moral and financial conditions of the various counties. Fourteen counties report the educational condition good, thirty-four fair and forty-nine poor; ninety-three counties report improvement, four counties no improvement. Thirty-six counties report moral condition good, forty-one fair, twenty poor ; eighty-three counties report improvement, fourteen no improvement. Twenty-nine counties report financial condition good, seventy-three Condition of Farmers. fair, and twenty-four poor; eighty counties report improvement, seventeen rej^ort no improvement. Following will be found letters expressive of the sentiment of farmers of various parts of the State relative to compulsory educa-tion, and suggestions as to what they think would he beneficial to the laboring classes. 24 ' IvToKTi-r Carolina Labor Statistics. LETTERS FEOM FARMEES. The following letters are selected from among the large number received for publication : Wage-earners Must be More Reliable.—To better the condition of wage-earners in my neighborhood the laborer must be more attentive to duty, more reliable. That Avould enable the employer to pay better wages, and thereby both would be benefited. I am strictly in favor of compulsory school law, or else have no public schools.—M. W. Brown, Hallsville. Schools Sufficient if Parents Would Send.—Wage-earners need to make better time. The working men in this section don't average half of their time at woik. Those who work regular are getting a good living and saving some money. There are enough schools to give every child sufficient education to vote under the Constitutional Amendment if the parents would send their chil-dren to school. There are not more than fifty per cent, of the children who go to the public schools.—B. F. Gregory, Jacocks. Compulsory Education and Smaller Districts.—I favor compulsory edu-cation and smaller districts. The present system of enlarging the districts is bad. In this county they have enlarged the districts and made it impossible for many of the poor children to ever attend school at all. I find those who live near the new school-houses favor the present system. I thinlc it would be wise for those who make our laws to look into this matter. While I belie\-e our legislators did Avhat they thought best for the people, at the same time i am convinced that our present school law is the worst one that has been in force in the last twenty years. I have no children to educate, but as a tax-payer, and one who wants to see the citizens of North Carolina as well educated as those of any other State, I would say tax the people and have more schools; then compel them to send their children.—J. R. Kenion, Tolers. School-houses too Far Apart.—The present system of free schools is not as good as the old way. The school-houses are so far apart that the children will have to walk from four to five miles to get to school, and that is too far foT children to have to walk in bad weather, or any kind of weather, as far as that is concerned. We ought to have more school-houses and closer together. 1 think in this school district they abolished three schools and made one of the three, Avhich I don't think is right, as they have to build a larger house and put two teachers in it, and the poor children have the walk of four or five miles for a little learning.—W. J. Freeland, Billsboro. Negroes Don't Need to be Compelleid.—Our county has several logging con-cerns, and what labor there is flocks to them. They get better wages there than our farmers can afford to pay, consequently every farmer has to pitch his crop COXDITIOX OF FaEMEES. according to Ins own force. In regard to compulsory education, I am and have always been in favor of it for the white people. It is not necessary for the negro in this county, for they will send their children every day if they have to live on bread alone, while the whites are careless about the education of their children generally. While the white people are straining every nerve to make money, regardless of education, the negro is working every way he can to get his vote back, and I tell you a lot are going to pass in 1908.—J. B. Petteway, /acksonville. Compulsion Justifiable.—We have a class of people in this section of country who do not and will not send their children to the free school; so we think it justifiable to enact a law to remedy this negligence, which can only be done by a compulsory school law.—W. A. Nelson, Jewel. Negro Labor Worthless.—With reference to the condition of wage-earners, I may state that it is steadily improving. The wage-earners are fast becoming tenants—at first for a share of the crop, using the landlord's team; then for a stipulated rental of either money or cotton, using their own team. There is less money in this for the land owner; but also there is less responsibility and less trouble mth inefficient labor. The majority of our laborers are negroes, who are becoming more and more worthless and less and less trustworthy. In this day of general prosperity, at least through this section of the State, instead of saving their surplus and making permanent investments, they are spending their money for flashy buggies and other luxuries with which to live the life of the easy. It may be out of place to say it, but I believe and have been very reluctantly driven to the conclusion that the negro farm hand will finally have to be replaced by the immigrant, and that the South cannot expect any marked agricultural development until that day conies. Of course I, as much so as any-body else, am in favor of keeping the negro as long as possible; but his increas-ing inefficiency will eventually drive us to make what now seems to be a revolu-tionary departure from the path beaten hard by the past generations of our ancestors. Concerning compulsoiy education, I am an ardent advocate of it, provided it is restricted to the white race. Emphatically, I am not in favor of compulsory education of the negro, because, in the first place, the little that he already has is taking him from the farm; secondly, he appreciates most what he works hardest for, and the negro does not appreciate what we have already done for him* On the other hand, I am in favor of compulsory education for white children, because the very foundation of a republican form of government depends upon an intelligent ballot, and an intelligent ballot depends on a good system of schools. And I hold that compulsory education is the best system because it does not afl'ect the parent who will send his children to school any-how; while the illiterate parent, without the education himself, does not realize the need of it for his children and will not make the necessary sacrifice to give it to them. And it is towards this class of people—not all of them illiterate, however—that compulsory education should be directed.—J. Henry Stephen-son, Pendleton. 26 JSToRTii Carolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education.—We would like to say that negro labor is very unsatisfactory because there is no dependence to be put in them. Negro labor is very scarce, both men and women. We work from about eight to twelve men and from ten to twelve women. We pay men from seventy-five cents to a dollar per day; they pay their own house rent and board. We are in favor of com-pulsory education because there are so many children that do not go to school and ought to go.—W. H. Mills & Son, Wilmington. Opposed to Compulsory Education Under Present Circumstances.—I am opposed to compulsory education. If it could be arranged for each race to pay' its OAvn taxes, then I would advocate compulsory education. When you educate the negro it unfits him for farm work and makes him a fit subject for the peni-tentiary. — George B. Cooper, HiUiardston. Wage-earners Should pe Eeliable.—Wage-earners must be more punctual and more reliable, as we cannot rely upon our labor now. We know not how to pitch a crop on account of labor being so uncertain. I favor compulsory education for white people only. I favor special tax for the white race, and tax each race to educate themselves.—G. Rice, Sprivghope. Agricultifre Should be Taught—Three-months Term Compulsory.—Per-haps a three-months compulsory school would be a good thing, for some parents will never send their children to school unless compelled to. A three-months term—say December, Januaiy and February—would not bother farm operations much. Agriculture should be taught in all country schools. The condition of our public roads is a great drawback to school attendance. — John Humphrey, Clark. Should be Misdemeanor to Break Contract.—We have great trouble here with our wage hands; they will make firm trades and leave when the farmers get ready to cultivate their crops. We would like to have some way to confine them and make' them follow out contract; also tenants working on halves will leave their crops. I would like for it to be a misdemeanor for any one who will not follow his contract, verbal or wi-itten. Compulsory school law would be a great thing in our county, for most of the laboring people will not send their children to school as they could. The parents aroimd thS cotton mills don't work any, but depend on their children to keep them up.—W. F. Logan, Crocker. Negroes Attend School Without Compulsion.—In this section we have good high schools; we have five in a radius of seven miles, three in a radius of three miles. The colored people do not need compulsory school laws, as all go to school. The whites do need it—numbers of them never go that could. The schools are better attended in this section than some adjacent ones with which I am acquainted.—A. G. Gantt, Belicoocl. Condition of Eaemees. 27 Wage-earners Doing Well.—There are few wage-earners in this part of the county. The few here are doing well. Tlie people generally send their children to school as much as tiiey can with few exceptions.—J. T. Hawkins, Lattimore. Parents Do Not Realize Need.—I beg to make the following suggestions relative to the needs of wage-earners: One among the greatest needs of the wage-earners is a knowledge of how to economically spend a dollar after they have made it. Many of them are utterly ignorant as to the laws of thrift and economy, and ncne the less so as regards the laws of health—the strict observ-ance of the hygenic laws. As to compulsory educatiou, I have always been in favor of that, for the reason that nearly all parents who do not send their child-ren to school are illiterate and do not realize the great importance of an edu-cation; hence their utter indifferance in regard to sending their children to school.—A. B. DoRSEY, Bebcood. Forced Attendance Necessary.—There is not very much public work in Clay county. I am in favor of compulsory education, as we are forced to pay taxes to support public schools, and I think people ought to be forced or com-pelled to give theii children the benefits of the public schools. Education has been neglected in our county for the past three or four years, but there is being quite an interest manifested among our people at this time.—R. R. Alex-ander, Hayesville. Compulsory Education Greatest Need. — The greatest possible need of North Carolina to-day is compulsory education. If the State A\dshes to keep abreast of her sister States, she must educate her boys and 'girls, and I see no way it can be done short of a compulsory school law. Tlie working class of peo-ple are becoming more and more neglectful concerning this particular duty which they owe their children. They should be compelled to send them to school from six to sixteen years of age, six months in the year, and no child should be allowed to work in a mine or factory under fourteen. If the next Leg-islature will enact such a law the State will soon be filled witli brighter, smarter and more intelligent people, and the State's illiteracy will not be the target of outside criticism.—W. D. WeTuCH,' Mintonsville. Reason for Approving Compulsion.—The adoption of the amendment to the State Constitiition places the youth of the State at the mercy of the interest taken by the parent in his education, and unless the parents of some of the children are compelled to send their children to school, those children who have ignorant and prejudiced parents mil not be sent; therefore, the innocent child is the sufferer and not his parent. I find that all of the school preju-dice is with the very ignorant and not with the intelligent classes, hence my reason for approving compulsion. I recommend larger school districts and longer terms with good teachers.—J. E. Bryan, Moncure. 28 jSTokth Carolhs-a Labor Statistics. Igin'ORANT Parents Responsible.—With the blessing of an abundant wheat crop we feel encouraged as regards the condition of the working class. We are getting on a more solid foundation since we quit raising tobacco and cot-ton and turned our attention to wheat and corn and to forage plants, such aa peas and grass. But there is much yet to be learned by our farmers in the way of practical farming. Farmers are beginning to wake up and to quit using so much commercial fertilizer, and to turn their attention more to making manure and sowing peas and such crops as will tend to improA^e instead of impoverish their lands, and by improving an acre instead of working over five or more for what one will produce. A compulsory school law will benefit that class who are entirely dependent upon public schools. I know several families who do not send their children to school because they themselves have bat-tled through life with no education. They think that their children can do the same. Shame on such parents. Let the Legislature this winter give us a compulsory school law to operate at least three months in the year upon all children from eight to fifteen years. This we think will suffice to place chil-dren through the common school course. It is a duty parents owe their chil-dren, and thev should be made to do so. — W. H. H. Hautdey, Hudson. Fourteen Weeks Every Year.—In regard to making anj- suggestions in regard to wage-earners, I am at a loss as to what to suggest. I am trying to hire a good hand for another year, but I cannot find one. I am satisfied I could start out one morning and covild borrow one hundred dollars easier than 1 could find a good farm hand. In the first place, if farmers could control the prices of farm products to some extent they could afford to pay better wages, and tliat would be some inducement to keep wage-earners on the farm instead of going to town and working in the cotton mills. As to compulsory education, T would say amen ! I think every child of school age should be compelled to attend a public school at least fourteen weeks every year, unless the parents be in very needy circumstances and dependent on their children, but such cases could be remedied by the county eom,missioners through the school board of education giving aid to all such.—W. C. Klutz, Concord. Families Unable to Clothe Children.—We need more men on the farms. We have numbers of laboring men, but the most of them are at sawmills and other public works where wages are better. The public works pay more for labor than farmers can afl'ord to pay. as men expect as much and board on farms as they get at the public works. Acres of our land, and even farms, are neglected for the reason that the men go to public works; they get their pay_ regularly and most of them spend it as fast as they earn it; indeed, they are forced to spend it to live. As regards compulsory school law, I am not in favor of it, for the reason that there are a number of families who are not able to clothe their children decently and buy books for them. I have known chil-dren who could not go to school for the reason that they did not have the books. I think doing away with the old school books and endorsing new books has kept more or less children out of school. It seems to me that if the princi- CoXDITIOIs OF FAiniEPvS. ' 29 pies of mathematics were correct the old arithmetic Avould answer a good pur-pose, and if our language was correct the old grammars would answer where people are too poor to buy new books. I am bound to think it an unfair law toward the poor of our State.—L. M. Simmons, Bridgeicatc)-. ^YAGE-EARNERS Won't Take IxTEREST. — As to the needs of wage-earners, they need to take more interest in their labor and not to be so shiftless and unconcerned about their employment. Tlie majority of farm laborers take too little interest in their work or whether it benefits their employer, and in most instances are improvident and disposed to spend more than they earn. Of course, there are some exceptions. As a general thing they need to work more regularly and lay by something.—J. H. Doighton, Laurel Springs. CoMrEi> Six ^Months' Attenda>-ce.—The need of wage earners is for them to make all time. It is seldom we can get them to make over half time. Every child in the South should go to school six months out of every year, and unless we have compulsory education the South will be still farther behind in edu-cation.— H. B. Jones, liockyhock. Should Attend Four Months, or Longer.—I favor a compulsory school law, from the fact that people as a rule will not pationize the schools in their com-munity as they should, especially the farming class. I think all children from six to fifteen years, anyway, should be compelled to attend school four months, if no longer, in each year.—G. H. BaivER, Tyner. Let Each Race Educate Its Own Children.—First of all, divide the school fund: let each race educate its own children and have compulsory education. The law that makes a man become responsible for a hand's debts if he hires him from another inan before his time is out is a good one, and it is making-labor moi'e reliable in this section.—A. B. Walker, Anderson. Wants Every Man to Have to Send.—I favor a compulsory school law. as there are some of my neighbors Avho don't send their children to school, and the free school close to them. I Avould like to see the time when every man will have to send his children to school at least four months in the year. I have nine children myself, and I think the graded school is one of the best things that has ever been in the way of educating the children, especially the jjoor class.—P. B. Bush, Lenoir. Compulsory School Law Would be Good.—Our farming lands are certainly not diminishing any in value, but at the same time I can"t say they are on an especial boom. I think the farmers are becoming more appreciative of their homes, and in many instances the farmers are in touch with all the modern methods of farming- while manv of them are clinging to old methods and con- 30 ISToBTii Carolina Labor Statistics. sequently are doing very little good. Labor is somewhat scarce of late and prices for same have advanced to what they used to be. The G. W. Vanderbilt estate and other public works have influenced the price of labor in this county; they give one dollar per day usually and often more, but farm hands among the average farmer aie about as I have quoted. There are not many negroes in our county outside our city limits, our hired help being mainly white people. Our farm hands usually have their houses and wood furnished free of rent. I think a compulsory school law would be good for our section. There is too much indifference about sending children to school, especially in the rural dis-tricts. Our county, taken as a whole, is enjoying great improvement along the farming line.—R. C. Crowell, Acton. Opposed to Compulsory Education Except as a Last Resort.—I had hoped the Constitutional Amendment would solve the problem of education, and still believe when it goes into actual operation in 1908 that it will compel men to educate. I am opposed to compulsory education except as a last resort. I think that people are best governed who are governed least. There is a class who are indifferent about the education of their children, but, as stated above, I think that indifference will disappear when their right to vote is taken away by reason of their ignorance. A compulsory law would create great friction and big expense to tax payers.—C. P. Weaver, Weaverville. Should Have Four Months of Compulsory Attendance.—It seems to me that the white people are not interested in education as they should be. I think the State should take hold of this matter and devise better legislation whereby the uninterested shoulcT be comi>elled to do something on their part. Let the State furnish those who can't get books for their children^ and then compel them to send their children at least four months in the year, and if you get them interested by sending four months they will want to get a six-months school. We need a better school system than we have now. It seems to me with the improvement in the country there might be some improvement in the public schools of our State. People are living better now and are improving every year. Why- not improve the schools'? — Elisiia Sellers, Supply. Reliability Necessary.—With my experience of three years in the school-room, fifteen as a wage-earner, one in the army, and four as a farmer, I think the greatest need of the wage-earner is reliability. Teach them to be truthful, so their employer will believe what they say; then to be prompt and obedient; then they will never lack Avork. If it's right to force men to pay the tax, then it's right to force them to get the benefit of it. Sixty per cent, of the money is wasted on account of non-attendance. I quit teaching on this account, and wages—I could make more at something else. Our teachers are nearly all women. I am in favor of a constitutional amendment giving the negro what he pays and no more. Raise the standard and price of teachers and force the children to go.—F. D. McLean, Bladenhoro. CoxDiTiox OF Farmers. 31 Knowledge Necessary to the Wage-earxek.—I think if wage-earners could see the folly of trying to beat the one who employs them, and learn that to do good, honest work that would benefit them, they could improve their condition. The way our public schools are governed now is a sliame. We are paying double taxes, our school terms only ten weeks, and not more than one-fourth the chil-dren attend school. But just how a compulsory school law could be enforced without injury to farmers and wage-earners I cannot see. Farmers as a rule have to work their children on the farms ; so if white and black are both forced into school, who will gather the crops?—I. F. Hilbubx, Bladenboro. Mild Compulsory Law Necessary.—I deem a mild compulsory educational enactment to be absolutely necessary, else we will have right many white boys who will become of age after 1908 who will be unable to vote under the Consti-tution.— T. H. Smithwick, Merry Hill. Farm Labor Scarce.—In the country, owing to the scarcity of farm labor many farmers could not spare their children. This would be my only objection to the compulsory school law. If our Educational Board and School Committee always looked to the best interest of the children I would favor a compulsory school law for a term of four months each year. Negro labor is not at all reliable, owing to scarcity, and of very poor grade. The saw-mills and timber firms hije the best negro labor and pay more than is paid for farm labor.—N. A. Pursser, Chocowinity. Compulsory School Law.—I think a compulsory school law is just what we need. There are plenty of sorry people in my community who don't pretend to send to school who could send, nothing to prevent. They have clothes and tuition costs nothing, and not far to go, and I think they ought to be made to go.—T. S. Majxwell, Fig. Compulsory Attendance.—If the State forces money from its citizens to school all its children, it, in justice to the children, should compel their attendance upon a majority of the term each year, until they reach a proper stage of proficiency or their educational welfare be cared for in private schools. Compulsion in attendance is as fair as compulsion in providing.—H. A. Eller, Berlin. Laboring Classes Need Education.—I am quite sure if wage farm hands would study to farm in a systematic way they could command better wages, as many of the farmers are not with the laborers, having other occupations and pro-fessions to which they themselves give their attention, leaving to the farm hands the management of the crops, etc. I favor compulsory education from a general standpoint. Many of the laboring classes are illiterate and cannot appreciate the advantages of an education. The rising generation would be better fitted for all the vocations of life, making a better representative people for our Common-wealth, and have a capacity for thinking and acting for themselves. Education inspires confidence. Once attained, we have a higher class of citizenship. Those 32 XoRTJi Cakolixa Labor Statistics. who fail to meet the requirements of the qualification clause of the Constitutional Amendment will naturally feel demoralized and will become discontented. Let us have better schools, and a better class of voters will follow.—W. C. Greer, Grassy Creek. ISToTiiixG More Needful thajs* Compulsory Education.—In discussing the question of compulsory education, to my mind there is no one thing more needful in this grand old State. Most of the wage-earners are very illiterate; they will not do to depend upon; they can't work machinery, and they depend wholly upon physical strength to sustain their livelihood; so, in my opinion, if they were edu-cated, even in the public schools, they would be more in demand, bring better wages, and do the* same work more easily. In my covmty there are several who can neither read nor write, who live a very short distance from the school-house. In the fall and winter, while the opportunity is given them for attending school they are off hunting rabbits, etc.: and since this is the case ^^dth most "renters" and "croppers," it would be better to have a law that would compel them to attend school at least three months in each year. In my opinion it would be bet-ter to restrict the law so that the child Avould be compelled to attend two-thirds or three-fourths of his time; and as to age limit, it should be about fifteen or six-teen years; by that time the child can get some idea of the good derived from an education, and will willingly and freely attend longer. It is the opinion of most of the 3'oung boys who are growing up in gross ignorance that they will by some mysterious way be allowed to vote in 1908, eA^en though they cannot read or write; and they have not a sufficient amount of reason to convince them to the contrary. So I think a compulsory school law would be the very thing to teach them to read and Avrite, until their reasoning faculties become developed; then will we have the youth trained up in the knowledge of the law, and he will make a better citizen than he otherwise would, and will be an honor to himself, his parents and his country. In conclusion, let us by another year have a compul-sory attendance school law, for the State is suffering for the want of it.—J. P. Wagoner, Elon College. Can't Suggest the Remedy.—I can hardly say what I think in regard to laborers. The trouble (or one) is, they all scorn to pay any attention what-ever to anything but the time they get in at their work. They let their daily work run them alone, or go into debt—and they generally get into debt pretty soon after they gio to public works, and live out of the company's store and pay a higher price than other merchants sell at. They will not even try to make their garden truck in the evenings after work hours, but depend on the company's store for their meat, bread, etc., and, as before, generally come out in debt. This needs regulating; but just what or how I can't say. As to compulsorj^ education, I say yes, let it come, and come in a waj' that all these careless parents about their children will be forced to send to school during the free school six or more months in each year. We have our school tax to pay, and, to save me, I can't see how it's harder on the "poor people" to send to school than on us to pay the tax. GiA'e us a compulsory school law and make it binding, so that in 1908 all (white boys especially) can read and write and be entitled to vote without any questions.—T. M. Frizell, Beta. Condition of Farmers. 33 Favor Mild Form.—I would favor compulsory education in a mild form, giving such protection to the more unfortunate who would be unable to withstand the full force of compulsion without protecting provisions. It is a query with me what to suggest for the betterment of the condition of the rising generation. I have heretofore suggested that some kind of manufacturing establishment that would give employment to women and girls might help some in this section, as this is a mountainoiis section and not a large grain-making section, as there is but a small per cent, of the land susceptible to cultivation, but by the original methods fruits, vegetables and grains all grow well here. The lumber business and bark is giving employment to a great many.—J. B. Raby, Wilmot, Compelled to Favor It.—It seems since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment we are compelled to favor a law that will constrain parents of some children to send them to school ; otherwise they will never be able to read and write.—J. M. Kennee, Scroll. Increased Attendance.—Compulsory school law increased attendance in our schools last year twenty per cent. It will be a great help to the cause of educa-tion if the law is put in force. If not, it will become a dead letter — Wiley Hickman, Leatlierman. Wage-earners Need Libraries.—As to Avage-earners, they need regular em-ployment all the year round and access to a good library and reading-room. Compulsory education is necessary to make legal voters of our boys under the Amendment Avhen they become of age. Let us have it by all means.—Z. M. Leatherman, Leatlierman. Favors Compulsory School Law.—I favor compulsory school law. Our pub-lic school district has been consolidated and a local tax levied of forty-five cents on poll and fifteen cents on one hundred dollars worth of property. The school is in session now, and they have sixty-two scholars out of one hundred and twenty-five. It is the poorer class that do not send to school. We are compelled to pay our school tax and the children it is intended for do not get the benefit of it.—J. M. Haney', Nealsville. Believer in Compulsory Education.—I believe in compulsory education. It looks hard, and yet it will eventually have to come, for, as you will see, we have a great number of people who care nothing for education, and these people have families and care nothing about educating their children; hence I favor compell-ing these people to school their children. As for farm labor, it is scarce and high, and if we people have to pay farm hands any higher wages than we now do it will pay us best to turn our lands to grass farms instead of cotton, wheat and corn.—H. A. Gilleland, Lowesville. Parents' Neglect Responsible.—Since the passage of the Constitutional Amendment I think that we should have a system of compulsory education to 3 34 ^OETii Cakolika Labok Statistics. educate the poor children of the country. Their parents are in a large per cent, ignorant and are neglecting the education of their children -where a compulsory system would learn them to read and write^ if no more.—J. F. Killiaji, Denver. Whites Take Advantage of Schools.—The whites all give their children a common school education. There is not a white child here of school age who can-not read and write. We are opposed to the education of the negro except in indi-vidual cases. To educate the masses makes them unfit for farm work. They con-gregate in the slums of our towns and cities and usually become criminals. An educated negro will not work as a farm hand, and usually fails as a cropper. The whites here are getting bitterly opposed to the system of being taxed to edu-cate negro children at the expense of their own, or, in other words, in taking the mioney paid by the white people and using it to educate the negro. The negro here gets a longer term than the whites under the present system. There must be a change, or else there will be trouble ahead for the party that persists in keeping this system of taxation upon the statute books. Let the whites receive all the money jDaid by white tax-payers for the use of white schools only, and all will be well.—J. W. McIxtosh, Loicesville. Constrained to Yield to Compulsory Education.—My views as to compul-sory education have somewhat changed during the last twelve months. My expe-rience as a school committeeman has brought about this change. It seems to me that the State is doing her part in the way of furnishing educational opportuni-ties to the children of the State, and we are not reaching a certain class of chil-dren who, above all others, need the help that the State is offering. All efforts made by the committee, the teacher and the best element of the neighborhood to get them to attend school, so far, has been a complete failure in this section, and I presume that other sections have the same trouble. Therefore I feel constrained to yield to the plan of compulsory education that will accomplish more good and less waste of the people's money. As to wage-earners, they only need honest pro-tection, and I think the laws at present are sufficient for that. It is an unusual occurrence that an honest laborer has any trouble with the one who has him employed. I believe most men Avho hire labor really take pleasure in paying and protecting the laboring class who try, or even half-way try, to deal honestly with their employer. On the other hand, none of us are willing to pay full wages for half work.—J. H. Smith, Svnthfield. Public Libraries Necessary.—A well-selected public library in every school district would be beneficial to the wage-earners. We have a mild compulsory school law in this county, which is already giving our children an opportunity for an education. The law compels our citizens to pay tax for the support of the government. Why not compel them to send their children to school so as to enable them to become better citizens? — John E. Eickman, Leather-man. Condition of Faemeks. Compulsory Education One of Greatest Needs.—I think that more regular employment, with better tenant-houses and more opportunities for mental and social improvement, even at the present wages, would greatly improve the wage-earner's present condition, provided that the prices of commodities upon which he has to live were not increased from their present ratio. Compulsory educa-tion is one of the greatest needs of the laboring classes, from the fact that this class of people have to live by their labor, and, if not restrained by legislation, ^\^ll sacrifice mental improvement to the promotion of manual labor, much of which is wrongly directed and misguided; all of which amounts to little or noth-ing. We shall never, in my opinion, have a universal educational system until we reach the point of compulsion, and it Avould not only benefit the laboring classes, but the whole people. I think that any State owes this system of educa-tion to its citizens.—M. J. Green, Whitford. Compulsory Education—Strenuous Temperance Law.—The educational con-dition of the working people has improved greatly under the present administra-tion of Governor Aycock. The moral and religious condition has improved be-yond all expectation under the Watts law; and with a still more strenuous tem-perance law, removing the entire liquor traffic from the State, if possible, and a compulsory educational law, in a fcAV years we would have the best State in the Union; all of which I favor very much.—I. R. Self, Lincolnton. jSTeed System of Compulsory Education.—I think we need a system of com-pulsory education. It would be a blessing to the little children if they could be kept out of the cotton mills three or four months in the year, even if they didn't learn anything. — Thomas F. Cornwell, Lincolnton. Favors Compulsory Education.—I favor compulsory education. If notliing happens to change present conditions, in ten or fifteen years the negro boys will be voting and whites will be disfranchised. Now on my farm I have six white families and twelve children of school age, and not more than four went at all, and most of the term only one. There are nine colored families, and not a single child stayed at home. If they went hungry or unclothed, they every last one went to school ; could not hire any of the larger ones to get them to work, but the white children would Avork for you every day. So you see from this that it is only a question of years, under the present system, until the white children will not be in it. Make them all go by compulsion; and then, as to hands—they will not make regular hands��stop every Saturday, or a part of it, and lots of days when you need them most; "grass a-groAving"; they are out fishing or off killing time at something. — William D. Avera, Smithfield. Opposed to Compulsory Education.—In regard to compulsory education, I would say that I am opposed to it, or to any compulsory law that is not really necessary for good government. As to suggestions relative to wage-earners' needs, I would say, as I understand the law as it now is, we have about all we 36 ]S[oRTii Carolina Laboe Statistics. need along this line for honest laborers and honest employers to get along wath smoothly, and don't think that any law could be enacted that would govern the dishonest man better tnan what we have now, whether he be a laborer or an employer.—M. P. Lassiter, Smithfield. Favor Modified Compulsory Law.—I certainly favor a modified compulsory school law, and unless we get something of this kind soon Ave will have failed to do our duty in solving the educational problem that confronts us. The educa-tional, moral and religious status of our people is improving some, I believe, but it is so little that it is almost imperceptible. The question as to wage-earners is too wide, too long and too deep for me to say anything intelligently in regard to it, but I believe there is "something" that ought to be done along that line, and, hoping you will find that something, I am—A. L. Ensley, Syhm. No Other Way.—The labor in this section has diminished until farmers can only rely upon their own force, themselves and children. In case of a little grass during the summer months, what few hands are left command from seventy-five cents to a dollar per day. People have been forced to reduce the acreage, as they cannot rely upon floating labor. As to compulsory education, I am satisfied the majority of children will never be benefited by the public or any other system of schools until they are compelled to attend them. Most of the illiterate parents say: "Well, I had no education, and my children must do as I have, and I must keep them at home to work like I did when I was a boy." As the law now requires every voter to read and Avrite after 1908, I see no way to save our poor Avhite boys from disfranchisement but to educate them and the sooner this step is taken the better for the youngster. — Joseppi J. Foster, Centerville. Schools Much Improved.—I cannot see why avc should be taxed to pay a teacher to sit in a school-house half of his time with but few of the children. We are in need of more mind power throughout my section. I must say our schools have been very much improved, but there is room for a good deal more. My price for men hands is tAvelve dollars in money; then they have a good three-room house, yard, good garden and potato "patch which I have them to plow when plowing my crop. I give twelve dollars and twenty-one pounds of meat, one bushel of meal, and pay at the end of the month. Women living in these houses work by the day; come out after breakfast, have two hours at dinner, and get forty cents a day. Children get twenty cents and work on the same basis. — M. H. Smithson, Battlehoro. Would be Great Thing.—As to wage-earners, there is but one thing to be done—that is to make them keep at work; all loose labor don't seem to Avork more than two days in the Aveek. I am only speaking for my own section of the county, especially among the colored people. Compulsory education would be a great thing for good, as there are some families that do not send at all; they Avould rather loaf around. I say let compulsory education come with this next Legislature.—C. A. Kiser, Cherryville. Condition of Farmers. 37 Nothing but Compulsion Will Do.—I don't see any remedy for the wage-earner in his and the land owner's present conditions—the future looking for low prices and the farms run down to small yield per acre. If the wage-earner could be induced to become more interested in favor of the employer he w^ould be more able to get better wages. As to compulsory education, I can't suggest in my experience as a committeeman for four years anything that will be very effective except a compulsory law and it enforced.—-H. F. Foebes, Croicdei-'s Creek. Need Better Education.—I can't say what about labor, but I know we need better education. We need more money, better school buildings and longer terms of school, and I think it would be a good thing to make a man pay a small fine when he can and won't send his children to school.—A. H. Baker, Lucia. Compulsory Education.—I think compulsory education—any way so far as our free schools are concerned, which do not amount to more than four months in tlie year—should be established. As for wage hands, we have no way of holding them responsible for favors or advancements made on crops without a good deal of litigation, which usually leaves the landlord in worse shape than when he started. If there could be some means by which we could force them to abide by their contracts mthout so much litigation^ the labor problem would be very much improved.—W. I. Warren, Lucia. Labor Question Serious.—The labor question in our section has become to be a serious problem. The cotton mills have been built so fast for the last few years, and the times so hard on the farms, and prices for labor so low that the larger per cent, of the intelligent white farm laborers have quit the farms and gone to the mills, and most of the best negro workers have left the countrj^, leav-ing behind the lower class of white people and worthless negroes to do our work, and they, seeing the situation as it is, demand high prices for the kind of work they do. So unreliable is the labor that many of our farmers have abandoned hiring altogether, and many that once did not work their families have put them to work in fields, and it works so nicely vsdth them that they would not return to the old system of hiring, as they have found that with their own folks and im-proved tools they can live better and have more than when they employ the kind of labor they can get. But still there is good demand for all the labor that is here, even if it is inferior. Now, as to compulsory education, ^\dll say that I am opposed to it, from the fact that it will make bad matters worse with a great many of our people. We favor educating everybody who wants to be educated, but we cannot see the propriety or justice or necessity in making people go to school if their parents don't want them to go. But the main reason we oppose compulsory education is that we have many widows who have children that they are dependent upon for a living, and to compel them to go to school would make it hard on them. I don't think we need to bother ourselves about educating them on account of the Constitutional Amendment. People who don't care enough for themselves to try to get an education are not, in my opinion, the kind of folks to say who shall be our servants (or rulers, as some call them). And 38 I^OETii Carolina Laboe Statistics. again, I think it a slim argument in favor of education to say that by so doing it will enable a fellow to vote ; it would seem by that that all our politicians want them educated for is to get them qualified to vote. I favor educating people in order to make them more intelligent citizens, and favor it so as to enable him or her to live in this world with more ease. — Egbert L. Abernethy, Mount Holly. Wage-earner All Right.—The wage-earner is well cared for on the farmj he can get regular employment; a house and enough land for a garden is given free of cost, and if he meets misfortune in sickness or anything else money is ad-vanced him. In my opinion the laborer who has enough education to read and write a little is of more benefit, both to his family and employer, than one who has a little more; the former one is satisfied on the farm, while the latter is only content at trying to cast the farm life aside. He tries politics to secure an office, or relies on his education in buying and selling to earn a living, and the most of them fail, so far as making a success is concerned. As a rule, the negro with a little education is more apt to get into the toils of the law. I don't believe in educating the negro beyond a certain point, for many of them go to a city thinking to get some light job in which their education will help them and often return in a Avorse condition than their brothers whom they left behind on the farm. I don't know that the enforcement of the law requiring all voters after 1908 to explain any part of the Constitution to the satisfaction of a judge to be of benefit both to the laborer and employer, for the reason stated above. With regard to the farming interest in this section, it is confined to trucking, raising potatoes, melons, beans and peas and corn on a small scale.—N. C. Newbern, Jarvishurg. Should be for Six Months.—Compulsory education should be so arranged that the children could go to school six months in the year, beginning with Sep-tember and ending with February. This would not conflict much with the crop season, since people are compelled to work their children to make support. There is no labor in this section of the State to be hired under any circumstances. What there was has gone to public works. The education of the negro is of the wrong kind; they should be taught to read and write and the methods of labor and farm work in connection. I have had much experience with the negro during m.y life. My father owned many of them before the war, and, being the only son, I was reared on the farm with them and learned to know much of them and their habits and natures; also since the war I have worked many of them and have had many dealings with them and think that I know them well. Educated negro labor as it has been since the war is a mere farce. If I want an honest day's labor from a darkey I always try to get an ex-slave to do it instead of the new negro. If the negro could have been taught and his life planned and character shaped by the white Southern people, the race question would have never been or existed as it does to-day. He is taught from his grave to hate and strive against his best friend, the Southern white man. The new white man and the new negro are at variance, and it will continue unless the mode of training be changed and both taught the head and hand in their training. The negro labor is the best the Condition of Fakmeks. 39 South can get if the training could be in agriculture along ^\dth his mental teachings. High-priced labor is detrimental to the negro wage-worker in this section, for just as soon as he gets a few»days' labor in hand he is disposed to loaf about until he needs something that will force him again to work. This makes labor very unreliable, and one other objection is that the white man will not hesitate to influence hands from his neighbor by offering more wages, especially in the harvest season, such as cotton and peanut picking. I have many times had to advance the price or lose my hands. Such is wrong and against the wage-earner, for it makes him unreliable, and you cannot depend on him, for he will go where the most money is to be had.—K. R. Maddrey, Pen-dleton. Compulsory Lavp, with Exceptions.—I would favor a compulsory educa-tional law, except in cases where the parents are so poor that they are obliged to have the labor of their children the whole year round. I think the government should provide food and clothing for the very poor children whose parents are not able to furnish the same. — Jacob Kiser, Bessemer City. Lack or Interest Responsible for Present State of Schools.—I favor a compulsory school law in general in this county. Graham County schools are run up to the requirements of the law. We have four months' school in all of the districts, but on account of the parents the average is very small. It is dilatoriness and lack of interest in school, and their ciiildren -will have good schools, good teachers, schools conveniently located as a general rule. The law forces the County Board of Education to have four months' school the county over; then if the parents won't send, make them send. I have been connected with the public schools of this county for six years. I think that a compulsory school law would be the best for the children of dilatory parents, and it won't hurt those who have a desire to educate their children.—W. H. Garrison, Yellow Creek. Not Ready Yet.—Just so soon as the State will afford sufficient aid to run schools from eight to ten months, then we are ready for compulsory school law.—P. C. Sawyer, Brock. Compulsion the Only Remedy.—Since the new laAV has been passed I am in favor of compulsory school law. It is the only remedy for educating our people I see at present. There are a great many people who don't know what education is; therefore they don't send their children to school.—O. R. Crisp, Japan. Compulsory Education.—I am candid in saying I favor compulsory educa-tion. I have had quite an experience in the affairs of our public schools, and I feel that this is the only means by which we can get all of our children in school. I think our people are somewhat on the up-grade socially, intellectually, finan-cially and religiously. Our people are trying to economize and live within their means. Some young men are striving for an education. There is some improve- 40 ISToKTH Oaeolina Labor Statistics. ment among the colored people since they cannot vote. While many have left the county, those here are more orderly, more respectful and easier to deal with. — D. N. Hunt, Oxford. Educated Negroes No Good.—Compulsory education might do if not for the negro race. We people down here do not believe in the education of negroes. The Southern white people do not need the educated negro. Let him go where he is wanted and needed. We do not care for the negro only as he cares for us; the negro's work is all Ave want from the negro. The white people's money is all the negro wants from the white people. An 'educated negro is no good for work. H. F. Haedy, Jason. Not for Negroes.—I am not in favor of compulsory edvication. It might be all right for the white race, but I am not in favor of negro education in any way, as I have noticed all my days that education was a great disadvantage to the negro, for when they begin to have the least education they are worth but very little to the white race as laborers, and the Southern whites have but very little use for the negro except for his labor. I long to see the day come when the whites shall pay the tax to educate the whites and the negro pay the tax to educate the negro. I am not in favor of educating the negro in the South, as such are no good as laborers. We would not need any compulsory school law if it were not for the negro. Our people down here are fully disgiisted with the education of negroes.—W. D. Mewborn, Jason. Opposed to Compulsion.—I do not favor compulsory education any more than I do compulsory religion. People do not take kindly to anything of a compulsory nature. If we have a compulsory school law that means that we are going to compel the negro to again become a voter; to that I am unalterably opposed. Let the negrb educate his own children. I do not want to see the white man taxed to educate the negro. We educate the negro and he lands in the peniten-tiary. There is not one in fifty that is not ruined by an education; as soon as he can read and write he wants a position, and if he can't get it he becomes a loafer and a thief. The negro is an inferior being, and was created for a servant, and when we try to change any of God's plans we make a failure, and we cer-tainly make a grand failure in educating the negro. Compulsory education means his re-enfranchisement; that we do not want. The Anglo-Saxon must control; we are in proper shape now to rule, and we must do it. Then let us have a division of the school fund. As to the wage-earners, all the majority of them need is to practice economy. Some men soon save enough to have a little home, while others getting the same Avages are always behind and are the first to find fault Avith their employers.—C. A. Tickle, Gibsonville. Decidedly in Favor of Compulsory Education.—I think if Avage- earners Avould do better and more Avork and be more trustAvorthy it Avould aid them to get better Avages. I am decidedly in favor of compulsory education. We have to pay school taxes and I am in favor of a compulsory attendance.—F. G. Chil-cutt. Brown's Suvumit. Condition of Fakmees. 41 Wage-earners Shovld be Bound to Fill Contracts.—Tlie school question in the negro belt of North Carolina is a difficult problem. The whites pay largely the school tax and the blacks seem to make the best use of it. There is more Ignorance in the wliite race that is growing up than there is in the black. The whites do not make the best of the opportunities afforded them, while the blacks use it to the very best advantage. The result will be in 1908 there will be a larger per cent, of whites disfranchised than blacks. If there could be an effective law enacted that would bind the wage-worker to stay his time with his employer it would be to the advantage of both the wage-worker and his em-ployer.—^ D. S. Moss, Moss. HoNESTT Wage-earners' Greatest Need.—I believe if those who work for Avages would come up to the plan of doing good, honest work and not try so hard to beat those who employ them, that they would soon see that this would improve their conditions very much. I notice that whenever you find a hand that will go out and do an honest day's work and not have to be followed and watched all day, he can get all the work he can do, and that those who have to employ hands are quite ready to employ him and pay good wages. As to compulsory school law, I have come to believe that some measure of that kind will necessarily have to be enacted, but am not prepared to say what the strength of such a law should be.—-W. P. Raiford, Princeton. Strongly Favors Compulsory Attendance.—I am so strongly in favor of compulsory education and the no-fence law, or stock law, that I am an exponent of the doctrine. The more observation and experience I have the more convinced am I in these theories. I have had over fifteen years' experience as superinten-dent of schools in some of the best cities in the South. It is in my opinion farci-cal for the State to provide public free schools to protect itself against illiteracy and ignorance and not force attendance at said schools.—H. V. Moulton, Dunn. Wage-earners Not Reliable.—As to wage-earners, they are not reliable; if more of them should settle and go to work. If we credit the most of them we get beat, so the farmers in this country try to do most of their work. As to education, I am in favor of some kind of compulsory law in our mountain coun-try, the poor class won't send their children to the free schools.—C. E. Clark, Clyde. School System a Failure Without Compulsion.—^I am strongly in favor of a compvilsory school laAV and the greatest blessing that could come to the laboring people of this mountain country would be a law that would compel them to send their children to the public schools. In some communities up here the free school system is a failure without a compulsory school law.—L. N. Pin-ner, Canton. Compulsory Education for Wage-Earners.—I favor compulsory education. Think it would be a great deal better for the wage-earners, and also thinlc that 42 I^OKTH Oaeolina Labor Statistics. agriculture taught in the public schools would be very beneficial to them, think it would interest them in their work and make them try harder to make farm-ing a success.—T. E. Osborne, Hills River. Would not Be Best.—I don't think that compulsory school law will be very good in our county, as we are most all farmers and we can't spare our children more than four months, and we already have four months of free school.—J. J. RussEL, Boomer. Should be Compelled.—I believe it would be proper to compel people to send their children to school a fixed number of months during the year.—J. J. Lank-ford, Bhtff. Nothing Better than Education.—I am in favor of a compulsory educa-tional law. I think it would improve the morals and greatly improve the lower class of people. We are far behind in point of education in this county. I can't say what would benefit the wage-earners in this county unless education.—D. M. Young, Clarissa. Good for Whites.—Our class of wage-earners are of the lowest type of the negro race and they would appreciate nothing on earth that could be done for them. I am satisfied that the_ day is not far distant when a radical change must happen in our county as the negroes are moving to the towns and what few are left are not worth the powder and shot it would take to kill them. We have a little white labor which is all right and seems to be getting along well. As to compulsory education, I believe in it so far as the white race is concerned, and as to the negro the more education you give him the more trouble he will give you. Our school system has improved very materially since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment.—E. L. Gibes, Middletown. Would Force Hardship.—As to my views on compulsory education, I have this to say: It would force quite a hardship on the poorer class of people to compel them to send their children to school as they are most dependent upon their children for farm labor during spring season, lasting about five montha. I am in favor of compelling the parents to send their children to the free school, making the session six months in the year, summer and fall. — Geo. P. Carter, Fairfield. Better Teachers the Neeid.—I think it would be well if we had more houses and better houses for the Avage-earners, also if we had better teachers in their public schools; teachers that would take more interest in learning them manners and politeness as well as books. I think it advisable that the children be com-pelled to attend the public schools that they might be able to read and write the Constitution.—J. W. Gibbs, Middletotcn. Negroes Making Most Rapid Strides.—I have often felt the need of an edu-cation, especially so the older I get. My education being limited, I am in favor Condition or Farmers, 43 of compulsory education—for, really I think the negroes are making more rapid strides along educational lines than the Avhites. It is a sad fact, but I think it nevertheless true. Our Governor has done much for education in North Caro-lina.—^ 0. P. Shell, Dunn. Ix Favor of Compulsion.—I am in favor of compulsory education. I believe it would be a good thing for the people for there are some who will not send their children to school unless they are forced to, and I believe that we ought to have a way to make them. Tlieir fathers and forefathers have no education and they think just because they have gotten along all right that their children can, and I think it is time for that to stop. If the wage-earners will go to work their wages will be raised high enough, for they are raising every day. In the spring a hand could be hired for sixty cents a day and now there can't be a hand gotten for less than seventy-five cents and a dollar a day. They are so lazy they Avon't work regularly, they will work just long enough to get something to go on and then quit.—J. A. Piiarr, Canton. Nothing Necessary in Legislation for Wage-Earners.—I can't conceive anything that is necessary to improve the condition of the wage-earner at this time. He receives good wages and can get all the work he wants to do. I cannot recommend compulsory education (among the whites) too strong; they do not avail themselves of the advantages they have, they do not use their opportuni-ties. Unless something is done to awaken the masses 1908 will find many of our people disqualified. The negro needs nothing to stimulate him, he uses every means that comes his way. The less education he has the better laborer he makes. Education with him is no failure. — John M. Clayton, Engleha'rd. Don't Want Compulsory Education.—We are in pretty fair condition gen-erally. There are plenty of hands. The tendency of oiir farmers is to get the improved machinery to work the land, so that hoe hands are all that are wanted now. The most of our people are working on the tenant system, and that will soon give way to hard labor. We have found that our farms will run down on the tenant system, for we cannot get them to work in the winter. The negro will go to school the whole time if there is a school for him to go to. The educar tional conditions are pretty good. There is no danger of the negro getting ahead of our race of children, for they take double the schooling the whites do; there are a few cases where the negro is quick to learn. We as a people generally are not in favor of compulsory education; it might do some good, but do much harm. The people are in good financial condition, generally speaking—some pocket change on hand—^well, you know some people will never haA^e anything but a scant living. The most of the people have a broad smile on now ; crops have worked out good—corn, very good; wheat, fine crop; cotton, the very best; oats, very good. All things point to success.—P. W. Eagle, Statesville. Impossible for Some.—It seems to me that if we had a compulsory school law it would almost be impossible for some people to send their children to school. 44 JSToETii Caeolin-a Labor Statistics. We have some poor people who live three or four miles from any school-house and are not able to board their children away from home, yet it seems that there must be something done to educate them^ since the amendment requiring them to read and write the Constitution correctly after 1908. If we had a compulsory law not to exceed four months in the year it might be of some benefit to us. I don't think longer than that would do. The people are obliged to work out a sup-port.— J. P. Reed, Beta. Compulsory School Law.—I favor compulsory school law. Laborers should live more economically, making more garden, etc., to eat, and buying less in the commissary store. I hope all laborers will try this way one year.—S. W. Ens-ley, Beta. Education Would Improve.—I do not know what to say about what would benefit Avage-earners ; only I can say this much, and that is to give them better education and it will improve the wages of the people. I am in favor of a com-pulsory school law and think it would be a good thing for our people in our sec-tion, as a lot of them live in a short distance from the schools and do not send but part of the time and some of them don't send at all.—W. V. Davis, Beta. Wage-earners Should be Moke Punctual.—Tlie wage-earners need to be more punctual and work more to benefit their employers. As to compulsory educa-tion, as school-houses are now situated in some localities it would be a hardship on some. If houses were more conveniently located I might favor compulsory education.—V. B. Knight, Lawrence. Compulsion Absolutely Necessary.—Judging from my own school district, I am highly in favor of compulsory education. Some families take no interest in the schools at all. A man in this county who has five children of school age — three boys and two girls—says the school is all right, is satisfied Avith the teacher, but refuses to send any of them to school. None of them have been to school a day in their lives. There is no Avay for some children to get their rights except by the passage and putting into eff'ect a compulsory school law.—P. E. Head, Decatur. Favors Education.—I favor education in any way that it may be brought about, and am very proud indeed to see the advance that has been made in recent years along this line. I have served four years on the school board of our county and am convinced that compulsory education is the only thing that will over get proper attendance on our public schools. We have in our home district eight months of free school maintained by those of us who feel able by voluntary subscription, and yet the attendance is poor, so far as the tenant class goes. They are treated nicely at our school and we visit them and insist that they go, and yet some of them Avill not attend more than one or two months. I hope I have a liberal and broad view on educational lines toward all classes, but I must say that I think the education of the negro under the present system is unsatis-factory and in a large measure a useless expenditure. The whites of the South CoNDiTioisr OF Faeimers. 45 will not teach them, and the negroes have no teachers in our county woithy of the name. I am informed by our present Superintendent, and his predecessor also, that they are forced to accept men and women to take charge of the work who are not fitted in any capacity for the job.—W. A. Bizzeix, Neicton Grove. Compulsory Education Needful.—As to compulsory education, I think it very needful. So many of our people let their children stay at home when they should send them to school. Others hire them out for a small sum, when they could easily get along without it. Tlie demand for labor is so pressing that people keep their children out of school to Avork, while a goodly number of men folks walk around. — James N. McLaueix, Stewart. Favors Stringent Vagrancy Law.—I am in favor of compulsory education, especially the poor laboring class of white children. They are very much in need of help along this line. Further, I favor some stringent vagrant law passed to force the lazy, loafing class to work, and we would have less crime and judicial expense on our State and less cause for lynchings, riots, etc.—D. D. Gibson, Gibson. Xo Law Will Help Wage-earners.—There is no law that will do the wage-earners any good unless they try to save Avhat they make. My view on compul-soiy education is that we should send our children four months in the year, and from seven to fourteen years of age, any way; then those who will not send should be compelled to send.—J. W. Veach, Thomasville. Xeed More Education.—It seems that wage-earners need steady employment and more economy and a good education. I am highly in favor of compulsory education. Our people need more education worse than they need better wa^es. I sometimes think that wages are too good and the temptation too great to make money, and that is A\hy there are not more young men and women in school. If wages were less and professional wages higher, more people would educate them-selves. Pass a law that all children shall attend school at least four months in each year, from six to sixteen years of age, and when they become reconciled to that, make it six months, and so on, until our people are educated.—A. S. Mil-ler, Mannersville. Good Thing if Books are Furnished.—I think compulsory education a good thing, provided books can be furnished the children; otherwise I don't favor it. — G. W. HowAEiD, Hallsville. Compulsion the Only Way.—I think that compulsory education is the only way that the children in the rural districts will ever be educated. Force them to send to school, say one-third of the year.—0. P. Grifton, Centreville. Education Ruins the Negro.—Education is ruining the negro as a farm laborer. The women work very well by the day, but they are not certain. Any 46 IToKTH CaeolijSta Laboe Statistics. farmer Avho depends on hired negroes to run his plows is liable to find his hands absent any Monday morning after pay-day. We need a good class of white labor, but the Greek and Scandinavian won't do.—W. S. Parkek, Henderson. Labor Question Serious.—As a general thing our people are opposed to com-pulsory education. The labor question is a serious one with us. The labor is trifling and unreliable^ and on a whole it is unsatisfactory. We seem to need some legislation along the line of compelling a laborer to stick to his contract. A good many of them don't regard it at allj and we don't seem to have any way of reaching them.—D. D. Peele, Fremont. Lumber Business Takes Farm Hands.—The lumber business is carried on extensively in Wilkes County; so farm hands are scarce. Fai'mers are doing well in this neighborhood. Most of them have money to pay for what they do not make on the farm. There are very few idle people in this community. As to compulsory education, I know of several men that voted for the Amendment to the Constitution that are not sending their children to school. Compulsion or no compulsion, there are going to be a good many young men deprived of their right to vote after 1908. I have taught for the last five winters and have endeavored to get all the families to send. Some tell me they are not able to buy books and clothing for their children. Some, no doubt, are not; others make that for an excuse. If our State's financial condition was able to provide for the very poorest, I would favor compulsory education. We need more enthusiasm in education, especially in public schools. Most people want their children edu-cated, but are more interested in their own financial condition.—I. M. Crouch, Moravian Falls. Compulsion for Teachers as Well as Pupils.—I am in favor of a compul-sory school law that would compel parents to school their children, and a law that would compel teachers to do their full duty. My observation has been that both parents and teachers are at fault. Parents are in some cases negligent, and there are teachers that are failures. In my opinion about fifty per cent, of the teachers are worthy of their profession; the balance are not. — Martin DeHart, Sicain. More Education—Less Use for Farm Labor.—My observation is that the more education a negro gets the less use he is for farm or other labor.—W. J. ]\IiERCER, Skinnersville. Better Houses and Teachers.—I cannot advocate compulsory education until we have better houses and better teachers. It would be next to criminal to com-pel children to be crowded into some of the houses Ave have, in the care of some of the teachers we have in this and adjoining counties.—E. L. Wolf, Pinnacle, R. F. D. No. 1. Educated Laborers Always in Demand.—I am of the opinion that the only thing necessary for the general building up of the masses of the people is that Condition of Farmers. 47 they be better enlightened, and as they improve intellectually they will improve morally and financially. Then to educate the wage-earner it is necessary that we have compulsory school laws; and of course many will oppose such a law, but as the people become more advanced in literary and scientific training they will eradicate all opposition to a compulsory school system. Educated laborers are in demand, and all who employ seek the better class and are willing to pay higher wages. My opinion is that we could do nothing better for the wage-earner than to compel him to qualify himself for earning a living. Then his service will be in demand.—T. M. Burrus, Jr., Rockford. Eis^FORCE Vagrancy Law.—I thinlc the best thing to better the condition of the wage-earners in this section would be the rigid enforcement of the vagrancy laws, thereby preventing such a large number being drones and lying around in idleness. I would venture the opinion that fully thirty-three per cent, are principally supported by their wives and children, while they are in idleness. I am in favor of the compulsory educational law, if fully enforced. I believe by educating the rising generation morally and mentally the idleness and depend-ence on wife and children would be overcome to a great extent.—G. E. Greenlee, Mica. Laborers Won't Stick.—I am at a loss as to what to say that would be of benefit to the landlord and tenant. As to the laborer, he will not stick, except on the chain-gang, where he does good work and makes excellent roads. It does not make any difference whether he is working for wages or part of the crop, if he takes a notion to move he moves. Tlaere are exceptions. — James A. Wilson, Huntersville. Compulsory Education for Whites.—I am in favor of compulsory education for the white race only. We do not need it for negroes. They will go to school all the time if the white man will feed them. I think all white children should attend school at least four months in the year. Our land would increase in value right along if we had plenty of reliable labor. I think the best thing to do for the laboring class is to make them stand up to their contracts with employers. Pay him fair wages and make him send his children to public school.—W. M. Long, Charlotte. Wage-earners Change Places too Often.—There may be some who would press the wage-earners, but as a rule our farmers are willing to pay all their crops will allow. Tobacco is our main money crop. That has sold so low for several years that the producer cannot afford to pay high wages. The wheat crop for the two years previous to this cost more than the market value. This year the crop is a good average. One trouble with wage-earners and tenants is that they are disposed to change places, or work, too often. When doing well they often become dissatisfied and change, if only for the worse. I am unable to suggest any legislation that would improve their condition.—P. Oliver, R. F. D. No. 1, King. 48 ISToETir Caeolina Labor Statistics. Lack of Ambition Responsible.—It seems to me that the great need of the wage-earners of our section is ambition, in order that they may give the necessary attention to their calling. They don't seem to look any further ahead than pay-day; consequently there is nothing mutual between employer and employee. I think it is impossible for a wage-earner to have any permanent success unless he has some sympathy and has some interest in the success of those who employ him. I favor a compulsory school laAV, as I thinlc that is the only way for the State to prove that it was in earnest in passing the Constitutional Amendment.—E. J. Farthing, Hattie. Labor Gone to Cotton MIlls and Public Works.—The advance in the price of farm products has advanced the value of farming land, and the demand for timber has increased the value of timbered land. The fertility of land is decreas-ing by continual cultivation in cotton. White labor has gone to cotton mills and negro labor to public works. No negro considers a contract for labor binding, nor does he consider the necessity of regular employnient. Many of the white laborers are no more reliable than the negroes.—H. G. Scarboro, Mt. Gilead. Negro No Good as Skilled Laborer.—The labor problem at present is more serious than we have ever seen here. The greater per cent, of farm laborers are negroes, and they have become so unreliable and treacherous that dealing with them is very unsatisfactory. Most of the white laborers are in the cotton mills and lumber plants. For the white race I am highly in favor of education, but do not favor the compulsory school law. I believe that it would be best for both the white race and the negro for the school tax to be taken from the negro. The negro, or the greater per cent, of them, is fit for nothing except common labor. He is no good for skilled labor. When they attend the public schools they become more worthless and treacherous than ever.—R. E. Andrews, Allenton Ferry. Favored Compulsory Education for Twenty Years.—My views on compul-sory education have been for twenty years favorable, notwithstanding I have read what has been said for and against it. I have given it a great deal of study, and I am sure that nothing but compulsory education will ever make our people what they should be. I know that those who oppose it can make some fine argu-ments as to the poor not being able to send or spare their children, and the poor widows, etc. These we will always have with us, and I know there is not a man in the State that sympathizes with them more than I do. If you expect your sons and daughters to be more than hewers of wood, you will have to educate them. You say you can't dress them. Pshaw! Send them in their rags and educate them. Afterwards they will leave their rags behind.—W. T. Mayo, Messick. Cause of Non-attendance.—The low average attendance of our schools is due to several causes—bad school-houses, the lack of interest on the part of the teachers, also incompetence of teachers. I think if our schools were what they should be we would not need a compulsory school law.—W. G. Harris, Island Ford. Condition of Farmers. 49 Wants Wage-eaeners to File Contract.—We want a law to bind wage-earners, so when they start in with a man to compel him to work out the time and forbid all others employing him. — Martin S, Beam, Ellenboro. Wage-eaknees Thriftless.—It is difficult to suggest just what wage-earners most need. They, as a rule, are somewhat thriftless; they seldom even attempt to save any part of their wages for investment in property, being satisfied with the idea that every day will provide for itself. Tliere are, of course, many excep-tions to this general rule, and many wage-earners have comfortable balances in our banks and have their homes and yards beautifully but not luxuriously fur-nished.— A. L. RuCKER. Rutherfordton. CoMPULSOEY School Law Would Benefit.— I think a compulsory school law would be a benefit to Yadkin and adjoining counties, and make every parent send his children to school if he is able; if not, make the county send them and have some way provided for them to go comfortably.—B. L. Sizemobe, Einshaw. Favors Compulsory Education.—I favor compulsory education, and am op-posed to boys and girls who only teach in the free schools in order to get a little money. We have too much of this class of teachers. I favor a free school sys-tem that will not allow extra charges for extra studies. I am in favor of paying more for teachers who employ their whole time in teaching school, and I am opposed to the little four-months teachers receiving as much per month as a man or woman who teaches nine months in a year.—R. J. Ross, New London. Wage-eaenees Unreliable.—The wage-earner is on top of the fence. All that is needed is reliability and faithfulness to duty. Few farmers can afford to start a crop with the uncertainty of labor. If the destitute can be provided for, I favor compulsory education.—J. C. Millee, Salisbury. PovEBTY Great Deawback.—In regard to compulsory school law, I would only favor it if the State would furnish books free; also, many of our people can scarcely afi"ord the time for their children to be at school, much less the cost of books. I mean by this that in many instances children are almost necessarily compelled to help support themselves and the family. Poverty is the great draw-back— not the disinclination of the people to education. Decrease in the cost of living and increase in the price of the products of the farm—and this includes decrease in transportation rates, etc.—are things that will make it possible for our poor to get an education free or otherwise.—H. G. Peatt, Madison. Wage-earners Need Education.—I thinlc that wage-earners need better educa-tion and, above all, more religion. My reason for not liking the compulsory school law is, there are so many poor people who must keep their children at work to earn bread.—A. S. Tyner, Moss Neck. 4 50 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Moral Suasion a Failure.—If some plan could be originated to make "all men honest," not only the laboring classes, but others as well, would be benefited. If people were educated to give full value for what they obtain from their fellow-man, whether it be in labor, kind or money, the country would be made better. "An honest man is the noblest work of God," is not only true, but one of the greatest necessities of the day. When I hire a man to do a day's work at the usual price, and he is not honest enough to do the work unless I stay in sight, why he is not worth the price; while on the other hand a man gives me a full, honest day's work and I refuse to pay the usual price, I am equally as dishonest as the other man. I try to impress upon all my hands the principle of giving "value received." Compulsory education is a knotty problem, but after a year's connection with the public school work in our county I am almost persuaded that a compulsory educational law, with proper safeguards, so as not to work a hard-ship on any one, would be an untold blessing to the rising generation. It is a sad truth that only about thirty-three and a third per cent, of the white and colored children are in attendance upon the public schools even for four months in the year. "Moral suasion" seems to be a failure with both parent and child.—E. F. McRae, Maxton. Would be Time Lost.—I think to raise money by taxation and let the money be divided between the whites and blacks, so that each one would get a share according to the tax he paid, would be right, or about in that proportion. I think to compel some children to go to school would be time lost, but make every man pay a school tax enough to run a good school eight months in a year; then those who want an education will get it all right. But, I am sorry to say, some people don't want their children to have any.—J. E. Carlyle, Lowe. Compulsory Education, with Exceptions.—^As to compulsory education, I mil say that when I see a certain class of young men inclined to loaf and hunt when there is a public school in session in easy reach of them, I think they should be compelled to go. On the other hand, when I see parents who are dependent on their children's labor for a support, 1 cannot say which I favor strongest. I think the first should be made to go to school; the latter should be allowed to stay at home.—E. L. Odum, Mossneck. Can't Send More than Four Months.—In regard to compulsory education, there are a great many farmers whose children are the only help they have to make the crop, and for this reason this class of farmers could not send their children more than four months a year. Should we have longer terms of school, those who were able would send their children.—T. F. Stanback, Mangum. Vagrancy Law Would Improve.���I think that we ought to have a law to com-pel all parents to educate their children as far as possible, but I do not believe in educating the negro race; to educate a negro is to make him' worthless. I believe a vagrant law would improve the negro race more than all the education Condition of Farmees. 51 ever could^ and many whites ought to be under the same law; some of them, strong, able-bodied men, are worthless and ought to be made to go to work.—N. A. McNeill, Roherdell. Favors Compulsion if Law Will Peovide Books, etc.—I favor a compulsory school law if it is a way to enable the poor to go to school—that is. that the law furnish funds to supply clothing and books where it is necessary; this to be decided by a man appointed for the business.—J. I. Branscom, ColUnsville. Educated Negroes No Good.—The farmers' troubles are growing greater yearly, owing to the scarcity of negro labor. Our effort to educate him has les-sened his will to work, has made him four times as likely to become a criminal; in fact, when a negro gets a fair education in the South there is one of four things he is going to do—preach, teach, commit some crime and get in the peni-tentiary, or go North. Our large appropriation for negro education has greatly decreased our supply of labor in the South. It is the educated negro that emi-grates. The Solicitor in my district tells me that over eighty per cent, of his convictions are among the young educated negroes. Out of twenty-seven negro men on my plantation three can read and -write, two of the three have served a term in the penitentiary; of the twenty-four illiterates not one of them have ever been in prison. There have been a great many young negroes to learn to read and wi-ite while being reared on my plantation, but not one in the county now — all gone North. Wages are ten to twenty-five cents per day higher than in former years, and this seems to decrease the supply of labor. When they get higher wages they work fewer days in the week. The lumber and mill men hire to settle but once a month, as the negroes have got to have a few days to get clear of their earnings before renewing their work.—J. J. Laughinghouse, Grimesland. Opposed to Compulsory Education.—In regard to compulsory education, I am opposed to it. It would be good for whites under the present law, but it would prove a curse to the negro, because when a negro gets some education it ruins him. He is no good for a laborer. I don't see how our coming Legislature could hardly make that law without ruining farmers and the negro.—W. C. Clark, Blackjack. Compulsory Education Not Yet.—I am not in favor of compulsory education until we can have the money paid by the white race go to the education of the white children only. When this can be done I am in favor of taxing all the property in the State to an amount sufficient to keep a school in every district at least six months in every year.—W. A. Nichols, GreenviUe. Division of Taxes, then Compulsory Education.—The people who work for wages are in better condition today than ever before. There is plenty of work at good prices; therefore no need for idleness; but such labor here is very unrelia-ble, being nearly all negroes, who pretend to work two or three days in the week; the remainder of the time is spent in attending lodge meetings and attending 52 I^ORTH Carolina Labor Statistics. church and loafing and stealing at night. The only thing that can benefit them is to teach them to work six days in the week and be honest, which is hard to do. I am not in favor of compulsory education until the taxes paid by the white race can be appropriated to white schools only. Experience has taught me that it is worse than useless to educate the negroes, as nearly all of them who can read and write are either in the State's prison or loafing on the street corners, which is one reason for the present scarcity of labor. When the school taxes can be properly divided, giving each race what it pays, then I am in favor of such a tax levy that will keep a public school in each and every district in the State for at least six months in the yearj and perhaps it would be better to enact a law to compel each healthy child of school age to attend at least eighty days in every year.—J. W. Smith, Greenville. Vagrancy Law Necessaey.—In regard to compulsory attendance of public schools, I think it would be of great benefit to the educational advancement of our State. I think, a vagrant law should be enacted that would give magistrates jurisdiction to put criminals on the public roads for thirty days.—J. Maeshall Cox, Winterville. Compulsory Education—Compulsoey Labor.—Any law that would tend to-ward benefiting the wage-earner morally, that would teach him to do honest work for an honest dollar, would inspire confidence in his employer, would be of great benefit to the wage-earner. Compulsory education won't do unless we have com |
OCLC Number-Original | 8319939 |