Annual report of the Bureau of Labor and Printing of the State of North Carolina |
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THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA THE COLLECTION OF NORTH CAROLINIANA UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00033934805 This book must not be taken from the Library building. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Ensuring Democracy through Digital Access (NC-LSTA) http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportofbu1903nort .^ ''ter SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING, woo^m/nM^^wne^. H. B. VARNER, Commissioner. W. E. FAISON, AssT. Commissioner. RALEIGH : E. M. UzzELL & Co., State Printers and Binders. 1904. SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE YEAR 903. H. B. VARNER, Commissioner. W. E. FAISON, AssT. Commissioner. RALEIGH : E. M. UzzELL & Co., State Printers and Binders. 1904. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Agricultural Statistics. • II. Miscellaneous Factories. III. Cotton and Woolen Mills. IV. Furniture Factories. V. — Newspapers. VI. Trades. VII. Railroad Employes. VIII. Cotton Ginned, Fisheries and Min-ing Interests. IX. Manufacturing Enterprises. Bureaus of Labor. CHAPTER I. AGRICULTUKAL STATISTICS. The following average tables are compiled from blanks filled out by representative farmers from every county in tbe State. The farmers alwaj's respond promptly. In this chapter we also publish letters showing the needs and conditions of farm labor. The returns were received during the period from July 1 to Octo-ber 1, 1903, which explains the difference in selling price of cotton and other products shown in Table No. 4. Table 'No. 1 shows an increase in value of land in seventy-four counties, and no change in twenty-three. Seventy-three counties re-port fertility of land maintained, and twenty-four not maintained. Eighty counties report tendency to smaller farms, six to larger, and eleven no change. Ninety counties report labor scarce, six plenty, and one abundant. Ninety-five counties report negro labor unreliable, one reliable, and one no negro labor. Forty-six counties report employ-ment regular, and fiity-one not regular. Table No. 2 shows cost of living increased in eighty-nine counties, and no increase in eight counties. Highest average wages of men per month $17.77, lowest $10.77 ; highest wages of women $10.98, lowest $7 ; wages of children $6.02. Sixty-four counties report increase of wages, and thirty-three no increase. Table No. 3 shows sixty-three counties produce cotton at average cost of $29.83 per 500-pound bale; seventy-four produce wheat at seventy-two cents per bushel; ninety-two produce com at forty-eight cents per bushel ; eighty-seven produce oats at thirty-four cents per bushel; fifty-three produce tobacco at $7.05 per 100 pounds. Table No. 4 shows average market price of cotton $58.65 per 500- pound bale; wheat, ninety-four cents per bushel; corn, seventy-five cents per bushel; oats, fifty-one cents per bushel; tobacco, $8.77 per 100 pounds. These prices make the profit on products $28.82 per bale for cotton ; twenty-two cents per bushel for wheat ; twenty-seven cents 1 North Carolina Labor Statistics. per bushel for corn; seA^enteen cents per bushel for oats; $1.Y2 -per hundred for tobacco. Table ]Sfo. 5 shows educational condition good in eight counties, fair in forty-five, and poor in forty-four, Ninety counties report improvement in education, and seven report no improvement. Twenty-five counties report moral condition good, fifty-eight fair, and fourteen poor. Seventy-two counties report improvement in morals, and twenty-five no improvement. Thirteen counties report financial con-dition good, forty-nine fair, and thirty-five poor. Eighty counties report financial condition improving, and seventeen report nO' improve-ment. Eighty per cent, answered the question, "Do you favor compulsory sdiool law?" "Yes," and twenty per cent. "No." Table No. 6 shows cost to produce, selling price and profit on the different farm products by counties. It will be noted that there is a fair margin of profit. The letters following the tabulated matter in this chapter are of especial interest, giving as they do the opinions of farmers from every county in the State on the conditions prevalent among this the largest class of our citizens. Condition op Farmers. NoKTH Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. i—Showing Condition ofFarm Land and Labor by Counties. County. Alamance Alexander __ Alleghany _- Anson Ashe Beanfort Bertie Bladen Brunswick -_ Buncombe -_ Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham — Cherokee — Chowau Clay Cleveland— Colnnibus — 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 Value of Land In-creased or Decreased? Fertility of Land Main-tained? Tendency to Larger or Smaller Farms? Labor Abundant or Scarce? Negro Labor Relia-ble? Em-ploy-ment Regu-lar? no yes smaller scarce' no -- yes. increased .- yes smaller scarce no -- yes. increased -- no smaller scarce no -. no. no no same scarce no .-• ves. increased .- yes smaller scarce no -. no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -- yes. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -- ves. increased -- ves same plenty no .- yes. increased -- no larger scarce yes_- yes. no no smaller plenty no .. yes. no yes smaller scarce no ._ no. increased -- no smaller scarce no .. no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -. yes. increased -- yes smaller scarce no ._ no. increased -- yes larger scarce no -. yes. no ves smaller plenty no __ yes. increased -- ves smaller scarce no -_ no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -- no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no,_- yes. increased -- ves smaller scarce no . yes. increased -- no smaller scarce no __ no. no yes smaller scarce no -- no. increased .- ves smaller scarce no _. no. increased -- yes same scarce no __ no. increased -- yes same scarce no .- no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no ._ yes. increased -- no smaller scarce no .. no. increased -- no smaller scarce no -. no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no .- ves. increased -- yes smaller scarce no .. yes. no no smaller scarce no -. no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no _. yes. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -. ves. no no same scarce no -. no. no yes smaller scarce no -- no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no ._ yes. increased _- no larger scarce. no ._ no. no yes smaller scarce no .. yes. increased -- ves smaller scarce no -- yes. no yes smaller scarce no _- ves. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -. ves. increased -- yes larger scarce no -- no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -- no. increased _- ves smaller scarce no -. ves. increased _- yes smaller scarce no _- no. no yes larger scarce no .. no. increased -- ves smaller scarce no -. ves. increased -- yes smaller scarce no .- no. increased -. ves smaller scarce no -- ves. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -- no. Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. \—Contmued. County. 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 - Value of Land In-creased or Decreased ? Fertility of Land Main-tained? increased increased .. increased - increased -- increased _- increased _- increased -- increased _- increased -- no increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- no increased -- no increased _- increased -_ increased -- no increased _. no increased -- increased _. increased -. no increased _. increased -. increased -. increased -. increased -. no increased - no no Tendency to Larger or Smaller Farms? smaller--- smaller--- smaller--- smaller--- smaller--- same yes-. yes-yes-. no _ yes-yes_ yes 1 smaller-- no smaller-- yes I smaller-- yes 1 smaller-- 3'es ! smaller-- yes-yes-no _ yes-yes-yes_ j'es-yes_ ves_ Labor Abundant or Scarce? Negro Labor Relia-ble? same smaller-- smaller-- smaller-- same smaller.- smaller-- smaller-- smaller-- yes smaller-- no smaller.- yes smaller. yes_- yes_- no -- yes_. yes-. yes-. yes.. j-es_ no - no -. no _ no _ yes- Watauga ! increased _- Wavne Wilkes Wilson . Yadkin Yancey increased -- no increased -. no increased -. smaller-- smaller-- smaller-- smaller-- smaller-- smaller-. larger --. smaller-smaller-, smaller-, smaller-same smaller-no i same ves j smaller-yes smaller-no ! smaller-yes I smaller-yes_. yes_. no -. yes-no - yes-smaller-smaller-same — smaller - smaller-smaller. scarce no scarce no scarce no scarce no abundant scarce— scarce plenty scarce— scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce _-. scarce plenty.-. scarce--. scarce --. scarce--. scarce--. scarce -- scarce _- scarce - - scarce -- scarce-- plenty-- scarce -. scarce - . scarce-. 1 scarce -- scarce _- scarce -- I scarce -- I scarce -- I scarce -- scarce -- scarce-- ' no scarce i no no no no -- no - no - no - no -_ no -_ no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -. no -. no -. no -. no - no - no - no - no _ no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - Em-ploy-ment Regu-lar? yes. no. no. no. no. yes. no. yes. yes. no. no. yes. no. yes. no. no. no yes. yes. no. yes. no. no. yes. yes. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no, yes. yes. yes. yes. no, yes. yes. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Tabi^e No. 2 — Showing Wages, Cost of Living, etc. 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 Hvde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones In-crease in Cost of Liv-ing? yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes- 3'es_ yes-yes-yes_ yes_ yes-yes_ yes_ yes_ )'es_ yes. yes_ yes_ yes. yes_ yes_ yes. yes_ yes_ yes-yes_ yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes-yes-yes_ yes. yes. yes. no _ yes. no _ yes. yes. yes. Highest i Lowest ' Hi ah est Lowest Paid Paid | Paid ! Paid Men ? Men ? Women ? i Women ? 15-50 18.50 18.25 11. 25 24. 20 28.65 17.00 19.70 15-15 19.70 IX. 50 13.40 18.85 19-35 20. 15 22. 00 23-75 16.50 21.65 18.25 22. 00 12.25 18.60 19-95 13. 00 15.00 25.00 21.35 17-35 16. 20 12. 00 15.00 20.35 II. 25 16. 10 16.85 19-50 15.00 20. 00 15.00 13-85 1 1. 00 20.50 19.30 18.75 18.15 15.00 23. 80 16.75 15.00 11. 00 7.90 12. 15 8.50 12. 15 16. 20 12.50 II- 50 10. 40 11.50 8.00 7.85 10. 00 8.00 11. 70 10. 00 7.70 10. 00 12.65 11.65 12.50 7. 00 12. 10 15-65 6. 00 10. 00 13.00 10.85 11.65 11.50 7-50 10.50 11-35 7. 00 8.70 12. 00 15- 15 9-75 10.65 10. 00 6.35 7. 00 8.25 12. 00 14.30 13-95 10.50 15- 15 11. 25 8.00 12.00 II 'lO 9. 00 11-75 11-75 14.85 12. 80 14. 4o 9.90 5-75 8.50 II. 00 12.65 II. 00 10. 50 11.50 11. 25 9-50 14-30 12.50 10. 00 12. 10 12.75 7. 00 10. 00 20. 00 9-65 15.00 8.80 6. 00 8.50 14-95 5- 50 10. 15 11. 00 9-75 7.50 8.35 10. 50 7-35 8.55 13. 00 11. 25 13. 00 11-35 6. 00 13.00 1 1. 00 10. 20 10. 00 4-85 4-65 6.65 7-25 10. 15 8.55 7. 00 6.50 4-50 5-90 5-55 9. 20 8.45 4. 00 5-25 6.50 5- 00 10.65 6.50 5-50 7.80 8.45 5- 00 3.00 6.50 7-50 12. 00 6. 90 4-50 6. 00 9. 10 4. 00 4-75 8. 10 6.50 6. 00 5.65 6. 90 5-15 5-75 6.50 6. 10 10.45 8.30 4. 00 7.80 6.50 5-40 Children ? 5.00 5-85 6.75 7-40 7-75 6.50 5-90 5- 20 2.50 7-25 6. 00 5-50 8-45 5- 00 5. 20 5-25 6.55 6.85 5.20 4. 00 6.50 9-75 4. 00 4. 00 6.50 6.50 6.50 6. 40 3-25 7. 00 6.50 4. 00 5-65 5-75 5- 20 3.00 5.00 7.80 5- 00 5- 10 5. 20 5-50 6.50 7-35 4. 00 6.50 5.60 7. 00 Wages Increased Decreased ? increased. increased. increased. no. increa.sed. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increa.sed. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. no. increased. no. increased. increased. no. no. no. no. increased. increased. increased. no. Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. 2 — Contijtued. County. 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 Average — North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 3 — Showing Cost of Production. County. Alamance - Alexander- Alleghany. Ansou -_. .- 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 Cost to Produce- 500-Ib Bale of Cotton ? Bushel Wheat? 38.00 30. 00 30. 00 31-25 27.50 28. 00 25.00 50.00 34-35 40. 00 25.00 37-50 30. 00 20. 00 31-25 27.50 23-35 22. 00 40. 00 0.75 .80 -85 I. 00 -83 Bushel Corn? O. 62 53 65 70 55 35 35 58 45 40 40 48 43 37 50 50 40 28 50 39 50 45 43 32 60 40 Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? 0-33 33 35 50 31 40 25 33 25 ,40 .28 .28 .38 .50 •30 •23 .43 40 40 ]8 28 40 9. 00 8.00 7. 00 10. 00 6.50 10. 00 6.50 7. 00 8.00 10. 00 5-35 6.50 25.00 35-00 27.50 30. 00 30. 00 27.50 29. 20 83 60 67 50 80 75 25.00 39- 15 35-00 .40 .72 .83 .60 .46 .81 27.50 23-50 29- 35 23-45 .78 I. 00 .62 5.00 6. 00 4. 00 8.50 7. 00 6. 00 8.50 5.00 6.00 6.00 10. 00 7-25 8.00 6.50 3.80 Condition op Farmers. Average Tabl,e No. 3 — Continued. County. Lenoir Lincoln McDowell Macon Madison Martin Mecklenburg - Mitchell Montgomery _ Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton - Onslow Orantje 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 Average price. CosT TO Produce— 500- R) Bale of Cotton ? 30. 00 40. 00 31-65 31. 00 .37- 50 23-35 27.50 23. 00 20. 00 35- 00 27.50 26.85 30.90 33-35 30. GO 32.50 26. 00 35- 00 26.65 31-65 30-35 25.00 23-35 32-50 27.50 29. 10 30.75 26. 00 27.50 29.83 Bushel Wheat? 85 84 80 60 89 75 92 72 Bushel Corn ? 0.50 Bushel Oats? I 0.30 100 Pounds Tobacco ? 8.00 35 15 37 25 40 40 24 40 31 28 25 30 28 38 42 40 40 36 36 23 35 30 20 35 34 27 28 23 32 38 25 41 33 37 34 6. 00 7-50 6. OO' 9. 00 7- 15 10. GO 6.60 6. 00 5- 00 4-75 8.25 4-25 7-35 6.15 10. 00 IG. 00 7-50 5-65 5-50 4.25 6. 00 6. 20 6. 25 8.65 7-05 10 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 4 — Showing Market Price of Crops. County. Alamance �� Alexander— Allej^hany 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-& Bale of Cotton ? 60. GO 50. 00 Bushel Wheat? 62.50 60. 00 62.50 52. 20 47.50 55- 00 60. 00 50.00 57.50 50.00 64.00 61.25 58.75 58.75 52.50 60. 00 60. 00 56.65 62.50 58.75 62.50 65.00 60, 00 60. 00 60. 00 60.80 59- 15 55.00 60.50 63-75 57.50 61. 25 Bushel Corn? 0. 90 .95 •95 T. 00 1. 00 I. 00 .93 I. 00 .92 •99 .80 .90 I. 00 I. 00 •93 I. 00 •99 95 93 •95 I. 00 I. 00 •75 I. 00 •90 .88 I. 00 I. 00 •95 .95 •95 •93 .83 Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? 9-50 10. 00 8.00 8.00 10. 00 9. 00 8. 00 10. 00 15.00 9.35 8.00 5.00 7. 00 10.50 8.00 6. 00 7. 00 7.00 5- 50 9.50 6.75 10. 00 Condition of Farmers. 11 Average Table No. 4 — Continued. County. 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 Wavne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yaucev Average price - *Prksent Market Price— 500 fe Bale of Cotton ? Bushel Wheat? Bushel Corn? 60. GO 60. 00 65.80 60.25 57-50 60. 00 57.50 52.50 .90 I. 00 I. GO I. 00 95 95 95 83 0.65 70 73 85 75 90 73 95 83 83 78 . 60. GO 64. 15 58.35 60. 60 98 "87" 75 55-50 52-50 55-00 57.90 58.35 60. 90 55-85 62. 10 58.10 62.50 57-50 60.85 62.50 60. GO 58.75 .90 .84 97 .98 I. 00 I. 00 -83 I. 00 •95 1.08 -90 .98 -98 I. 00 I. 00 •83 [. 00 .81 .80 53-75 61.35 I. 00 95 .98 •95 98 58.65 94 Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? 75 o. 40 50 60 45 45 49 50 30 55 53 45 43 55 60 50 50 50 42 72 51 53 50 55 50 50 43 51 10. 00 17-50 10. 00 7^25 6.50 4^50 6.75 8.00 10. 00 6.50 2-75 8.35 8. 10 II. 25 25.00 7. 00 9. 00 8.50 3-75 10. 00 3. 20 6.75 12.35 8-77 'Period between July i and October i, 1903. 12 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 5 — Showing Educational, Moral and Financial Conditions^ County. Educa-tional Condilion ? Alamance good Alexander fair.. Alleghany fair Anson fair Ashe poor Beaufort poor Bertie _. good Bladen poor .-. Brunswick poor ., Buncombe poor. Burke fair ., Cabarrus fair .. Caldwell fair Camden fair Carteret fair Caswell _ fair Catawba poor. Chatham poor Cherokee poor Chowan j poor 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 fair fair fair poor ... good --. poor ... poor — fair poor ... poor good ... good ... fair poor ... fair poor ... poor ... poor ... fair good --. fair poor ... fair fair poor ... fair fair poor -. poor -- Is it Improv-ing? yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes- 5'es-yes-yes. yes-yes-yes-no - yes. 3'es. yes. )'es-yes-yes. no - yes-yes-yes-no . yes-yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no . yes-yes. yes. yes-ves- Moral Condition? good fair fair fair fair fair good -.. poor --. fair fair fair poor ... good ... fair fair fair good - - fair fair fair good - - fair poor --, fair fair fair poor -.. fair fair poor ... good .. good -- fair fair fair good -- good .. good .. fair good -- good -- poor -- fair fair fair fair good -- poor -- poor -. Is it Improv-ing? yes-yes-no - no - yes-no - yes-no - yes-no - yes-yes - yes. yes-yes, yes-yes-no - 3es-no . yes. no - yes-uo . yes-no . no - yes-no . no - yes-no - no . no - yes-yes. yes-yes-yes-yes-yes. yes. yes-no - yes-yes. yes-yes-yes- Financial Condition ? good - fair -- good . fair -. fair .. fair .- fair .. poor - fair -. poor - fair .. poor - good . fair .. fair .. poor . good - fair -. fair .. fair -. fair .. poor - poor - fair .. poor - fair .. fair .. good - fair .. fair .. poor - good - good . poor . fair .. fair .. poor . fair .. good . fair .. fair .. fair .. fair .. fair .. good . fair .. fair -. fair -. poor . Is it Improv-ing? yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. j'es.. yes, no. yes, yes. yes, yes, yes, yes. yes, no. yes, yes. yes. yes, yes. yes, yes. yes, no. yes.. yes. yes. no. 3'es. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. 3'es. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes, yes. Condition of Farmers. 13 Average Table No. 5 — Continued. County. Jones Lenoir Lincoln McDowell Macou 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 . TyrreU-. Union Vance Wake Warren Washingtou .. Watauga Wayne Wi'kes Wilson. Yadkin Yancey Educa-tio" al Condition ? poor poor — fair poor poor fair fair fair poor — poor — poor — fair good — fair poor — fair poor — fair poor — poor ... fair fair poor ... fair good ... fair poor --- fair fair poor --. poor ... poor ... poor ._ fair poor ... fair fair fair fair poor .. fair fair fair poor -- poor .- poor .. fair fair Is it Improv-ing? yes-yes. yes. yes. yes. yes-yes-no . yes-yes. yes. yes. yes-yes. yes-yes. yes. yes-yes. yes-yes. yes-no . yes- )-es-yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no - yes. yes. yes. yes-yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes-yes-yes. yes. Moral Condition? fair poor — fair good — good — fair fair poor — fair fair good — good — fair fair fair fair fair good yood — fair fair fair fair good .1. good good - - . fair poor ... fair fair fair fair fair fair poor ... fair --.. good . . . good ... fair fair fair fair good .. fair fair poor .- fair poor .- Is it Improv-ing? yes no yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes no yes yes no yes — yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes— no — yes— no — Financial . "^ condition? 13^7- poor . good - fair .. poor . fair .. poor . good - poor . fair .. poor . poor . poor - fair -. fair -. poor - fair -. fair .. good - fair .. fair .. poor . fair .. poor . fair .. good . fair .. poor . poor . poor . poor . poor . fair .. poor . fair -. fair ., poor . fair -, fair -, poor poor fair - poor fair . poor poor poor poor fair . yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes, yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. no. yes. no. no. yes. 14 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Table No. 6 — Showing Cost, Price 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 lO II 12 13 14 15 i6 17 i8 19 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 County. Alamance % 38.00 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 Bdgecombe - Forsyth Franklin ... Gaston Gates Graham Granville — Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson . Hertford -.- Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones 30.00 30.00 31-25 27.50 28.00 25.00 % 60.00 50.00 62.50 60.00 62.50 52.20 47.50 50.00 34-35 40. 00 25.00 37-50 55- 00 60.00 50.00 57-50 50.00 30.00 20.00 64.00 61.25 31-25 58.75 27.50 23-35 22.00 40.00 58.75 52.50 60.00 60.00 % 22.00 32-50 28.75 35-00 24. 20 22.50 5.00 25-65 10.00 32-50 12.50 0.75 .80 -85 1. 00 -83 34-00 41-25 27.50 31-25 29-15 38.00 20. 00 25.00 35-00 27.50 30.00 30.00 56.65 62.50 58.75 62.50 65.00 27.50 60.00 29. 20 60.00 31-65 27.50 31-25 32-50 35-00 32-50 30.80 25.00 39-15 35- 00 27.50 23-50 29-35 23-45 60.80 59-15 55-00 60.50 63-75 57-50 61.25 35-80 20.00 20.00 33-00 40.25 28.15 37.80 .69 .60 .83 ,67 50 ,80 75 .40 • 72 .83 .60 ,46 -78 1. 00 .62 90 95 95 00 00 1. 00 •93 1. 00 -92 •99 .80 -90 1. 00 1. 00 -93 1. 00 -99 1. 00 .80 •95 93 ,80 -95 1. 00 1. 00 •75 ,90 ,88 ,00 ,00 95 95 95 93 83 Condition of Farmers. 15 and Profit on Products by Counties. Corn. Oats. Tobacco. Cost. Price. Profit. Cost. Price. Profit. Cost. Price. Profit. a |0 62 53 65 70 55 35 35 58 45 40 40 48 43 37 50 50 40 28 50 39 50 45 43 32 60 40 |o 75 75 90 80 82 60 73 80 57 73 80 8r 76 |o. 13 .22 •25 . 10 -27 •25 •38 . 22 . 12 •33 .40 •33 . 11 I0.33 •33 •35 •50 •31 .40 |o•53 55 45 • 55 • 44 .Ad |o. 20 . 22 . 10 •05 •13 1 9^oo 8.00 % 9^50 10.00 % 0.50 2.00 I 2 3 4 5 "^ 7 8 • 25 •33 •25 .40 .28 .28 •38 • 50 •30 •23 • 43 45 I •so 55 .22 43 ^18 56 .16 62 .34 45 .17 65 1 ^27 75 1 ^25 58 1 .28 55 -32 57 ! •U 10.00 6.50 10.00 8.00 8.00 10.00 2.00* 1.50 9 10 II 12 ^3 15 16 17 18 19 S? 1 - 20 •78 80 73 75 73 61 85 89 73 68 75 65 .28 •30 •33 •47 •23 .22 •35 •44 •30 f. •25 6.50 7.00 9.00 8. CO 2.50 I. 00 8.00 10.00 10.00 15^00 2.00 5- 00 .40 .40 .18 .28 .40 40 64 40 •24 . 22 10.00 12.00 2.00 21 23 24 25 16 48 1 .20 "';o . 10 27 28 29 30 3^ 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 49 49 50 60 60 48 50 38 62 38 71 73 78 75 80 75 83 82 73 92 .22 • 24 .28 •15 .20 .27 •33 • 44 . II • 54 •29 •43 .20 •38 46 50 45 50 •17 .07 •25 . 12 5^oo 6.00 4.00 8.50 9^35 8.00 5.00 7.00 4^35 2. 00 1. 00 1.50* •35 .60 • 25 •30 •33 50 63 55 43 55 •15 •03 •30 •13 . 22 6.00 8.50 10.50 8.00 4- 50 .50* 5^oo 6.00 6.00 10.00 6.00 7.00 7.00 5^50 1. 00 1. 00 1. 00 4^50* 40 47 60 58 34 50 40 35 40 50 57 35 70 68 72 80 82 75 78 48 78 82 75 60 •30 . 21 . 12 .22 .48 .25 38 •13 •38 •32 .18 •25 •33 •45 •43 • 45 .22 .41- 58 53 57 60 50 58 •25 .08 .14 •15 .28 •17 7^25 9- 50 2.25 . 20 •36 .40 .42 •30 35 55 53 53 55 •15 •19 •13 . II •25 8.00 10.00 2.00 6.50 3- 80 6.75 10.00 • 25 6. 20 *I/OSS. 16 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Table No. 6— County. Cotton. Wheat. V S Cost. Price. Profit. Cost. Price. Profit. 51 5? Lenoir $ 30.00 $ 60.00 1 30.00 $ 1 1 Lincohi 53 54 55 McDowell .88 •91 .50 I. 00 I. 00 I. 00 12 Maoon .09 MadisoD .. •50 Martin 40.00 3I-6.S 60.00 65.80 20.00 57 34-15 58 59 6n Mecklenburg Mitchell .65 .85 .63 .88 .65 .88 .95 •95 •95 •83 .23 Montgomery Moore 31.00 37-50 23-35 60.25 57-50 60.00 29.25 20.00 36.65 •32 •07 6i .18 6? Nash New Hauover ^3 6^ Northampton | 27.50 Onslow.- 23.00 Orange ' 57-50 52.50 30. 00 29. 50 .85 -98 •13 65 66 .82 .87 .05 Pamlico -- - 20.00 60.00 64.15 58.35 60.60 40.00 29.15 30-85 33-75 67 6S Pasquotank Pender 35-00 27.50 26.85 .68 -75 .07 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 8r Perquimans Person - .75 .70 .72 .40 .50 • 55 .83 .90 .84 •97 •98 1. 00 1. 00 -83 •15 .14 .25 .58 •50 • 45 Pitt 30.90 33-35 30. CO 32.50 26.00 55- -SO 52-50 55.00 57-9° 58.35 24.60 19-15 25.00 25.40 32-35 Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham . Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly - .. 35-00 26.65 31-65 30-35 60.90 55.85 62. 10 58.10 25.90 29. 20 30.45 27.75 .84 •95 . 11 .75 .69 .73 .60 .88 I. 00 1.08 .90 .98 •98 1. 00 1. 00 .33 87 Stokes • 25 83 •;8 84 85 S6 Surrv Swain Transvlvania Tvrrell 25.00 23-35 32.50 27-50 29. 10 30. 75 62.50 57-50 60. 85 62.50 60.00 ^H. IK 37.50 34. 15 28.35 35.00 30. 90 28.00 87 88 Union .55 .80 .55 .40 -83 1. 00 .8[ .80 28 Vance 89 90 9t 92 93 94 95 96 97 Wake -. 26 Warren .40 Washington Watauga .84 .80 .60 .89 .75 .92 1. 00 •95 .98 •95 •98 I. 12 16 Wayne 26.00 53-75 27.75 • iS .38 06 Wilkes Wilson 27-50 61.35 33.85 Yadkin •23 Yancev Condition of Fakmers. 17 Continued. Corn. Oats. Tobacco. Cost. Pri ce. Profit. CoSt. Pnce. Profit. Cost. Price. Profit. 1^ 3 $o. 50 ^0 65 So. 15 $0 30 $0 40 $0. JO $ $ $ 51 52 43 73 •30 39 50 . II 6.00 10.00 4.00 53 53 85 •32 39 50 . II 7-50 17.50 10.00 54 30 75 .45 16 40 • 24 6.00 10.00 4.00 55 30 37 73 49 «5 50 90 73 95 83 83 78 60 15 25 37 37 45 35 (So •45 . 22 56 57 58 59 6n .36 . 22 47 53 58 67 49 .16 •34 02* . 21 . 22 .28 1 .14 9.00 7-25 1^75 61 6-> 4S 38 72 79 6S 31 •30 •03 ! 35 15 37 50 6n • 15 45 .08 63 64 75 45 7-15 6.50 65 65 30 41 50 33 60 fSS 22 25 40 40 24 40 45 49 50 . 20 6(S 63 75 55 68 .09 . 10 67 (S8 1 •25 i 22 1 .06 69 .08 55 15 10.00 4^50 5.50* 70 42 63 .21 31 53 .22 6.60 6.75 • 15 71 45 73 .28 28 45 17 6.00 8.00 2.00 72 43 73 •30 25 43 .18 5.00 10.00 5.00 73 40 47 49 Nn .40 .36 .24 30 28 55 (Sn 25 32 . 12 74 -766 83 73 38 50 8.25 6.50 J -75* 77 78 79 59 54 78 78 •19 i .24 42 40 50 42 .08 .02 4.25 2.75 1.50* 50 61 97 76 76 47 .15 .21 40 36 36 72 51 53 32 • 15 So 8t 55 7^35 8^35 1. 00 82 37 75 .38 23 50 .27 6.15 8.10 1-95 83 50 80 30 35 55 .20 10.00 11.25 1.25 84 60 78 .18 30 50 . 20 10. CO 25.00 15.00 85 35 48 50 60 ���25 •31 .25 20 50 43 48 •30 .08 Hh 79 75 35 34 87 .14 7.50 7.00 .50* 88 44 77 33 27 48 . 21 5^65 9.00 3-35 89 35 65 30 28 45 •17 5^50 8.50 3.00 90 33 60 hH •35 30 . 20 23 32 38 35 50 55 . 12 91 92 93 90 70 .18 50 •17 4^25 3-75 • 50* 43 80 •37 25 48 •23 6.00 10.00 4.00 94 53 73 .20 41 53 . 12 b. 20 3. 20 3.00- 95 45 74 .29 33 45 . 12 6.25 6.75 50 96 .58 I 00 .4a 37 44 .07 8.65 12.35 3^70 97 :> Loss. 18 ISToKTH Carolina Labor Statistics. LETTEKS FEOM FARMEKS. The following letters are selected from among the large number received for publication: Labor Scarce and Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—The outlook for land owners in this section is getting to be serious. Labor is very scarce and of poor quality. Good hands command good Avages, but they are scarce. The labor you hire by the day, month or year as a rule is of very poor quality; they come when they please, leave when they please and do as they please, and we are at their mercy. Good tenants are few and there is room for many more. There is a good deal of land idle this year on account of labor. What is to be done about labor I cannot say, but I believe land owners should organize and have some system about renting and hiring hands. There is no "business" in the way we are renting lands and hiring hands. Yes, I am in favor of compulsory educa-tion, good roads, more farm machinery, better homes, better barns and better farms. I am against so much politics, demagogues, traveling agents of all kinds, and I might add sanctificationists. In conclusion, let me say we are in a hole, but the farmers are going to get out. You cannot starve a farmer; he will live, and in my opinion he lives better than most anybody else. The Old North State should be in front, but at present she is far behind, but she will get there by and by.—C. A, Hall, Advance. Capital and Labor and Immigration Problem—Compulsory Education— The capital and labor question of America is one of the most intricate and far-reaching of any that engage the thoughts of Americans to-day. The vast increase of wealt'h and the number of immigrants of different nationalities, together with our own wage-earners, make a problem that is going to be hard to solve. There are those in the capital class that Avould take wages for nothing, while there are thousands of laborers that would extract the last dollar from capi-talists without giving value received. But there is a happy medium, if it could be reached, when a just division of the profits could accrue to each, and all be happy and prosperous. The educational outlook is not very bright, yet there are more schools and more being done than ever before in that direction. It seems that a compulsory education law will have to come, but to reach the case when it does come in my opinion will incur quite an outlay or expenditure of money, and should be guarded with every precaution possible.—N. H. Hunter, Alexander. Coniditions Favorable—Work Plentiful—Opposes Compulsory Educa-tion.— Tliere is only one suggestion I will make relative to the needs of the wage-earners and that is that they learn some common sense. I never have known conditions as favorable for them as at this time. Cotton mills, lumber plants and the like have been established in almost every section and, together with CiONDITION OF FaHMEKS. 19 the farms, furnish employment for all who will accept it, and would employ more were they here. The majority of the laboring class of white people have removed to the cotton mills, leaving most of the farm work for the neorro and the few whites still on the farms. This being the case, these need never want for anything within the limits of a wage-earner's means, provided they would behave themselves and render faithful service, but instead of doing this they act as independently and are so unreliable that it is very unsatisfactory to do business with them. As to compulsory education, I am not in favor of it. I think this is taking authority that should be left to the parents, as there are cases and conditions imder which it is best for the children to remain at home. As to being qualified to vote, I believe there are very few white men, when they fully understand that their children will be disfranchised unless they are edu-cated sufficiently to read and write any section of the Constitution, who will not send them to school as much as they are able. For the negro, I believe that for the majority of them it would be better if they never saw inside a school room. A comparison between their mental and physical strength shows that they are only fitted for common labor. Their physical strength generally far exceeds the average white man's, while their mental strength falls far below, and a little going to school, whether he acquires any education or not, disqualifies him for common labor and does not fit him for anything else, and even if it would I believe it is an injustice to its own people for any nation to fit any inferior for-eign race to be competition for its own people. For this reason I think the public school fund should be apportioned to each race according to the amount of taxes it pays. — Robert E. Andrews, Allenton Ferry. Divide School Fund—Opposes Watts Law.—I am in favor of each race doing its own educating. Divide the school money and let the money each race pays go to educate their race. In our county the white race pays about ninety per cent, of the tax and gets about sixty per cent, of the benefit. Let's divide the school money and have better schools, longer terms and better teachers; consoli-date schools where it is possible, and have a good one; and by all means have compulsory education, for if we don't there will be lots of white voters disfran-chised after 1908. In regard to the Watts bill, I believe in every man having his liberty. North Carolina is made up (or a majority) of farmers and country people. The country people have been imposed on for a long time and always will be, but they are getting tired of being imposed on. Now, the Watts bill says you shall not sell liquor in the country, but you can in town if you want to sell. If it is to be taken out of the country take it out of the town also; treat every man alike.—A. B. Waxker, Anderson. Labor Unreliable.—As to the wage-earners, I am unable to say, because the higher wages they get the fewer days they work; it makes them more unreliable, that is, to depend on. Eegular wages are too low, but it puts farmers in a bad position to ofi'er them higher wages even if they could afford to pay more, for they only work when they are obliged to; so I am unable to make any sugges-tions as to what would be a good plan.—J. A. Murpuy, Atkinson. 20 JSToRTH C':arolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education.—The poor class of people are very much opposed to compulsory education, as they take very little advantage of public schools. I mean the parents of children, they don't send to school much. If we are com-pelled to pay taxes for the benefit of the poor children, the parents of those children ought to be compelled to send to this school. Some of the public schools are very poorly located in this county. I think it could be greatly improved by making some changes.—J. M. Wasiibukn, Aiitro. Home Supplies—Organized Labor—Compulsory Education.—I think if the farming class of people vs^ould try to make their own products on the farm and depend less on working it out by day work it would be better for them. And I am in favor of unions. If the laboring class of people would have good labor unions and establish a favorable price for their labor and stand to it, to my opinion it would be better for them. In regard to compulsory education, I think that about all the way that some children can ever receive an education. Some people don't seem to care whether their children get an education or not. I am in favor of having at least four months in the year in every district a good free school, and compel every child to go from the age of six years to sixteen, and by then they would be advanced enough to enter a higher school. — James J. Fer-guson, Bald Creek. Compulsory Education.—In our community people will not send their chil-dren to school. They say they are too poor to send. This class of people are able, but prefer illiteracy and keep their children at home to save the dollar. Give us a compulsory school law and make them go anyway.—A. B. Bryson, Balsam. Make Contracts Binding—Not Ready for Compulsory Education.—My opinion is that one thing would greatly benefit the wage-earners of North Caro-lina and that is to have a law to make all contracts made by them binding, that is, when they contract for the month or year make it compulsory for them to carry out their part of the contract. If that was the ease the system of labor would be better, the price of labor would be better and the wage-earners would have steady employment, and the crime of the country committed by them would be lessened. That is why I say negro labor is not reliable, but I believe negro labor is the best labor the South can get. I do not think this country in a posi-tion to have compulsory school law yet. Hardly one-half of the children of school age attend the public school of our county. We are having now an eight-months term of school each year, and if the parents and children, after being told of the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment requiring all voters to be able to read and write any section of the Constitution, do not take advantage of the opportunity off"ered them by 1908, they do not, in my opinion, deserve to be allowed to vote.—W. W. Vick, Battleboro. OoisTDiTioisr OF Farmers. ' 21 Labor Gets its Share—Compulsory EoucATioisr.—I am not very well posted in the matter of wage-earners, but will say that labor gets its share of the profits out of the farmer at the present price of tobacco. Now, as to the educa-tion question, I do honestly think that compulsory education would be a very great help to educate the white children. You have no idea how many old people who are against education. Why, right here is my father-in-law, who is worth fifty or seventy thousand dollars and who openly says he is opposed to educa-tion. I can find plenty who are opposed to education. This is why the children do not go to school : the parents will not send them, not that they can't spare the time, but that they won't send them. They can spare the time. I know the tenant is in the poorest condition, but just think, we are taxed to run a school at least four months in each year, and this tenant has eight months to farm in and can arrange to send his children four months if he tries, and he should be made to try. I know this from experience. I have a few tenants who try to educate their children and some Avho seem to be careless and un'^ioncerned. 1908 will be here soon. They say that is a political trick and that they will be 0. K.; so taking it all together compulsory education will be good.—C. W. Knight, Barnes Store. Economy—Local Taxation.—Economy, economy, yet more economy, is what I would advise the wage-earners or young people just starting out for themselves. Be contented with a small beginning at first, because your parents have proba-bly worked for forty years or more to build the home they now possess. Many people do not know that beans, peas and corn-bread and a reasonable amount of pork Avill make as rich blood and stronger muscles and as brilliant an intellect as tenderloin steak and patent flour and sillabub, but it surely will. If many laborers would practice the above and get rid of the spirit of wearing three-dollar pants when a seventy-five-cent pair of overalls would suit their work and be more becoming in every way, more men would own their homes when old and decrepit. The true American spirit aspires to be monarch of what he occupies, be it a railroad or owner of a pea-nut stand. A man can never do his best working for some one else. Local taxation will suit us better than com-pulsory education, so I think. I favor local taxation personally.—A. Gaither Higgins, Behfood. Compulsory Education.—As to compulsory education, I think in some respects it would be a good law. There are some widows who could not spare the time of their children to attend school perhaps more than three or four months in a year, and there would have to be a provision made for them. — Jacob Iviser, Bessemer City. Intemperance—Compulsory Education.—The greatest hinderance to many of the poor working people is intemperance. Much of their means is spent for drink, and much of the litigation in the courts is caused by drink. I know of no better way to remedy the morals of the people as a Avhole than to educate them in industrial and moral habits. In order to do that we need a mild, compulsory 22 North OAROLiNii Labor Statistics. school laAV, under some proper safeguards, to bring the white children into schools. I would especially favor better school buildings, and in many cases better teachers and free school books for the poor children. These are some of my thoughts on the subject.—J. Eller, Berlin. Contentment—Compulsory Education.—In this part of the State we do not have a great many wage-earners, as most people live by farming and stock growing, but I believe that for those we have their condition would be improved by a disposition of contentment and better service on their part, and when a job is undertaken to stick to it and build themselves up with their employers, so as to create a demand for their individual service. I believe that this is a practi-cal course for any wage- earner to pursue, and to his or her interest to create a special demand for his or her help, if it be for only ordinary labor, and as this course is followed by individuals they will gradually rise higher in the scale of work until they may be able to find better jobs with better pay or even become independent, or employers themselves. Let the wage-earners prove that they are worth liberal wages to their employers, and they will be occupied at living rates. I favor mild compulsory school law and believe that to be the wisest course for the children of the State, and when a certain point of intelli-gence is reached let the child be excused if necessary or desired. In many instances the money goes to waste because the children are not put in school. Bet-ter equipped teachers, better school houses, better equipments in the houses, longer terms, and require all the children to go to school at least three months in the year, in my opinion will give us an intelligent citizenship.—H. A. Eller, Berlin. Labor Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—It seems my people, I mean the laborers, don't care. They only work until about 5:30 P. M., and then they will loaf around the stores until bed-time—not trying to make any garden stuff at home, but depending on day labor entirely. If all the day laborers would try to make their own potatoes, beans, onions, cabbage, etc., and instead of throwing all their slops away have a pig to feed it to, and not depend wholly on day wages, they would all get along much better. Men who follow these public works won't do anything else in my section. You can hardly hire a man to work on the farm. They all seem to want to go to the saw mills, talc mines, kaolin works, etc., and you can get but little work on farms, and what you get are generally white—the negroes will go. My idea is more garden stuff raised at home. Let all raise at home at least three hundred pounds of pork, which they can easily make out of one hog. I wish they would all try this one year. As regards education, we need more and must have it, for our boys must be edu-cated, or soon they will be in a row with the negro. God forbid that. Our people of means want to educate and some stand back. Let us have a strict com-pulsory school law. The taxes are forced from us for educational purposes, and why not force the uneducated to accept it. Again, I say I favor compulsory edu-cation. Make it as binding on all to send their children to school as law can bind. If kind words and gentle means will not be sufficient to cause our children Cb^DiTiON OF Farmeks. 23 to attend school, then we must resort to other means. We must educate. Our boys must be educated. We want them to be above the negro. So by all means give us compulsory school law.—T. M. Frizell, Beta. Does not Favor Compulsory Education.—The reason I do not favor com-pulsory education is that most of the negro laborers do not labor in North Carolina. Just as soon as a colored boy or girl gets large or old enough to do the State or community some good they gather up their grips and leave for some coal mine or railroad and work there until the weather gets cold, then they come back here to winter. The sheriff seldom collects their taxes, and the public road overseers seldom have an opportunity to warn them to work the road; they are a kind of floating population. The old and infirm, with the mother and small children, are our only permanent citizens of the colored race. A boy that will not learn to read, whether he is sent to school or not, is a dan-gerous person to hanclle as sacred a thing as a ballot, let him be white or col-ored.— S. C. Humphries, Bethel Hill. Compulsory Education.—I am decidedly in favor of a compulsory education law. The people are compelled to pay taxes to run the schools and the people are careless about sending their children to school.—F. G. Ciiilcutt, Broicn's Summit. Economy—Compulsory Education.—I am inclined to believe that wage-earners are getting about all they can earn. It seems to me the only thing to do now is to use more economy and save their wages. Now, as to compulsory educa-tion, I favor same with charitable allowances for the extreme poor and depend-ent. It seems to me the only salvation of the State, since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment.—W. J. McClure, Bushnell. No Wage-earners—Opposes Compulsory Education.—Tliere are no sugges-tions to make in regard to wage-earners, as there are none to hire. We farm with tenants or croppers, and this year being a bad crop year a great many will move this fall to the towns and work in the factories. With the present low prices of tobacco, the farmer nor tenant will make expenses this year. I do not favor compulsory education. If moral suasion and good teachers will not stimulate one to learn, then to my mind it will be impossible to force him to learn.—J. W. Terry, Caldicell Institute. Labor Improvident.—The financial condition of the Avage-earner will never be much better than it is from the fact that they are improvident. People who work in their own business, their condition is generally good. The cost of rais-ing cotton varies with seasons and the kind of land. The present year it will be pretty high—forty dollars.—0. W. Sutton, Calypso. 24 JsToKTir Oaeolina Laboe Statistics. Compulsory Education.—I am very much in favor of compulsory school law. In my opinion it is the hope of the common people.—J. N. Mease, Canton. Amendment Sufficient.—I think the Constitutional Amendment, with the privilege of voting provided that a man can .read and write any section of the Constitution, is the best compulsory school law I ever saw. With the privilege of sending four months to free schools in any district in this State every year, 1 think duty and encouragement is better than compulsory laws. The system of paying farm hands by the hour for work on the farm is new in this country, and I will have to accustom myself to it before I can make any intelligent sugges-tions as to the wage-earner or the farmer who employs him. — ^William Led-better. Canton. Labor Scarce.—In our county hirelings are very scarce and almost entirely confined to the colored women. Turpentine and timber interests being almost worked out, the laborers have followed the public works south, and whJle the public work was in progress here you could hardly hire an able-bodied man to work on the farm, but since the public work has gone what people were left in the country have settled down trying to make something on the farm. Nearly all the white people are doing principally all the farm work themselves. We have very few up-to-date farmers in our county and very few who raise tobacco on a large scale, corn and cotton being the principal staples. Our land is poor and cheap, therefore nearly all own a little farm, those who do not own farms renting principally on shares. — John A. Fry, Carthage. Compulsory Education One Step Towards Anarchy.—I find that the people as a whole are opposed to any move in the direction of a compulsory education, in fact it is one step toward anarchy; and as to negro labor, a farmer cannot promise himself anything with that class of labor that will get miffed and leave the farm at any season of the year, and many promising crops produce a small income in just this way and for these causes above mentioned. Educa-tion of the negro takes them out of the field as a laborer, and some whites, too.—D. S. Eice, Castalia. Compulsory Education—Divide School Fund.—The present system of public schools is no good unless children are compelled to attend. About one-fourth attend. I favor separating school funds. Let each race educate its own chil-dren if possible to do so.—A. W. Alston, Centreville. Only Negro Labor—Compulsory Education.—Wage-earners on the farm are almost entirely negroes in our county, and they are preferred for farm laborers. I don't know any legislation that would help them, but their employers can help them by kind and fair treatment and by planning for them and counseling them. They also need better teachers and preachers, for at present it is merely Condition of Farmers. 25 the blind leading the blind. As to compulsory education, my heart goes out to the children of ignorant parents who neglect to send them to school, and unless the State extends a helping hand to them I see no hope for them, for most of these parents are beyond the reach of public sentiment. We have a good many of this class as farm tenants and cotton mill operatives. — Joh:x McDowell, Charlotte. Compulsory Education.—As the children of the present are to be the men and women of the future, and as the future destiny of our country rests on them, it is plainly our duty as parents to prepare them for life's duty, and surely we can no better prepare them than to give thorough education. It is a moral duty of every parent to educate his children, and as our State is engaged to a large extent in manufacturing, and we have a statute prohibiting children under twelve years of age to work in cotton mills, I think it would be a good thing to have a compulsory school law to compel parents to send these children to school between the age of six and twelve at least four months in the year. Any one who has ever had control of and worked men has observed doubtless that a man of even an ordinary education has better judgment about working and requires less telling and is much inore agreeable in all things.—L. H. J. Hauseb, Gherryville. CoMPULSOKY Education.—As to compulsory education, I think it is necessary, since the adoption of the suffrage amendment to the Constitution. I don't favor a rigid law, but one that would somewhat cure the indifference that now possesses the people; say make them send the children, especially the boys, ten or twelve weeks a year for a period of six or eight years, say from eight to fifteen years of age. This is my individual opinion.—-W. H. Holland, Christie. Progressive Movement in Education���Better Conditions—Labor Scarce.— There is a progressive movement in the way of education in this county, and in some cases better school-houses and longer terms of school. The higher prices for most farm products for the last year has placed many of our farmers in easier circumstances, and has enabled them to add improvements to their homes and farms. The scarcity of labor is a question that gives us much concern. The prospect for a good crop is very promising just now.—J. L. Butt, Chocoioinity. Labor Unreliable—Conditions Unfavorable for Compulsory Education.— I don't see any way to benefit wage-earners, as they get good wages with steady employment when they will. Every employer is needing more hands, and there need not be an idle person in all this section, yet there are dozens prowling and loafing about who just Avon't work regular. It takes two plowmen and four hoe-hands to a mule, and this number will often leave you in the grass and an idle plow many days in the crop season. They must all turn out at a burial and "be sho' to 'tend de 'tracted meeting." This is the condition, and I see no remedy. I don't think a sweeping compulsory law would benefit the poorer people. Oiir 26 l^OKTH Carolina Labor Statistics. school-houses are too far apart and roads too bad in winter. If transportation' be furnished it might be a good idea to compel attendance at school, say Decem-ber, January and February, three months, but not longer. — John Humphrey, Clark. Illiterate Negro the Best.^—You may make any law you want to against the negro, but don't interfere with the white race. The negroes make good servants,, but they won't do for officers. They are not reliable in any way and would not be if they Avere educated. They would be bigger fools than they are. The best negro we have is the illiterate negro.—G. T. Simpson, Clay Fork. Economy in Government—Liberty and Encouragement.—I suggest that you recommend more economy by the Legislature in the management of our finances. If the poor working class of people cannot be allowed any remuneration for public service, such as serving as road overseers, working roads, etc., they should not be burdened so heavily by taxation in order to pay so many large appropriations and high salaries to so many officers that they may live in ease and prosperity while the working class who makes all the wealth lives in adversity. As to compulsory education, I will say give the people their liberty as their first great blessing,, then give them all the advantage, encouragement and help possible for an educa-tion. But if some have a talent for something else besides book-learning, let them cultivate that talent, whatever it may be, either for agriculture, horticulture,, pomology, stock raising, or some mechanical talent, and if they have enterprise, industry, perseverance and economy about them they will succeed in making a comfortable living without an education, save what they may obtain voluntarily from books, from observation and the good school of experience. If people will gain knowledge, a good practical education, and use good common sense, they will make good, pious, honest, tjruthful and hospitable citizens, and should not have their citizenship taken away from them because they do not have a certain amount of book-learning.—E. B. Hendren, Cline. Compulsory Education.—In reference to compulsory education, I will say that I am sure we need a law that will bring the children into the public school or other school for at least two months in each year or until the pupil is able to read and write. There is a great deal that could be said in reference to school and school laws, but it is not necessary. We are now at a point where something should be done to lessen expenditures for school purposes or something be done to increase the attendance of the children at the schools.—J. M. Putnam, Collins-ville. Compulsory Education Most Important—Labor Unreliable.—We need a compulsory school law in this State, and I do not think that Ave Avill be prepared for the Constitutional Amendment to go into effect in 1908 unless Ave haA^e the compulsory school laAV soon. We have a great many indifferent parents in this section Avho are not aAvake to the advantages of a common school education. I Condition of Farmees. 2T have been teaching in the public schools of this county for eleven years, and I am convinced that a more important law could not be placed on our law books. I am in favor of it and will do all in my power to have it passed at the meeting of the next General Assembly. Now, about the Avage-earners I have very little to say. There are very few in this section, because most of our farmers do their own work and do very little hiring hands. There are no white men to be had to do farm work, and the negroes are not reliable and cannot be depended upon.—W. K. Lyles, Concord. Compulsory Education — Incompetent Teachers — Annihii.ate Whiskey Traffic.—In regard to compulsory education, a mild compulsory school law would be of benefit to the children of this community, but, as I said in my last report, the people of this community are mostly farmers, and as a general thing poor, and they have to have their children's labor during the summer months. Bo you see at once any law that would take their children from them more than four or five months in the year would work a hardship on them instead of a benefit. We already have a very good school system if it was carried out right, but the way some free schools are run is simply nothing but a waste of the people's money. Give us men who are interested in education to look after the free schools, men who have not got so much business of their own to look after that they cannot give any time to the cause of education, men who will not hire little girls to teach who cannot control the children, and who just simply teach play-schools more than books. Now, what good is a compulsory school law going to do with such teachers as we have in some of our public schools? Give us better teachers before you give us a compulsory school law. Don't compel us to send our children to a teacher that is no good. Now, in regard to wage-earners, the annihilation of strong drink, in my opinion, would be one of the greatest blessings to the wage- earners that could come, and I trust that the W'atts bill will help along this line, but it is not what we need by any means. Let the next Legislature give us absolute prohibition, and if it will not do this, which I hardly think it will, then let it give us a law making drunkenness a misdemeanor with a severe penalty attached. I noticed that one gentleman in our last Assem-bly introduced a bill to that effect, but it died in horning. I don't know why, unless some of the honorable gentlemen thought it might afi'ect them. I do hope the next Legislature will have backbone enough about it to put this bill or a similar one through. Let all good people band together and go to work to put this curse out of our beloved land. In my honest estimation, strong drink has caused more trouble to the human family than all the other evils combined. — E. J. Eaton, Conrads. Shorter Work Day for Cotton Mills.—One of the greatest needs of the working class, especially those employed in mills and factories of various kinds, is a shorter work-day. In many of the mills, under the present eleven-hour sys-tem, the operatives are required to work twelve hours each day, except Saturday, when the A^'ork closes down at noon. After a man, woman or child has been steadily employed for twelve long hours they feel very little like attempting to 28 North Oarolina Labor Statistics. improve their educational condition. I am lieartiljr in favor of a reasonable com-ptilsory school law. If children are not required to attend school every year certainly they should be, between certain ages, required to attend a certain num-ber of months in each two years. With the best interests of North Carolina at heart.—G. C. Patterson, Cooleemee. Negroes Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—-In regard to negro labor, will say that it is very unreliable and is getting more so. I know negroes. Ten years ago if they promised to work I felt sure of getting them, especially if they owed me, but it is just the reverse now. The most reliable negro is the old slave negro, and he is worn out. Yes, I favor compulsory school law, not from principle, but I believe it to be a necessity for a class that will not patronize the schools. As for the negro, I don't believe an education improves him as a rule, but of course there are exceptions. Farm labor is very scarce, almost a famine. It is no use to plant more than you can cultivate and gather with your own force, for if you do the chance is you will be left, or "General Green" will be taking care of your crop.—J. M. C. Penninger, Cooleemee. Compulsory Education the Only Way.—There are a great many parents, both on the farm and in the manufacturing establishments, who are working their children to make a living and money for them to spend, and the parents are extravagant and do nothing themselves and neglect to educate their children. They spend the earnings of their children as fast as it is made and never think of buying a home, and the children do not seem to want to attend School. I have given the matter a lot of thought, and I see no way to educate these children except by compulsory education. I think that a lot of dress, etc., could be dis-pensed with for the sake of education, and these children would be better pre-pared for the work of life and a great many of them would make useful men and women.—A. G. Corpening, Cora. Negro Labor Unreliable.—I would suggest legislation on labor. It has become so we cannot put dependence in a negro Avhen ,we hire him by the month or employ him for the year as a renter, for he is liable to leave any moment, and his employer is left without any redress.—J. L. Smith, Cornelius. Need Better Conditions—Compulsory Education.—The needs of the wage-earners are better working time, both summer and winter, better schools, better railroads, and better system of farming, fruit growing and truck farming. As to education, I think all children should be compelled to attend at least our com-mon school terms. We need railroads in the mountain country. It would add greatly to progress of all branches of indvistry.—N. J. Lillard, Crc^ton. Condition or Faemers. 29 Laws Sholtld be Alike to All—Town vs. the Country.—Just as long as our law makes favor of self and creates positions for self the laborer is pinched in proportion to the increase of expenditure, as labor only creates property, and laborers oppressed leave the county or State or seek other employment. It is for the leading people to be honest, and the laws should be alike to all, but truth and honesty and justice and religion are often omitted, and the consequences fall often on the wrong person. I favor a school system for better teachers who will and can teach and who work not for the "per diem" but to try to elevate their race, and whose conduct attracts the children and the parents likewise to love the school. Almost every law recently made favors the town at the e.xpense of the country people. Those who made them cannot see it so, but those who carry the load feel it so.—J. H. Snell, Cresicell. Farm Labor Should Have Better Conditions—Compulsory Education the Only Way^.—My opinion is that wage-earners' families who work on the farm should be provided with better houses in which to live, and be allowed privileges that they are not allowed by their employers, such as good gardens, poultry and a reasonable amount of stock, so as to supply their families with milk, meat and vegetables. This, in my opinion, would greatly improve the condition of a great many laboring people. As to compulsory education, I am in favor of that and believe it to be a very* much needed law. There are so many parents who have no interest at all in their children's future welfare, so far as education is concerned, and children with such parents are growing up in ignorance on account of unthoughtful and ignorant parents. Every man has to pay taxes out of his earnings for the education of his children. I can't see any other way for children with such parents to have an education except by a law which will compel the people to put their children in school a certain part of every year. Some people do not agree Avith me on this, claiming that they cannot spare their children from home, that they need them to work. What is the little amount of work that a child can do four or five months in the year compared to a lifetime of ignorance? If a man can support his children until they are old enough to do much work he can support them until they get a free school educa-tion. In my community lives a man who has six children of school age and lives within two miles of a five months public school, and not one of these chil-dren are in school. This man is only an example; there are hundreds of just such men. There should not be any place for an excuse for such men, but compel them to be interested in the welfare of the" children by a compulsory school law. Allow me to say further that I hope this important matter will not only be written upon and talked of, but that it may soon become a law.—I. B. Pless, Cruso. Labor Scarce—Compulsory Education.—We are scarce of labor, caused by the negro leaving, and those remaining are getting good wages, those who work the entire time. Farming is chiefly our occupation and crops are cheap, and to the wage-earner goes nearly all the money, and the common labor is faring better in Pender County than the land owner. Compulsory education is what we want. ISToRTH Oarolina Labor Statistics. Tlie white people are negligent in sending their children to school, even so that those -yvho do not work do not attend school. The great cry with the farming class is that their children have to work so hard, the negro labor being so unreliable. The rural districts will suffer very much in the disfranchisement of all persons who cannot read and write after 1908 if this law is not passed. The free school system is bad in our county. In regard to the negro, he is taking every advan-tage offered in the way of education. I am a staunch advocate of public schools, longer terms, better pay for teachers and higher education, supported by the State.—F. B. Oer, Currie. Need Cash System—Compulsory Law an Up-hill Business.—I am at a loss to know what suggestions to make as to the interests of wage-earners and tenants. In our immediate community most of that class seem to be contented if they have something to eat and wear to-day, and seem willing for to-morrow to provide for itself. I think that most of our people, at least, are willing to pay all their business will allow. Many tenants seem inclined to keep a year ahead, that is, consume the crop before it matures, and then complain when the land-lord collects the expense of growing the crop. But for that feature in our stat-utes protecting those who make advances, the tenant system would not work, as so many seem unwilling to pay when they cannot be forced. I believe the chattel mortgage system has been a disadvantage in our State, because many run their business on a credit in this way because they can "Inake you safe," and never try to pay cash in advance. Many times in the winding-up their notes and mortgages are not worth the paper on which they are written. If the cash system had been kept up since the war our country would have been in better condition. Seme people will not do anything except by force of circumstances. The laboring farmer is entitled to protection and encouragement, for he supports all. We do not need "class legislation," but equal protection, so that every man can have something to say in the management of his own business. The feeling that prevails between capital and labor is all wrong, for each one is dependent on the other. It is certainly desirable and important that all our people be educated, but to force or attempt to force parents and guardians to send their children to school Avill be an up-hill business. If parents could be made to realize the situation of their children and their own obligation, then we would need no legislation on this subject except to provide a chance to attend school. The chil-dren Avould go cheerfully and parents would gladly make arrangements to send them. It is unpleasant for men who have a little property to be taxed heavily for the support of schools, and then we 'all know that the money is wasted to a great extent because so many are not availing themselves of the advantages offered. It seems to require a long time for our people to get regulated as to our school system. It is now almost or quite sixty years since the "free schools" came into use in our State, and yet at every session of our Legislature this subject must come up. Sometimes I think that they amend "from bad to worse." We need conservatism in our State; take such steps as we can afford to hold, and then go forward. This way of doing, then undoing, keeps our people always in confusion. There should be no waste in the school funds, nor any other as to that, for the children of the State need it all.—P. Oliver, Dalton. CbNDiTiON OF Farmers. 31 Labor Unreliable—Conditions Good.—There is enough labor in this part of the State if they would do regular work and do it honestly, but it seems to be the idea of a large majority of our colored labor that the least work they can do at the price the better trade they are making, and I have noticed that the higher the price of cotton the more idle and slothful they become. They have no skill, or if they have they don't consider that they are employed to use it to the advantage of their employer. The financial condition is good. I mean by this that any one who will do good, regular work (either as wage hands or on shares) can make and save money. The general condition is not improving, because there are so few that will work as above. I have a few tenants who have been with me ten years and now oAvn good teams, wagons, buggies, etc., and I have more that with the same chance nearly always fall in debt.—F. S. Tillman, Deep Creek. Compulsory Education—Free Books.—In this mountain country, with large districts as we now have, compulsory education would not, in my opinion, be •practicable, but with small districts, so the children can attend the schools and board at home, it is what we need. And another need is school books furnished free to poor children who are not able to buy them.—J. M. Brown, Deerfield. Better Wages Would Stop Emigration—Compulsory Education Needed.— There is some increase in the value of land. Very few farmers pay enough atten-tion to enriching their land. Public sentiment says smaller farms and better cul-tivated. Labor is very scarce and there are very few hands for hire, but employ-ment is regular for the few hands we have. Living has increased very little. Negro labor is not reliable without an overseer. Farm hands (men) get from ten to thirteen dollars per month and board, and women receive from three to five •dollars per month. Almost all of the women in this section work on farms. I will not say anything about children, as there are so few for hire. I believe if wage-earners could receive better compensation for their work there would not be so much emigration from the Old North State. Wages paid farm hands do not fluctuate very much.. We do not produce any cotton, so I don't know any-thing about it. It costs about forty cents to produce a bushel of corn, about sixty cents for a bushel of wheat, and oats about the same as corn. Tobacco can be grown for about six cents per pound. The educational condition of the work-ing class is low, because they say they don't have time to send their children to school. Working people are generally poor, but they are improving some. Some working people attend to their religious duties, while others neglect them. I thank you for giving me the privilege to speak a word of agitation toward com-pulsory education. I think we could not do better for the children of our State. It has been my lot to teach in the public schools, and I feel safe in saying that if an improvement does not take place in regard to attendance there will be fifty per cent, of our white boys disqualified at the elections of future dates. I have worked on the farm all of my life and know the farming people can send their children to school, and they ought to be made to do it. It is as much a 32 ISToRTii Carolina Labor Statistics. parent's duty to educate his child as it is his duty to feed it. Please agitate the educational clause and let us provide for the children of the future.—R. F. BONDURANT, Delk. Compulsory Education—Temperance Legislation.—I favor a compulsory school law. Parents who will not send their children to school should be made to do so by the strong arm of the law. I fa* or temperance legislation in the strongest form. The dispensary is some improvement on the open bar, but both are almost a disgrace to humanity and to the civilized world. This poisonous stuff "biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder." It should and must be put out of the reach of all and especially the young men and boys of our land. No teacher should be allowed to teach public school in our State who is not a Christian and a consistent member of the church. By all means God's Holy Word should be taught in every school, both public and private, throughout our State. I favor every law that will better the moral, spiritual and financial condi-tion of our people.—D. N. Hunt, Dexter. Labor Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—During the past summer farm-ers have been inconvenienced very much on account of the unreliability of labor. I favor an organization of the farmers and the adoption of a uniform system of labor whereby we can regulate the number of hours per day and the price to be paid for different kinds of labor per day. I think this the only means of solution of the farm labor problem. Some remedy will undoubtedly have to be adopted. As to the great and momentous question of education which is now agi-tating the minds of the people of our great State from the mountains to the sea-shore, it is my opinion that a compulsory school law is needed in order to compel those of our population who do not take interest enough in education to send their children to public school to do so. I think that when the means of educa-tion is put in reach of all that those who will not avail themselves of the oppor-tunity should be compelled to attend, because our State is fast becoming one of the greatest sections of the Union, and those who are not educated will stand a poor chance in the great army of progress and advancement, and furthermore after 1908 those who cannot read and write cannot vote, as our Constitutional Amendment requires all who become twenty-one years of age after that date to be able to read and write.—^D. D. King, Dublin. Compulsory Education—Harnett County to the Front.—I think compulsory education the proper solution for the poorer and working class of people, for many children would go to school but for their parents not wanting them to lose any time from work, and I consider an education worth more than mere dol-lars and cents, and consequently under the compulsory law they would have to go. This is a fine farming county and anything can be easily raised, as the soil is good and only needs good cultivation. We are pushing ourselves to the front not only in agriculture but manufacturing interests as well, and the day is not far distant when Harnett County will be among the foremost counties in the State.—O. P. SnELL, Dunn. Condition of Farmers. 33 Quality Rather titan Quantity—Produce Inspectors.—The efficiency of farm labor depends greatly on the price of farm produce. The price depends first on tlie quantity, and second on the quality. It is manifestly unjust to say to any man or set of men that the quantity shall be limited, but as for quality every farmer or laborer in the State should say that we will give the world the best farm produce and the best factory product we possibly can. By so doing we create a market for both raw and manufactured stuff that will be lasting, and itobor will share generally in these benefits. Unless prevented by some means, inferior labor, inferior product and inferior eveiything else will take the coun-try, thereby reducing wages and demoralizing things generally. If my idea as stated above has a semblance of common sense, then it is possible to frame legisla-tion so as to prevent inferior produce being marketed. Could not the Agricultural Department be given the power to appoint inspectors for all the leading markets of the State? No doubt many boys leaving the A. and M. College would take jobs of this kind at a price the State could well afford. The poor are being slaugh-tered by being compelled to buy with their small means such things as the markets are being flooded with. The farmer, as well as every one else, should not be allowed to sell anything except that which is good. When you go to make a pur-chase think on these things.—C. A. Whitfield, Durgy. Hours too Long—Compulsory Education—Temperance Legislation.—There is plenty of employment in this township in the lumber industry. There is very little farming in this county, and the financial income is principally fishing. Wages are $L25 per day in the woods from sunrise to sunset, which is too long a day; working days ought only to be nine or ten hours. As to compulsory educa-tion, I will say that such an enactment would be to the interest of our people. A sad and lamentable fact now confronting us is that a great many of our white boys coming along will bo deprived of their right to vote after the year 1908 unless there is more done in the way of educating the masses. My opinion is that nothing short of a compulsory school law will improve the present condi-tion, as parents do not take the interest they should in sending their children to school. I also want to say that whiskey is the curse of our country. Some very rigid laws are needed on that line. I hail the day when this evil will be banished as much as possible. If parents could see as I do every boy I know would be at school if there was any possible way for him to go, and now we have eight months free school in this district. There is a great difference now and when I was a boy, and I am fifty-six years old now. There was more Avork then than school; however I have been to school six weeks. — Charles L. Mann, East Lake. Financial Condition Good—Compulsory Education.—W'omen and children are not regularly employed generally on farms in my county. They are usually employed at such jobs as picking cotton, peas, beans, and picking of potatoes. Wheat is not raised to any extent, and you will see I gave no figures on wheat and tobacco, as neither are raised in my county. The financial condition of the 3 34 JSToRTii Cv'LiiOLiisrA Labok, Statistics. white working pecjjle in my county is without doubt the best I ever knew. The negro laborer spends as fast as he earns, and lives close up to his income. I see no improvement in the negro labor as a class. There are a few who are saving and improving, but they are the exceptions and not the rule. As to compulsory school law, I favor it. Our white children must be educated. If parents will not send their children to school I think they should be compelled to do so.—W. F. Pkitciiard, Elizabeth City. Opposes Compulsory Education—Negro Education a Failure.—I am op-posed to compulsory school attendance, as I think it out of place. It interferes with parental control of children, and in the second place means further complica-tion of the troublesome race question. My experience with reference to this should teach us to handle it with caution. We all know that a majority of the crimes committed by negroees have been committed by young negroes who have been educated at public expense. We have had an experience of over thirty years, the white people paying over ninety per cent, of the school tax and the negro growing worse. It is a fact that very few in the South will dispute that the average negro's usefulness to himself or the country is destroyed when he is educated. Right here (if it is not out of place) I would like to quote what a man who has moved here from one of the Northern States has to say. When he first moved here he was very much in sympathy with the colored race, but hear him now: he says that "they will lie, steal, walk the roads, wear rags, beg and starve, before they will work," and he is right. If thirty years don't show any improvement it seems to me it is time to stop. I am not so much opposed to educating the negro if it is bettering his condition, but when we see it is detrimental to his interests we should go slow. Some general plan should be devised to lift up the white people of our State and remove from the State of North Carolina the incubus of ignorance that now weighs so heavily upon us.—W. H. Reid, Elizabeth City. Compulsory Education—White Labor.—We have no system in North Carolina for labor. The rule is when a man hires a hand he pays him ten or twelve dollars regardless of his ability to earn it. If the people of North Carolina would pay their hands according to their worth we would not have so much sorry labor. If the State of North Carolina ever educates her sons and daughters she will have to use some compulsory means of getting the children to school. In our school district there has been less school since the Amendment than in the same length of time before. Give us white labor and good schools and .the farmer will suc-ceed in his undertakings.—R. J. Powell, Elizabeth City. Compulsory Education Necessary.—If the standard of educational registra-tion set at the last registration is to be the one that is to govern and rule future registration there will be many who will not be able to register with their pres-ent school advantages. The State ought to make special arrangements for many of that class of our people who will become citizens during the year 1908. OoisTDiTioisr OF Faemers. 35 There are a large number of boys Avho are now from fourteen to sixteen years old who can scarcely read or write, and their time is needed by their parents to help support the family. It is to be feared, with their present school advantages and but little or no insijiration to attend school after they get well into the "teens," that many of them will not be able to register, thereby becoming discouraged and losing hope of ever becoming active citizens, as they know they will be numbered among the illiterate of our State. To this class of young men the State should give special attention just at this time. For these and some other reasons I would favor a well-guarded compulsoiy law.—-G. B. Pruett, Ellenboro. Compulsory Education.—In regard to compulsory school law, I am in favor of it to a certain extent^ and think it should be enforced on account of the law that none can vote after 1908 unless they can read and write and explain certain clauses of the Constitution. But I don't approve of the law to take away the rights of the old citizens who have been here for years—property owners—and have always paid their taxes without having the collector after them and proba-bly have their property to sell for same, as certain good old citizens I saw at the election ground last election day. They had no chance in their day for an education, as school then was a very rare thing, and I think that part of the law should be remedied.—Y. R. Porter, Emerson. Labor Unreliable—Moral and Religious Standard Low-—Compulsory Education.—Labor is very unreliable, especially negro labor, their object being to get all they can from employer and give as little as possible in return. Labor is paid all it is worth and in many instances more, taking quality in considera-tion. There are but few farmers (those who own the best lands) justified in paying the present prices for farm labor. If we turn the lands over to the labor they could not pay their taxes, keep the lands up and make their wages. The moral and religious condition of our working people is low down in the scale, which I think can be attributed to the lack of enforcing the laws. All laws should be enforced or repealed. I think compulsory education would do much towards improving labor, both religiously and financially. I do not include negro labor in this, for education unfits him for labor and prepares Ijim for the penitentiary. Give us a division of school funds according to the taxes paid by the two races and compulsory school law and labor can take care of itself. — John M. Clayton, Engelhard. CoMPtxsoRY Education for Whites.—I would favor a compulsory education if it only applied to the whites, but since the law will not make a difference as to color I think unless the negroes could have a good education it makes them worse citizens and worse laborers by just having enough to read and write. — W. W. EossER, Essex. Need Factories—Compulsory Labor and Compulsory School Laws.—We need a number of furniture factories and wagon factories erected in this section 36 iN'oE.TH Oaeolhsta LlAboe. Statistics. so our wage-earners cculd have employment. Since the South and Western Rail-road has been constructed in this part of the country there has been quite a busi-ness in the lumber trade. Our lumber should be manufactured here and not shipped abroad in the rough. Our railroads should be built by free labor and not by convict labor. The convicts of the State should be worked on our public high-ways. We need a compulsory labor law as well as a compulsory school law. Tlie young men and boys of our country need to be controlled and kept in closer subjection. Family government is too slack, hence the breaking of the laws of the land.—J. E. Jimeso^", Estatoe. Conditions Unfavorable to Compulsory Edxjcation.—I think the compulsory school law will suit the towns and cities where so many children work in the factories, but we who live in the country have such bad roads and cold winters, poor school houses, and live so far from them that we cannot do our whole duty to our children in sending them to school. I think the time will come in the future when the compulsory school law would suit us better than now.—-N. H. Parrish, Etna. Need Compulsory Education.—We need a strict compulsory school law to force the negligent parents to send their children to school so that they may acquire a common school education, and further I think that our section is ready to tax themselves to maintain at least a six months public school.—N. A. Teeter, Eudy. All-the-year Employment — Compulsory Education is Best. —Relative to the needs of wage-earners and what would benefit them, will say that an all-the-year emploj'ment on our farms, destroying weeds and grass, making compost, caus-ing the one-half bushel measure to run over in grain, filling the employer's pocket-bock full of gold and silver and their's too, would prove beneficial. As for compulsory education, after and before reading other opinions on it, I do believe it is best to have it. I believe there are many parents who do not send their children to school because they have not the money to spare in excess of something to eat.—R. L. Young, Fairfield. Labor Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—As to the needs of wage-earners, I am sure of the fact that negro labor is a failure, and in some respects white labor is no better. In the first place he is too much of a spendthrift and must learn the lesson of economy befoie he will have anything. In the second place he must be more reliable and more punctual in his promises, and then he will receive better treatment and better pay. As to compulsory education, I have been in favor of a mild compulsory law since the adoption of the Constitutional Amend-ment, not only that cur boys should be educated to exercise the right of suffrage after 1908, but to prepare them for the duties of life. I believe that twenty-five per cent, of the children of school age do not attend either the public or private Condition" of Farmers. 37 schools of our grand old State; therefore I think that their parents should be compelled to send them to school at least three months in each year between the ages of seven and fourteen years unless providentially hindered.—J. W. Bowebs, Fai7- Grove. Labor Should not Depend on Day Work—Compulsory Education.—I think as we have plenty of good land in this county if wage-earners would farm more themselves and not hire and depend on a day's work so much they would be a great deal better ofl", even if they do have to rent. That is one thing that keeps grain so high on them. Compulsory school law is the very thing in this county, as the parents of the working class don't seem to try to send their children much. There should be provision made in case the parents are not able to pro-vide books or decent clothing for their children.—T. S. Maxwell, Fig. Compulsory Education.—I think that compulsory education is what is needed in this State. Parents are neglecting to educate their children, who, though they are not in fault, will have to sutler the penalty of their parents' neglect. The State should see that the children are educated. Let us have a compulsory school law and the results will be surprising.—W. J. Baldwin, Fletcher. Tax Values Increased—Labor Scarce.-—I, as one of the assessors for this (Alligator) township, will say that we have raised the value of real estate about one-fourth and all chattel property about one-tenth. Labor is scarce, owing to lumber-getting and saw mills. They pay for ordinary men from one to one and a half dollars, and this price is too high for farm hands in this (Tyrrell) county. Negro labor as a rule wants to be moving from one place to another, and gives farmers some trouble in that respect. The lumber business utilizes the labor, and farming is not so good as if there was less lumbering. The cot-ton crops look at this time as if prices might be about fifteen cents per pound next fall. All crops are very poor.—J. B. Combs, Fort Landing. Need Railroads—Enforce PRoniBiTioN — Have Compulsory School Law.—In regard to the wage-earners of Macon County, in my opinion a railroad would benefit the wage-earners or give them more em2>loyment and would help the farmers to dispose of their products. We have a prohibition county and that could be improved by the officials if they would put the law in force. We have a. compulsory education law in this county, so we have the chance to try the compulsory law. The law compels all children from eight to sixteen years of age to attend some school three months in the j^ear, and I think everybody is going to like it or they would not have voted for it so strong. — Jack Beery, Franklin. Favors Compulsory Education for Whites—Labor Scarce.—I am in favor of compulsory education if we could have it and leave the negro out, and I don't 38 jSTorth Carolina Labor Statistics. see any probability of doing that, and therefore I am not in favor of the com-pulsory law. In regard to the labor, it is scarce in this section, and if our towns would make the law so close that the laboring class of people that are living in town could not live there our farmers would be in better condition. — Baknes Aycock, Fremont. Compulsory Education—Better Schools.—My belief on the public school question would be for every county to have some eight hundred or one-thousand acre farms; compel eA^ery child in this school at twelve years old, rich or poor, and to remain in this school four years, the county paying all expenses, and teach them labor and how to do it in connection with books. This present system of schools is a perfect curse to humanity. Take the child away from his parents, for ninety per cent, of them are not capable of raising their children to thoughtful men or women. Do this and in ten years you will have North Carolina a blos-som.— C. P. Powell, Garner. Compulsory Education—Short Crops.—I have been listing property for taxa-tion in Gastonia Township for the past ten days. I have found only three or four white men who could not sign their names, and the greater number of negroes can sign for themselves in a very legible hand. I do not think every child should be compelled to go to school and learn to read and write so as to attend to business themselves. The past two years wheat and corn have been very short crops, and they have not paid for the labor and fertilizer put upon them.—R. A. Caldwell, Gastonia. Opposes Compulsory Education.—In regard to a compulsory school law, I will say that I am opposed to it. If you give a negro an education he will not work a farm—he wants to hold oflfice. Educate a white boy and he is looking for an easy job. Farm work is looked upon as degrading in this part of the State, and you can't hire any one to do it but ignorant people, so I think a compulsory school law would be very injurious to the farming interest of the State. — John G. Cross, Gatesville. Favors Compulsory Education.—I favor compulsory education, first, because it would fit the coming generation for the demands of the business world and enable them to more successfully meet the problems of life; secondly, it wovild raise the standard of citizenship in our State to that ideal contemplated in the Constitutional Amendment. There are many parents who keep their children from school from selfish motives, claiming their labor, and seemingly counting the time spent on the farm of more benefit (or value) than the time taken up in school. To such unfortunate children, with parents blinded to their real interest, nothing but a compulsory law could bring to them the benefits of even the few months of free school ofi"ered them.—W. C. Greer, Grassy Creek. } Condition of Farmers. 39 Conditions Improved—Need Manufacturing—Stop Drunkenness—Compul-sory EioucATiON.—The needs of working people have been greatly relieved in the last two or three years in this county by the building of railroads and other enter-prises, but we need some cotton mills to give greater employment, and a home market for our surplus. However, there are great improvements being made in this county, and the farmers are greatly benefited by it. One of the greatest needs in this county now is the enforcement of the law stopping so much illicit distilling and drunkenness; that is the most degrading thing in this county. I favor compulsory education from the fact that there are hundreds of parents who are uneducated and do not realize the need of an education, and a great many do not care and do not seem to be interested in regard to the education of their children and do not care whether they vote or not, if they can escape the poll tax. — William C. Ray, Grange. Labor Unreliable.—I believe that the interests of the wage-earner would be advanced if they Avere compelled by some law to perform and fulfill their agree-ments and contracts. They will come to the farmer and promise to do things, and he advances upon that promise. After being caught thus once or twice the farmer then refuses all aid, for having been fooled by one or two he decides that the best way for him is to show no favors; then the wage-earner has lost a friend by the unreliability of one of his fellow-workmen. — Alston Grimes, Grinieslatid. Labor Unreliable—^Negro Education a Failure.—Negro labor is scarce and can get six days work every week if they will stick to it. The average negro wants three to four dollars per week, and if he can get this by Wednesday night he loafs the balance of the week. If wages were a dollar a day it would take twice the number to do the same amount of work. The negro labor is becoming more worthless as they become educated. Education has changed many a good farm hand into a penitentiary convict. This is the experience of all people who work many of them.—J. J. Laughinghouse, Grimcsland. Negro Education a Mistake.—Unless we, the white people, want to put the government under negro rule again we had best stop increasing taxes to school them. Educated negroes, in their opinion, are fit only to run the government, and white people increase their desires by educating them. Do we desire that the negro should be educated that he might be our representative lawyer, clerk, com-missioner, etc.? The white man had better think.—S. 0. Middleton, Hallsville. Favors Compulsory Education.—I have always been in favor of a law to com-pel children to attend school four or six months in a year, and most especially since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment requiring them to read and write any section of the Constitution after 1908. If there is not a compulsory 40 I^ORTii Carolina Labor Statistics. school law in this State lots of men will be disfranchised and be on the list with "cuffy." Seme people talk about our educating the negro, when we fail to educate our own race. The value of an education does not only consist in voting, but it makes the man a better citizen and qualifies him for the duties of life. The cost of compulsory education will be materially the same, and the better educated our people are the abler we are to pay tax. While, on the other hand, those children will loaf around and fish and hunt till the May and June days of life are gone and their lives are ruined, and we are silent, when if we would say you must go to school their lives would be difi'erent and they would be better citizens. The time has come for us to take action on this great and important question, and if we fail old North Carolina will remain with thirty to thirty-three per cent, of her citizens who cannot read and write their names. Are we sounding the trumpet and giving the alarm of the approaching enemy, ignorance ? and who will God require to answer for this great neglect ?^A. S. Miller, Hanners-ville. More in Life than ]\Iere Existencje—Compulsory Education.—It seems to me that the greatest need of the wage-earners is to learn that more depends on their success than a mere existence; that there are greater things in life, if attained, than the food and clothing necessary for their comfort and well-being. A man in any occupation must feel the weight of responsibility before the greatest good can be accomplished. I favor compulsory education with some aid from the State to enable the poorest classes of people to comply with it.—E. J. Farthing, Hattie. Opposes Compulsory Education—Boys and Girls now Being Educated Away From the Farm.—I have not time nor space to argue the quest-ion of com-pulsory education. I want to say, however, that I am opposed to it, and most other people are. No one but a few educators are asking any such law. I find now that the higher schools and colleges are educating the boys and girls away from the farms, and it is especially so with the negroes. There are hundreds of young negroes in this town that feel it an insult to ask them to chop cotton. Our young white boys are anxious to get in stores and banks or any employment that will take them from the farm. I am in favor of a good free school for the winter or for four months in the year, and dead opposed to fine scholarships and higher schools at the State's expense. I am in favor of good graded schools that can give a good common education to the children, whenever the towns vote for it.—W. S. Parker, Henderson. Unalterably Opposed to Compulsory Education.—I have so frequently gone on record as being unalterably opposed to compulsoiy education that I deem it quite unnecessary to reiterate my former utterances; suffice to say that in a coun-try boasting of free institutions I can never favor the ancient and barbarous mode of kidnapping children and forcing them to attend school against their will. I believe in the use of the moral but not brute force.—J. H. Parker, Hertford. Condition of Fakmeks. 4:1 COMPUXSORY Education for Whites.-I would be in favor of compulsory edu-cation provided the whites could get the benefit of the taxes derived from tae property of the whites and the negro from the taxes of the negro property. I do not believe in negro education, because it unfits him for farm duties and makes him a fit subject for the penitentiary. I have been a justice of the peace for twenty years, and nine-tenths of the young negroes who commit crime and have been tried before me are the educated ones.-GEORGE B. Cooper, Hllliardston. Compulsory Education.-I do think that compulsory education would be beneficial for children up to twelve or fourteen years old at least five months in the vear With this much school and children compelled to attend there will be n; such thing as one being deprived of their franchise who are now becoming of school age, but I fear if present conditions exist there are some who will be deprived of sufi'rage after 1908.—G. T. Baker, Hilltop. FAVORS Compulsory Educatiox-Negkoes Sacrificing Everything to Edu-cate CiiiLDEEN.-I favor a compulsory school law and books furnished I think it would be beneficial to our laboring people. More education would be a great lielp to the wage-earner and a great stimulus to industry and economy. I think trainin.. in agriculture, if it could be properly taught, would be a great help to the farm laborer. There are families who do not attend school at all, and they don-t seem to realize their need of education. The compulsory feature would be of c^reat benefit to the white race. The colored race needs no stimulation to that duty Since the application of the Amendment they feel the need of education more than the white race and are taking every advantage they possibly can to edu-cate their young. They are sacrificing everything to get an education and are making great progress in that way. The white race are not so; they will not make any self-dental or sacrifice for their children to attend school. The school committeemen should employ competent teachers and see that they (the teachers) discharge their duty, and then education in our State will be on a higher grade than ever before.—J. E. Albritton, Eookerton. COMPULSORY Education.-I am in favor of educating the masses of children by compulsory laws, as I see no other way to get at the poorer class of chil- (iren.—W. H. Gribble, Rope. COMPULSORY Education-Negroes Attenid Anyway.-I believe that compul-sory education is the only thing that will ever arouse the white race m this county to a sense of their duty to their children, or at least the poorer class. My experience with them in trying to get them to send their children to school has proven this to me, after an experience of twenty-six years as school committee^ man As to the negro, he will go to school anyhow, for nothing suits Inm like bein^ a gentleman, so he can strut around with a cigar in his mouth and insult some%vhite lady as she walks along the road.-W. H. H. Hartlet, Hudson. 42 NoKTii Carolina Labor Statistics. Farmers Should Organize.—The great need of the country is for the farmers and laborers to organize and have a regular system to govern labor. Tlie pres-ent system of farmers hiring each others' hands demoralizes labor and makes them very unreliable; it injures the employer, also the laborer, and adds cost to our products. Under the present system of farming on shares it is impossible to keep up the fertility of our farms. The only salvation that I can see for our country is for the farmers to organize and have a regular system of hiring labor and have stringent laws enacted compelling all parties to stand by contract, with severe penalty on the third party who meddles with the contract. — James A. WiLSONj Euntersville. Wage-earners Making Money—Favors Compulsory Education.—Wage-earners realize more clear money than the tenant who farms on. shares, provided he is working for a responsible man. Yes, I am in favor of compulsory education^ not only from a political view, but because education uplifts character and makes a better citizen of the white man. But it makes a fool of the negro. The great trouble with the poor class of white people is that they won't take advantage of schools when they have them. That is why there ought to be some legislation enacted that would compel them to give their children the advantage of free schools. Without something to that effect there will be a good many dis-franchised in 1908.—J. B. Petteway, Jacksonville. Negroes Leaving the State—Opposes Negro Education.—Nearly all the labor we have are negroes, and what they need more than anything else is manage-ment. Since the passage of the election law which disfranchises nearly all the negroes they are leaving the State as fast as they can get aWay; and now the new road law which compels them to work four days in the year and pay a tax to hire an overseer is another discouragement and they are all terribly dissatisfied. I am not in favor of compulsory education, for the reason that the more educa-tion a negro has the less he is worth as a laborer and the more he clamors for place.—L. C. Relfe, Jacocks. Compulsory Education Would Not Suit Whites.—Our white farmers outside of the towns have to depend on children to work and harvest cotton, peanuts, to-bacco and all crops, and it takes them until first of December; public schools should then begin and continue four months. Compulsory education will not suit the whites, but it Avould please the negro. — George M. Burras, Jamcsville. Wage-earners Independent—Don't Believe in Negro Education.—Wage-earners in this section are the most independent people we have. They can get nearly any price they demand. Compulsory education would not begin to suit our people. The people in this part of the country don't believe in negro educa-tion anyway. If we were only paying our money to educate the white race it would be altogether a difl'ercnt matter. I think there will have to be a change in our school affairs or else in our government, for our people are getting tired, mighty tired, of paying money to educate negroes.—W. D. Mewborn, Jason-. Condition of Farmers. 43 Compulsory Education—Divide the School Fund—Enforce Temperance Laws—Good Roads.—A great educational revival has been sweeping over our State for the past few years. Our Constitutional Amendment is one of the results of this awakening, and other results of it are seen in increased appro-priations to schools, local taxation, greater interest among people generally, and discussion of educational problems in the papers and in our Legislature, and particularly in the propositions to divide school funds between the races and adopt a compulsory law. We live in a period of interest and frequent changes, and it is difficult to foresee what this moven-tent may terminate in. It is to be hoped that it will result in giving us ten months school per year in reach of every child in the State, and to get proper attendance a mild compulsory law will very likely have to come. A rigid law smacks of military rule and should be avoided, and it is to be feared that a very mild law would be evaded and fail to do much good. Our people have so long been accustomed to unbounded liberty that in the farming and manufacturing communities they get careless and absorbed in other matters, and sometimes local quarrels and jealousies inter-fere and the attendance in our schools is lower than it should be, and then some-times school work is distasteful to lazy young America, for he prefers careless home work or hunting, and his parents often haven't the interest or the grit to interfere. A compulsory law will not interfere with those who already send to school, and in order to reach the above classes a mild law, wisely administered, will have to come. "Charity begins at home"; this being true, where is the wis-dom or justice in continuing the present method of dividing the school funds between the white people and the negroes? Negroes pay but little taxes, and it is doubtful if much negro education is wise. White people pay nearly all the taxes and have been having very inadequate schools, and while it might be consid-ered uncharitable to confine the negro to his own taxes, only the justice of it cannot be objected to, and without carrying the matter that far a division could be made that would continue to give the negro as much school as he deserves and the white schools be greatly strengthened. Most of the tax payers here favor something of that kind, and only the politicians, educators, etc., who are losing votes or popularity, or who fear Yankee abuse, object. Strong drink is a great curse to boys, and working people especially, and it is to be hoped that the very excellent law passed by our last Legislature will be very rigidly enforced, and if it proves inadequate a more rigid one will be passed and whiskey, etc., be handled only through dispensaries. Good roads is one of the constant crying needs of our country districts. Our roads should be laid out and worked under the direction of competent engineers and the expenses met by taxation supple-mented in some communities by the local labor systern.—^W. J. Wadsworth, Jesup. Fine Agricultural and Mineral Country—Compulsory Education for the Masses.—We are in the midst of a fine agricultural country, especially tobacco, with the outlying spurs of the Appalachian system on both sides, and the most excellent mineral waters abound, with the hills and mountains underlayed with mineral ores—iron most abundant. Now, among one of the best things for the town laborer would be railroads, with iron ores and mineral springs more 44 North Carolhsta Labor Statistics. extensively developed. Now, in regard to the compulsory school law, it is my opinion that it would not be good for all classes at thp present condition of the State. It would be good for the masses, but not for the classes. It is true it seems that there are a good many people who do not take any interest in edu-cation and who will not send the children to school unless they are almost com-pelled to. It seems that some remedy would be advisable, whilst we have some children who are not able and have not the time to spare, and it seems that some have not the necessary books, raiment and food.—W. A. Nelson, Jewel. Negeoes Have Left the Farms—Public Schools a Failure.—The negroes have nearly all left the farms and gone to work at public works. The farmers from now on Avill have to plant just what they can manage and not depend on day hands, as there are none to be had when you get in a push. As to improving the land, that is hard to do where tobacco is king. The great need of our sec-tion is smaller farms and intense farming: tend less, work it better, make more. Farming on shares will ruin any farm, as tenants can't afford and will not try to keep the farm up. Any farm rented will decrease in value, as much as the rents amount to in this section. There are so many parents that are so careless and indifferent about sending their children to school, letting them grow up with-out being able to read and write, that it looks as if the State should take hold and prevent it if possible. Greater stress should be brought to bear upon the teachers of our public schools to pay more attention to teaching spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic in our schools. It is next thing to an impossibility for a child to get a start in our schools now. I have thought and I believe that I am right that the above named branches are all that ought to be taught in the free schools, but let them be taught thoroughly. Nine out of ten who claim to read can't read, consequently when they can't read intelligently they don't read at all.—J. G. Fulton, Kernersville. Favors Compulsory Education—Land Increasing in Value.—While I am in favor of compulsory education, there are some families who will need help from the county or State. I am in favor of helping them and requiring them to send their children to school. I am willing to pay my part of the tax to help them. I live three and one-half miles from Kinston. All lands are high in my neighbor-hood, and lands off" some distance have increased some in value. Making tobacco has caused all lands to sell for more than they did some years ago.—R. L. Wcoten, Kinston. Favors Compulsory Education.—Yes, I certainly favor compulsory education. It is very needful here. The parents of children don't take the interest they should to educate their children, and therefore I think we should have a law to make them do it. — David Jones, Knotts Island. Proper Provision Shoulj) be Made for Education of the Children.—As to compulsory education, there cannot be any law enacted that would meet the Condition of Faemees. 45 requirements of every case. There are children whose parents are so poor and others who are so improvident that they can neither furnish bocks or clothing for their children, and the children must have both before they should be required to go to school. In a republic like ours it is a very nice point, just where the State or National government should step in and interfere in the management of the family, but that all children should have the proper provision for their educa-tion and moral training there can be no doubt. I think in many instances the care of the children should be taken from the parents and left to the supervision of some one more capable, so that the children may have an education and be taught to work and have an aspiration to be something in the great hive of humanity.—J. H. Dolghton, Lattrcl Springs. CoMPULSOKY Education Should Die A-boening.—I think that compulsory edu-cation should die a-borning. Some few have gone crazy on educating the negro, when experience has taught and proven that education unfits the negro for a laborer. ]\Iuch can be said against such a law in the eastern counties.—V. B. Knight, Laicience. Wage-eaeners Should be Respected—Hato Compulsory School Law in County.—In one respect the wage-earner needs to be respected by a majority of the employers and not treated so much as a slave. If the employers would have feeling and sympathy enough to let them know by actions as well as words that they have an interest in their welfare and be as a brother the result would be for good. Of course there are exceptions to all rules, as some will keep harping on the poor negro. We have a compulsory school law in this county, but it only compels the parents to send their children to school, and nothing else. I want it to be broad enough to cover all alike. — John E. Eickman, Leatherman. Need INIanufactueing—Taxes Bueidensome—Opposed to Compulsory Edu-cation.— We need home manufacture for all necessaries of farm Avorking, which would give employment for many hands Avho are now only working a day here and there, wherever they can get the best job, and for those idle boys about the town who will not go to school. Also we need legislation to lessen the taxation of our property, as we are now taxed heavily, and also an extra county tax, and on top of that we have to pay an extra school tax for graded schools, etc. This makes the taxation a burden on the working class of people. This should be in some way lightened, for if a man has to work by the day for his tax money it will take him from one to two weeks' work to pay his taxes, which is a heavy bur-den. Also we need legislation in some way to get rid of the negro race, as they are cf little or no profit to the State. As to compulsory school laAv, I do oppose it in any way for several reasons: first, it is one step toward taking a man's freedom from him; second, we have good schools to send our children to, and all who are able send to school, and those who are unable 'to educate their children from a financial standpoint it does seem unfair and wrong in every respect to punish those unfortunate people, because, for some reason unknown to us, our Creator 46 IToETH Oarolina Labor Statistics. has not placed in their hands as much of the goods of this world as to ns who can send to the schools. This is bound to be the case, for if a law is not enforced we had just as well have none, and if we had compulsory school law a failure to send to school wovild be a crime for which about one-eighth of the entire popula-tion would have to be punished. So compulsory school law would only be a stepping-stone to crime for this one-eighth of the population of the State which would fill our jails, and we tax-payers would have to feed them and send to the school also, which would be a burden to all, and I hope the thinking people of the State will never enact such a law. As to the Constitutional Amendment, all who can will prepare themselves for the ballot after 1908, as the energetic and thinking people of the State will all prepare for the ballot. At any rate, should any of them fail it is their own lookout, for there are some young men who would not take an education if they were confined in a school room from six to twenty-one years of age, as it is not born in them to make anything or be of any use to the intelligence of the State.—W. P. May, Lenoir, Compulsory Education for Whites.—I think white parents, guardians, etc., should be expected to give their children education enough to at least enable them to read and write, and where there are any who are able to do this and fail to do so they should be compelled to do so, while those who are not able to send to school should be helped by the school board, after thorough investigation to avoid deception and imposition, so that every white boy and girl may be enabled to read and write. If the boys and girls of to-day are to be the men and women of to-morrow, to what better purpose can we spend the State's revenue than to make them better qualified to fill the places that will be ready for them, espe-cially when we remember that the places to be occupied are becoming daily more difficult to fill satisfactorily and that those who grow up now without some education will be at a very great disadvantage in the struggle even for exist-ence? As for negro education, I do not believe a common education benefits him in the least. It seems to hurt him. Tliose that come under my observation who have been given a fair common school education seem to have become more indolent and are not any better off in their manner of living than the more ignorant ones. True I do not see how the whites can be given schooling while the negro is denied it. As to that I cannot offer any suggestions. If I believed education beneficial to the negro. I would be in favor of helping them all we could in order that they might be better citizens, not only to themselves, but to the white race as well. But both races would be very greatly benefited by indus-trial training along with "book larnin'."—R. L. Henry, Lilesville. Labor Unreliable—Mild Compulsory School Law.—As to labor, it is get-ting so the farmer can't depend on negro labor at all, for they will work on for a while and leave without any cause whatever. I think there should be some law , enacted to protect the farmer more than he is now protected. I think there should be some mild school law, just strong enough to get the children to attend. Condition of Farimers. 47 I don't think the law ought to be too strong so as to cause ill-feeling. I think that kind of law would do harm.—J. M. Bullock, Louisburg. Labor Scarce—Good Roads—Temperance—Compulsory Education.—Labor-ers in our settlement are scarce, owing to the fact that cotton mills and rail-roads have taken from our immediate settlement all surplus hands. Prices for farm hands by the month are ten dollars and board; if by the day it is anywhere from fifty cents to one dollar per day, owing to the quality of work and the kind of hand, etc. What we need is macadamized roads like they have in Meck-lenburg county, and then and net until then can we be a happy and prosperous people. Oh, that all men could see the good of macadam roads, and then those who have land for sale are made rich at once, for their land will be worth double what it is now. We now have in this place (Lowesville) a nice academy, a good healthy country, good school, good people, with churches handy, and the best of all no still-houses near, and may the time soon come when still-houses in North Carolina will be a thing of the past. We are slowly but surely waking up to the great need of schooling our boys and girls, yet we find some people who seem not to care whether their children are educated or not; therefore a compulsory law must and v,dll come, bvit it will be a difficult matter to solve and will have to come a little at a time, but just how is not for me to say, but it will surely come by and by. As for wage-earners, the best thing that could be done all over our State is to get bonds for each county sufficient to macadamize every public highway or road in the State. This will give steady employment to every man or boy at good prices for a number of years, and when finished we will have a State that we will be proud to live in, and a prosperous and happy people. Look at Mecklenburg. Lands on macadamized roads six or eight miles from Charlotte that a few years ago sold at fifteen and twenty dollars per acre are now worth forty and fifty dollars per acre. This tells what macadamized roads will do.—H. A. Gilleland, Loicesville. Not Time Enough before 1908 to Educate.—I am for schools first, last and all the time, but there is no doubt that it would work great hardships in some cases, though I am forced to admit (and a great majority of my fellow-farmers will bear me out in it) that there are certain elements on which education works an injury instead of a benefit. I know that is a strong idea to advance, but neverthless it is so. As for educating our own boys in time to meet the require-ments of the law in 1908, that is a farce, as every one knows who has manliness enough to admit it that it is a well known fact that a people cannot be educated in so short a time, and if the time is not extended there will be thousands of white boys of patriotic fathers who will be shut out. I hope we may yet get together brains enough in the Capitol to protect the boys.—J. B. Chesson, Mackey's Ferry. Favors Compulsory Education—Labor Unreliable.—In regard to compul-soiy education, will say that I favor it at a certain time of the year, say from 48 JSToKTH Caeolika Labor Statistics. November to IMarch, but after that time t
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 | 1903 |
Subjects |
Agricultural statistics Cotton--North Carolina Education First person narrative Fisheries 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 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 | 23430 KB; 370 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_annualreportbureauoflabor1903.pdf |
Pres Local File Path-M | \Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_edp\images_master\ |
Full Text | THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA THE COLLECTION OF NORTH CAROLINIANA UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00033934805 This book must not be taken from the Library building. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Ensuring Democracy through Digital Access (NC-LSTA) http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportofbu1903nort .^ ''ter SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING, woo^m/nM^^wne^. H. B. VARNER, Commissioner. W. E. FAISON, AssT. Commissioner. RALEIGH : E. M. UzzELL & Co., State Printers and Binders. 1904. SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE YEAR 903. H. B. VARNER, Commissioner. W. E. FAISON, AssT. Commissioner. RALEIGH : E. M. UzzELL & Co., State Printers and Binders. 1904. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Agricultural Statistics. • II. Miscellaneous Factories. III. Cotton and Woolen Mills. IV. Furniture Factories. V. — Newspapers. VI. Trades. VII. Railroad Employes. VIII. Cotton Ginned, Fisheries and Min-ing Interests. IX. Manufacturing Enterprises. Bureaus of Labor. CHAPTER I. AGRICULTUKAL STATISTICS. The following average tables are compiled from blanks filled out by representative farmers from every county in tbe State. The farmers alwaj's respond promptly. In this chapter we also publish letters showing the needs and conditions of farm labor. The returns were received during the period from July 1 to Octo-ber 1, 1903, which explains the difference in selling price of cotton and other products shown in Table No. 4. Table 'No. 1 shows an increase in value of land in seventy-four counties, and no change in twenty-three. Seventy-three counties re-port fertility of land maintained, and twenty-four not maintained. Eighty counties report tendency to smaller farms, six to larger, and eleven no change. Ninety counties report labor scarce, six plenty, and one abundant. Ninety-five counties report negro labor unreliable, one reliable, and one no negro labor. Forty-six counties report employ-ment regular, and fiity-one not regular. Table No. 2 shows cost of living increased in eighty-nine counties, and no increase in eight counties. Highest average wages of men per month $17.77, lowest $10.77 ; highest wages of women $10.98, lowest $7 ; wages of children $6.02. Sixty-four counties report increase of wages, and thirty-three no increase. Table No. 3 shows sixty-three counties produce cotton at average cost of $29.83 per 500-pound bale; seventy-four produce wheat at seventy-two cents per bushel; ninety-two produce com at forty-eight cents per bushel ; eighty-seven produce oats at thirty-four cents per bushel; fifty-three produce tobacco at $7.05 per 100 pounds. Table No. 4 shows average market price of cotton $58.65 per 500- pound bale; wheat, ninety-four cents per bushel; corn, seventy-five cents per bushel; oats, fifty-one cents per bushel; tobacco, $8.77 per 100 pounds. These prices make the profit on products $28.82 per bale for cotton ; twenty-two cents per bushel for wheat ; twenty-seven cents 1 North Carolina Labor Statistics. per bushel for corn; seA^enteen cents per bushel for oats; $1.Y2 -per hundred for tobacco. Table ]Sfo. 5 shows educational condition good in eight counties, fair in forty-five, and poor in forty-four, Ninety counties report improvement in education, and seven report no improvement. Twenty-five counties report moral condition good, fifty-eight fair, and fourteen poor. Seventy-two counties report improvement in morals, and twenty-five no improvement. Thirteen counties report financial con-dition good, forty-nine fair, and thirty-five poor. Eighty counties report financial condition improving, and seventeen report nO' improve-ment. Eighty per cent, answered the question, "Do you favor compulsory sdiool law?" "Yes," and twenty per cent. "No." Table No. 6 shows cost to produce, selling price and profit on the different farm products by counties. It will be noted that there is a fair margin of profit. The letters following the tabulated matter in this chapter are of especial interest, giving as they do the opinions of farmers from every county in the State on the conditions prevalent among this the largest class of our citizens. Condition op Farmers. NoKTH Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. i—Showing Condition ofFarm Land and Labor by Counties. County. Alamance Alexander __ Alleghany _- Anson Ashe Beanfort Bertie Bladen Brunswick -_ Buncombe -_ Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham — Cherokee — Chowau Clay Cleveland— Colnnibus — 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 Value of Land In-creased or Decreased? Fertility of Land Main-tained? Tendency to Larger or Smaller Farms? Labor Abundant or Scarce? Negro Labor Relia-ble? Em-ploy-ment Regu-lar? no yes smaller scarce' no -- yes. increased .- yes smaller scarce no -- yes. increased -- no smaller scarce no -. no. no no same scarce no .-• ves. increased .- yes smaller scarce no -. no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -- yes. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -- ves. increased -- ves same plenty no .- yes. increased -- no larger scarce yes_- yes. no no smaller plenty no .. yes. no yes smaller scarce no ._ no. increased -- no smaller scarce no .. no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -. yes. increased -- yes smaller scarce no ._ no. increased -- yes larger scarce no -. yes. no ves smaller plenty no __ yes. increased -- ves smaller scarce no -_ no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -- no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no,_- yes. increased -- ves smaller scarce no . yes. increased -- no smaller scarce no __ no. no yes smaller scarce no -- no. increased .- ves smaller scarce no _. no. increased -- yes same scarce no __ no. increased -- yes same scarce no .- no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no ._ yes. increased -- no smaller scarce no .. no. increased -- no smaller scarce no -. no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no .- ves. increased -- yes smaller scarce no .. yes. no no smaller scarce no -. no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no _. yes. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -. ves. no no same scarce no -. no. no yes smaller scarce no -- no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no ._ yes. increased _- no larger scarce. no ._ no. no yes smaller scarce no .. yes. increased -- ves smaller scarce no -- yes. no yes smaller scarce no _- ves. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -. ves. increased -- yes larger scarce no -- no. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -- no. increased _- ves smaller scarce no -. ves. increased _- yes smaller scarce no _- no. no yes larger scarce no .. no. increased -- ves smaller scarce no -. ves. increased -- yes smaller scarce no .- no. increased -. ves smaller scarce no -- ves. increased -- yes smaller scarce no -- no. Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. \—Contmued. County. 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 - Value of Land In-creased or Decreased ? Fertility of Land Main-tained? increased increased .. increased - increased -- increased _- increased _- increased -- increased _- increased -- no increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- increased -- no increased -- no increased _- increased -_ increased -- no increased _. no increased -- increased _. increased -. no increased _. increased -. increased -. increased -. increased -. no increased - no no Tendency to Larger or Smaller Farms? smaller--- smaller--- smaller--- smaller--- smaller--- same yes-. yes-yes-. no _ yes-yes_ yes 1 smaller-- no smaller-- yes I smaller-- yes 1 smaller-- 3'es ! smaller-- yes-yes-no _ yes-yes-yes_ j'es-yes_ ves_ Labor Abundant or Scarce? Negro Labor Relia-ble? same smaller-- smaller-- smaller-- same smaller.- smaller-- smaller-- smaller-- yes smaller-- no smaller.- yes smaller. yes_- yes_- no -- yes_. yes-. yes-. yes.. j-es_ no - no -. no _ no _ yes- Watauga ! increased _- Wavne Wilkes Wilson . Yadkin Yancey increased -- no increased -. no increased -. smaller-- smaller-- smaller-- smaller-- smaller-- smaller-. larger --. smaller-smaller-, smaller-, smaller-same smaller-no i same ves j smaller-yes smaller-no ! smaller-yes I smaller-yes_. yes_. no -. yes-no - yes-smaller-smaller-same — smaller - smaller-smaller. scarce no scarce no scarce no scarce no abundant scarce— scarce plenty scarce— scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce _-. scarce plenty.-. scarce--. scarce --. scarce--. scarce--. scarce -- scarce _- scarce - - scarce -- scarce-- plenty-- scarce -. scarce - . scarce-. 1 scarce -- scarce _- scarce -- I scarce -- I scarce -- I scarce -- scarce -- scarce-- ' no scarce i no no no no -- no - no - no - no -_ no -_ no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -- no -. no -. no -. no -. no - no - no - no - no _ no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no - Em-ploy-ment Regu-lar? yes. no. no. no. no. yes. no. yes. yes. no. no. yes. no. yes. no. no. no yes. yes. no. yes. no. no. yes. yes. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no, yes. yes. yes. yes. no, yes. yes. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Tabi^e No. 2 — Showing Wages, Cost of Living, etc. 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 Hvde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones In-crease in Cost of Liv-ing? yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes- 3'es_ yes-yes-yes_ yes_ yes-yes_ yes_ yes_ )'es_ yes. yes_ yes_ yes. yes_ yes_ yes. yes_ yes_ yes-yes_ yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes-yes-yes_ yes. yes. yes. no _ yes. no _ yes. yes. yes. Highest i Lowest ' Hi ah est Lowest Paid Paid | Paid ! Paid Men ? Men ? Women ? i Women ? 15-50 18.50 18.25 11. 25 24. 20 28.65 17.00 19.70 15-15 19.70 IX. 50 13.40 18.85 19-35 20. 15 22. 00 23-75 16.50 21.65 18.25 22. 00 12.25 18.60 19-95 13. 00 15.00 25.00 21.35 17-35 16. 20 12. 00 15.00 20.35 II. 25 16. 10 16.85 19-50 15.00 20. 00 15.00 13-85 1 1. 00 20.50 19.30 18.75 18.15 15.00 23. 80 16.75 15.00 11. 00 7.90 12. 15 8.50 12. 15 16. 20 12.50 II- 50 10. 40 11.50 8.00 7.85 10. 00 8.00 11. 70 10. 00 7.70 10. 00 12.65 11.65 12.50 7. 00 12. 10 15-65 6. 00 10. 00 13.00 10.85 11.65 11.50 7-50 10.50 11-35 7. 00 8.70 12. 00 15- 15 9-75 10.65 10. 00 6.35 7. 00 8.25 12. 00 14.30 13-95 10.50 15- 15 11. 25 8.00 12.00 II 'lO 9. 00 11-75 11-75 14.85 12. 80 14. 4o 9.90 5-75 8.50 II. 00 12.65 II. 00 10. 50 11.50 11. 25 9-50 14-30 12.50 10. 00 12. 10 12.75 7. 00 10. 00 20. 00 9-65 15.00 8.80 6. 00 8.50 14-95 5- 50 10. 15 11. 00 9-75 7.50 8.35 10. 50 7-35 8.55 13. 00 11. 25 13. 00 11-35 6. 00 13.00 1 1. 00 10. 20 10. 00 4-85 4-65 6.65 7-25 10. 15 8.55 7. 00 6.50 4-50 5-90 5-55 9. 20 8.45 4. 00 5-25 6.50 5- 00 10.65 6.50 5-50 7.80 8.45 5- 00 3.00 6.50 7-50 12. 00 6. 90 4-50 6. 00 9. 10 4. 00 4-75 8. 10 6.50 6. 00 5.65 6. 90 5-15 5-75 6.50 6. 10 10.45 8.30 4. 00 7.80 6.50 5-40 Children ? 5.00 5-85 6.75 7-40 7-75 6.50 5-90 5- 20 2.50 7-25 6. 00 5-50 8-45 5- 00 5. 20 5-25 6.55 6.85 5.20 4. 00 6.50 9-75 4. 00 4. 00 6.50 6.50 6.50 6. 40 3-25 7. 00 6.50 4. 00 5-65 5-75 5- 20 3.00 5.00 7.80 5- 00 5- 10 5. 20 5-50 6.50 7-35 4. 00 6.50 5.60 7. 00 Wages Increased Decreased ? increased. increased. increased. no. increa.sed. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increa.sed. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. no. increased. no. increased. increased. no. no. no. no. increased. increased. increased. no. Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. 2 — Contijtued. County. 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 Average — North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 3 — Showing Cost of Production. County. Alamance - Alexander- Alleghany. Ansou -_. .- 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 Cost to Produce- 500-Ib Bale of Cotton ? Bushel Wheat? 38.00 30. 00 30. 00 31-25 27.50 28. 00 25.00 50.00 34-35 40. 00 25.00 37-50 30. 00 20. 00 31-25 27.50 23-35 22. 00 40. 00 0.75 .80 -85 I. 00 -83 Bushel Corn? O. 62 53 65 70 55 35 35 58 45 40 40 48 43 37 50 50 40 28 50 39 50 45 43 32 60 40 Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? 0-33 33 35 50 31 40 25 33 25 ,40 .28 .28 .38 .50 •30 •23 .43 40 40 ]8 28 40 9. 00 8.00 7. 00 10. 00 6.50 10. 00 6.50 7. 00 8.00 10. 00 5-35 6.50 25.00 35-00 27.50 30. 00 30. 00 27.50 29. 20 83 60 67 50 80 75 25.00 39- 15 35-00 .40 .72 .83 .60 .46 .81 27.50 23-50 29- 35 23-45 .78 I. 00 .62 5.00 6. 00 4. 00 8.50 7. 00 6. 00 8.50 5.00 6.00 6.00 10. 00 7-25 8.00 6.50 3.80 Condition op Farmers. Average Tabl,e No. 3 — Continued. County. Lenoir Lincoln McDowell Macon Madison Martin Mecklenburg - Mitchell Montgomery _ Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton - Onslow Orantje 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 Average price. CosT TO Produce— 500- R) Bale of Cotton ? 30. 00 40. 00 31-65 31. 00 .37- 50 23-35 27.50 23. 00 20. 00 35- 00 27.50 26.85 30.90 33-35 30. GO 32.50 26. 00 35- 00 26.65 31-65 30-35 25.00 23-35 32-50 27.50 29. 10 30.75 26. 00 27.50 29.83 Bushel Wheat? 85 84 80 60 89 75 92 72 Bushel Corn ? 0.50 Bushel Oats? I 0.30 100 Pounds Tobacco ? 8.00 35 15 37 25 40 40 24 40 31 28 25 30 28 38 42 40 40 36 36 23 35 30 20 35 34 27 28 23 32 38 25 41 33 37 34 6. 00 7-50 6. OO' 9. 00 7- 15 10. GO 6.60 6. 00 5- 00 4-75 8.25 4-25 7-35 6.15 10. 00 IG. 00 7-50 5-65 5-50 4.25 6. 00 6. 20 6. 25 8.65 7-05 10 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 4 — Showing Market Price of Crops. County. Alamance �� Alexander— Allej^hany 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-& Bale of Cotton ? 60. GO 50. 00 Bushel Wheat? 62.50 60. 00 62.50 52. 20 47.50 55- 00 60. 00 50.00 57.50 50.00 64.00 61.25 58.75 58.75 52.50 60. 00 60. 00 56.65 62.50 58.75 62.50 65.00 60, 00 60. 00 60. 00 60.80 59- 15 55.00 60.50 63-75 57.50 61. 25 Bushel Corn? 0. 90 .95 •95 T. 00 1. 00 I. 00 .93 I. 00 .92 •99 .80 .90 I. 00 I. 00 •93 I. 00 •99 95 93 •95 I. 00 I. 00 •75 I. 00 •90 .88 I. 00 I. 00 •95 .95 •95 •93 .83 Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? 9-50 10. 00 8.00 8.00 10. 00 9. 00 8. 00 10. 00 15.00 9.35 8.00 5.00 7. 00 10.50 8.00 6. 00 7. 00 7.00 5- 50 9.50 6.75 10. 00 Condition of Farmers. 11 Average Table No. 4 — Continued. County. 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 Wavne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yaucev Average price - *Prksent Market Price— 500 fe Bale of Cotton ? Bushel Wheat? Bushel Corn? 60. GO 60. 00 65.80 60.25 57-50 60. 00 57.50 52.50 .90 I. 00 I. GO I. 00 95 95 95 83 0.65 70 73 85 75 90 73 95 83 83 78 . 60. GO 64. 15 58.35 60. 60 98 "87" 75 55-50 52-50 55-00 57.90 58.35 60. 90 55-85 62. 10 58.10 62.50 57-50 60.85 62.50 60. GO 58.75 .90 .84 97 .98 I. 00 I. 00 -83 I. 00 •95 1.08 -90 .98 -98 I. 00 I. 00 •83 [. 00 .81 .80 53-75 61.35 I. 00 95 .98 •95 98 58.65 94 Bushel Oats? 100 Pounds Tobacco ? 75 o. 40 50 60 45 45 49 50 30 55 53 45 43 55 60 50 50 50 42 72 51 53 50 55 50 50 43 51 10. 00 17-50 10. 00 7^25 6.50 4^50 6.75 8.00 10. 00 6.50 2-75 8.35 8. 10 II. 25 25.00 7. 00 9. 00 8.50 3-75 10. 00 3. 20 6.75 12.35 8-77 'Period between July i and October i, 1903. 12 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 5 — Showing Educational, Moral and Financial Conditions^ County. Educa-tional Condilion ? Alamance good Alexander fair.. Alleghany fair Anson fair Ashe poor Beaufort poor Bertie _. good Bladen poor .-. Brunswick poor ., Buncombe poor. Burke fair ., Cabarrus fair .. Caldwell fair Camden fair Carteret fair Caswell _ fair Catawba poor. Chatham poor Cherokee poor Chowan j poor 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 fair fair fair poor ... good --. poor ... poor — fair poor ... poor good ... good ... fair poor ... fair poor ... poor ... poor ... fair good --. fair poor ... fair fair poor ... fair fair poor -. poor -- Is it Improv-ing? yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes- 5'es-yes-yes. yes-yes-yes-no - yes. 3'es. yes. )'es-yes-yes. no - yes-yes-yes-no . yes-yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no . yes-yes. yes. yes-ves- Moral Condition? good fair fair fair fair fair good -.. poor --. fair fair fair poor ... good ... fair fair fair good - - fair fair fair good - - fair poor --, fair fair fair poor -.. fair fair poor ... good .. good -- fair fair fair good -- good .. good .. fair good -- good -- poor -- fair fair fair fair good -- poor -- poor -. Is it Improv-ing? yes-yes-no - no - yes-no - yes-no - yes-no - yes-yes - yes. yes-yes, yes-yes-no - 3es-no . yes. no - yes-uo . yes-no . no - yes-no . no - yes-no - no . no - yes-yes. yes-yes-yes-yes-yes. yes. yes-no - yes-yes. yes-yes-yes- Financial Condition ? good - fair -- good . fair -. fair .. fair .- fair .. poor - fair -. poor - fair .. poor - good . fair .. fair .. poor . good - fair -. fair .. fair -. fair .. poor - poor - fair .. poor - fair .. fair .. good - fair .. fair .. poor - good - good . poor . fair .. fair .. poor . fair .. good . fair .. fair .. fair .. fair .. fair .. good . fair .. fair -. fair -. poor . Is it Improv-ing? yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. j'es.. yes, no. yes, yes. yes, yes, yes, yes. yes, no. yes, yes. yes. yes, yes. yes, yes. yes, no. yes.. yes. yes. no. 3'es. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. 3'es. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes, yes. Condition of Farmers. 13 Average Table No. 5 — Continued. County. Jones Lenoir Lincoln McDowell Macou 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 . TyrreU-. Union Vance Wake Warren Washingtou .. Watauga Wayne Wi'kes Wilson. Yadkin Yancey Educa-tio" al Condition ? poor poor — fair poor poor fair fair fair poor — poor — poor — fair good — fair poor — fair poor — fair poor — poor ... fair fair poor ... fair good ... fair poor --- fair fair poor --. poor ... poor ... poor ._ fair poor ... fair fair fair fair poor .. fair fair fair poor -- poor .- poor .. fair fair Is it Improv-ing? yes-yes. yes. yes. yes. yes-yes-no . yes-yes. yes. yes. yes-yes. yes-yes. yes. yes-yes. yes-yes. yes-no . yes- )-es-yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no - yes. yes. yes. yes-yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes-yes-yes. yes. Moral Condition? fair poor — fair good — good — fair fair poor — fair fair good — good — fair fair fair fair fair good yood — fair fair fair fair good .1. good good - - . fair poor ... fair fair fair fair fair fair poor ... fair --.. good . . . good ... fair fair fair fair good .. fair fair poor .- fair poor .- Is it Improv-ing? yes no yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes no yes yes no yes — yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes— no — yes— no — Financial . "^ condition? 13^7- poor . good - fair .. poor . fair .. poor . good - poor . fair .. poor . poor . poor - fair -. fair -. poor - fair -. fair .. good - fair .. fair .. poor . fair .. poor . fair .. good . fair .. poor . poor . poor . poor . poor . fair .. poor . fair -. fair ., poor . fair -, fair -, poor poor fair - poor fair . poor poor poor poor fair . yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes, yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. no. yes. no. no. yes. 14 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Table No. 6 — Showing Cost, Price 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 lO II 12 13 14 15 i6 17 i8 19 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 County. Alamance % 38.00 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 Bdgecombe - Forsyth Franklin ... Gaston Gates Graham Granville — Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson . Hertford -.- Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones 30.00 30.00 31-25 27.50 28.00 25.00 % 60.00 50.00 62.50 60.00 62.50 52.20 47.50 50.00 34-35 40. 00 25.00 37-50 55- 00 60.00 50.00 57-50 50.00 30.00 20.00 64.00 61.25 31-25 58.75 27.50 23-35 22.00 40.00 58.75 52.50 60.00 60.00 % 22.00 32-50 28.75 35-00 24. 20 22.50 5.00 25-65 10.00 32-50 12.50 0.75 .80 -85 1. 00 -83 34-00 41-25 27.50 31-25 29-15 38.00 20. 00 25.00 35-00 27.50 30.00 30.00 56.65 62.50 58.75 62.50 65.00 27.50 60.00 29. 20 60.00 31-65 27.50 31-25 32-50 35-00 32-50 30.80 25.00 39-15 35- 00 27.50 23-50 29-35 23-45 60.80 59-15 55-00 60.50 63-75 57-50 61.25 35-80 20.00 20.00 33-00 40.25 28.15 37.80 .69 .60 .83 ,67 50 ,80 75 .40 • 72 .83 .60 ,46 -78 1. 00 .62 90 95 95 00 00 1. 00 •93 1. 00 -92 •99 .80 -90 1. 00 1. 00 -93 1. 00 -99 1. 00 .80 •95 93 ,80 -95 1. 00 1. 00 •75 ,90 ,88 ,00 ,00 95 95 95 93 83 Condition of Farmers. 15 and Profit on Products by Counties. Corn. Oats. Tobacco. Cost. Price. Profit. Cost. Price. Profit. Cost. Price. Profit. a |0 62 53 65 70 55 35 35 58 45 40 40 48 43 37 50 50 40 28 50 39 50 45 43 32 60 40 |o 75 75 90 80 82 60 73 80 57 73 80 8r 76 |o. 13 .22 •25 . 10 -27 •25 •38 . 22 . 12 •33 .40 •33 . 11 I0.33 •33 •35 •50 •31 .40 |o•53 55 45 • 55 • 44 .Ad |o. 20 . 22 . 10 •05 •13 1 9^oo 8.00 % 9^50 10.00 % 0.50 2.00 I 2 3 4 5 "^ 7 8 • 25 •33 •25 .40 .28 .28 •38 • 50 •30 •23 • 43 45 I •so 55 .22 43 ^18 56 .16 62 .34 45 .17 65 1 ^27 75 1 ^25 58 1 .28 55 -32 57 ! •U 10.00 6.50 10.00 8.00 8.00 10.00 2.00* 1.50 9 10 II 12 ^3 15 16 17 18 19 S? 1 - 20 •78 80 73 75 73 61 85 89 73 68 75 65 .28 •30 •33 •47 •23 .22 •35 •44 •30 f. •25 6.50 7.00 9.00 8. CO 2.50 I. 00 8.00 10.00 10.00 15^00 2.00 5- 00 .40 .40 .18 .28 .40 40 64 40 •24 . 22 10.00 12.00 2.00 21 23 24 25 16 48 1 .20 "';o . 10 27 28 29 30 3^ 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 49 49 50 60 60 48 50 38 62 38 71 73 78 75 80 75 83 82 73 92 .22 • 24 .28 •15 .20 .27 •33 • 44 . II • 54 •29 •43 .20 •38 46 50 45 50 •17 .07 •25 . 12 5^oo 6.00 4.00 8.50 9^35 8.00 5.00 7.00 4^35 2. 00 1. 00 1.50* •35 .60 • 25 •30 •33 50 63 55 43 55 •15 •03 •30 •13 . 22 6.00 8.50 10.50 8.00 4- 50 .50* 5^oo 6.00 6.00 10.00 6.00 7.00 7.00 5^50 1. 00 1. 00 1. 00 4^50* 40 47 60 58 34 50 40 35 40 50 57 35 70 68 72 80 82 75 78 48 78 82 75 60 •30 . 21 . 12 .22 .48 .25 38 •13 •38 •32 .18 •25 •33 •45 •43 • 45 .22 .41- 58 53 57 60 50 58 •25 .08 .14 •15 .28 •17 7^25 9- 50 2.25 . 20 •36 .40 .42 •30 35 55 53 53 55 •15 •19 •13 . II •25 8.00 10.00 2.00 6.50 3- 80 6.75 10.00 • 25 6. 20 *I/OSS. 16 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Table No. 6— County. Cotton. Wheat. V S Cost. Price. Profit. Cost. Price. Profit. 51 5? Lenoir $ 30.00 $ 60.00 1 30.00 $ 1 1 Lincohi 53 54 55 McDowell .88 •91 .50 I. 00 I. 00 I. 00 12 Maoon .09 MadisoD .. •50 Martin 40.00 3I-6.S 60.00 65.80 20.00 57 34-15 58 59 6n Mecklenburg Mitchell .65 .85 .63 .88 .65 .88 .95 •95 •95 •83 .23 Montgomery Moore 31.00 37-50 23-35 60.25 57-50 60.00 29.25 20.00 36.65 •32 •07 6i .18 6? Nash New Hauover ^3 6^ Northampton | 27.50 Onslow.- 23.00 Orange ' 57-50 52.50 30. 00 29. 50 .85 -98 •13 65 66 .82 .87 .05 Pamlico -- - 20.00 60.00 64.15 58.35 60.60 40.00 29.15 30-85 33-75 67 6S Pasquotank Pender 35-00 27.50 26.85 .68 -75 .07 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 8r Perquimans Person - .75 .70 .72 .40 .50 • 55 .83 .90 .84 •97 •98 1. 00 1. 00 -83 •15 .14 .25 .58 •50 • 45 Pitt 30.90 33-35 30. CO 32.50 26.00 55- -SO 52-50 55.00 57-9° 58.35 24.60 19-15 25.00 25.40 32-35 Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham . Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly - .. 35-00 26.65 31-65 30-35 60.90 55.85 62. 10 58.10 25.90 29. 20 30.45 27.75 .84 •95 . 11 .75 .69 .73 .60 .88 I. 00 1.08 .90 .98 •98 1. 00 1. 00 .33 87 Stokes • 25 83 •;8 84 85 S6 Surrv Swain Transvlvania Tvrrell 25.00 23-35 32.50 27-50 29. 10 30. 75 62.50 57-50 60. 85 62.50 60.00 ^H. IK 37.50 34. 15 28.35 35.00 30. 90 28.00 87 88 Union .55 .80 .55 .40 -83 1. 00 .8[ .80 28 Vance 89 90 9t 92 93 94 95 96 97 Wake -. 26 Warren .40 Washington Watauga .84 .80 .60 .89 .75 .92 1. 00 •95 .98 •95 •98 I. 12 16 Wayne 26.00 53-75 27.75 • iS .38 06 Wilkes Wilson 27-50 61.35 33.85 Yadkin •23 Yancev Condition of Fakmers. 17 Continued. Corn. Oats. Tobacco. Cost. Pri ce. Profit. CoSt. Pnce. Profit. Cost. Price. Profit. 1^ 3 $o. 50 ^0 65 So. 15 $0 30 $0 40 $0. JO $ $ $ 51 52 43 73 •30 39 50 . II 6.00 10.00 4.00 53 53 85 •32 39 50 . II 7-50 17.50 10.00 54 30 75 .45 16 40 • 24 6.00 10.00 4.00 55 30 37 73 49 «5 50 90 73 95 83 83 78 60 15 25 37 37 45 35 (So •45 . 22 56 57 58 59 6n .36 . 22 47 53 58 67 49 .16 •34 02* . 21 . 22 .28 1 .14 9.00 7-25 1^75 61 6-> 4S 38 72 79 6S 31 •30 •03 ! 35 15 37 50 6n • 15 45 .08 63 64 75 45 7-15 6.50 65 65 30 41 50 33 60 fSS 22 25 40 40 24 40 45 49 50 . 20 6(S 63 75 55 68 .09 . 10 67 (S8 1 •25 i 22 1 .06 69 .08 55 15 10.00 4^50 5.50* 70 42 63 .21 31 53 .22 6.60 6.75 • 15 71 45 73 .28 28 45 17 6.00 8.00 2.00 72 43 73 •30 25 43 .18 5.00 10.00 5.00 73 40 47 49 Nn .40 .36 .24 30 28 55 (Sn 25 32 . 12 74 -766 83 73 38 50 8.25 6.50 J -75* 77 78 79 59 54 78 78 •19 i .24 42 40 50 42 .08 .02 4.25 2.75 1.50* 50 61 97 76 76 47 .15 .21 40 36 36 72 51 53 32 • 15 So 8t 55 7^35 8^35 1. 00 82 37 75 .38 23 50 .27 6.15 8.10 1-95 83 50 80 30 35 55 .20 10.00 11.25 1.25 84 60 78 .18 30 50 . 20 10. CO 25.00 15.00 85 35 48 50 60 ���25 •31 .25 20 50 43 48 •30 .08 Hh 79 75 35 34 87 .14 7.50 7.00 .50* 88 44 77 33 27 48 . 21 5^65 9.00 3-35 89 35 65 30 28 45 •17 5^50 8.50 3.00 90 33 60 hH •35 30 . 20 23 32 38 35 50 55 . 12 91 92 93 90 70 .18 50 •17 4^25 3-75 • 50* 43 80 •37 25 48 •23 6.00 10.00 4.00 94 53 73 .20 41 53 . 12 b. 20 3. 20 3.00- 95 45 74 .29 33 45 . 12 6.25 6.75 50 96 .58 I 00 .4a 37 44 .07 8.65 12.35 3^70 97 :> Loss. 18 ISToKTH Carolina Labor Statistics. LETTEKS FEOM FARMEKS. The following letters are selected from among the large number received for publication: Labor Scarce and Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—The outlook for land owners in this section is getting to be serious. Labor is very scarce and of poor quality. Good hands command good Avages, but they are scarce. The labor you hire by the day, month or year as a rule is of very poor quality; they come when they please, leave when they please and do as they please, and we are at their mercy. Good tenants are few and there is room for many more. There is a good deal of land idle this year on account of labor. What is to be done about labor I cannot say, but I believe land owners should organize and have some system about renting and hiring hands. There is no "business" in the way we are renting lands and hiring hands. Yes, I am in favor of compulsory educa-tion, good roads, more farm machinery, better homes, better barns and better farms. I am against so much politics, demagogues, traveling agents of all kinds, and I might add sanctificationists. In conclusion, let me say we are in a hole, but the farmers are going to get out. You cannot starve a farmer; he will live, and in my opinion he lives better than most anybody else. The Old North State should be in front, but at present she is far behind, but she will get there by and by.—C. A, Hall, Advance. Capital and Labor and Immigration Problem—Compulsory Education— The capital and labor question of America is one of the most intricate and far-reaching of any that engage the thoughts of Americans to-day. The vast increase of wealt'h and the number of immigrants of different nationalities, together with our own wage-earners, make a problem that is going to be hard to solve. There are those in the capital class that Avould take wages for nothing, while there are thousands of laborers that would extract the last dollar from capi-talists without giving value received. But there is a happy medium, if it could be reached, when a just division of the profits could accrue to each, and all be happy and prosperous. The educational outlook is not very bright, yet there are more schools and more being done than ever before in that direction. It seems that a compulsory education law will have to come, but to reach the case when it does come in my opinion will incur quite an outlay or expenditure of money, and should be guarded with every precaution possible.—N. H. Hunter, Alexander. Coniditions Favorable—Work Plentiful—Opposes Compulsory Educa-tion.— Tliere is only one suggestion I will make relative to the needs of the wage-earners and that is that they learn some common sense. I never have known conditions as favorable for them as at this time. Cotton mills, lumber plants and the like have been established in almost every section and, together with CiONDITION OF FaHMEKS. 19 the farms, furnish employment for all who will accept it, and would employ more were they here. The majority of the laboring class of white people have removed to the cotton mills, leaving most of the farm work for the neorro and the few whites still on the farms. This being the case, these need never want for anything within the limits of a wage-earner's means, provided they would behave themselves and render faithful service, but instead of doing this they act as independently and are so unreliable that it is very unsatisfactory to do business with them. As to compulsory education, I am not in favor of it. I think this is taking authority that should be left to the parents, as there are cases and conditions imder which it is best for the children to remain at home. As to being qualified to vote, I believe there are very few white men, when they fully understand that their children will be disfranchised unless they are edu-cated sufficiently to read and write any section of the Constitution, who will not send them to school as much as they are able. For the negro, I believe that for the majority of them it would be better if they never saw inside a school room. A comparison between their mental and physical strength shows that they are only fitted for common labor. Their physical strength generally far exceeds the average white man's, while their mental strength falls far below, and a little going to school, whether he acquires any education or not, disqualifies him for common labor and does not fit him for anything else, and even if it would I believe it is an injustice to its own people for any nation to fit any inferior for-eign race to be competition for its own people. For this reason I think the public school fund should be apportioned to each race according to the amount of taxes it pays. — Robert E. Andrews, Allenton Ferry. Divide School Fund—Opposes Watts Law.—I am in favor of each race doing its own educating. Divide the school money and let the money each race pays go to educate their race. In our county the white race pays about ninety per cent, of the tax and gets about sixty per cent, of the benefit. Let's divide the school money and have better schools, longer terms and better teachers; consoli-date schools where it is possible, and have a good one; and by all means have compulsory education, for if we don't there will be lots of white voters disfran-chised after 1908. In regard to the Watts bill, I believe in every man having his liberty. North Carolina is made up (or a majority) of farmers and country people. The country people have been imposed on for a long time and always will be, but they are getting tired of being imposed on. Now, the Watts bill says you shall not sell liquor in the country, but you can in town if you want to sell. If it is to be taken out of the country take it out of the town also; treat every man alike.—A. B. Waxker, Anderson. Labor Unreliable.—As to the wage-earners, I am unable to say, because the higher wages they get the fewer days they work; it makes them more unreliable, that is, to depend on. Eegular wages are too low, but it puts farmers in a bad position to ofi'er them higher wages even if they could afford to pay more, for they only work when they are obliged to; so I am unable to make any sugges-tions as to what would be a good plan.—J. A. Murpuy, Atkinson. 20 JSToRTH C':arolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education.—The poor class of people are very much opposed to compulsory education, as they take very little advantage of public schools. I mean the parents of children, they don't send to school much. If we are com-pelled to pay taxes for the benefit of the poor children, the parents of those children ought to be compelled to send to this school. Some of the public schools are very poorly located in this county. I think it could be greatly improved by making some changes.—J. M. Wasiibukn, Aiitro. Home Supplies—Organized Labor—Compulsory Education.—I think if the farming class of people vs^ould try to make their own products on the farm and depend less on working it out by day work it would be better for them. And I am in favor of unions. If the laboring class of people would have good labor unions and establish a favorable price for their labor and stand to it, to my opinion it would be better for them. In regard to compulsory education, I think that about all the way that some children can ever receive an education. Some people don't seem to care whether their children get an education or not. I am in favor of having at least four months in the year in every district a good free school, and compel every child to go from the age of six years to sixteen, and by then they would be advanced enough to enter a higher school. — James J. Fer-guson, Bald Creek. Compulsory Education.—In our community people will not send their chil-dren to school. They say they are too poor to send. This class of people are able, but prefer illiteracy and keep their children at home to save the dollar. Give us a compulsory school law and make them go anyway.—A. B. Bryson, Balsam. Make Contracts Binding—Not Ready for Compulsory Education.—My opinion is that one thing would greatly benefit the wage-earners of North Caro-lina and that is to have a law to make all contracts made by them binding, that is, when they contract for the month or year make it compulsory for them to carry out their part of the contract. If that was the ease the system of labor would be better, the price of labor would be better and the wage-earners would have steady employment, and the crime of the country committed by them would be lessened. That is why I say negro labor is not reliable, but I believe negro labor is the best labor the South can get. I do not think this country in a posi-tion to have compulsory school law yet. Hardly one-half of the children of school age attend the public school of our county. We are having now an eight-months term of school each year, and if the parents and children, after being told of the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment requiring all voters to be able to read and write any section of the Constitution, do not take advantage of the opportunity off"ered them by 1908, they do not, in my opinion, deserve to be allowed to vote.—W. W. Vick, Battleboro. OoisTDiTioisr OF Farmers. ' 21 Labor Gets its Share—Compulsory EoucATioisr.—I am not very well posted in the matter of wage-earners, but will say that labor gets its share of the profits out of the farmer at the present price of tobacco. Now, as to the educa-tion question, I do honestly think that compulsory education would be a very great help to educate the white children. You have no idea how many old people who are against education. Why, right here is my father-in-law, who is worth fifty or seventy thousand dollars and who openly says he is opposed to educa-tion. I can find plenty who are opposed to education. This is why the children do not go to school : the parents will not send them, not that they can't spare the time, but that they won't send them. They can spare the time. I know the tenant is in the poorest condition, but just think, we are taxed to run a school at least four months in each year, and this tenant has eight months to farm in and can arrange to send his children four months if he tries, and he should be made to try. I know this from experience. I have a few tenants who try to educate their children and some Avho seem to be careless and un'^ioncerned. 1908 will be here soon. They say that is a political trick and that they will be 0. K.; so taking it all together compulsory education will be good.—C. W. Knight, Barnes Store. Economy—Local Taxation.—Economy, economy, yet more economy, is what I would advise the wage-earners or young people just starting out for themselves. Be contented with a small beginning at first, because your parents have proba-bly worked for forty years or more to build the home they now possess. Many people do not know that beans, peas and corn-bread and a reasonable amount of pork Avill make as rich blood and stronger muscles and as brilliant an intellect as tenderloin steak and patent flour and sillabub, but it surely will. If many laborers would practice the above and get rid of the spirit of wearing three-dollar pants when a seventy-five-cent pair of overalls would suit their work and be more becoming in every way, more men would own their homes when old and decrepit. The true American spirit aspires to be monarch of what he occupies, be it a railroad or owner of a pea-nut stand. A man can never do his best working for some one else. Local taxation will suit us better than com-pulsory education, so I think. I favor local taxation personally.—A. Gaither Higgins, Behfood. Compulsory Education.—As to compulsory education, I think in some respects it would be a good law. There are some widows who could not spare the time of their children to attend school perhaps more than three or four months in a year, and there would have to be a provision made for them. — Jacob Iviser, Bessemer City. Intemperance—Compulsory Education.—The greatest hinderance to many of the poor working people is intemperance. Much of their means is spent for drink, and much of the litigation in the courts is caused by drink. I know of no better way to remedy the morals of the people as a Avhole than to educate them in industrial and moral habits. In order to do that we need a mild, compulsory 22 North OAROLiNii Labor Statistics. school laAV, under some proper safeguards, to bring the white children into schools. I would especially favor better school buildings, and in many cases better teachers and free school books for the poor children. These are some of my thoughts on the subject.—J. Eller, Berlin. Contentment—Compulsory Education.—In this part of the State we do not have a great many wage-earners, as most people live by farming and stock growing, but I believe that for those we have their condition would be improved by a disposition of contentment and better service on their part, and when a job is undertaken to stick to it and build themselves up with their employers, so as to create a demand for their individual service. I believe that this is a practi-cal course for any wage- earner to pursue, and to his or her interest to create a special demand for his or her help, if it be for only ordinary labor, and as this course is followed by individuals they will gradually rise higher in the scale of work until they may be able to find better jobs with better pay or even become independent, or employers themselves. Let the wage-earners prove that they are worth liberal wages to their employers, and they will be occupied at living rates. I favor mild compulsory school law and believe that to be the wisest course for the children of the State, and when a certain point of intelli-gence is reached let the child be excused if necessary or desired. In many instances the money goes to waste because the children are not put in school. Bet-ter equipped teachers, better school houses, better equipments in the houses, longer terms, and require all the children to go to school at least three months in the year, in my opinion will give us an intelligent citizenship.—H. A. Eller, Berlin. Labor Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—It seems my people, I mean the laborers, don't care. They only work until about 5:30 P. M., and then they will loaf around the stores until bed-time—not trying to make any garden stuff at home, but depending on day labor entirely. If all the day laborers would try to make their own potatoes, beans, onions, cabbage, etc., and instead of throwing all their slops away have a pig to feed it to, and not depend wholly on day wages, they would all get along much better. Men who follow these public works won't do anything else in my section. You can hardly hire a man to work on the farm. They all seem to want to go to the saw mills, talc mines, kaolin works, etc., and you can get but little work on farms, and what you get are generally white—the negroes will go. My idea is more garden stuff raised at home. Let all raise at home at least three hundred pounds of pork, which they can easily make out of one hog. I wish they would all try this one year. As regards education, we need more and must have it, for our boys must be edu-cated, or soon they will be in a row with the negro. God forbid that. Our people of means want to educate and some stand back. Let us have a strict com-pulsory school law. The taxes are forced from us for educational purposes, and why not force the uneducated to accept it. Again, I say I favor compulsory edu-cation. Make it as binding on all to send their children to school as law can bind. If kind words and gentle means will not be sufficient to cause our children Cb^DiTiON OF Farmeks. 23 to attend school, then we must resort to other means. We must educate. Our boys must be educated. We want them to be above the negro. So by all means give us compulsory school law.—T. M. Frizell, Beta. Does not Favor Compulsory Education.—The reason I do not favor com-pulsory education is that most of the negro laborers do not labor in North Carolina. Just as soon as a colored boy or girl gets large or old enough to do the State or community some good they gather up their grips and leave for some coal mine or railroad and work there until the weather gets cold, then they come back here to winter. The sheriff seldom collects their taxes, and the public road overseers seldom have an opportunity to warn them to work the road; they are a kind of floating population. The old and infirm, with the mother and small children, are our only permanent citizens of the colored race. A boy that will not learn to read, whether he is sent to school or not, is a dan-gerous person to hanclle as sacred a thing as a ballot, let him be white or col-ored.— S. C. Humphries, Bethel Hill. Compulsory Education.—I am decidedly in favor of a compulsory education law. The people are compelled to pay taxes to run the schools and the people are careless about sending their children to school.—F. G. Ciiilcutt, Broicn's Summit. Economy—Compulsory Education.—I am inclined to believe that wage-earners are getting about all they can earn. It seems to me the only thing to do now is to use more economy and save their wages. Now, as to compulsory educa-tion, I favor same with charitable allowances for the extreme poor and depend-ent. It seems to me the only salvation of the State, since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment.—W. J. McClure, Bushnell. No Wage-earners—Opposes Compulsory Education.—Tliere are no sugges-tions to make in regard to wage-earners, as there are none to hire. We farm with tenants or croppers, and this year being a bad crop year a great many will move this fall to the towns and work in the factories. With the present low prices of tobacco, the farmer nor tenant will make expenses this year. I do not favor compulsory education. If moral suasion and good teachers will not stimulate one to learn, then to my mind it will be impossible to force him to learn.—J. W. Terry, Caldicell Institute. Labor Improvident.—The financial condition of the Avage-earner will never be much better than it is from the fact that they are improvident. People who work in their own business, their condition is generally good. The cost of rais-ing cotton varies with seasons and the kind of land. The present year it will be pretty high—forty dollars.—0. W. Sutton, Calypso. 24 JsToKTir Oaeolina Laboe Statistics. Compulsory Education.—I am very much in favor of compulsory school law. In my opinion it is the hope of the common people.—J. N. Mease, Canton. Amendment Sufficient.—I think the Constitutional Amendment, with the privilege of voting provided that a man can .read and write any section of the Constitution, is the best compulsory school law I ever saw. With the privilege of sending four months to free schools in any district in this State every year, 1 think duty and encouragement is better than compulsory laws. The system of paying farm hands by the hour for work on the farm is new in this country, and I will have to accustom myself to it before I can make any intelligent sugges-tions as to the wage-earner or the farmer who employs him. — ^William Led-better. Canton. Labor Scarce.—In our county hirelings are very scarce and almost entirely confined to the colored women. Turpentine and timber interests being almost worked out, the laborers have followed the public works south, and whJle the public work was in progress here you could hardly hire an able-bodied man to work on the farm, but since the public work has gone what people were left in the country have settled down trying to make something on the farm. Nearly all the white people are doing principally all the farm work themselves. We have very few up-to-date farmers in our county and very few who raise tobacco on a large scale, corn and cotton being the principal staples. Our land is poor and cheap, therefore nearly all own a little farm, those who do not own farms renting principally on shares. — John A. Fry, Carthage. Compulsory Education One Step Towards Anarchy.—I find that the people as a whole are opposed to any move in the direction of a compulsory education, in fact it is one step toward anarchy; and as to negro labor, a farmer cannot promise himself anything with that class of labor that will get miffed and leave the farm at any season of the year, and many promising crops produce a small income in just this way and for these causes above mentioned. Educa-tion of the negro takes them out of the field as a laborer, and some whites, too.—D. S. Eice, Castalia. Compulsory Education—Divide School Fund.—The present system of public schools is no good unless children are compelled to attend. About one-fourth attend. I favor separating school funds. Let each race educate its own chil-dren if possible to do so.—A. W. Alston, Centreville. Only Negro Labor—Compulsory Education.—Wage-earners on the farm are almost entirely negroes in our county, and they are preferred for farm laborers. I don't know any legislation that would help them, but their employers can help them by kind and fair treatment and by planning for them and counseling them. They also need better teachers and preachers, for at present it is merely Condition of Farmers. 25 the blind leading the blind. As to compulsory education, my heart goes out to the children of ignorant parents who neglect to send them to school, and unless the State extends a helping hand to them I see no hope for them, for most of these parents are beyond the reach of public sentiment. We have a good many of this class as farm tenants and cotton mill operatives. — Joh:x McDowell, Charlotte. Compulsory Education.—As the children of the present are to be the men and women of the future, and as the future destiny of our country rests on them, it is plainly our duty as parents to prepare them for life's duty, and surely we can no better prepare them than to give thorough education. It is a moral duty of every parent to educate his children, and as our State is engaged to a large extent in manufacturing, and we have a statute prohibiting children under twelve years of age to work in cotton mills, I think it would be a good thing to have a compulsory school law to compel parents to send these children to school between the age of six and twelve at least four months in the year. Any one who has ever had control of and worked men has observed doubtless that a man of even an ordinary education has better judgment about working and requires less telling and is much inore agreeable in all things.—L. H. J. Hauseb, Gherryville. CoMPULSOKY Education.—As to compulsory education, I think it is necessary, since the adoption of the suffrage amendment to the Constitution. I don't favor a rigid law, but one that would somewhat cure the indifference that now possesses the people; say make them send the children, especially the boys, ten or twelve weeks a year for a period of six or eight years, say from eight to fifteen years of age. This is my individual opinion.—-W. H. Holland, Christie. Progressive Movement in Education���Better Conditions—Labor Scarce.— There is a progressive movement in the way of education in this county, and in some cases better school-houses and longer terms of school. The higher prices for most farm products for the last year has placed many of our farmers in easier circumstances, and has enabled them to add improvements to their homes and farms. The scarcity of labor is a question that gives us much concern. The prospect for a good crop is very promising just now.—J. L. Butt, Chocoioinity. Labor Unreliable—Conditions Unfavorable for Compulsory Education.— I don't see any way to benefit wage-earners, as they get good wages with steady employment when they will. Every employer is needing more hands, and there need not be an idle person in all this section, yet there are dozens prowling and loafing about who just Avon't work regular. It takes two plowmen and four hoe-hands to a mule, and this number will often leave you in the grass and an idle plow many days in the crop season. They must all turn out at a burial and "be sho' to 'tend de 'tracted meeting." This is the condition, and I see no remedy. I don't think a sweeping compulsory law would benefit the poorer people. Oiir 26 l^OKTH Carolina Labor Statistics. school-houses are too far apart and roads too bad in winter. If transportation' be furnished it might be a good idea to compel attendance at school, say Decem-ber, January and February, three months, but not longer. — John Humphrey, Clark. Illiterate Negro the Best.^—You may make any law you want to against the negro, but don't interfere with the white race. The negroes make good servants,, but they won't do for officers. They are not reliable in any way and would not be if they Avere educated. They would be bigger fools than they are. The best negro we have is the illiterate negro.—G. T. Simpson, Clay Fork. Economy in Government—Liberty and Encouragement.—I suggest that you recommend more economy by the Legislature in the management of our finances. If the poor working class of people cannot be allowed any remuneration for public service, such as serving as road overseers, working roads, etc., they should not be burdened so heavily by taxation in order to pay so many large appropriations and high salaries to so many officers that they may live in ease and prosperity while the working class who makes all the wealth lives in adversity. As to compulsory education, I will say give the people their liberty as their first great blessing,, then give them all the advantage, encouragement and help possible for an educa-tion. But if some have a talent for something else besides book-learning, let them cultivate that talent, whatever it may be, either for agriculture, horticulture,, pomology, stock raising, or some mechanical talent, and if they have enterprise, industry, perseverance and economy about them they will succeed in making a comfortable living without an education, save what they may obtain voluntarily from books, from observation and the good school of experience. If people will gain knowledge, a good practical education, and use good common sense, they will make good, pious, honest, tjruthful and hospitable citizens, and should not have their citizenship taken away from them because they do not have a certain amount of book-learning.—E. B. Hendren, Cline. Compulsory Education.—In reference to compulsory education, I will say that I am sure we need a law that will bring the children into the public school or other school for at least two months in each year or until the pupil is able to read and write. There is a great deal that could be said in reference to school and school laws, but it is not necessary. We are now at a point where something should be done to lessen expenditures for school purposes or something be done to increase the attendance of the children at the schools.—J. M. Putnam, Collins-ville. Compulsory Education Most Important—Labor Unreliable.—We need a compulsory school law in this State, and I do not think that Ave Avill be prepared for the Constitutional Amendment to go into effect in 1908 unless Ave haA^e the compulsory school laAV soon. We have a great many indifferent parents in this section Avho are not aAvake to the advantages of a common school education. I Condition of Farmees. 2T have been teaching in the public schools of this county for eleven years, and I am convinced that a more important law could not be placed on our law books. I am in favor of it and will do all in my power to have it passed at the meeting of the next General Assembly. Now, about the Avage-earners I have very little to say. There are very few in this section, because most of our farmers do their own work and do very little hiring hands. There are no white men to be had to do farm work, and the negroes are not reliable and cannot be depended upon.—W. K. Lyles, Concord. Compulsory Education — Incompetent Teachers — Annihii.ate Whiskey Traffic.—In regard to compulsory education, a mild compulsory school law would be of benefit to the children of this community, but, as I said in my last report, the people of this community are mostly farmers, and as a general thing poor, and they have to have their children's labor during the summer months. Bo you see at once any law that would take their children from them more than four or five months in the year would work a hardship on them instead of a benefit. We already have a very good school system if it was carried out right, but the way some free schools are run is simply nothing but a waste of the people's money. Give us men who are interested in education to look after the free schools, men who have not got so much business of their own to look after that they cannot give any time to the cause of education, men who will not hire little girls to teach who cannot control the children, and who just simply teach play-schools more than books. Now, what good is a compulsory school law going to do with such teachers as we have in some of our public schools? Give us better teachers before you give us a compulsory school law. Don't compel us to send our children to a teacher that is no good. Now, in regard to wage-earners, the annihilation of strong drink, in my opinion, would be one of the greatest blessings to the wage- earners that could come, and I trust that the W'atts bill will help along this line, but it is not what we need by any means. Let the next Legislature give us absolute prohibition, and if it will not do this, which I hardly think it will, then let it give us a law making drunkenness a misdemeanor with a severe penalty attached. I noticed that one gentleman in our last Assem-bly introduced a bill to that effect, but it died in horning. I don't know why, unless some of the honorable gentlemen thought it might afi'ect them. I do hope the next Legislature will have backbone enough about it to put this bill or a similar one through. Let all good people band together and go to work to put this curse out of our beloved land. In my honest estimation, strong drink has caused more trouble to the human family than all the other evils combined. — E. J. Eaton, Conrads. Shorter Work Day for Cotton Mills.—One of the greatest needs of the working class, especially those employed in mills and factories of various kinds, is a shorter work-day. In many of the mills, under the present eleven-hour sys-tem, the operatives are required to work twelve hours each day, except Saturday, when the A^'ork closes down at noon. After a man, woman or child has been steadily employed for twelve long hours they feel very little like attempting to 28 North Oarolina Labor Statistics. improve their educational condition. I am lieartiljr in favor of a reasonable com-ptilsory school law. If children are not required to attend school every year certainly they should be, between certain ages, required to attend a certain num-ber of months in each two years. With the best interests of North Carolina at heart.—G. C. Patterson, Cooleemee. Negroes Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—-In regard to negro labor, will say that it is very unreliable and is getting more so. I know negroes. Ten years ago if they promised to work I felt sure of getting them, especially if they owed me, but it is just the reverse now. The most reliable negro is the old slave negro, and he is worn out. Yes, I favor compulsory school law, not from principle, but I believe it to be a necessity for a class that will not patronize the schools. As for the negro, I don't believe an education improves him as a rule, but of course there are exceptions. Farm labor is very scarce, almost a famine. It is no use to plant more than you can cultivate and gather with your own force, for if you do the chance is you will be left, or "General Green" will be taking care of your crop.—J. M. C. Penninger, Cooleemee. Compulsory Education the Only Way.—There are a great many parents, both on the farm and in the manufacturing establishments, who are working their children to make a living and money for them to spend, and the parents are extravagant and do nothing themselves and neglect to educate their children. They spend the earnings of their children as fast as it is made and never think of buying a home, and the children do not seem to want to attend School. I have given the matter a lot of thought, and I see no way to educate these children except by compulsory education. I think that a lot of dress, etc., could be dis-pensed with for the sake of education, and these children would be better pre-pared for the work of life and a great many of them would make useful men and women.—A. G. Corpening, Cora. Negro Labor Unreliable.—I would suggest legislation on labor. It has become so we cannot put dependence in a negro Avhen ,we hire him by the month or employ him for the year as a renter, for he is liable to leave any moment, and his employer is left without any redress.—J. L. Smith, Cornelius. Need Better Conditions—Compulsory Education.—The needs of the wage-earners are better working time, both summer and winter, better schools, better railroads, and better system of farming, fruit growing and truck farming. As to education, I think all children should be compelled to attend at least our com-mon school terms. We need railroads in the mountain country. It would add greatly to progress of all branches of indvistry.—N. J. Lillard, Crc^ton. Condition or Faemers. 29 Laws Sholtld be Alike to All—Town vs. the Country.—Just as long as our law makes favor of self and creates positions for self the laborer is pinched in proportion to the increase of expenditure, as labor only creates property, and laborers oppressed leave the county or State or seek other employment. It is for the leading people to be honest, and the laws should be alike to all, but truth and honesty and justice and religion are often omitted, and the consequences fall often on the wrong person. I favor a school system for better teachers who will and can teach and who work not for the "per diem" but to try to elevate their race, and whose conduct attracts the children and the parents likewise to love the school. Almost every law recently made favors the town at the e.xpense of the country people. Those who made them cannot see it so, but those who carry the load feel it so.—J. H. Snell, Cresicell. Farm Labor Should Have Better Conditions—Compulsory Education the Only Way^.—My opinion is that wage-earners' families who work on the farm should be provided with better houses in which to live, and be allowed privileges that they are not allowed by their employers, such as good gardens, poultry and a reasonable amount of stock, so as to supply their families with milk, meat and vegetables. This, in my opinion, would greatly improve the condition of a great many laboring people. As to compulsory education, I am in favor of that and believe it to be a very* much needed law. There are so many parents who have no interest at all in their children's future welfare, so far as education is concerned, and children with such parents are growing up in ignorance on account of unthoughtful and ignorant parents. Every man has to pay taxes out of his earnings for the education of his children. I can't see any other way for children with such parents to have an education except by a law which will compel the people to put their children in school a certain part of every year. Some people do not agree Avith me on this, claiming that they cannot spare their children from home, that they need them to work. What is the little amount of work that a child can do four or five months in the year compared to a lifetime of ignorance? If a man can support his children until they are old enough to do much work he can support them until they get a free school educa-tion. In my community lives a man who has six children of school age and lives within two miles of a five months public school, and not one of these chil-dren are in school. This man is only an example; there are hundreds of just such men. There should not be any place for an excuse for such men, but compel them to be interested in the welfare of the" children by a compulsory school law. Allow me to say further that I hope this important matter will not only be written upon and talked of, but that it may soon become a law.—I. B. Pless, Cruso. Labor Scarce—Compulsory Education.—We are scarce of labor, caused by the negro leaving, and those remaining are getting good wages, those who work the entire time. Farming is chiefly our occupation and crops are cheap, and to the wage-earner goes nearly all the money, and the common labor is faring better in Pender County than the land owner. Compulsory education is what we want. ISToRTH Oarolina Labor Statistics. Tlie white people are negligent in sending their children to school, even so that those -yvho do not work do not attend school. The great cry with the farming class is that their children have to work so hard, the negro labor being so unreliable. The rural districts will suffer very much in the disfranchisement of all persons who cannot read and write after 1908 if this law is not passed. The free school system is bad in our county. In regard to the negro, he is taking every advan-tage offered in the way of education. I am a staunch advocate of public schools, longer terms, better pay for teachers and higher education, supported by the State.—F. B. Oer, Currie. Need Cash System—Compulsory Law an Up-hill Business.—I am at a loss to know what suggestions to make as to the interests of wage-earners and tenants. In our immediate community most of that class seem to be contented if they have something to eat and wear to-day, and seem willing for to-morrow to provide for itself. I think that most of our people, at least, are willing to pay all their business will allow. Many tenants seem inclined to keep a year ahead, that is, consume the crop before it matures, and then complain when the land-lord collects the expense of growing the crop. But for that feature in our stat-utes protecting those who make advances, the tenant system would not work, as so many seem unwilling to pay when they cannot be forced. I believe the chattel mortgage system has been a disadvantage in our State, because many run their business on a credit in this way because they can "Inake you safe," and never try to pay cash in advance. Many times in the winding-up their notes and mortgages are not worth the paper on which they are written. If the cash system had been kept up since the war our country would have been in better condition. Seme people will not do anything except by force of circumstances. The laboring farmer is entitled to protection and encouragement, for he supports all. We do not need "class legislation," but equal protection, so that every man can have something to say in the management of his own business. The feeling that prevails between capital and labor is all wrong, for each one is dependent on the other. It is certainly desirable and important that all our people be educated, but to force or attempt to force parents and guardians to send their children to school Avill be an up-hill business. If parents could be made to realize the situation of their children and their own obligation, then we would need no legislation on this subject except to provide a chance to attend school. The chil-dren Avould go cheerfully and parents would gladly make arrangements to send them. It is unpleasant for men who have a little property to be taxed heavily for the support of schools, and then we 'all know that the money is wasted to a great extent because so many are not availing themselves of the advantages offered. It seems to require a long time for our people to get regulated as to our school system. It is now almost or quite sixty years since the "free schools" came into use in our State, and yet at every session of our Legislature this subject must come up. Sometimes I think that they amend "from bad to worse." We need conservatism in our State; take such steps as we can afford to hold, and then go forward. This way of doing, then undoing, keeps our people always in confusion. There should be no waste in the school funds, nor any other as to that, for the children of the State need it all.—P. Oliver, Dalton. CbNDiTiON OF Farmers. 31 Labor Unreliable—Conditions Good.—There is enough labor in this part of the State if they would do regular work and do it honestly, but it seems to be the idea of a large majority of our colored labor that the least work they can do at the price the better trade they are making, and I have noticed that the higher the price of cotton the more idle and slothful they become. They have no skill, or if they have they don't consider that they are employed to use it to the advantage of their employer. The financial condition is good. I mean by this that any one who will do good, regular work (either as wage hands or on shares) can make and save money. The general condition is not improving, because there are so few that will work as above. I have a few tenants who have been with me ten years and now oAvn good teams, wagons, buggies, etc., and I have more that with the same chance nearly always fall in debt.—F. S. Tillman, Deep Creek. Compulsory Education—Free Books.—In this mountain country, with large districts as we now have, compulsory education would not, in my opinion, be •practicable, but with small districts, so the children can attend the schools and board at home, it is what we need. And another need is school books furnished free to poor children who are not able to buy them.—J. M. Brown, Deerfield. Better Wages Would Stop Emigration—Compulsory Education Needed.— There is some increase in the value of land. Very few farmers pay enough atten-tion to enriching their land. Public sentiment says smaller farms and better cul-tivated. Labor is very scarce and there are very few hands for hire, but employ-ment is regular for the few hands we have. Living has increased very little. Negro labor is not reliable without an overseer. Farm hands (men) get from ten to thirteen dollars per month and board, and women receive from three to five •dollars per month. Almost all of the women in this section work on farms. I will not say anything about children, as there are so few for hire. I believe if wage-earners could receive better compensation for their work there would not be so much emigration from the Old North State. Wages paid farm hands do not fluctuate very much.. We do not produce any cotton, so I don't know any-thing about it. It costs about forty cents to produce a bushel of corn, about sixty cents for a bushel of wheat, and oats about the same as corn. Tobacco can be grown for about six cents per pound. The educational condition of the work-ing class is low, because they say they don't have time to send their children to school. Working people are generally poor, but they are improving some. Some working people attend to their religious duties, while others neglect them. I thank you for giving me the privilege to speak a word of agitation toward com-pulsory education. I think we could not do better for the children of our State. It has been my lot to teach in the public schools, and I feel safe in saying that if an improvement does not take place in regard to attendance there will be fifty per cent, of our white boys disqualified at the elections of future dates. I have worked on the farm all of my life and know the farming people can send their children to school, and they ought to be made to do it. It is as much a 32 ISToRTii Carolina Labor Statistics. parent's duty to educate his child as it is his duty to feed it. Please agitate the educational clause and let us provide for the children of the future.—R. F. BONDURANT, Delk. Compulsory Education—Temperance Legislation.—I favor a compulsory school law. Parents who will not send their children to school should be made to do so by the strong arm of the law. I fa* or temperance legislation in the strongest form. The dispensary is some improvement on the open bar, but both are almost a disgrace to humanity and to the civilized world. This poisonous stuff "biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder." It should and must be put out of the reach of all and especially the young men and boys of our land. No teacher should be allowed to teach public school in our State who is not a Christian and a consistent member of the church. By all means God's Holy Word should be taught in every school, both public and private, throughout our State. I favor every law that will better the moral, spiritual and financial condi-tion of our people.—D. N. Hunt, Dexter. Labor Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—During the past summer farm-ers have been inconvenienced very much on account of the unreliability of labor. I favor an organization of the farmers and the adoption of a uniform system of labor whereby we can regulate the number of hours per day and the price to be paid for different kinds of labor per day. I think this the only means of solution of the farm labor problem. Some remedy will undoubtedly have to be adopted. As to the great and momentous question of education which is now agi-tating the minds of the people of our great State from the mountains to the sea-shore, it is my opinion that a compulsory school law is needed in order to compel those of our population who do not take interest enough in education to send their children to public school to do so. I think that when the means of educa-tion is put in reach of all that those who will not avail themselves of the oppor-tunity should be compelled to attend, because our State is fast becoming one of the greatest sections of the Union, and those who are not educated will stand a poor chance in the great army of progress and advancement, and furthermore after 1908 those who cannot read and write cannot vote, as our Constitutional Amendment requires all who become twenty-one years of age after that date to be able to read and write.—^D. D. King, Dublin. Compulsory Education—Harnett County to the Front.—I think compulsory education the proper solution for the poorer and working class of people, for many children would go to school but for their parents not wanting them to lose any time from work, and I consider an education worth more than mere dol-lars and cents, and consequently under the compulsory law they would have to go. This is a fine farming county and anything can be easily raised, as the soil is good and only needs good cultivation. We are pushing ourselves to the front not only in agriculture but manufacturing interests as well, and the day is not far distant when Harnett County will be among the foremost counties in the State.—O. P. SnELL, Dunn. Condition of Farmers. 33 Quality Rather titan Quantity—Produce Inspectors.—The efficiency of farm labor depends greatly on the price of farm produce. The price depends first on tlie quantity, and second on the quality. It is manifestly unjust to say to any man or set of men that the quantity shall be limited, but as for quality every farmer or laborer in the State should say that we will give the world the best farm produce and the best factory product we possibly can. By so doing we create a market for both raw and manufactured stuff that will be lasting, and itobor will share generally in these benefits. Unless prevented by some means, inferior labor, inferior product and inferior eveiything else will take the coun-try, thereby reducing wages and demoralizing things generally. If my idea as stated above has a semblance of common sense, then it is possible to frame legisla-tion so as to prevent inferior produce being marketed. Could not the Agricultural Department be given the power to appoint inspectors for all the leading markets of the State? No doubt many boys leaving the A. and M. College would take jobs of this kind at a price the State could well afford. The poor are being slaugh-tered by being compelled to buy with their small means such things as the markets are being flooded with. The farmer, as well as every one else, should not be allowed to sell anything except that which is good. When you go to make a pur-chase think on these things.—C. A. Whitfield, Durgy. Hours too Long—Compulsory Education—Temperance Legislation.—There is plenty of employment in this township in the lumber industry. There is very little farming in this county, and the financial income is principally fishing. Wages are $L25 per day in the woods from sunrise to sunset, which is too long a day; working days ought only to be nine or ten hours. As to compulsory educa-tion, I will say that such an enactment would be to the interest of our people. A sad and lamentable fact now confronting us is that a great many of our white boys coming along will bo deprived of their right to vote after the year 1908 unless there is more done in the way of educating the masses. My opinion is that nothing short of a compulsory school law will improve the present condi-tion, as parents do not take the interest they should in sending their children to school. I also want to say that whiskey is the curse of our country. Some very rigid laws are needed on that line. I hail the day when this evil will be banished as much as possible. If parents could see as I do every boy I know would be at school if there was any possible way for him to go, and now we have eight months free school in this district. There is a great difference now and when I was a boy, and I am fifty-six years old now. There was more Avork then than school; however I have been to school six weeks. — Charles L. Mann, East Lake. Financial Condition Good—Compulsory Education.—W'omen and children are not regularly employed generally on farms in my county. They are usually employed at such jobs as picking cotton, peas, beans, and picking of potatoes. Wheat is not raised to any extent, and you will see I gave no figures on wheat and tobacco, as neither are raised in my county. The financial condition of the 3 34 JSToRTii Cv'LiiOLiisrA Labok, Statistics. white working pecjjle in my county is without doubt the best I ever knew. The negro laborer spends as fast as he earns, and lives close up to his income. I see no improvement in the negro labor as a class. There are a few who are saving and improving, but they are the exceptions and not the rule. As to compulsory school law, I favor it. Our white children must be educated. If parents will not send their children to school I think they should be compelled to do so.—W. F. Pkitciiard, Elizabeth City. Opposes Compulsory Education—Negro Education a Failure.—I am op-posed to compulsory school attendance, as I think it out of place. It interferes with parental control of children, and in the second place means further complica-tion of the troublesome race question. My experience with reference to this should teach us to handle it with caution. We all know that a majority of the crimes committed by negroees have been committed by young negroes who have been educated at public expense. We have had an experience of over thirty years, the white people paying over ninety per cent, of the school tax and the negro growing worse. It is a fact that very few in the South will dispute that the average negro's usefulness to himself or the country is destroyed when he is educated. Right here (if it is not out of place) I would like to quote what a man who has moved here from one of the Northern States has to say. When he first moved here he was very much in sympathy with the colored race, but hear him now: he says that "they will lie, steal, walk the roads, wear rags, beg and starve, before they will work," and he is right. If thirty years don't show any improvement it seems to me it is time to stop. I am not so much opposed to educating the negro if it is bettering his condition, but when we see it is detrimental to his interests we should go slow. Some general plan should be devised to lift up the white people of our State and remove from the State of North Carolina the incubus of ignorance that now weighs so heavily upon us.—W. H. Reid, Elizabeth City. Compulsory Education—White Labor.—We have no system in North Carolina for labor. The rule is when a man hires a hand he pays him ten or twelve dollars regardless of his ability to earn it. If the people of North Carolina would pay their hands according to their worth we would not have so much sorry labor. If the State of North Carolina ever educates her sons and daughters she will have to use some compulsory means of getting the children to school. In our school district there has been less school since the Amendment than in the same length of time before. Give us white labor and good schools and .the farmer will suc-ceed in his undertakings.—R. J. Powell, Elizabeth City. Compulsory Education Necessary.—If the standard of educational registra-tion set at the last registration is to be the one that is to govern and rule future registration there will be many who will not be able to register with their pres-ent school advantages. The State ought to make special arrangements for many of that class of our people who will become citizens during the year 1908. OoisTDiTioisr OF Faemers. 35 There are a large number of boys Avho are now from fourteen to sixteen years old who can scarcely read or write, and their time is needed by their parents to help support the family. It is to be feared, with their present school advantages and but little or no insijiration to attend school after they get well into the "teens," that many of them will not be able to register, thereby becoming discouraged and losing hope of ever becoming active citizens, as they know they will be numbered among the illiterate of our State. To this class of young men the State should give special attention just at this time. For these and some other reasons I would favor a well-guarded compulsoiy law.—-G. B. Pruett, Ellenboro. Compulsory Education.—In regard to compulsory school law, I am in favor of it to a certain extent^ and think it should be enforced on account of the law that none can vote after 1908 unless they can read and write and explain certain clauses of the Constitution. But I don't approve of the law to take away the rights of the old citizens who have been here for years—property owners—and have always paid their taxes without having the collector after them and proba-bly have their property to sell for same, as certain good old citizens I saw at the election ground last election day. They had no chance in their day for an education, as school then was a very rare thing, and I think that part of the law should be remedied.—Y. R. Porter, Emerson. Labor Unreliable—Moral and Religious Standard Low-—Compulsory Education.—Labor is very unreliable, especially negro labor, their object being to get all they can from employer and give as little as possible in return. Labor is paid all it is worth and in many instances more, taking quality in considera-tion. There are but few farmers (those who own the best lands) justified in paying the present prices for farm labor. If we turn the lands over to the labor they could not pay their taxes, keep the lands up and make their wages. The moral and religious condition of our working people is low down in the scale, which I think can be attributed to the lack of enforcing the laws. All laws should be enforced or repealed. I think compulsory education would do much towards improving labor, both religiously and financially. I do not include negro labor in this, for education unfits him for labor and prepares Ijim for the penitentiary. Give us a division of school funds according to the taxes paid by the two races and compulsory school law and labor can take care of itself. — John M. Clayton, Engelhard. CoMPtxsoRY Education for Whites.—I would favor a compulsory education if it only applied to the whites, but since the law will not make a difference as to color I think unless the negroes could have a good education it makes them worse citizens and worse laborers by just having enough to read and write. — W. W. EossER, Essex. Need Factories—Compulsory Labor and Compulsory School Laws.—We need a number of furniture factories and wagon factories erected in this section 36 iN'oE.TH Oaeolhsta LlAboe. Statistics. so our wage-earners cculd have employment. Since the South and Western Rail-road has been constructed in this part of the country there has been quite a busi-ness in the lumber trade. Our lumber should be manufactured here and not shipped abroad in the rough. Our railroads should be built by free labor and not by convict labor. The convicts of the State should be worked on our public high-ways. We need a compulsory labor law as well as a compulsory school law. Tlie young men and boys of our country need to be controlled and kept in closer subjection. Family government is too slack, hence the breaking of the laws of the land.—J. E. Jimeso^", Estatoe. Conditions Unfavorable to Compulsory Edxjcation.—I think the compulsory school law will suit the towns and cities where so many children work in the factories, but we who live in the country have such bad roads and cold winters, poor school houses, and live so far from them that we cannot do our whole duty to our children in sending them to school. I think the time will come in the future when the compulsory school law would suit us better than now.—-N. H. Parrish, Etna. Need Compulsory Education.—We need a strict compulsory school law to force the negligent parents to send their children to school so that they may acquire a common school education, and further I think that our section is ready to tax themselves to maintain at least a six months public school.—N. A. Teeter, Eudy. All-the-year Employment — Compulsory Education is Best. —Relative to the needs of wage-earners and what would benefit them, will say that an all-the-year emploj'ment on our farms, destroying weeds and grass, making compost, caus-ing the one-half bushel measure to run over in grain, filling the employer's pocket-bock full of gold and silver and their's too, would prove beneficial. As for compulsory education, after and before reading other opinions on it, I do believe it is best to have it. I believe there are many parents who do not send their children to school because they have not the money to spare in excess of something to eat.—R. L. Young, Fairfield. Labor Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—As to the needs of wage-earners, I am sure of the fact that negro labor is a failure, and in some respects white labor is no better. In the first place he is too much of a spendthrift and must learn the lesson of economy befoie he will have anything. In the second place he must be more reliable and more punctual in his promises, and then he will receive better treatment and better pay. As to compulsory education, I have been in favor of a mild compulsory law since the adoption of the Constitutional Amend-ment, not only that cur boys should be educated to exercise the right of suffrage after 1908, but to prepare them for the duties of life. I believe that twenty-five per cent, of the children of school age do not attend either the public or private Condition" of Farmers. 37 schools of our grand old State; therefore I think that their parents should be compelled to send them to school at least three months in each year between the ages of seven and fourteen years unless providentially hindered.—J. W. Bowebs, Fai7- Grove. Labor Should not Depend on Day Work—Compulsory Education.—I think as we have plenty of good land in this county if wage-earners would farm more themselves and not hire and depend on a day's work so much they would be a great deal better ofl", even if they do have to rent. That is one thing that keeps grain so high on them. Compulsory school law is the very thing in this county, as the parents of the working class don't seem to try to send their children much. There should be provision made in case the parents are not able to pro-vide books or decent clothing for their children.—T. S. Maxwell, Fig. Compulsory Education.—I think that compulsory education is what is needed in this State. Parents are neglecting to educate their children, who, though they are not in fault, will have to sutler the penalty of their parents' neglect. The State should see that the children are educated. Let us have a compulsory school law and the results will be surprising.—W. J. Baldwin, Fletcher. Tax Values Increased—Labor Scarce.-—I, as one of the assessors for this (Alligator) township, will say that we have raised the value of real estate about one-fourth and all chattel property about one-tenth. Labor is scarce, owing to lumber-getting and saw mills. They pay for ordinary men from one to one and a half dollars, and this price is too high for farm hands in this (Tyrrell) county. Negro labor as a rule wants to be moving from one place to another, and gives farmers some trouble in that respect. The lumber business utilizes the labor, and farming is not so good as if there was less lumbering. The cot-ton crops look at this time as if prices might be about fifteen cents per pound next fall. All crops are very poor.—J. B. Combs, Fort Landing. Need Railroads—Enforce PRoniBiTioN — Have Compulsory School Law.—In regard to the wage-earners of Macon County, in my opinion a railroad would benefit the wage-earners or give them more em2>loyment and would help the farmers to dispose of their products. We have a prohibition county and that could be improved by the officials if they would put the law in force. We have a. compulsory education law in this county, so we have the chance to try the compulsory law. The law compels all children from eight to sixteen years of age to attend some school three months in the j^ear, and I think everybody is going to like it or they would not have voted for it so strong. — Jack Beery, Franklin. Favors Compulsory Education for Whites—Labor Scarce.—I am in favor of compulsory education if we could have it and leave the negro out, and I don't 38 jSTorth Carolina Labor Statistics. see any probability of doing that, and therefore I am not in favor of the com-pulsory law. In regard to the labor, it is scarce in this section, and if our towns would make the law so close that the laboring class of people that are living in town could not live there our farmers would be in better condition. — Baknes Aycock, Fremont. Compulsory Education—Better Schools.—My belief on the public school question would be for every county to have some eight hundred or one-thousand acre farms; compel eA^ery child in this school at twelve years old, rich or poor, and to remain in this school four years, the county paying all expenses, and teach them labor and how to do it in connection with books. This present system of schools is a perfect curse to humanity. Take the child away from his parents, for ninety per cent, of them are not capable of raising their children to thoughtful men or women. Do this and in ten years you will have North Carolina a blos-som.— C. P. Powell, Garner. Compulsory Education—Short Crops.—I have been listing property for taxa-tion in Gastonia Township for the past ten days. I have found only three or four white men who could not sign their names, and the greater number of negroes can sign for themselves in a very legible hand. I do not think every child should be compelled to go to school and learn to read and write so as to attend to business themselves. The past two years wheat and corn have been very short crops, and they have not paid for the labor and fertilizer put upon them.—R. A. Caldwell, Gastonia. Opposes Compulsory Education.—In regard to a compulsory school law, I will say that I am opposed to it. If you give a negro an education he will not work a farm—he wants to hold oflfice. Educate a white boy and he is looking for an easy job. Farm work is looked upon as degrading in this part of the State, and you can't hire any one to do it but ignorant people, so I think a compulsory school law would be very injurious to the farming interest of the State. — John G. Cross, Gatesville. Favors Compulsory Education.—I favor compulsory education, first, because it would fit the coming generation for the demands of the business world and enable them to more successfully meet the problems of life; secondly, it wovild raise the standard of citizenship in our State to that ideal contemplated in the Constitutional Amendment. There are many parents who keep their children from school from selfish motives, claiming their labor, and seemingly counting the time spent on the farm of more benefit (or value) than the time taken up in school. To such unfortunate children, with parents blinded to their real interest, nothing but a compulsory law could bring to them the benefits of even the few months of free school ofi"ered them.—W. C. Greer, Grassy Creek. } Condition of Farmers. 39 Conditions Improved—Need Manufacturing—Stop Drunkenness—Compul-sory EioucATiON.—The needs of working people have been greatly relieved in the last two or three years in this county by the building of railroads and other enter-prises, but we need some cotton mills to give greater employment, and a home market for our surplus. However, there are great improvements being made in this county, and the farmers are greatly benefited by it. One of the greatest needs in this county now is the enforcement of the law stopping so much illicit distilling and drunkenness; that is the most degrading thing in this county. I favor compulsory education from the fact that there are hundreds of parents who are uneducated and do not realize the need of an education, and a great many do not care and do not seem to be interested in regard to the education of their children and do not care whether they vote or not, if they can escape the poll tax. — William C. Ray, Grange. Labor Unreliable.—I believe that the interests of the wage-earner would be advanced if they Avere compelled by some law to perform and fulfill their agree-ments and contracts. They will come to the farmer and promise to do things, and he advances upon that promise. After being caught thus once or twice the farmer then refuses all aid, for having been fooled by one or two he decides that the best way for him is to show no favors; then the wage-earner has lost a friend by the unreliability of one of his fellow-workmen. — Alston Grimes, Grinieslatid. Labor Unreliable—^Negro Education a Failure.—Negro labor is scarce and can get six days work every week if they will stick to it. The average negro wants three to four dollars per week, and if he can get this by Wednesday night he loafs the balance of the week. If wages were a dollar a day it would take twice the number to do the same amount of work. The negro labor is becoming more worthless as they become educated. Education has changed many a good farm hand into a penitentiary convict. This is the experience of all people who work many of them.—J. J. Laughinghouse, Grimcsland. Negro Education a Mistake.—Unless we, the white people, want to put the government under negro rule again we had best stop increasing taxes to school them. Educated negroes, in their opinion, are fit only to run the government, and white people increase their desires by educating them. Do we desire that the negro should be educated that he might be our representative lawyer, clerk, com-missioner, etc.? The white man had better think.—S. 0. Middleton, Hallsville. Favors Compulsory Education.—I have always been in favor of a law to com-pel children to attend school four or six months in a year, and most especially since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment requiring them to read and write any section of the Constitution after 1908. If there is not a compulsory 40 I^ORTii Carolina Labor Statistics. school law in this State lots of men will be disfranchised and be on the list with "cuffy." Seme people talk about our educating the negro, when we fail to educate our own race. The value of an education does not only consist in voting, but it makes the man a better citizen and qualifies him for the duties of life. The cost of compulsory education will be materially the same, and the better educated our people are the abler we are to pay tax. While, on the other hand, those children will loaf around and fish and hunt till the May and June days of life are gone and their lives are ruined, and we are silent, when if we would say you must go to school their lives would be difi'erent and they would be better citizens. The time has come for us to take action on this great and important question, and if we fail old North Carolina will remain with thirty to thirty-three per cent, of her citizens who cannot read and write their names. Are we sounding the trumpet and giving the alarm of the approaching enemy, ignorance ? and who will God require to answer for this great neglect ?^A. S. Miller, Hanners-ville. More in Life than ]\Iere Existencje—Compulsory Education.—It seems to me that the greatest need of the wage-earners is to learn that more depends on their success than a mere existence; that there are greater things in life, if attained, than the food and clothing necessary for their comfort and well-being. A man in any occupation must feel the weight of responsibility before the greatest good can be accomplished. I favor compulsory education with some aid from the State to enable the poorest classes of people to comply with it.—E. J. Farthing, Hattie. Opposes Compulsory Education—Boys and Girls now Being Educated Away From the Farm.—I have not time nor space to argue the quest-ion of com-pulsory education. I want to say, however, that I am opposed to it, and most other people are. No one but a few educators are asking any such law. I find now that the higher schools and colleges are educating the boys and girls away from the farms, and it is especially so with the negroes. There are hundreds of young negroes in this town that feel it an insult to ask them to chop cotton. Our young white boys are anxious to get in stores and banks or any employment that will take them from the farm. I am in favor of a good free school for the winter or for four months in the year, and dead opposed to fine scholarships and higher schools at the State's expense. I am in favor of good graded schools that can give a good common education to the children, whenever the towns vote for it.—W. S. Parker, Henderson. Unalterably Opposed to Compulsory Education.—I have so frequently gone on record as being unalterably opposed to compulsoiy education that I deem it quite unnecessary to reiterate my former utterances; suffice to say that in a coun-try boasting of free institutions I can never favor the ancient and barbarous mode of kidnapping children and forcing them to attend school against their will. I believe in the use of the moral but not brute force.—J. H. Parker, Hertford. Condition of Fakmeks. 4:1 COMPUXSORY Education for Whites.-I would be in favor of compulsory edu-cation provided the whites could get the benefit of the taxes derived from tae property of the whites and the negro from the taxes of the negro property. I do not believe in negro education, because it unfits him for farm duties and makes him a fit subject for the penitentiary. I have been a justice of the peace for twenty years, and nine-tenths of the young negroes who commit crime and have been tried before me are the educated ones.-GEORGE B. Cooper, Hllliardston. Compulsory Education.-I do think that compulsory education would be beneficial for children up to twelve or fourteen years old at least five months in the vear With this much school and children compelled to attend there will be n; such thing as one being deprived of their franchise who are now becoming of school age, but I fear if present conditions exist there are some who will be deprived of sufi'rage after 1908.—G. T. Baker, Hilltop. FAVORS Compulsory Educatiox-Negkoes Sacrificing Everything to Edu-cate CiiiLDEEN.-I favor a compulsory school law and books furnished I think it would be beneficial to our laboring people. More education would be a great lielp to the wage-earner and a great stimulus to industry and economy. I think trainin.. in agriculture, if it could be properly taught, would be a great help to the farm laborer. There are families who do not attend school at all, and they don-t seem to realize their need of education. The compulsory feature would be of c^reat benefit to the white race. The colored race needs no stimulation to that duty Since the application of the Amendment they feel the need of education more than the white race and are taking every advantage they possibly can to edu-cate their young. They are sacrificing everything to get an education and are making great progress in that way. The white race are not so; they will not make any self-dental or sacrifice for their children to attend school. The school committeemen should employ competent teachers and see that they (the teachers) discharge their duty, and then education in our State will be on a higher grade than ever before.—J. E. Albritton, Eookerton. COMPULSORY Education.-I am in favor of educating the masses of children by compulsory laws, as I see no other way to get at the poorer class of chil- (iren.—W. H. Gribble, Rope. COMPULSORY Education-Negroes Attenid Anyway.-I believe that compul-sory education is the only thing that will ever arouse the white race m this county to a sense of their duty to their children, or at least the poorer class. My experience with them in trying to get them to send their children to school has proven this to me, after an experience of twenty-six years as school committee^ man As to the negro, he will go to school anyhow, for nothing suits Inm like bein^ a gentleman, so he can strut around with a cigar in his mouth and insult some%vhite lady as she walks along the road.-W. H. H. Hartlet, Hudson. 42 NoKTii Carolina Labor Statistics. Farmers Should Organize.—The great need of the country is for the farmers and laborers to organize and have a regular system to govern labor. Tlie pres-ent system of farmers hiring each others' hands demoralizes labor and makes them very unreliable; it injures the employer, also the laborer, and adds cost to our products. Under the present system of farming on shares it is impossible to keep up the fertility of our farms. The only salvation that I can see for our country is for the farmers to organize and have a regular system of hiring labor and have stringent laws enacted compelling all parties to stand by contract, with severe penalty on the third party who meddles with the contract. — James A. WiLSONj Euntersville. Wage-earners Making Money—Favors Compulsory Education.—Wage-earners realize more clear money than the tenant who farms on. shares, provided he is working for a responsible man. Yes, I am in favor of compulsory education^ not only from a political view, but because education uplifts character and makes a better citizen of the white man. But it makes a fool of the negro. The great trouble with the poor class of white people is that they won't take advantage of schools when they have them. That is why there ought to be some legislation enacted that would compel them to give their children the advantage of free schools. Without something to that effect there will be a good many dis-franchised in 1908.—J. B. Petteway, Jacksonville. Negroes Leaving the State—Opposes Negro Education.—Nearly all the labor we have are negroes, and what they need more than anything else is manage-ment. Since the passage of the election law which disfranchises nearly all the negroes they are leaving the State as fast as they can get aWay; and now the new road law which compels them to work four days in the year and pay a tax to hire an overseer is another discouragement and they are all terribly dissatisfied. I am not in favor of compulsory education, for the reason that the more educa-tion a negro has the less he is worth as a laborer and the more he clamors for place.—L. C. Relfe, Jacocks. Compulsory Education Would Not Suit Whites.—Our white farmers outside of the towns have to depend on children to work and harvest cotton, peanuts, to-bacco and all crops, and it takes them until first of December; public schools should then begin and continue four months. Compulsory education will not suit the whites, but it Avould please the negro. — George M. Burras, Jamcsville. Wage-earners Independent—Don't Believe in Negro Education.—Wage-earners in this section are the most independent people we have. They can get nearly any price they demand. Compulsory education would not begin to suit our people. The people in this part of the country don't believe in negro educa-tion anyway. If we were only paying our money to educate the white race it would be altogether a difl'ercnt matter. I think there will have to be a change in our school affairs or else in our government, for our people are getting tired, mighty tired, of paying money to educate negroes.—W. D. Mewborn, Jason-. Condition of Farmers. 43 Compulsory Education—Divide the School Fund—Enforce Temperance Laws—Good Roads.—A great educational revival has been sweeping over our State for the past few years. Our Constitutional Amendment is one of the results of this awakening, and other results of it are seen in increased appro-priations to schools, local taxation, greater interest among people generally, and discussion of educational problems in the papers and in our Legislature, and particularly in the propositions to divide school funds between the races and adopt a compulsory law. We live in a period of interest and frequent changes, and it is difficult to foresee what this moven-tent may terminate in. It is to be hoped that it will result in giving us ten months school per year in reach of every child in the State, and to get proper attendance a mild compulsory law will very likely have to come. A rigid law smacks of military rule and should be avoided, and it is to be feared that a very mild law would be evaded and fail to do much good. Our people have so long been accustomed to unbounded liberty that in the farming and manufacturing communities they get careless and absorbed in other matters, and sometimes local quarrels and jealousies inter-fere and the attendance in our schools is lower than it should be, and then some-times school work is distasteful to lazy young America, for he prefers careless home work or hunting, and his parents often haven't the interest or the grit to interfere. A compulsory law will not interfere with those who already send to school, and in order to reach the above classes a mild law, wisely administered, will have to come. "Charity begins at home"; this being true, where is the wis-dom or justice in continuing the present method of dividing the school funds between the white people and the negroes? Negroes pay but little taxes, and it is doubtful if much negro education is wise. White people pay nearly all the taxes and have been having very inadequate schools, and while it might be consid-ered uncharitable to confine the negro to his own taxes, only the justice of it cannot be objected to, and without carrying the matter that far a division could be made that would continue to give the negro as much school as he deserves and the white schools be greatly strengthened. Most of the tax payers here favor something of that kind, and only the politicians, educators, etc., who are losing votes or popularity, or who fear Yankee abuse, object. Strong drink is a great curse to boys, and working people especially, and it is to be hoped that the very excellent law passed by our last Legislature will be very rigidly enforced, and if it proves inadequate a more rigid one will be passed and whiskey, etc., be handled only through dispensaries. Good roads is one of the constant crying needs of our country districts. Our roads should be laid out and worked under the direction of competent engineers and the expenses met by taxation supple-mented in some communities by the local labor systern.—^W. J. Wadsworth, Jesup. Fine Agricultural and Mineral Country—Compulsory Education for the Masses.—We are in the midst of a fine agricultural country, especially tobacco, with the outlying spurs of the Appalachian system on both sides, and the most excellent mineral waters abound, with the hills and mountains underlayed with mineral ores—iron most abundant. Now, among one of the best things for the town laborer would be railroads, with iron ores and mineral springs more 44 North Carolhsta Labor Statistics. extensively developed. Now, in regard to the compulsory school law, it is my opinion that it would not be good for all classes at thp present condition of the State. It would be good for the masses, but not for the classes. It is true it seems that there are a good many people who do not take any interest in edu-cation and who will not send the children to school unless they are almost com-pelled to. It seems that some remedy would be advisable, whilst we have some children who are not able and have not the time to spare, and it seems that some have not the necessary books, raiment and food.—W. A. Nelson, Jewel. Negeoes Have Left the Farms—Public Schools a Failure.—The negroes have nearly all left the farms and gone to work at public works. The farmers from now on Avill have to plant just what they can manage and not depend on day hands, as there are none to be had when you get in a push. As to improving the land, that is hard to do where tobacco is king. The great need of our sec-tion is smaller farms and intense farming: tend less, work it better, make more. Farming on shares will ruin any farm, as tenants can't afford and will not try to keep the farm up. Any farm rented will decrease in value, as much as the rents amount to in this section. There are so many parents that are so careless and indifferent about sending their children to school, letting them grow up with-out being able to read and write, that it looks as if the State should take hold and prevent it if possible. Greater stress should be brought to bear upon the teachers of our public schools to pay more attention to teaching spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic in our schools. It is next thing to an impossibility for a child to get a start in our schools now. I have thought and I believe that I am right that the above named branches are all that ought to be taught in the free schools, but let them be taught thoroughly. Nine out of ten who claim to read can't read, consequently when they can't read intelligently they don't read at all.—J. G. Fulton, Kernersville. Favors Compulsory Education—Land Increasing in Value.—While I am in favor of compulsory education, there are some families who will need help from the county or State. I am in favor of helping them and requiring them to send their children to school. I am willing to pay my part of the tax to help them. I live three and one-half miles from Kinston. All lands are high in my neighbor-hood, and lands off" some distance have increased some in value. Making tobacco has caused all lands to sell for more than they did some years ago.—R. L. Wcoten, Kinston. Favors Compulsory Education.—Yes, I certainly favor compulsory education. It is very needful here. The parents of children don't take the interest they should to educate their children, and therefore I think we should have a law to make them do it. — David Jones, Knotts Island. Proper Provision Shoulj) be Made for Education of the Children.—As to compulsory education, there cannot be any law enacted that would meet the Condition of Faemees. 45 requirements of every case. There are children whose parents are so poor and others who are so improvident that they can neither furnish bocks or clothing for their children, and the children must have both before they should be required to go to school. In a republic like ours it is a very nice point, just where the State or National government should step in and interfere in the management of the family, but that all children should have the proper provision for their educa-tion and moral training there can be no doubt. I think in many instances the care of the children should be taken from the parents and left to the supervision of some one more capable, so that the children may have an education and be taught to work and have an aspiration to be something in the great hive of humanity.—J. H. Dolghton, Lattrcl Springs. CoMPULSOKY Education Should Die A-boening.—I think that compulsory edu-cation should die a-borning. Some few have gone crazy on educating the negro, when experience has taught and proven that education unfits the negro for a laborer. ]\Iuch can be said against such a law in the eastern counties.—V. B. Knight, Laicience. Wage-eaeners Should be Respected—Hato Compulsory School Law in County.—In one respect the wage-earner needs to be respected by a majority of the employers and not treated so much as a slave. If the employers would have feeling and sympathy enough to let them know by actions as well as words that they have an interest in their welfare and be as a brother the result would be for good. Of course there are exceptions to all rules, as some will keep harping on the poor negro. We have a compulsory school law in this county, but it only compels the parents to send their children to school, and nothing else. I want it to be broad enough to cover all alike. — John E. Eickman, Leatherman. Need INIanufactueing—Taxes Bueidensome—Opposed to Compulsory Edu-cation.— We need home manufacture for all necessaries of farm Avorking, which would give employment for many hands Avho are now only working a day here and there, wherever they can get the best job, and for those idle boys about the town who will not go to school. Also we need legislation to lessen the taxation of our property, as we are now taxed heavily, and also an extra county tax, and on top of that we have to pay an extra school tax for graded schools, etc. This makes the taxation a burden on the working class of people. This should be in some way lightened, for if a man has to work by the day for his tax money it will take him from one to two weeks' work to pay his taxes, which is a heavy bur-den. Also we need legislation in some way to get rid of the negro race, as they are cf little or no profit to the State. As to compulsory school laAv, I do oppose it in any way for several reasons: first, it is one step toward taking a man's freedom from him; second, we have good schools to send our children to, and all who are able send to school, and those who are unable 'to educate their children from a financial standpoint it does seem unfair and wrong in every respect to punish those unfortunate people, because, for some reason unknown to us, our Creator 46 IToETH Oarolina Labor Statistics. has not placed in their hands as much of the goods of this world as to ns who can send to the schools. This is bound to be the case, for if a law is not enforced we had just as well have none, and if we had compulsory school law a failure to send to school wovild be a crime for which about one-eighth of the entire popula-tion would have to be punished. So compulsory school law would only be a stepping-stone to crime for this one-eighth of the population of the State which would fill our jails, and we tax-payers would have to feed them and send to the school also, which would be a burden to all, and I hope the thinking people of the State will never enact such a law. As to the Constitutional Amendment, all who can will prepare themselves for the ballot after 1908, as the energetic and thinking people of the State will all prepare for the ballot. At any rate, should any of them fail it is their own lookout, for there are some young men who would not take an education if they were confined in a school room from six to twenty-one years of age, as it is not born in them to make anything or be of any use to the intelligence of the State.—W. P. May, Lenoir, Compulsory Education for Whites.—I think white parents, guardians, etc., should be expected to give their children education enough to at least enable them to read and write, and where there are any who are able to do this and fail to do so they should be compelled to do so, while those who are not able to send to school should be helped by the school board, after thorough investigation to avoid deception and imposition, so that every white boy and girl may be enabled to read and write. If the boys and girls of to-day are to be the men and women of to-morrow, to what better purpose can we spend the State's revenue than to make them better qualified to fill the places that will be ready for them, espe-cially when we remember that the places to be occupied are becoming daily more difficult to fill satisfactorily and that those who grow up now without some education will be at a very great disadvantage in the struggle even for exist-ence? As for negro education, I do not believe a common education benefits him in the least. It seems to hurt him. Tliose that come under my observation who have been given a fair common school education seem to have become more indolent and are not any better off in their manner of living than the more ignorant ones. True I do not see how the whites can be given schooling while the negro is denied it. As to that I cannot offer any suggestions. If I believed education beneficial to the negro. I would be in favor of helping them all we could in order that they might be better citizens, not only to themselves, but to the white race as well. But both races would be very greatly benefited by indus-trial training along with "book larnin'."—R. L. Henry, Lilesville. Labor Unreliable—Mild Compulsory School Law.—As to labor, it is get-ting so the farmer can't depend on negro labor at all, for they will work on for a while and leave without any cause whatever. I think there should be some law , enacted to protect the farmer more than he is now protected. I think there should be some mild school law, just strong enough to get the children to attend. Condition of Farimers. 47 I don't think the law ought to be too strong so as to cause ill-feeling. I think that kind of law would do harm.—J. M. Bullock, Louisburg. Labor Scarce—Good Roads—Temperance—Compulsory Education.—Labor-ers in our settlement are scarce, owing to the fact that cotton mills and rail-roads have taken from our immediate settlement all surplus hands. Prices for farm hands by the month are ten dollars and board; if by the day it is anywhere from fifty cents to one dollar per day, owing to the quality of work and the kind of hand, etc. What we need is macadamized roads like they have in Meck-lenburg county, and then and net until then can we be a happy and prosperous people. Oh, that all men could see the good of macadam roads, and then those who have land for sale are made rich at once, for their land will be worth double what it is now. We now have in this place (Lowesville) a nice academy, a good healthy country, good school, good people, with churches handy, and the best of all no still-houses near, and may the time soon come when still-houses in North Carolina will be a thing of the past. We are slowly but surely waking up to the great need of schooling our boys and girls, yet we find some people who seem not to care whether their children are educated or not; therefore a compulsory law must and v,dll come, bvit it will be a difficult matter to solve and will have to come a little at a time, but just how is not for me to say, but it will surely come by and by. As for wage-earners, the best thing that could be done all over our State is to get bonds for each county sufficient to macadamize every public highway or road in the State. This will give steady employment to every man or boy at good prices for a number of years, and when finished we will have a State that we will be proud to live in, and a prosperous and happy people. Look at Mecklenburg. Lands on macadamized roads six or eight miles from Charlotte that a few years ago sold at fifteen and twenty dollars per acre are now worth forty and fifty dollars per acre. This tells what macadamized roads will do.—H. A. Gilleland, Loicesville. Not Time Enough before 1908 to Educate.—I am for schools first, last and all the time, but there is no doubt that it would work great hardships in some cases, though I am forced to admit (and a great majority of my fellow-farmers will bear me out in it) that there are certain elements on which education works an injury instead of a benefit. I know that is a strong idea to advance, but neverthless it is so. As for educating our own boys in time to meet the require-ments of the law in 1908, that is a farce, as every one knows who has manliness enough to admit it that it is a well known fact that a people cannot be educated in so short a time, and if the time is not extended there will be thousands of white boys of patriotic fathers who will be shut out. I hope we may yet get together brains enough in the Capitol to protect the boys.—J. B. Chesson, Mackey's Ferry. Favors Compulsory Education—Labor Unreliable.—In regard to compul-soiy education, will say that I favor it at a certain time of the year, say from 48 JSToKTH Caeolika Labor Statistics. November to IMarch, but after that time t |
OCLC Number-Original | 8319939 |