Annual report of the North Carolina Department of Labor

              THE LIBRARY OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF
NORTH CAROLINA
THE COLLECTION OF
NORTH CAROLINIANA
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL
00033934805
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.^
''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