Annual report of the Bureau of Labor and Printing of the State of North Carolina |
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. •'•/ UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00033934761 This book may be kept out one month unless a recall notice is sent to you. It must be brought to the North Carolina Collection (in Wilson Library) for renewal. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Ensuring Democracy through Digital Access (NC-LSTA) http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportofbu1901nort r e^ 1 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA wmmtMeonet*. W. £. FAJSON, Asst. Commissioner. RALEIGH Edwards & Broughton, and E. M. Uzzell, St„\ e Printers PRESSES OF EDWARDS & BROUGHTON 1902 COMMISSIONERS 1887—1901. e^ 1 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE YEAR J90J H. B. VARNER, Commissioner. W. E. FAISON, Asst. Commissioner. i, TRADES QjJBn ] COUNCIL > RALEIGH Edwards & Broughton, and E. M. Uzzell, St.\ r« Printers PRESSES OF EDWARDS <1- BROUGHTON 1902 forth ^Uni+- «f /;, LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. To his Excellency Charles B. Aycock, Governor of North Carolina. Sir :—Herewith I hand to you the Fifteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor and Printing. I desire to acknowledge the very efficient work of iny Assistant, Mr. W. E. Faison, in the compil-ing of the report, and also in the examination of the State's printing. Respectfully yours, H. B. VARNER, Commissioner of Labor and Printing. January 10, 1902. to CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Agricultural Statistics. II. Miscellaneous Factories. III. Cotton and Woolen Mills. IV. Trades. V. Newspapers. VI. — Organized Labor. VII. Railway Employes. VIII. Technical Education. Growth of Manufactures. Manufacturing Enterprises. Age Limit in Factories and Mines. National Association Labor Commissioners. Appendix. INTRODUCTION. This Department was created by the Legislature of 1887, and during its fifteen years of existence has been presided over by five Commissioners, the portraits of whom appear as a frontispiece to this report. Hon. W. N. Jones, the first Commissioner, served two years, 1887-88 ; Hon. J. C Scarborough served four years, 1889-93 ; Hon. B. E. Lacy served in all six years, 1893-'97 and 1899-'01 ; Hon. J. Y. Hamrick serving 1897-99. The present Commissioner entered upon the duties of the office January 15, 1901. In compiling this the fifteenth annual report I have followed the lines laid down by my predecessor, and have sought to make the report of service to the State, and of especial value to the wage-earners for whom the Department was created. The tabulated sta-tistics are as accurate as could be had, and the letters published in the several chapters are of peculiar interest, giving as they do the opinions of all classes of our citizenship upon vital questions of the day. These letters show a remarkable growth of public sentiment favorable to the enactment of a compulsory school law. In addition to the regular report, an -appendix, giving the tabu-lated census report for North Carolina and other facts of general interest, is published by courtesy of the United States Census Bureau. The value of statistics is being recognized more fully each year, and the demand for the annual reports of this Department continue to increase. In this demand the need of frequent publications show-ing the wonderful resources of the State has been emphasized, and no better investment could be made than an annual publication of this character. It is not within the province of this Department to issue such a publication under the act creating it, even if the appro-priation admitted of it, but must confine itself to the conditions of the wage-earners. However, to some extent, in the absence of such publication, it has entered this field. With the limited appropriation, which has never been increased, although the work of the Department has been materially enlarged, it is impossible to make as complete report as could be wished. Nothing short of a thorough canvass of the State each year wilJ viii Introduction. accomplish the best results, and to do this it is necessary to increase both the appropriation and clerical force. It is to be hoped that our next Legislature will see the necessity for this work and make provision accordingly. For the cuts appearing in this report, the Department acknowl-edges the courtesy of Mr. D. A. Tompkins, of Charlotte, and the Seaboard Air Line and Southern Kail ways. CHAPTER I. AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. The following average tables are compiled from blanks filled out by representative farmers from every county in the State. The farmers always respond promptly. In this chapter we also publish letters showing the needs and condition of farm labor. The returns were received during the period from June 15 to Octo-ber 1, 1901, which explains difference in selling price of cotton and ether products shown in Table No. 5. Table No. 1 shows an increase of 12 1-3 per cent in value of land in twenty-one counties ; seventy-six counties report no change. Eigh-ty- two counties report fertility of land maintained, and fifteen report fertility not maintained. Forty-seven counties report tendency to have smaller farms, nine larger, and twenty-one no change. Table No. 2 shows mode of living in ninety counties improved, Sixty-three counties report cost of living increased. Ninety-six counties report negro labor unreliable, and one reports no negro labor. Thirty-nine counties report employment regular. Table No. 3 shows highest wages of men $15.62, lowest $9.65 ; highest wages of women $9.78, lowest $6.36; wages of children. $5.39. Forty-six counties report increase in wages, and fifty-one report no change. These figures show an average increase of nearly twenty per cent over 1900.- Table No. 4 shows' sixty-seven counties produce cotton at cost of $26.80 per 500-lb. bale; eighty-six counties produce wheat at cost of sixty-one cents per bushel; ninety-six counties produce corn at cost of forty-three cents per bushel; ninety-four counties produce oats at cost of thirty-one cents per bushel ; fifty-four counties produce tobacco at cost of $6.49 per 100 pounds. Table No. 5 shows market price of cotton eight cents per pound : wheat, eighty -cents per bushel; corn, seventy-one cents per bushel; North Carolina Labor Statistics. oats, forty-three cents per bushel; tobacco, $8.30 per hundred. These prices make the profit on products $3.20 per bale for cotton, nine-teen cents per bushel for wheat, twenty-eight cents per bushel for corn, eleven cents per bushel for oats, and $1.81 per hundred for. tobacco. Table No. 6 shows educational condition good in three counties, fair in forty-one, and poor in fifty-three. Moral condition good in twenty-one, fair in seventy-three, poor in three. Financial condi-tion good in one, fair in forty-three, and poor in fifty-three. The question, "Do you favor compulsory school law V was an-swered by eighty-three per cent "Yes," by seventeen per cent "No." 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. The large per cent favoring compul-sory education is an indication of the very rapid growth of public sentiment along the line of educational advancement. Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. i—Showing Condition of Farm Lands by Counties. County. Alamance _. Alexander. . Alleghany. _ Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick . Buncombe, - Burke Cabarrus Caldwell ___ Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland __ Columbus __ Craven Cumberland Currituck __ Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe . Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett . Haywood .__ Henderson . Hertford ___ Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Has Land In creased or Decreased in Value ? increased increased.. no no increased., increased.. increased no no no decreased _ no no no no no no no no no decreased _ no no no no no increased.. no no increased.. no increased no no increased increased no no no increased.. no no increased no increased.. no increased.. no no If so, What Per Cent? 7 15 25 15 15 14 Cause of Increase or Decrease. better prices. timber timber, min'rl: better prices _. better prices ... freshets Fertility of Land Main-tained? Tendency to Have Larger or Smaller Farms? yes smaller. yes : smaller. yes smaller. yes. smaller. yes smaller yes smaller. yes smaller. yes larger. yes_ ' smaller. yes ; smaller. yes smaller. no smaller. yes. yes. yes. smaller, smaller, larger. yes j same. freshets improvement. trucking | high prices better markets1 better prices __' good roads ! demand demand demand yes. yes no yes. no yes yes yes yes yes yes 3'es yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. yes yes yes yes smaller. smaller. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. same. smaller. larger. smaller. smaller. smaller. larger. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. same. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. i—Continued. County. Jones Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell 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 Has Land Increased or Decreased in Value? no no no no no increased __ no increased __ no no no no -- no no no _- no no no no no — no increased no no , no increased no no no no no no no no no increased no no no no no no no no no no no no __ If so, What Per Cent? 15 Cause of Increase or Decrease demand good roads _. improvements stock law railroad Fertility of Land Main-tained ? yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes yes_ yes_ yes yes yes yes yes. yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes no yes no no yes yes yes. no . i no yes yes yes no yes no yes Tendency to Have Larger or Smaller Farms ? same. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. same. same. smaller. same. same. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. larger. larger. smaller. smaller. same. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. same. larger. smaller. smaller. smaller. same. larger. same. larger. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. 2 — Showing Condition of Farm Labor. 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 Have Farmers Im-proved in Their Mode of Living? yes __ yes _. yes _. no yes _. yes _. yes _. yes _. yes _. yes -. yes _. yes _. yes _. yes .. yes _. no yes _. yes _. yes -. yes _. yes _. yes _. yes -. yes _. yes _ . yes _. yes _. Has Cost of Living In-creased ? Davidson j yes Davie ' yes Duplin yes Durham yes Edgecombe yes Forsyth yes Franklin, yes Gaston yes Gates yes Graham yes Granville yes Greene 1 yes Guilford | yes Halifax yes Harnett yes Haywood yes ._.. Henderson. j yes Hertford ; yes Hyde yes Iredell yes Jackson \ yes Johnston | yes __. yes _ yes . no__ yes . yes . yes . yes . yes . yes . no__ yes . no .. yes . yes . no.. no__ yes _ no__ yes . yes . yes _ yes . yes . yes . no_. yes . yes . yes . yes . yes . yes . yes . no.. no__ no__ yes . yes . no., yes . no., yes _ no., yes . y r es . yes . yes . yes . no.. yes _ Is Negro Labor Reli-able? 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 no no . no no no no no Is Labor Abundant or Scarce? scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce j scarce ' scarce 1 abundant \ scarce ! scarce I scarce • scarce scarce scarce scarce normal scarce scarce scarce - scarce scarce plenty scarce scarce scarce scarce plenty scarce scarce scarce scarce . scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce . plenty scarce. scarce. scarce scarce scarce scarce plenty scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce. Cause of Abundance or Scarcity ? moved factories public work __ public work lumber, mi'ing increase demand-demand good prices demand public work __ Is Employ-ment Regular? factories public work _. lumber mills . migrated factories — public work public work migrated migrated public work __ lumbering j factories i migrated factories factories migrated migrated migrated migrated migrated factories lumber mills _ migrated migrated migrated migrated lumber mills factories public work __ lumber mills _ migrated public work __ public work __ yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. no. no. yes. no. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. y 7 es. yes. yes. no. yes. no. no. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. no. DO, no. no. no. yes. North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 2 — Contimied. County. Jones Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell ... 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 Have Farmers Im proved in Their Mode of Living? yes __ yes __ yes __ yes __ yes ._ 3'es _ . yes __ yes _. yes __ yes __ yes __ no yes __ yes __ yes _ _ yes __ yes __ yes __ yes __ yes __. no yes __. no yes _ _. yes __. yes ._. yes __. yes __. yes __. yes _ .- y Tes __. yes yes __. yes yes __. yes y ?es yes yes .__ yes no y Tes yes yes yes no __- yes yes Has Cost of Living In-creased ? yes ._ yes ._ yes __ yes __ no yes yes ._ yes _ . no yes __ yes ._ no no yes ._ yes __ no no yes __ yes __ no no __ yes __ no yes __ no yes __ no yes __ yes __ yes __. yes ._. no yes __. no no yes __. no no yes yes . .. no no y 7es yes yes ._. no no yes Is Negro Labor Reli able? 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 __ no __ no no __ no __ no __ no __ no Is Labor Abundant or Scarce ? scarce scarce scarce plenty __. scarce scarce plenty ._. scarce abundant. scarce scarce scarce scarce. __,_ scarce scarce scarce - scarce, -_ scacre scarce scarce scarce - scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce ! scarce... J scarce - J scarce ! scarce. | scarce scarce plenty scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce plenty scarce scarce scarce. scarce scarce - Cause of Abundance or Scarcity ? migrated mills factories public work . lumber mills factories no public work saw-mills public work __ migrated demand public work __ migrated factories lumber mills _ migrated migrated migrated migrated factories public work ... factories saw-mills factories migrated public work __ factories migrated manufacturing actories migrated - migrated mining Is Employ-ment Regular? lumber mills J factories \ migrated public work __ migrated lumber mills _ migrated migrated lumber mills _ migrated lumber mills J no. yes. no. no. no. yes. no. yes. no. yes. no. yes. yes. no. no. no. no. no. yes. no. yes. yes. no. no. no. yes. no. no. no. no. yes. no. no. yes. no. no. no. no. no, yes. no. yes. no. yes. no. no. no. no. Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. 3 — Showing Wages Paid Farm Labor. 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 Highest Wages Paid Men? OO OO OO 25 00 50 35 45 '5 90 50 50 00 00 >5 00 10 25 75 75 50 65 00 60 15 40 15 05 25 80 75 45 35 25 95 05 25 00 00 40 80 60 80 65 10 85 80 50 65 Lowest Highest Wages Wages Paid Paid Men ? Women ? $7-oo 6.75 9.40 9-25 10. 80 13. 10 8-35 10. 00 11.30 7-35 6.75 7. OO 10.45 8.35 11. 70 5-50 9. 60 13. 10 9.80 8.95 8.00 10. 90 11.65 14. 10 9-35 10. 15 '0.35 9-45 8.50 11. 00 9. 20 10.35 9. OO 10.95 9. OO 9-75 10.75 6.80 7.85 9. 10 6. 40 7. 80 S. 10 9. 00 10.75 11. 20 10. 40 11. 45 8-75 $6.00 8.50 S-75 11. 25 11.80 14.70 7-5o 9-5o 9.40 8-55 9. 10 8. 00 10. 10 7- 5o 8-45 6. 9c 10. 15 13-75 8.30 11.25 5. 00 12. 15 10.85 13-85 9-15 8.15 Lowest Wages Paid Women ? 8.65 8. 20 9- 15 9. 10 9-5o 8.50 12-35 9-55 1 1. 00 7- 35 6.60 7.90 7-95 5-50 9. ro 11. 25 S.65 11. 25 io.75 13. 00 11.50 S- 75 i Wages Paid Children ? f3 . 00 4-50 4-50 9-5o 6. 10 ! 9-75 6. 00 i 6. 10 6-35 6-75 5. 20 5.00 ' 6. 85 2.50 6-75 I 4-35 5-95 8. 00 5-25 6.75 4. OO 8.25 9- 15 9- 15 5. So 2. OO 6.55 5. 10 6.35 7.80 6.95 7.85 5-90 4-95 5- 35 4.40 4-65 5-9° 3-50 6.75 5- 60 6. 10 7-35 7-55 8.90 7-5o 6-35 3-5o 3-25 6. 90 5- 80 7- 50 5.00 4. 60 5-05 6-75 4. 00 4. OO 3. 10 3-25 5-7o 4. OO 5.00 6. 10 3-55 6.15 3-5o 7- 25 7-55 6-95 4.70 4- 50 5-45 6. 30 4.90 4-85 4.80 5-55 6.25 5-25 3-65 6-75 3.00 5- 15 4- 15 3. 00 5.20 5-95 4-50 5-55 7. 10 4.90 6.60 5- 4o Have Wages Increased or Decreased? increased. increased. no. increased. no. increased. increased. no. no. no increased. no. no. no. no. no. no. increased. no. increased. no. no. no. increased, no. no. no. increased. increased. no. increased increased. no. increased. no. increased. no. increased. no. no. increased. increased. no. no. increased. no. no. no. increased. North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 3 — Continued. County. Highest Wages Paid Men ? Lowest Highest Wages I Wagee Paid Paid Men ? : Women ? Lowest Wages Paid Women ? Wages jHave Wages Paid j Increased or Children ? < Decreased? Jones Lenoir . Lincoln Macon. Madison Martin McDowell ._ 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 Uuion Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson 1_: Yadkin Yancey Average Wages 10 25 7-15 6. 90 3.80 6-35 i-35 4. 20 6.60 4.90 9-30 4.80 2.25 1.85 7- 15 4 5 4.85 22.75 20.35 6.05 1. 90 3-9° 5. 10 7. 10 4.70 2. 40 3-65 6. 00 4-25 24.85 4-75 4-35 4.80 20.35 4-85 4.40 3- 5o 4-65 1. 60 7.65 2.50 2. DO 9-65 7.65 5-25 6.50 1. 00 o. 20 S.75 5 1 1 . 90 10.35 7.70 8-75 10.65 8.65 8.85 10.65 10. 00 9.80 8. 10 8.25 14. 00 9-85 10. 00 9-35 16.25 10. 75 10.05 "•75 7-50 10. 30 9.40 n. 15 7. 60 8.25 10. 40 9-75 17. 60 9-55 9-85 9-25 9-75 9-65 7. 60 9-35 10. 35 7.90 13. 10 8.40 6-95 10. 80 9-25 9.90 7-75 8.00 6.65 10.30 &I3-75 12. 00 14. 20 8.60 10.55 10.30 9-65 11. 10 6-95 10.75 10. 10 7- 30 12 85 8.80 9-3o 7-55 14.95 11.00 9.90 15-95 7-75 9- 5o 9.90 11.65 8.70 8.65 9. 60 9-85 17-75 9. 10 11.25 8. 85 9-30 9-75 8.90 7- 50 10.50 6.50 11.65 11. 15 7-75 13. 60 9-65 10.50 6. 90 7.40 5-45 9-75 $9-15 8.50 7-35 4-95 6.25 5-9° 6.25 7.90 5-5o 6-55 6.85 4-85 S-35 6.80 6-55 4.40 10. 40 7-3o 7. 00 9-45 6.25 5.65 5-90 7-35 5-25 5-35 7- 25 6. 90 i4-5o 7-35 7-5o 5- 10 6.85 7.90 4-45 5- 10 7.70 4-95 8.25 6.85 5-05 6. 90 5-35 7-45 4. 80 4.40 4- 50 6.15 $7.65 6.75 5-45 3-75 6.85 5.60 5.20 5.00 4-55 5-45 6-95 5-95 4-85 5.25 6.50 6.25 6.25 6-75 4-25 4.65 5. 00 5- 4o 5-35 5- 10 6. 00 6.65 H-45 5- 40 6-45 5-45 5- 15 4. 60 5- 7o 4-95 7- 15 4.05 6-95 4.85 4-75 6.50 7-35 5- 15 3. 80 4-85 3-55 6-35 increased. increased. no. no. no. no. no. I increased. 1 no. increased. ' no. increased. | increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. no. increased. : increased. increased. I increased. no. no. increased. increased. no. increased. no. increased. no. no. no. no. no. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. , increased. no. - increased. increased. I no. S. 62 9.6; 9.78 6.36 5-39 Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. 4—Showing Cost to Produce Crops. County. Alamance __. Alexander... Alleghany... Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick _. Buncombe... Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland ._. Columbus Craven Cumberland. Currituck ... Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe. Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates . Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson _. Hertford Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston . ... Cost to Produce- 500-lb Bale of Cotton ? £20. OO 30. OO Bushel Wheat? Bushel Corn? Bushel Oats? 100 Poundy Tobacco i 30.85 27.50 28. 35 27. 00 21.65 30.00 28. 00 20. 00 20. 00 27. 00 25.85 $0. 60 .62 .78 .65 .72 • 50 • 75 .60 .62 .60 •49 .66 .68 75 •30 65 •37 .81 25.00 32-50 25.00 23- 15 31.60 1. 00 •7 •43 .60 p. 45 40 63 50 50 3i 33 56 43 35 40 4 S 42 38 38 30 49 28 55 23 50 47 38 28 53 31 Fo.35 .29 •37 •33 .28 .28 •3i •30 •30 . 20 •33 .28 •30 •25 • 25 .28 • 25 •38 3S 37 20 25 •35 20 ?6. 50 6. 25 6.89 6. 00 5.00 5- 80 6. 00 6.50 6. 00 5-75 5.00 10. 00 4. 00 25- 75 27. OO 27. OO 30. OO 27.50 25.00 25.6 28. OO 26. OO 31-65 32.50 25.00 27.75 21.65 29.85 26. 15 26 30 23 50 2S 35 I 37 J 23 1 .28 18 . .24 ! 33 j 25 36 40 j 24 I 36 ;. 22 i. 18 . 26 . 33 j- 33 1 6. 10 5-5o 5-35 9. 00 7-35 6.25 6. 00 6.60 6.65 6-35 7. 90 5.00 10. OO 5.90 LO North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No*. 4— Continued. County. Jones Lenoir , Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell 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 Cost _ Cost to Produce- 500 lb. Bale of Cotton ? Bushel Wheat? ?22. 75 26. IO 30. OO 32. OO " 2 8.~65" 31.00 28. OO 26.25 30. OO 26. IO 30. OO 25.00 30.00 26.65 27.50 25.60 27-75 22. OO 26. OO 29- 15 37-50 24. 25 25-35 24.65 26.85 32.50 26. OO 32.80 25.85 24- 15 26. 60 27-35 29. OO 26.80 #0 • 75 72 55 60 49 55 68 61 Bushel Corn? ?o.43 43 43 48 32 54 4i 36 48 55 56 47 46 45 39 43 30 38 43 35 35 36 38 33 5o 5i 41 45 36 58 55 57 48 37 58 39 48 53 40 39 35 31 47 4i 4i 5i 40 46 •43 Bushel Oats? p. 29 .28 •23 .28 . 20 30 32 .27 .28 •33 .41 .36 38 • 25 •33 •33 • 15 •29 .31 .24 • 27 29 28 29 29 30 26 30 28 33 35 25 •30 33 •33 . 28 •3' . 20 .26 .27 •25 •3i . 28 •3i 100 Pounds Tobacco ? $4- 20 8. 10 11.65 7. 00 6. 00 6. 00 7. 10 6.75 7. OO 6.65 5-85 6. 00 4-65 6. 25 6-75 6. 25 6. 00 7- 50 6 25 6. 90 5-S5 6. 50 4- 15 5-3° 5-95 6. 00 9-35 6.49 Condition of Farmers. 11 Average Table No. 5— Showing Market Price of Crops. County. ^Present Market Price— Cotton ? Wheat? Corn? Oats? Tobacco ? Alamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Beaufort _ Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland __, Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin - Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston - Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hyde Iredell Jackson . Johnston Jones 1% 8 8/2 1V% 1% 1% 8 to. 75 79 90 76 98 65 S 8'/ I 8% 8\e sy2 VA 8% 7* 8 8X lU 8% 8 80 77 8% 7f 71 7H 8 S .68 .70 .88 .80 .76 63 .92 .80 .70 1. 00 •75 .87 •74 .80 •75 .82 .88 1. 00 .68 .70 •83 .82 8.00 8-35 6. 00 8-35 7. 00 8.75 8-35 13-75 S. 00 6.05 6.85 6.25 8.00 ~5.~65 7-50 6. 90 7.65 6. 40 8.00 16.50 8.80 7. 00 'Period between June 15 and October 1. 1901. 12 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 5 — Continued. County. Lenoir Lincoln . Macon Madison Martin McDowell 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 Yadkiu .__ __ Yancey Cotton ? 1% 8/3 8% 8 7 7A 8 7/2 8 8 8/ 1% 7H 8% 7X l lA S Average price 8% 8K 8X 8 8 1 * Present Market Price— .08 Wheat? go. 88 •73 .90 .81 .72 .89 .76 .92 •75 .84 •9 1 1. 00 • 75 .72 .90 Corn? .80 •71 go. 41 45 45 44 40 44 42 47 39 45 50 43 43 48 42 40 38 38 37 39 44 44 39 47 56 40 39 48 40 47 43 35 40 43 48 40 39 45 46 52 38 49 48 40 40 3S 35 43 Tobacco ! . 6. 50 9- 25 7- 10 ^Period between June 15 and October 1, 1901. Condition of Farmers. 13 Average Table No. 6 — Showing Educational, Moral and Financial Condition. County. Alamance _. Alexander.. Alleghany. _ Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie - Bladen Brunswick . Buncombe.. Burke Cabarrus Caldwell ._. Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee _. Chowan . Clay . Cleveland _. Columbus _. Craven Cumberland Currituck _. Dare Davidson Davie Duplin . Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin .__ Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford .__ Halifax Harnett Haywood __ Henderson . Hertford Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Educa-tional Condition of Working People ? Is it Improv-ing? poor fair poor __. fair ._. poor poor __. fair poor fair fair poor __. poor good fair poor __. fair poor ._. fair poor __. fair _^_. good __. poor __. poor poor ... fair poor ._. fair poor . -. poor __. poor __. poor __. fair fair fair poor __. fair fair poor __. fair good poor __. fair poor fair poor __. fair fair poor __. poor ._. yes yes yes yes yes no _ yes yes yes yes no _ yes yes yes no . yes no _ yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes Moral Condition of Working People? Is it Improv-ing? fair .. good . good _ fair ._ fair „ fair ._ fair _. fair .. good . fair __ good, fair ._ good _ fair ._ good . fair ... fair „ fair __ fair .. fair „ fair ... fair __ fair ... fair .. good . fair _. fair __ good . fair .. fair .. fair ... poor . fair .. fair .. fair ._ fair _. fair _. fair .. fair ._ fair ._ fair __ fair __ good _ fair __ fair „ good _ fair ._ fair __ -j yes — yes ._! yes ._ : yes ._ ; yes ._ no . — no - -! yes ._ yes ._ no _ ._ yes — ; no _ .J yes yes yes yes yes ... no _ — ! yes — ! yes -- yes -I yes ._ yes — yes -i yes —I yes yes yes yes no _ yes no . yes yes yes yes no _ no _ no . yes yes no . yes yes yes yes yes no _ yes Financial Condition of Working People ? fair __ fair ._ fair _. poor . fair _. fair .. fair .. poor . fair _. poor . fair ._ poor . good _ fair .. fair . fair .. fair .. fair _. poor . poor . poor . poor . poor . poor . poor . poor . fair _. fair .. fair . fair . bad .. fair .. poor . poor . fair .. poor . poor . poor . fair _. fair .. fair __ fair _. poor . poor . fair .. poor . fair _. fair _. poor . Is it Improv-ing? yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. no. yes. yes. 3 T es. no. no. yes. yes. yes. CO. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. 1-t North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Tabee No. 6— Continued. County. Educa-tional Condition of Working People? Is it Improv-ing? Moral Condition of Working People? Is it Improv-ing? Financial Condition of Working People ? Is it Improv-ing? Jones Lenoir Lincoln . Macon Madison Martin McDowell 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 poor _.. poor __. fair fair poor __. poor ._. poor __. poor ._. poor ._. poor __. fair poor __. fair fair .. _. poor __. fair poor poor poor poor fair poor poor fair poor fair fair poor poor fair fair fair poor fair poor poor poor fair fair fair poor fair poor -__ fair poor poor poor fair yes yes no _ yes yes yes no _ yes yes yes yes no . yes yes 3'es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no _ yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes fair .. fair .. good . fair „ fair „ fair .„ good . fair _ fair _. poor . fair __ fair __ good . fair __ fair „ good _ fair __ fair ._ good _ fair __ fair ._ fair __ fair __ fair fair fair __ fair __ fair __ fair „ good _ poor _ fair __ fair .._ fair __ fair __ fair __ fair ._ good_ fair .- fair __ fair ._ fair __ fair fair ._ good - fair __ good _ good _ yes no no yes yes no no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no _ no . yes no . no _ yes yes no . yes yes no . yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no . yes DO . yes yes yes yes poor __ poor __ poor ._ poor __ fair poor __ poor __. poor __. poor __. poor . _. poor __. poor ._. fair fair poor poor ._. fair fair fair fair fair fair poor -_. fair fair poor poor poor . _. poor fair poor fair poor _-. fair poor _-- poor __- poor __. fair fair poor -_. poor __. poor __. poor poor .— fair poor ._. poor poor yes. yes. no. yes. yes. no. no. no. no. no. yes. no. no. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. no. no. no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. no. no. yes. no. no. no. yes. Condition of Farmers. 15 LETTERS FROM FARMERS. The following letters are selected from the large number received for publication: Compulsory School Law.—Will say the children of North Carolina will never be educated until we have a compulsory law to compel the people to send their children to school. — Gannon Talbert, Advance. Compulsory School Law—Labor Scarce.—As to compulsory school law, I favor it because there are a great many poor white children who are kept at home and made to work, while some of them have worthless, drunken parents, and are not allowed to go to school. But the negro schools are ciowded all the time, and they are getting ahead of the white children in learning. I hope our white people will wake up to see the importance of educating their children, or else be forced to educate them. As to laborers, the negroes are naturally the best laborers for this Southern climate, but they are going away very fast. Those who remain behind are trying to farm, and consequently keep their families at home to work their crops, while the large farmer has to lose his crop or plant less for want of labor. "We have suffered more this year than usual. The price for day labor was raised in some sections from fifty cents per day to seven-five cents, and still they stuck to their crops. Our cotton crop was increased this year, owing to good prices last year, so some had to plow up and plant corn and peas after cotton was up p.t»d ready to chop. Our lands can not improve as long as our landlords sell all their cotton seed and use nothing but commercial fertilizer to make crops on shallow-plowed land; we should plow deep and plant more clover and peas, and make compost by directions of Experiment Station. — Henry N. Clark, Airlie. Compulsory Education.—I am heartily in favor of a law that would in some measure compel all children of this State to receive their part of money paid by tax-payers of this State for education.—C. A. Wharton, Alamance-. Conditions Encouraging—Compulsory Education.—With the blessing of an abundant wheat and hay harvest, we feel encouraged as regards the con-dition of the working class. We are getting on a more solid foundation since we quit raising tobacco and are turning our attention to wheat and grass. Much yet needs to be done in the way of practical farming. Judi-cious management must be carried out as to using commercial fertilizers, or 16 North Carolina Labor Statistics. we will find ourselves in a few years with an impoverished soil. The educa-tional advantages in our county are good if people would avail themselves of the same. We have from six to nine months free school. I am sorry to say that the moral and religious condition of our people is not keeping pace with the educational. In regard to compulsory education, I would say that, with a reasonable, fair and conservative mode, I would favor it. — W. H. Hunter, Alexander. Educational Conditions Improving.—I have filled the blank figures as near the average for the county as I can. Considering the excessive rains that have fallen this year, I believe there has been more damage to land by erosion and overflow than usual, but I did not mark any decrease in value. There is not a great deal of change in the acreage on most farms, but I think the tendency among most live farmers is toward more intensive and less extensive farming, which I think very important. There is a lot of land that will produce crops at a great deal less cost than the average, and some farm-ers do produce crops, especially grain, at, in some cases, not more than half the average cost. While the negro labor generally is the most reliable, here it is very unsatisfactory. The railroads coming through and near by and •pening the way for the working of the timber interest, and the higher pric« of cotton for the last year, has made farm labor more scarce and more expensive. The educational condition, I think, is improving among the laboring classes, both white and black. The negro shows a greater interest in this than does the illiterate white man; but I don't think it is as much the real desire of knowledge s it is the name he imagines it will give him. As to compujsory education, I think it would be a good thing for the whites, and might be in the end for the negro. There seems to be a tendency among the negroes to think that education places them above common labor, the only thing for which they are fitted. The uneducated negro here is more reliable, and does more for himself and county, than the one who has been to school a little and thinks he is educated.—R. E. Andrews, Allenton Ferry. Labor Scarce.—I think the wage-earners are in very good shape in our township; they are so scarce they can get their own price. I think if we don't get compulsory school law there will be many a one who will be de-barred from voting. We have several, families in our school district who don't pretend to send their children to school at all, and they could. The boys walk around and hunt.—J. H. Henley, Alpha. Compulsory Education.—I think compulsory education would benefit the white people of this section.—A. B. Walker, Anderson. Compulsory Education.—I have some neighbors near me with six and eight children who do not get the chance to go to school one day. I wish their Condition of Farmers. 17 fathers and mothers were compelled to send them, as their children seem to be smart. One tenant on my land has a daughter who can not talk so you can understand a word, only once in awhile, and can not hear good. She has been offered the chance to enter the school at Morganton, but her parents wont send her. With all the begging I can do, and offers to take her to the railroad, she can't get to go. It would make me glad to know she could get the chance to go. As to some children over in the Blue Ridge whose parents are poor, and a school-house three or four miles distant, and the children barefooted, and the mercury at zero, would it be human to compel such chil-dren to go to school? — Joseph Johnson, Anna. Rapidly Advancing.—We do not raise cotton and tobacco as staple crops in Randolph: neither do we employ white women and children to labor on the farm. They are employed in the various cotton mills of the county. Our educational system is already advancing with amazing rapidity, and I fail to see the practical utility of attaching to it any automatic propeller to increase its speed. Under present conditions, an unrestricted compulsory educational law would work a great hardship to the poorer classes. Hence, I am opposed to compulsion.—J. A. Blair, Ashboro. Amendment Stimulus to Education.—The educational clause of the Con-stitution as amended has caused a great stimulus in the cause of education; and with the advantages the common schools now afford, no child who is mentally qualified will be deprived of his vote after 1908, without any com-pulsory law. — John Stephenson, Atfa. Farmers Not United.—Farmers are so little united it is impossible to con-trol labor; you can't get them to agree and do the same way. WT e have so much idling it is impossible to get laborers to work regular while they have anything to eat. They will not work until that is gone. I have no sugges-tion to make on that line, for I have thought over it a great deal and see no way to improve it. I think compulsory education a good thing if the whites were taxed to educate their children and negroes taxed to educate theirs. — J. A. Murphy. Atkinson. Amendment Incentive to Education—As to compulsory education. I can not say whether it would be to a great advantage in making a compulsory law upon this line, but I do believe its requirements would be essential, most especially upon the line of the Constitutional Amendment, requiring all voters after 1908 to learn to read and write any section of the Constitution, not only for this cause alone, but believing it will promote a better interest throughout the general state of affairs. — Robert Worthington. Ayden. 9 18 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Does Not Favor Compulsory Education.-—I do not favor compulsory edu-cation because, first, if a child, or his parents, knowing that he can not vote when he is twenty-one, will not try to get an education, the country does not need his vote. Second, I do not feel like the white people's money ought to be used in educating the negroes.—J. C. Barrington, Baird's Creek. Compulsory Law Wise.—I think compulsory school law is a wise and just one, as the public schools are poorly attended. We need such a law in order to prepare us for the Constitutional Amendment. I am pleased with the compulsory school law enacted by the last Legislature for Mitchell County. — Samuel D. Peterson, Bakersville. Great Interest in Education.—In regard to compulsory school law, will say I do not think it would better the people, as they are taking such an interest in education. We have school in every school-house in the county at present.—W. M. Hensley, Bald Creek. Favors Compulsory Education.—The wage-earners in this county receive very good prices for their labor, but it does not seem to profit them any in general. They dress and drink it out about as fast as they make it; some go ahead of time. As to compulsory education, in my opinion a man who has no education is blind in a financial way; an educated man can make anything look plain to him. I am in favor of at least four months free school in the year, and compel the parents to send their children to school; and for those who have no one to look after them, then let the State look after them and provide a school, board and clothes, and give them a good common school education; this school to be run the year round and kept up by taxation. Of course there are schools in the State to this effect, but they are too scattering. —J. J. Ferguson, Bald Creek. Compulsory Education.—As the Constitutional Amendment has been adopted, I think nothing short of a compulsory school law will suffice for our mountain people.—A. Z. Burton, Bald Creek. Compulsory Education—Labor Demoralized.—The school law will have to be compulsory if we get an interest aroused among all our people. I have taught school part of thirty years, since 1865, and in all that time have taught in only one section that sent all, or nearly all, the white children to school. At that place there was no change in pupils when the private school closed for the public to begin. I wish this could be accomplished all over our State, by persuasion or compulsion. I am now a member of the Board of Educa-tion in our county, and am trying to study the situation in order to make Condition of Farmers. 19 the best possible progress, but at best our educational interests are not ad-vancing as they snould. Some parents in our county are too lazy—poor, they say—to furnish their children subsistence and books when the school is free. The mill interests in our county and immigration have taken many of the best hands from the farms, and where a large area is devoted to trucking, our day labor is almost demoralized, as colored hands will not work by the day when there are berries, peas, beans, potatoes, etc., to gather and market. If our county would plant less truck by half, the labor could be better con-trolled, and truckers would realize more profit on their investments. We need a grade of wages upon merit, so the wage-earner would feel an interest in trying to improve his labor and thus advance. — Daniel Lane, Bellair. Contracts Unkept—More Interest in Education.—My opinion is that one great cause of dissatisfaction among laborers is that the laws are not enforced, and that we should have contracts for all kinds of work, and that they should be complied with. As it is, we have no contracts, and a bargain is rarely carried out, consequently dissatisfaction arises. If we had written contracts, and they were carried out, there would not be so many misunderstandings. I will give you my views on the compulsory school law, though I am not prepared to say what would be best; it has many sides to it. It would be a great burden on the taxpayers, who would not only have to keep the schools going, but would have to provide for some children whose parents are not able to provide for them and spare them from home. This makes it almost an impossibility. Having two races instead of one to care for makes the burden double on those who have it to carry. The tax-list will show who is doing it. I would be glad to see better schools and more interest taken in them, and believe there will be more in the future than has ever been before, as the people seem to understand fully what the Constitutional Amendment means in the way of an education.—J. R. Ballard, Ballard. People Too Poor.—In regard to compulsory school law, I am in favor of it myself, but I don't believe it would suit the majority of the people, as about one-half of the people are too poor to do without their children on the farm. — C. M. Critcher, Bamboo. Compulsory Education.—We have no public works in our county, and but very few men keep regularly employed hands. We are generally poor people, with a small farm to each family, and most men with their children do the work, with perhaps a few days' hired labor in the most busy season. I am very much in favor of some compulsory school law. There are a few men near me who won't try to send their children to school. I think they ought to be made to send them to the free school. — Thomas L. Day, Bamboo. 20 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education—Social Condition Poor.—I think that education should be compulsory, inasmuch as the taxes are collected and appropriated for that purpose. Children should be required to attend school, or parents should be required to send all children of school age to school until they can read and write the sections of the Constitution, so that no intelligent child, girl or boy, should be turned loose to take responsibilities upon themselves until they can read and write as required by law, and parents should be required to send children unless hindered by sickness or poverty, etc. The moral and religious condition is not improving as a whole; the offers are greater, advantages are greater for both, but, on the other hand, temptations and immoral and irreligious influences are greater, to counteract all offers. The Government distilleries of grain in our county are becoming to be almost unbearable; they have wrecked every society, and are pulling back every other institution that tends to upbuild humanity.—A. W. Gregory, Barclaysville. Labor Unreliable.—I believe it would benefit the wage-earner to have a law to compel him to comply with the bargain he makes the first of the year. If they bargain for the year, it would make them more reliable, better citi-zens, and cause them to command better wages; but on present system, the farmer starts out with a full supply of labor, but when the summer months come they begin to leave the farm and go on the railroad, brick-yard and saw-mill, because wages are a little better. This makes them unreliable, and they suffer on account of it.—W. W. Vick, Battleboro. " Need Railroad.—I believe a railroad through this county would be of more benefit to the working people than most anything; it would give them more employment, and increase wages.—D. W. Duncan, Bee Log. Industrial Education—Not Ready for Compulsion.—Would say that wage-earners need steadier employment and more education along industrial lines. More stable prices for farm produce, in my opinion, would bring this about. "While I am personally in favor of compulsory education, I don't believe the people as a mass are ready for it. I believe it would prove a hardship to a great many on account of their financial condition.—T. W. Gattis, Belle Voir. Love North Carolina—Ten-Hour Law—Compulsory Education.—If all the good advice that has been given in the Bureau of Labor to farmers and wage-earners had been heeded, old North Carolina would blossom like a rose. What we need most is to teach our young men to love North Carolina people, and to believe in them, and have faith in North Carolina soil, and learn how to cultivate it to better advantage. With the improved farm machinery, farm- Condition of Farmers. 21 ing is not the hard work it was in the times of our fathers. The farmers of this section live much better than their fathers. They have better dwellings, better clothing and better food than their fathers. Every young man should strive to secure a home of his own. He should lay by part of his wages to buy a home, be it ever so humble. If he earns but fifty cents a day, he should ?ave twenty-five cents of it. The next Legislature should enact a law making ten hours a legal day's work, so as to protect the class of laborers who have to labor in mills and factories. It is a disgrace to North Carolina the way most of the factory owners work their operatives. I am heartily in favor of compulsory education. An educated man is a better citizen in every way than an uneducated man, because his mind is better trained.—A. Gaither Higgins, Belwood. Favoks Compulsory School Law.—I don't know that any suggestion I can make will be of any benefit to the wage-earners. Farm hands are now making more clear money than the farmers themselves. I favor a compulsory school law, first, because the poorer classes of whites take no interest in seeing that their children get an education, and often let the school year pass without sending their children to school any, because they have not got as good clothes and as much to eat as some of their neighbors. The negro will go to school in his rags and eat bread, while the white children stay at home. I feel and know the need of an education. My parents were poor and not able to send me off to school, and we had none close enough for me to go to, so I grew to manhood without any schools to go to save a few months. I am in favor of better school laws, and also a compulsory one.—J. H. Richardson, Benaja. Favors Compulsory Education.—In regard to wage-ea-rners, we have com-paratively few in this county, owing to the smallness of the farms and the absence of any railroad enterprise and mining interest, yet the prospect for such things in the near future is good. Our farmers and families do their own work, except occasionally in harvest or haying seasons for a few days at a time. Yes, I favor a mild compulsory school law that will force parents and guardians to send to school all children from eight to sixteen years three months in the year. If the State taxes me for the education of the children, it is its duty to force them to accept the advantages of the public schools, otherwise, much is lost which the tax-payers contribute to remove the mass of ignorance so prevalent in our State. I hope that the day is near at hand when all of our children of school age will be in school four months or more in the year, under better teachers than formerly, and teachers better paid. — H. A. Eller, Berlin. Education Supreme Question—Need Stock Law.—I am of the opinion that the education of all the children in this State is the supreme question of 22 North Carolina Labor Statistics. the time, and I believe public school education should be made compulsory for a term of four to six years at least, from eight to fourteen or from ten to sixteen. I favor the increase in school funds and a higher standard in the free schools, and none but competent teachers and fair salaries. The chil-dren are the hope of the State. It is the men that make the State, and, I further say, good educated women. I further state that where public edu-cation has been made compulsory, the people like the law, and it results in great good to the children, and I very much doubt if we ever succeed to the full extent of our desires without a compulsory school law. The subject of better county roads is one that should engage our attention. Our roads, since the two large freshets in the spring, have been so badly damaged by excessive rains they need to be greatly improved, especially since the Norfolk and Western Railway Company is now projecting a railroad from Pulaski City, on New River, in Virginia, to mouth of Horse Creek, in Ashe County, a dis-tance of one hundred miles, so as to develop the iron and copper in this county. So better wagon roads will be a necessity. The next subject that interests the people of this county is very important, and made more so by the damage to fencing along the rivers and creeks by the present high waters, is a good, wholesome stock law all over the country. These are some hints that contain some thoughts on these two subjects. I believe our lands will maintain their fertility fairly well, and are susceptible of much im-provement.— J. Eller, Berlin. Educate Up to a Compulsory Law.—In suggesting the needs of wage-earn-ers in this locality, I beg to say that, in my opinion, the better condition of that class can only be obtained by the industry and frugality of the laborers themselves. With the steadily increasing demand for farm products, those farm laborers wno seize their opportunities find no lack of a fair market for their produce, and at prices at which they can live comfortably and accumu-late a surplus. The one great benefit to the majority of our people would be the annihilation or extermination of the distilleries. I do not think I exag-gerate when I say that ninety-five per cent of the want and poverty of this section is due to the existence of stills in our locality, not to mention the great percentage of crime committed on same account. To give every child a fair English education would, of course, be a long step toward the ideal condition of all classes, but in reference to compulsory education at present, I have expressed myself as unfavorable to that movement for the following reasons: First, people generally value those acquisitions most for which they have to put forth most exertion; and attach the least value to those things which are forced upon them, regardless of true value. Second, an education (or rather a book education) is of value to a person very largely in propor-tion to the mode and extent of the after application. Education of the people is advantageous to the State largely in proportion as that education is applied in lawful pursuits, and the upbuilding of the moral, social and industrial condition of its several communities. Accepting the foregoing statements as true, it appears to me that a compulsory school law will be received by a Condition of Farmers. 23 majority of our people as infringing on their rights, and a scheme whereby more officials will be paid, and Whereby their taxes will be increased, and if so, the law would be unpopular and difficult to enforce. The good results possible from the betterment of school privileges would be neutralized by the opposition to the system, and therefore the plan would be a failure. My observation and experience in school work, covering a period of about fifteen years in New York State, and at the time when compulsory enactments of that State were under discussion, have led me to believe that it is unwise to attempt to enforce a compulsory school law until such time as a substantial majority of the people are in favor of the same. If my information is cor-rect, the people are not ready for it in this section of the country. The question may be asked, "When will they be ready?" In reply to this, if I may be allowed to do so, I will give a brief outline of what, in my opinion, would lead the people up to the point of demanding such a law, and then the enforcement of the same would be an easy matter. If each school district should be required to meet once each year in its school-house, or place where school is held, and elect from among the qualified voters a committee, con-sisting of three, a clerk, librarian and a tax-collector—the powers and duties of the committee to be to employ licensed teachers for a period of not less than six months in each year, and to levy a tax, which, in connection with the funds received from the State under the present laws, would be sufficient to maintain such school, and to levy such other tax for the building of school-houses, equipments, etc., as might be voted at any regular or special school meeting, and to be the executive head to carry into effect all orders of the meetings not inconsistent with the law. The other officers to perform the duties indicated by their respective offices. Let the penalty for failure to maintain a school six months in each year be a forfeiture to that district of the State's money which it would otherwise receive. Then the parents of children would become more intimately acquainted with the schools, and would become individually and to their own knowledge financially interested in having good schools, and would appreciate more fully the necessity of sending their children to school. And again, with each district having a sort of independence of its own in the management of its school affairs, a rivalry will spring up among adjoining districts as to which shall have the best school and the longest session, whence will arise that interest among parents which now seems to be almost entirely lost, and which is one of the essential elements of progressive free schools. I would not withdraw the county supervision of school work by a competent supervisor, but, on the other hand, would require each County Supervisor to visit each school at least twice each year, and spend one-half day at each visit, and to make written reports to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, setting forth the condition of the school. Under such a plan, it seems to me that the negro schools would be benefited by creating the necessity on their part of paying at least one-half of their school expenses. And the white schools would be largely benefited from the fact that the white districts, in raising a tax upon themselves, would not be required to pay one-half of it over to 2i North Carolina Labor Statistics. the support of the negro school. A law something on the line suggested, in my opinion, would soon create a feeling among the inhabitants in each district that the children must attend school in order to get the benefit of the school tax they have to pay, and it will be their pride to have the best school in their section, and then in natural sequence will follow a demand for compulsory law to bring in those few who have failed to appreciate the advantages given them. It may be that in other sections of the State greater interest is shown among parents for the education of their children, but I Lave seen the matter exemplified to some extent at this place, where there are about two hundred and sixty children of school age, and it has been by con-stant urging that about seventy-five of these have been kept in school, al-though the schools were absolutely free. Until a greater interest can be made manifest among parents, I do not think compulsory laws will be of much avail. The practical details of the law at which I have hinted, would require too much space and time for me to express here; but I speak of them from a practical knowledge of the system of schools in New York State from about the year 1875 until 1890, during which time there was that transforma-tion from a system practically like ours here, to what their system now is. Pardon me for so tedious a reply to your inquiry; I plead the excuse that I am heartily in favor of the improvement of our school system, and will gladly a*ist in the accomplishment of that object.—C. E. Whitney, Bessemer City. Compulsory Education.—I think the compulsory school law is a good one. The white children are not sent to school as they should be. The parents do not seem to take an interest in educating their children as they should, and I fear that unless something is done the time will come when the white race will be behind in this country. — John L. Phelps, Beston. Compulsory Education—Should Pay More Attention to Fruit.—I favor an absolute compulsory school law. I think such a law ought to be passed, and I hope it is not far in the future when it will be passed. Our people are looking forward to- the boys who will be deprived of their votes if they fail to learn to read and write, and if the children won't go to school freely to learn, there should be a law to force them, and then if they can't learn to read and write they ought not to be allowed to vote. So far as any suggestion in rela-tion to wage-earners, I hardly know what to say. I know a great many of our farmers have neglected their farms on account of public works, and neg-lected them to their sorrow. Farm hands can hardly be hired; all seem to want to get to some public works, if the works only run on one-half time. The public works here are a curse to the country, no doubt. The farmers all seem to be getting into the idea of small farms well worked, and are sowing more grass and clover than usual. Grasses, clover and fruit-growing would be the life of our county if only engaged in more by farmers. We have a fine county for grasses, etc.. and fruit of different sorts, but too little atten- Condition of Farmers. 25 tion is paid to our orchards; we have a few farmers wno are setting out good orchards, but not enough of such men. Then stock-raising would be profit-able here it seems, as all stock here are perfectly healthy; cattle or sheep hardly ever die with disease. Our hillside lands nave washed badly this spring—worse than common—and unless our farmers change their hillside land from, corn, etc., to grasses the soil will soon be gone.—F. M. Fiuzeix, Beta. Economy and Thrift—Compulsory Education.—Wage-earners should be encouraged to economy and thriftiness in their habits of living, and be en-couraged to beiieve and see that they are a part and parcel of this great Com-monwealth. Yes, we should have a compulsory educational law; there are some parents who have smart children who take no interest in their educa-tion. All such should be compelled to send their children to school, not only for the good of the children, but for the good of society and the betterment of this great Commonwealth.—S. C. Humphries, Bethel Hill. Need Manufacture—Compulsory Education.—The thing which I believe would do the most to help the wage-earners is an increase in manufacturing establishments, because an increase of hands employed at work other than farming increases farm products in prices; also, it might be of some ad-vantage to have agricultural schools establisned. The first thing I desire to say in regard to compulsory education is that we are forced to pay taxes for schools, and I think it would not be wrong if we were forced to make the best use of the taxes we are forced to pay. There are some people who rarely or never send their children to school. One of the great objections to com-pulsory education is constitutional rights. "Oh," some will say, "don't force a person to send to school against his will; the Constitution allows a man the right to send his children to school or not to send them." But when will we ever fully understand our rights unless we learn to read them? I hardly know what length of term would be best to advise, but I verily believe it would be well for us if we had a compulsory school law providing for at least six months per year.—S. E. Tweed, Big Laurel. Compulsory Education.—I am highly in favor of compulsory education. I think we should have better qualified teachers, and that parents should be compelled to send their children at least four months in every year from the age of nine to sixteen. I am highly pleased with the adoption of the Consti-tutional Amendment. I think it will bring about an intelligent citizenship and general good to all. — Arthur Teeter, Big Lick. Compulsory Education.—I feel sure that a compulsory school law is the only way whereby our young will ever be educated. I am in favor of raising 26 North Carolina Labor Statistics. the standard of education in our public schools, for instance, not allow anyone to teach except they are perfect in the English language, and increase our pub-lic schools to five months in each year, and allow teachers $35 per month, and have only one grade of teachers; this way of having first, second and third-grade teachers ought not to be.—W. A. Cacle, Big Lick. Compulsory Education.—I favor a compulsory school law, because I think it would benefit the rising generation, as well in moral and religious improve-ment as anything else. 1 think there should be a special tax levied to run a school six months in each school district, and parents should be compelled to send their children to school at least five months of each term. — David S. Mel-ton, Bluff. Compulsory Education.—1 can not make any suggestion in regard to the needs of wage-earners, for the reason that you know they are generally on the spend-as-you-make order. My observation is that those who spend only for ne-cessities lay by for the rainy day, while the most of them look only at the pres-ent. I answered your 20th question, "Yes," because I know there ought to be something done with those stingy old men who say that they are compelled to keep their children at home to work, while they loaf and talk politics and some do even worse. There is not a boy or young man that I can recall that was, and is, being raised by a widow who can not read and write. So I am in favor of compelling education, because it will only hit those that should be hit.—H. M. Hight, Bobbitt. Compulsoky Education.—The working class of people are becoming more independent every day in this county; also, the interest in education is daily increasing, yet. there is a class who are good, honest people and work day by day to accumulate property for their children who seem to consider education of very little importance, and prefer to keep their children at work than to send them to school; hence, we see the necessity of a compelling power. A child has to be sent to school before he becomes interested, and where the parents prefer not sending them, in nine cases out of ten they grow up illit-erate, therefore, to educate this class we will have to use compelling means. — J. P. Cox, Bolivia. Wage-eaexers Doixg Well—Compulsory Education.—In Western North Carolina the land is more equally divided than any country I have traveled in. The owners do most of their farm work themselves. Some very good farmers will help their neighbors during their busy season at ' reasonable prices. Some of the large farmers have renters to cultivate part of their farm, and hire them part of their time to help on the other, so wage-earners are doing very well in this section. As to compulsory education, I have taught public schools; my experience is that about fifty per cent is a good Condition of Farmers. 27 average attendance. A great many people are not interested in education; they try to excuse themselves by finding fault with the teacher, in fact, don't want to put themselves to any trouble in buying books and creditable cloth-ing. If there is not something done for this class of children between now and 1908 many will be deprived of voting. So I am in favor of a compulsory school law in North Carolina. In Boomer School District there are about one hundred and forty pupils. We average from eight to ten months school dur-ing the year. I think I am safe in saying there are one-fourth who don't at-tend any (Juring the year. One-half of the school term is free, by paying a small subscription they could have the privilege of sending the whole year. I think the education of the children of Boomer is above the average in Wilkes County. I don't know of anything more to interest you. I am very thankful for having this opportunity. I hope North Carolina, in the near fu-ture, will equal any State in the Union. I hope in 1908 all the children, espe-cially the white children, will be able to read and write any section of the Constitution.—I. M. Crouch, Boomer. Compulsory Education.—I think that a compulsory school law would be a good thing, for there are parents who do not send their children to school who ought to. If the children were in school it might keep them from mean-ness that they are apt to get into, and make better men and women; it is gen-erally the ignorant who commit crimes.—G. F. Gatlin, Bowers' Mill. Compulsory Education.—As you desire my views on compulsory education, I will say that I think a compulsory school law should be enacted compelling parents to send their children to school at least two-thirds of each public school term (unless they are sending to private schools). I also think that there should be some provision made for us to have longer schools, and that there should be a contingent fund in each county for needy children, who have no clothing suitable to wear to school, and that the committee should be required to furnish the teacher, on the first day of the school, the names of all the pupils in the district, and upon the third day of school, if the teacher has in his possession the names of any pupils who have not attended school, that he should report such names to the chairman of the committee, and then the chairman, or one of the committee appointed for the purpose, shall visit the homes of such children and ascertain the cause of their non-appearance at school. If he finds them without clothing, he shall go and buy suitable cloth-ing for them and pay for the same out of the contingent fund; but, if he finds any of them sick, they shall be excused until they are well enough to attend. I will not say anything about those who have not enough to eat. as I take it for granted if they have enough to eat to stay at home on that they have enough to go to school on. Now, there may be times when the weather will be very cold and children who have two or three miles to go may have to stay at home, but I think by compelling them to attend just two-thirds of the time, that the other third will be allowance enough for all sickness and severe 28 North Carolina Labor Statistics. weather, and it may be that one-fourth would be allowance enough and they could be sent three-fourths of each schoolterm. I am not in favor of compell-ing them to go more than three-fourths of the time. I also think that our sys-tem of teaching should be raised to a higher standard. Let us have teachers who are well prepared to teach our schools, and by all means let's not hire a lazy teacher, for no school at all is better than one that is crippled and smoth-ered by a lazv teacher.—A. L. Brewer, Bower. Kill Homestead Law—Compulsory Education.—One thing I think would be a great help would be to kill the homestead mortgage law. It would, I think, put life in the laboring class of people, and the farmer could have confi-dence in the working people; also, think compulsory school law would cause the people to educate their children better, and I hope to have it soon.—J. M. Mace, Bowman's Bluff. Compulsory Education—Land in Hands of Few.—There are many reasons why I favor a compulsory school law. The only way, in my judgment, to im-prove morality is to educate. One reason for so much illiteracy is that masses of men from forty to sixty are very limited in education; on that account their children are very much so, and while the State has given of her means to carry on a system of public schools, the citizens failed to take the ad-vantage of it. Take the majority of our mountain sections, the average at-tendance has been less than fifty per cent. I have been for years in favor of a compulsory school law, more so now; the Constitution requires it, and, fur-ther, morality requires it. I could suggest other reasons, but will let this suffice. The railroad has opened up a large section of fine timber that is giving employment to a great many hands for wages that farmers can not pay. The best farming land is owned by men who are called big farmers, and they are land poor; the laboring man can not buy, and to lease or rent, the landlord wants all, and the laborer can not pay the rents and live, therefore, the fertility of the soil is decreasing. They are living on the fat of the land and depend too much on buying, instead of improving their lands and raising, as they did in former years. A great many small farmers are improving their soil, and the tendency is that way, better farmers and better stock. There is no dependence on the negro; if he gets a day ahead that is all there is in it, and the more he is educated, the lower he gets in the mire. Farm labor is scarce on account of improvements, lumbering especially, but very soon there will be a reaction. There are no women and children who work on the farm, except those living in the mountain sections; they work on their own farms. We do not raise cotton, and very little tobacco, in this county; corn, rye and hay are the staple crops here, although it will be light this year, so many rains drowned out, and, in all probability, a drought is on us now: if so, the consequences will be fearful. I do not know that this will give you the information you desire, but this is the way I see it.—J. J. Shipman, Bre-vard. Condition of Farmers. 29 Compulsory Education.-—I think at least one-third of this section will be in favor of compulsory education. Schools won't do any good until we have the compulsory system.—W. A. Harward, Bridgeport. Compulsory Education.—My humble opinion is that the most needed thing is education in the broadest sense. Education is power. Educate a boy and he will take care of himself. Fail to educate him morally and intellectually and in many cases the prison-keepers will have to take care of him at public expense. Instead of three and a half months public school here a year, in my county, on an average, with a meagre attendance, we should have seven or eight months school with a law compelling the parents or guardians to send their children. With this system the masses would be educated and prepared for the various fields of labor and usefulness, and ignorance, the old parent of crime, would receive such a blow as would exterminate it from our State, and the burden of criminal courts and prison expenses would be lifted from our people. Without a compulsory system we can not hope to have an edu-cated citizenship in many years to come. Without it many of North Caro-lina's sons will be driven from the ballot-box, branded as unfit to have any voice in public affairs. — Levi Hamlin, Briggsville. Compulsory Education.—I would say in regard to compulsory education that if it is morally right to tax us to support public schools, it is also right to compel parents to send their children to get the benefits. The State might establish a college in every county in the State and give tuition to all free of charge, and yet there would be a large per cent of the children who could not read or write. Four months of public school is sufficient to give every child a good, practical education if they only would attend and get the benefit of schools. Give us compulsory school in as mild a form as possible. All able-bodied men can send their children to school, if not, then the State should look after them.—J. H. Daniel, Bringles. Compulsory Education.—I favor compulsory school law. The people are compelled to pay taxes to run the schools, and, I think, parents ought to be compelled to send their children to the schools. However, I do not think educating a negro makes him a better citizen, still I am willing to try the ex-periment.— F. G. Chilcutt, Brown's Summit. Compulsory Education.—Now, in reference to compulsory education, will say that it has always been a matter that has received my serious considera-tion, and have believed that such an enactment would be to the interest of the people, and especially do I see the necessity of it now, since citizenship will soon depend on it, and men's right to vote will depend on the result of North Carolina Labor Statistics. educational training. I admit that it would look hard, in a sense, to compel and deprive men and women in things of their own choice, but again, no one has a right to grow up in ignorance and be a tool among the intelligent. Every man is required to do his duty, and the command is upon him to get wisdom, and with all his getting get understanding (Bible). I hail the day when we will have a compulsory school law.—R. H. Clarke, Bryson City. Compulsory Education.—I am in favor of all children between six and fourteen years of age being compelled to go to school, at least three months in the year, if their parents have to go to the poor-house while they are in school. —M. J. Anthony, Burlington. Need Compulsory Education.—I am inclined to believe that a compulsory school law is the very thing we need, and I think that a good common school education would do more to improve our people, morally, religiously and financially, than any other one thing they could be given.—W. J. McClure, Bushnell. Compulsory Education with Negro Left Out.—I am in favor of compul-sory education if it will leave out the negro. I don't want to help feed and clothe him and send him (the negro) to school.—W. H. Long, Bushy Fork. Schools Unsatisfactory—State Should Furnish Clothes and Books.— I can't see any improvement in our township in the public schools for the past five years, although the expenses increase. There is too much politics and so-called religion mixed in with the running of public schools. In regard to compulsory education, since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment requiring all voters to read and write any section of the Constitution after 1908, I think if we had our schools properly conducted, that most of the future voters who have any patriotism about them will learn to read and write with-out being compelled to do so. There are some parents who are too poor to buy books and clothe their children decently enough to send them to school. Now, in that case, will the State furnish the books and clothes for such chil-dren? If not, then I am opposed to compulsory school law. It is a long time off, but it may be better to be thinking about it now. After 1908, I think it would be proper and right to allow anyone, no matter what his age, to be al-lowed to attend the public schools who can not read and write. In that case, those who are so unfortunate as not to have had the privilege of attending school before they were twenty-one years old could qualify themselves after they became of age for citizenship.—J. W. Terry, Caldwell Institute. Condition of Farmers. 31 Conditions Improving—Compulsory Education.—Wage-earners spend their money too fast. Our laborers and farmers are all better off, and improving all the time. The price of cotton last year was good, and truck brought a good price. The farmers have money and good day laborers can get a dollar per day. I am in favor of compulsory education, for the reason that so many work their children and will not send them to school.—H. C. Lamb, Camden. Compulsory Education.—One of the best improvements the State can make will be to have at least six months of compulsory education in a year, com-pelling the parents to send their children to school from the age of seven years to twelve years; and also, pass a law not to allow a child to work in any factory or workshop until it attains the age of thirteen years. This would benefit the State financially and morally, and improve the mind to a higher standard; also, to let each race take out of the school fund the money collected from them for school purposes, which will improve the white race, as they are the ones who pay the taxes to support educa-tion. Let the State adopt a series of school books all over the State to be sold to all counties, so the same system will benefit, all over the State, the children whose parents move from one section to another, and put them as cheaply to the people as possible; also, to provide graded schools in all towns of any size, and when necessary, and to force the people to send their children to a private school the same length of time as the term of the free school in their district, then they may be exempt from sending to tj.e free schools.—A. R. Hllburn, Canetuck. Need Factories—Not Ready for Compulsory Education.—For wage-earners we need factories of different kinds. We have a great variety of timber, which, if it could be manufactured here, would give all people employment. Farmers do not hire much labor in this mountain section. As to compulsory education, if we could have sufficient money and sufficient laws to carry it into effect it might answer our needs, but my opinion is, we will have to get the parents interested first, and, then, the people are always opposed to an in-crease of taxation. I do not think it would suit the people of this county. — J. L. Randall, Canto. Compulsory Education.—I am a poor farmer and teacher in public schools, in which I am very much interested. I have been in the public school for the last ten years, and really believe we must have a compulsory law of edu-cation. I think if our law-makers have a right to tax us, they also have a right to compel us to give our children the benefit of this taxation. I think the parents should be compelled to send at least fifteen days in each school month, unless providentially hindered; in such cases they should be com-pelled to report each day to the teacher cause of absence. — John A. Fry, Carthage. 32 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education.—Don't think compulsory school law would be the best. The school term is fully as long as most of them have the time to at-tend.— D. S. Rice. Castalia. Compulsory Education or Nothing.—As to education, the children do not go to school, and at the rate they go it costs almost as much per capita as a private school would. We either need compulsory education or abolish the entire business.—A. W. Alston. Centreville. Compulsory Education.—Yes, sir; I favor a compulsory educational law, as it will be the only means by which the standard of education will ever be raised in the Old North State. My opinion is that if the education of the children of North Carolina is not looked after, and a compulsory school law enacted, we will drift from bad to worse until we have reached a state of af-fairs too appalling to think of. The need of working people is education, that they may be able to make their own calculations as to what a bale of cotton would be worth at the enormous figures of four to seven cents per pound. More money and education is our only hope. Compulsory education is the only salvation of the educational question.— "VV. N. Rogers, Cheoah. Work Plentiful—Compulsory Education.—The only thing I san see for the wage-earners to do is to apply themselves to work. It is no trouble for them to get work now in cotton mills, furniture shops, masonry, house car-penter work, or on farms. If the mind is willing, the hands can find plenty— to do. In regard to compulsory education, will say that I am in favor of a law that will compel parents to send their children to school from six years of age to twelve or fourteen. Our rural districts are improving in this line, but I find the case different about the cotton mills; although the advantages and opportunities are good, the majority of the mill parents fail to see the great need of educating their children. A great many of the parents around the mills keep their children at work all the time, while they spend the greater part of their own time in idleness. These children should be edu-cated. It is a moral duty every parent owes his children, and whenever he fails to perform this duty we need a statute compelling him to perform it. — L. H. J. Hauser. Clierryville. Do not Need Paternalism—Compulsory Education.—In regard to wage-earners, relative to their needs and benefits, it is hard to tell what would be best for them. A good portion of them are indifferent in regard to their con-dition, while others are thrifty and will do something for themselves. My opinion is that the wage-earner has under our laws an equal opportunity to carve out a living, and let him do it if he will, and if he will not, you can't help it. We do not need paternalism for any class of our people. The most Condition of Farmers. 33 of our people are poor, and the greater portion run their own affairs, small farms such as they can work with their own families. In fact, I think that owing to the unreliable labor we have to depend upon that the small-farm system is the safe thing for us in the rural districts. The tendencies of the times point that way. Ignorance, .to some extent, is the father of idleness. Under our laws you can prosecute a man for vagrancy, but you can't prevent him from raising up as ignorant a set of children as himself, neither can you make him ambitious, have a sense of honor, or be thrifty. Hence, we need a compulsory educational law, and need it now, to force such parents, not to bring up their children to their own ignorant, degraded level, to be a curse to themselves and society, but to give them light, that they may make good law-abiding citizens and have the right of suffrage to cast their vote for the com-mon good of our State, and, perhaps, be an ornament to society. Why there should be any question about passing such a law to force people out of dark-ness into light, I can't understand.—W. C. Brewer, Chip. Compulsory Law Would not Work Well—Organize Wage-Earners.—I do not think that a compulsory school law would work well in this township. I am of the opinion that it would be much better for the State to furnish the poor boy with some school books. With the books and the boy's neighbor friends to encourage him, if he be any good he will learn to read and write. I think all wage-earners should organize in one union with wise leaders and without politicians.���J. M. Southern, Cherryfield. """ Labor Unreliable.—In compliance with your wish for suggestions from farmers relative to the needs of the wage- arners, I will say that the greatest of all needs is the want of some form of discipline that is alike just to the employer and the employee. We have felt this need more this year than usual. Scarcely a farmer in this county employing negro labor, that has not been annoyed by interference on the part of some fellow-farmer or timber-man decoying his labor uy offering an increase of wages of five or ten cents per day. In many cases teams and plows have stood idle, and rented crops, for which the landlord has made advances, have been allowed to suffer be-cause of this interference. As a rule, the negro is a very short-sighted crea-ture, and the supplying of his present wants seems to be his ambition. He depreciates the value of a promise made, and is fond of change, going from place to place. His unstable ways work a hardship fcr him, though he seems not to be aware of it. The employer is more at fault for this order of things than the laborer. When the employer goes to a laborer's home at night or on Sunday for the purpose ot securing his services for the coming week, when the employer knows that said laborer is already engaged with his neighbor, that employer is doing his neighbor an injustice by depriving him of the labor that he has a right to by agreement, and is doing the laborer an injustice by making him shiftless and unreliable. The custom of paying an idle, shiftless 34 North Carolina Labor Statistics. man the same wages as an industrious and care-taking one is a bad rule. A laborer should be paid according to his worth, then there would be an incen-tive to all to do better.—J. L. Butt, Chocoioinity . Labor Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—I hardly know what to say in regard to wage-earners; so many are so unreliable that it is hard to make any suggestion relative to their needs. I can speak only for the southern section of this county. If there could be some way fixed to compel them to stick to their work and save their wages it would greatly improve their condition, but such a thing is out of the question. As to compulsory education, I am clearly of the opinion that it is necessary. I used to be opposed to it, but now I favor a law forcing every child to attend school at least three months each year from the age of seven to fourteen. That is, they should attend school twenty-one months during the seven years. I make this as a suggestion; also, I would favor free books to those unable to purchase them.—W. H. Hol-land, Christie. Better Wages—Compulsory Education.—I believe advance in the prices of wages will have to be made in order to keep our young men in our Old North State. Education, I believe, since the Amendment, will be more encouraged than before. However, I favor compulsory education during the fall season; not in the winter in these mountains. When we get this, then wealth will follow; also, morals and religious worship. Hoping you may greatly aid in bringing this about, which will greatly improve our every condition, and bring renown upon you as a leader in the annals of history.—H. C. Edwards, City. "* Wage-earners Have all They Could Ask For.—I think wage-earners have all they could ask for in good wages and a chance for steady work. Economy on their part would give them all homes of their own. — John Humphrey, Clark. Need Higher Prices—Compulsory Education.—In regard to your inquiry, I would say that I am not very well posted as to the needs of the laboring peo-ple, but, as far as my observation goes, I think we need more and better em-ployment, and I know of no way to remedy this until the farmers get higher prices for their produce. As to compulsory education, I am in favor of it, and since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment I am more in favor of it than ever. There is no use to undertake to elect a Legislature at this time that will pass such a law. Like the dog law, it is very popular among the masses of the people, but our Legislature is afraid to pass it, knowing at the same time it is to the best interests of their constituents. It is well to discuss this great and important question, and try and create public senti-ment in favor of compulsory education.—M. F. Owen, ClarJctoti. Condition of Farmers. 35 Favors Compulsory Education.—I am in favor of compulsory education because most people need driving in some way or other. Besides, it is wrong to sell property to raise money for education and then leave it to the careless whether they send their children or not.—J. L. Autry, Clement. Compulsory Education—Compliance with Contracts.—A compulsory school law will benefit that class who are entirely dependent upon public schools. I have now in mind several large families, the heads of which do not afford the children any school opportunities. I can not make any sugges-tions relative to the needs of wage-earners, unless it be that they be impressed with the importance of a strict compliance with their contracts and the edu-cation of their children. Too much legislation is worse than none. Generally, men desire to be let alone and permitted to have a fair field in life's battle, not being discriminated against by class legislation.—A. C. Wharton, Clem-monsville. Equalize Salaries—Appropriate More for Public Schools and Less fob Other Institutions.—Wage-earners need the burdens of taxation lightened. It would benefit the laboring class to have more equal justice in the distribu-tion of the State funds. Some of the high officers get from twelve to fifteen dollars per day, while road hands, overseers and school committees get noth-ing, and Magistrates get almost nothing for their services. The contrast is too great. I suggest for the benefit of the working class that there be more equal justice. We have a number of election officers who receive from one to four dollars per day, while school committeemen are required to serve for nothing. The school officers are of much more importance than some of the election officers, and it would be just to pay them something for their services; besides, it would give an impetus to education. In regard to compulsory edu-cation, I am in favor of freedom and liberty in all things. A great many of the very poor people can hardly pay their taxes, support their families and spare the time to send to school. I am highly in favor of education among the common and poor classes of people, and I believe they must need help and encouragement more than compulsory laws. I would suggest that the next Legislature appropriate more for public schools and less for State institu-tions, especially the University of North Carolina. If more of the people's money could be put into public schools it would no doubt do greater good to a greater number in the State. In those high institutions of learning only a favored few get the benefit of the large appropriations that are made to them, while all are equally burdened to pay the money into the treasury.—E. B. Hendren, Cline. Conditions Good—Opposed to Compulsory Education.—The wage-earner is in good condition for living and laying up a little for a rainy day; some are making enough to buy them small farms. The lands have changed around North Carolina Labor Statistics. considerably. All that will stick to business will prosper. All in my com-munity are farming pretty extensively; wheat good, and on account of con-tinued rains, all hands are busy, but the crop is safe. Now, in regard to com-pulsory education, I am now opposed to compelling children to go to school. The whites are waking up to their duty, and so far as the negro is concerned he can work out his own salvation. The world is open and free to him, and if he fails to improve the opportunities, then his education will amount to nothing with us; let him go. I have a large family of negroes on my farm now that during the protracted rains have idled around afraid of wet ground, and have let their crops swamp in grass and weeds, and it is so in all cases where negroes are working. They are a failure and a curse, always ready to vote against the white man. Let compulsory education alone.—P. W. Eagle, Clio. Favors Compulsory Education.—I am in favor of compulsory education, and I have been for a long time. We have several families in our neighborhood who live in sight 01 school-house, who have never sent their children to school a day, and it a free school, and they have been living here for five and six years. Their children never go to Sunday School and church. The negroes send their children to school every chance they get; it is some of the whites who do not care.—R. L. Wooten, Coahoma. Compulsory Education.—I don't think I can make any suggestions to im-prove wage-earners. They are devoted to their churches and seem very re-ligious, but morally are bad. They seem to ignore at least three of the com-mandments. This refers to the colored race. Compulsory education will benefit the whites more than any other class. White parents are more care-less about requiring their children to attend school when the child prefers to stay away, besides their labor is always in demand on the farm. This shows the need of a law to compel parents to send them, and at least make them keep pace with the negro, who makes use of every privilege and is ready to make a sacrifice of part of their year's work to enable their children to go to school. But the educated negro becomes useless as a farm laborer; he be-comes a dude, must preach, teach public schools, or loaf if not fit for the above occupations. This makes less labor, and will necessarily reduce the size of the family to suit the size of the family living on it, and when the old heads disappear will bring social equality among the white race, and only he who has the most money will be respected the most. A change in our system of farming, growing such crops as can be handled by machinery, will be the only means of keeping up a good size farm.—J. W. Leary, Coleraine. Favors Compulsory Education.—Having served as school committeeman a number of years, also a member of school board for some years, I am satisfied Condition of Farmers. 37 from experience that we should have compulsory school law. In my judg-ment the Constitutional Amendment will do very little towards creating in-terest in educational lines, for the simple reason that if a young man does not see the need of an education until he comes to vote, it will be rather late for him to begin to prepare himself for the franchise. While the Amendment may be beneficial in some respects and accomplish some of the purposes for which it was created, it will never be the benefit to the school interests that was claimed for it. My views regarding compulsory laws were given in my report of 1900. This report will be found on page 250, Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor and Printing, 1900.—J. M. Putnam, Collinsville. ''Labor Scarce and Unreliable.—I have answered each question as I under-stand it. As to the scarcity of labor, farm laborers are scarce and unreliable as wage-earners. The general laborer, as tenants, are reliable, and their in-terest, in common with other farmers, is increasing, and those who stick to the farm are doing better. The amount of wages paid is controlled by various conditions and circumstances.—T. L. Jones, Columbia. Value or Land Increased—Compulsory Education.—The increase in the value of land is caused partly by better prices for farm produce, and, second, by lands becoming improved. Negro labor can not be relied upon. The scarcity of labor is caused by so many people moving to the towns to work in factories. The highest wages per day for farm hands is fifty cents and board; women fifty cents and board themselves. Lowest for men, thirty-five cents and board; women, twenty-five cents and board, and if you wish to include board, etc., men's wages range from fifty to seventy-five cents per day, board included, and women from thirty-five to sixty-five cents, board included; children, twenty to forty cents, board included. It cost more to produce five hundred pounds of cotton last year than it has for several years. In this sec-tion dry weather was the principal cause. The educational condition of the working class could be improved by compulsory education. Too many of the poorer class do not send to school when they have a chance. The principal cause is indifference. I have been teaching in the public schools of this State for ten years. The per cent of illiterates in this part of the county (No. 5 Township) is about five per cent. Our public school is above the average in this State. I favor compulsory education, and let us have it just as soon as possible.—W. K. Lyles, Concord. Does not Favor Compulsory Education.—I do not favor compulsory educa-tion, because we can't compel one race without the other, and my experience teaches me that education spoils the negro as a laborer.—J. E. Howard, Conetoe. 38 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education.—Your favor to hand, and I have given in detail, as near as possible, the facts in regard to things inquired after. Would say that I would heartily endorse a law that would compel parents to educate their children, as there are parents, to my knowledge, with large numbers of chil-dren who will let a public school run four months in the year within two hun-dred yards of their homes and never send a single one of their children one day, simply because the child is a little backward about starting. There-fore, in my estimation, a compulsory educational law would be of great bene-fit to the working people of North Carolina.—E. J. Eaton, Conrads. Compulsory Law the Only Hope.—I have always been opposed to compul-sory methods, but I am convinced that it is the only way that we will be able to educate all classes. I have been a school committeeman, or trustee, many years, and I find that it is impossible to get a certain class to attend, and they are the very ones for whom the public schools are for. I feel sure that under our present system there is waste of much of the public school funds, and especially of that appropriated to the schools of the colored race.—J. M. C. Penninger, Cooleemee. Favors Compulsory Education.—There are several of your questions which I hardly know how to answer, i can not teil what it costs to produce a bale of cotton, bushel of wheat, corn, oats, pound of tobacco, etc., as I have never kept any accurate account of same, and information to be of any value should be accurate. The highest wages paid farm hands is fifty cents per day, in-cluding board, or ten dollars per month. The educational condition of the working people is fairly good if they would take advantage of it, but a lot of them do not. Therefore, I favor a compulsory school law. If it is right to tax the people to run the public schools, it is also right to compel them to give their children the advantage of them. I think it would have a tendency to stop so many from moving to the towns for the purpose of putting their chil-dren out in cotton mills and other factories, while their fathers spend what little they earn for liquor and spend most of their time in drinking and abus-ing their families.—V. C Montgomery, Cool Springs. Conditions Good—Compulsory Education.—I think that the wage-earner is much better off, and anyone can get good employment all the time if he wishes. In regard to compulsory education, I am strongly in favor of the law. There are some parents who will not send their children to school unless they are compelled to do so. We were all in hopes that our last Legislature would do something on that line, but I think that our people will demand of our next Representative to enact such a law.—W. C. Webb, Cordova. Condition of Farmers. 39 Prospect Gloomy—Compulsory Education.—The financial condition of the working people is now fairly good, but the prospects for another year are rather gloomy, owing to the freshets and continued rain. Very few of the poorer class of farming people—tenants—will be able to pay for their pro-visions and fertilizers. A right considerable amount of planted land has been turned out. Wheat and oats are a total loss on some streams, and in-jured on all. In this county we have in most of the districts comfortable school-bouses, easily accessible to all the children, and' there are from four to six months in the year during which the children can be very easily spared from the farm. There is hardly a family too poor to send if they will try hard enough. Many of the parents, however, being uneducated themselves, are indifferent about the education of their children. Compulsory education is the only remedy. I think the limit in years should be from eight to four-teen or fifteen. The distance, in many cases, would be too great for little children under eight years. To compel children over fifteen to go would, in many cases, work a hardship, and would tend to make the law unpopular and ineffective. Interest in education has very decidedly increased during the last year or two, and the outlook is brighter than it has ever been for general education. — Alfred Baldwin, Covington. Favors Compulsory Education.—As to compulsory education, I am highly in favor of it. The tax has to be paid to school them and I think they ought to be made to go to school at least four months in the year. I would suggest that owing to the poor class of children, who are badly clothed and have to go barefooted, that the school term should be through August, September, October and November, that is, at a time the parents can best do without their labor, and the school would be out before real cold weather would set in. I would say that it would be just and right to tax each class of people, whites and blacks, to educate their own children. It is wrong to tax the white peo-ple to educate the negro.—R. H. Stephens, Coivarts. Prosperous and Contented—Compulsory Education.—In Haywood County the people are nineteen-twentieths landlord and tenant, or as we are called in homely phrase, "lana owner and renter," and not more than one farmer in a dozen hires help, except in harvest or meadow time, hence, we have neither negroes, floaters nor tramps. Our farmers and tenants alike are prosperous and contented, and as I write (June 24th) prospects for farm crops were sel-dom better. Schools for the education of the children of the State, although on the upgrade, are not sufficient to meet the requirements of the times. This school year of 1901-'02 will give the children perhaps four months of school. and everything taxed high to obtain the cash necessary for that length of school. Now, if the fine lady's poodle, the fox-hunter's hound, the stockman's shepherd, and the negro's 'possum dog, yes, and all other dogs alike, had been taxed two dollars each, the State of North Carolina would have had money 40 North Carolina Labor Statistics. enough, to run seven months at least. But legislators look back of the dog for the vote of his owner, and regard neither the life of the sheep (that are often killed by the dog.), nor the cultivation and improvement of the minds of the children of the State. But why grumble about the tax? The man who carries a head on his shoulders between the ages of twenty-one and fifty years is compelled to pay tax, as also the man or woman who owns property, but that same man may be the father or guardian of half a dozen children of school age, and during school term he may keep those children at home to work, or he may hire them in a cotton mill and drink up, or down, their wages, or he may, through sheer meanness, keep them at home in idleness. Now, if children are kept from school, be the cause whatever it may, the school is taught, if taught at all, in vain, and the tax is paid in vain. I promise you in advance that I will never vote for another man to represent Haywood, either in House or Senate, who is not in favor of a compulsory school law and will promise to work and vote for it.—M. A. Kirkpatrick, Crabtree. y- Open South Fork Creek.—I am only referring to the condition of my town-ship. The drainway of our township is a creek, known as South Fork Creek, which is very near filled up. There is a vast quantity of dismal to the south of said creek, which the creek, when kept open by the farm owners, did drain, but in a wet spell like unto now the water pours down upon the lands of our locality, so we are unsafe at all times, and upon an average we do not make more than half crops, and we are not able to open the creek, and we would like to have aid from the State, if it be possible. Farm labor has left the farms and gone to the log-woods for support.—S. C. Patrick, Creswell. Favors Compulsory Education.—My filling of the above is only the opin-ion of one. I would say in regard to wage-earners, nine-tenths of them are negroes of a very poor class (I mean their work is poor and uncertain), and I do not think educating them makes them any better, as they have a good school of about four months each year and they do not fail to attend it. I am in favor of compulsory education for the white children, as there are scores of children in our community whose parents are so careless their children are growing up in ignorance almost in sight of good schools of four months per year. It doesn't make any difference about the "coon."—W. A. Smith, Cro-martie. Education Injures the Negro.—The more education a negro has the bet-ter subject for penitentiary and the less value to the country. Of course there are a few exceptions, but a very few. Nearly all abandon the farms; it will soon be so you can't get farm hands. All want to teach, preach and study law as soon as they can read and write, and will be a curse to the coun-try soon. The grass is eating up crops; can not get anyone to work in field. Condition of Farmers. 41 Talk of compulsory education! Pass laws compelling them to work and make bread, instead of stealing. Pass laws for each race to educate its own chil-dren. If it is not constitutional, change the Constitution.—S. N. Formy, Cronly. Factories Needed—Compulsory Education.—1 am not prepared to say what would benefit the wage-earners. The establishment of manufactures of various kinds, which we have not, might furnish employment for many un-employed men of this county. Farmers can not, machinery is taking the place of men. It might be of benefit to all wage-earners for a portion of the wage-earning families to emigrate to some unsettled Western State. Some have already taken advantage of this, and are now farming for themselves and furnishing employment for others who were not so lucky. We must have a compulsory school law; without it, after 1908, our elections will be more unpleasant than they have hitherto been. I often hear poor men ex-claim that their boys shall have the freedom of the ballot-box as they them-selves have had, if it costs them their lives in the defense of their boys' lib-erty. I say compel such men to educate their boys, not only so they will be allowed to vote, but for a blessing to them and their parents ail through life; not only this, but an honor to the State and county in which such a law may be enacted. I would suggest that the limit be somewhere from five to nine months in the year. The children in my section are not needed at home or on the farms more than three months in the year, and a great many of them not so long. I consider the educational question the most important now confronting the people of this State, especially the poorer class, which is greatly in the majority. In my school district we have about six months free school, with about, one hundred and sixty children of school age, between the ages of six and twenty-one. The average attendance last term was about fifty, and one hundred and ten children kept away from school, some for one cause, some another, mostly all children of poor farmers, who are compelled to pay taxes to run this school, and then claim they can not spare their chil-dren that they may receive an education and be fitted for the duties of life. Give us compulsory school law, that all children may have a fair education. When men find they must send their children to school a certain number of months in the year, then they will prepare for it and can live fully as well. — I. B. Pless. Cruso. Compulsory Work—Compulsory Education.—The wage-earners of this sec-tion need a law that will compel them to work in a prescribed manner, and then pay accordingly. As a general rule, we all do our own work, or rent to some one. The general rule is one-third of crop, garden free, or furnish stock and tools, one-half. A compulsory school law in this county would be rather tyrannical, but I honestly believe it is the only means of improving the relig-ious and moral condition of the people. It would be a grand thing to keep children out of bad company and learn them energy and business, instead of 42 North Carolina Labor Statistics. loafing and idleness. There are some very poor people here who need a work-house like they have in other counties, so they can earn clothes, books, etc. Compel them to work, and then compel them to go to school. Have such a place established in the county, and by the county, for the benefit of such classes. Then all who have the means to go to school go right on, and if the poor .go to work, which would be better for them than to loaf, it would be business instead of idleness. Both things in connection would greatly benefit this part of the county. We only work about five months out of the year any-way. There are some that do, but the majority do not. This, I think, could be engineered in such a manner as to impart equal justice to all parties. Edu-cation in work is as essential as education in books, and both are a great deal better than either by itself. I hope this will be of some benefit to you, also to our county.—W. H. Anderson, Jr., Culberson. Need Railroad Facilities—Compulsory Education,—I believe that if we had railroad facilities it would give us a market for our farm products and would give us more demand for farm labor. I favor the compulsory school law and think it would be good for our people.—J. M. Kexxer, Callasaja. Need More Labor—Compulsory Education.—In regard to labor, we farmers are paying our labor all we are able at present prices of our produce. We need more labor, and labor we can depend on. Our crops have suffered on account of labor being so scarce. We all down here favor the compulsory school law, and think it the very thing wanted—help us out with it.—F. B. Orr, Currie. Farm Work not Popular—Compulsory Education.—Since the products of the farm have depreciated so much, especially tobacco (which is the only money crop in our section), a large number of young men have left the farm; some have gone West. Indeed, farm work is not so popular as it was a few years ago. If something could be done to enable the farmer to control the price of his crops, it would help very much to increase interest in farm work. The farmer has to accept just what the manufacturer is pleased to pay. It is hard to decide what is best as to compulsory school law. Many parents are greatlj' wanting in interest, at the same time many are poorly prepared to furnish board, books and clothes to send to school. The old adage is quite true, "Where there's a will, there's a way," so if we could get parents to realize the importance of the matter they would then seek the means of doing better. I am at a loss to decide what could be done that would cause parents to realize the needs of their children. In our section education has never been appreciated by a large number of our people. Frequent changes in the school law is not the best. WT e should get right and let the law continue. — Pinkney Oliver, Balton. Condition of Farmers. 43 Need Compulsory Education.—The great trouble is to reach the poorer class of people. They will not send to school, though it is paid for. I have long since decided that some compulsory act is necessary to reach that class of people who will not send to school, then teachers who will labor to work up an influence with that class. Too many teachers in the State take no interest further than the money—what I call "money sharks." Our institutions in the State should make it one of the great principles to be taught, the great interest of the soul and moral character, as well as the improvement of the mind. I think, with some legislation and the proper influence of the press in the State just now, we can do wonders in the line of education. Our county subscribed eighty-five thousand dollars to building railroads in the county, which has raised the taxes and keeps out purchasers, and our lands are as-sessed higher than the products will justify by farming, consequently young men are not farming, and the negro is going to where he thinks he can do better waiting and cooking and washing for summer boarders; our young men to clerking and other employment about town. Our products are corn, rye, oats, some wheat, potatoes, and vegetables and grapes.—E. B. Clayton, Davidson River. Opposed to Compulsory Education.—I oppose a compulsory school law, be-cause, first, such a law can not be enforced, in my opinion; second, the class of people this law is intended to benefit have as much school now as they can spare their children to attend.—J. M. Thrash. Davidson River. Not Ready for Compulsory Education.—I do not think the people are ready for compulsory education yet. I think a liberal public school system would be better for awhile, as working people generally are willing to avail themselves of the opportunity of all the public school they can. If they have a chance to earn a living and good schools for five or six months of the year, there would be very few children to grow up unable to read and write, and they would be apt to resist and evade all compulsion or force. Give them good common schools with good school-houses, good roads, opportunity to work at fair wages, a just and equitable system of taxation, and they will take care of the rest.—D. L. Morrison, Decatur. Favors Compulsory Education.—I think education should be made com-pulsory to every child in the State of North Carolina, and I have always been of that opinion before the Amendment to the Constitution was adopted. I know of some young men in my neighborhood who were born and raised in sight of a school-house, who can't read or write, and if their parents had been compelled to send them to school, to-day they could be so they could read and write and their fathers just as well off as they are. — Harris Harrison. Denton. 44 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education—Economize.—In my opinion a compulsory school law would have a tendency to better the wage-earners and tenants, both mor-ally and financially. The two main causes for the bad circumstances of the classes in question are that they do not set the proper estimate on time, and then in making debts with the merchant do not consider in the proper light the time for paying said debts. There are ways in which they might cut off some of the expenses, and that is by doing without some things used. I would say leave off loafing and put in more time. Every tenant should, in the months of January and February, prepare enough wood for the whole year, then, instead of cutting wood, cut grass and gather the crops.—W. W. Washburn, Depeiv. Compulsory Education—Child Labor.—As to compulsory school law, I have not always been in favor of it. It will put a low class of indecent chil-dren in our public schools, but after considering well, we decide that it would be best for the child, and answer, "Yes, we favor it." We oppose the employ-ment of children under ten years of age in cotton factories; their lives will be short if they go in at twelve or fifteen years old.—D. N. Hunt, Dexter. Conditions Improved—Compulsory Education.—I have tried to make you a partial report on the wage-earning class, and must say that in most cases there is some little improvement, and, while it is very slight, yet to the close observer there can be seen some improvement in their mental and financial condition. The best and only remedy I see for the evils of ignorance is the compulsory educational law. Let it be passed with provisions sufficient to enable all to go, and then let the people see that the law is carried out fully. The religious and moral conditions can't improve much as long as the people remain in ignorance. I am in favor of public education to the extent it re-quires, and then let the State and her citizens rally to the support of our University; and I am in favor of taking away every vestige of politics from that school, and then we will have a university that we will be proud of. I am sorry that there has been any religious feeling engendered by certain peo-ple in the State.—R. F. Jarrett, Dillsboro. Compulsory Education for Whites.—In regard to my opinion on compul-sory education, I must say I favored the amendment on the grounds to elim-inate the negro from politics; now go and pass a law to educate him, I think it would be very inconsistent. I believe if the negro is to remain with us the white race should not be taxed to educate him, much less furnish the money, then compel him to go to school. So far as the white race is concerned, I favor compulsory education. If the white people are not educated, from my observation, since the amendment has been adopted, the negro is making a greater effort for an education than the white race. The negro labor in this county is almost a failure.—G. D. Markham, Durham. Condition of Farmers. 45 Favors Compulsory Education.—There are very few wage-earners in our community. I know of but few regular hands. The farmers do their own work mostly, employing day hands on special occasions. Our township will not for a long time be much for hirelings; owners of farms do not think they can at present prices afford to hire help. Very few of the farms of this town-ship do much more than support their owners. Saw-mills and shingle-mills do furnish a few persons employment. Nothing short of some public enterprise, in my view, will ever help wage-earners in this township. As to compulsory education, I favor it from the fact that it might call into requisition the capa-bilities of some child or children which would develop and do much good in the State. The powers may otherwise lie latent in the child's mind and never amount to anything. I favor it again because it loosens the iron grasp of the parent and gives the child a chance to be somebody. When parents are so very indifferent I do not think it amiss for the State to interfere. The State is responsible for the conduct of all her citizens and, therefore, should have much to do in shaping their lives. Therefore, I conclude that the State should provide for the moral and mental culture, and even the physical, if need be, of all the children of the State to the extent of qualifying them for good citizens. I do not think the franchise among the "plain people" amounts to as much as some claim. The mere privilege of voting with people who never can hold office for want of qualification, does not amount to much. The more ignorant voters, the demagogues have the better chance. Just barely being able to read and write will not make much of a factor in the government. I would be glad if we could stimulate our people to higher motives than being merely able to read and write. I would be glad to say something to every boy in the State to cause him to make the best of himself. Girls, too, should be stirred up to greater efforts to mental cultivation.—J. R. Denton, Dysartville. Compulsory Education Necessary.—I am at a loss to make any suggestion relative to the needs of tbe wage-earners, as our lands produce so little per acre of wheat, corn, cotton, and the various things produced by the farmers in this country. The farmers can't afford to pay high wages for labor unless we could produce more to the acre and get more for what we do make. In re-gard to compulsory education, I believe it will have to come in order to reach the very poor class of our white children. There are plenty of people who are so poor they can't buy the clothes and books necessary for their children to have to go to school, and they do not want their children to go clad worse than other children, and so they thus allow them to grow up totally ignorant. If we had a compulsory school law passed that would require every child to be in school three or four months in the year, and that time to be at the time the parents can best do without their children at home, it would be a great stimulus to the intelligence of our people. But to pass a compulsory school law might require an appropriation of some money to go with it so as not to work too great a hardship on some extremely poor and destitute families. To punish a man by fine or imprisonment for failing to do that which a law would 46 North Carolina Labor Statistics. require of him to do when he or she, as the case might be, are totally unable to do it, would be rather hard. Though I do not believe we would have a great many families in the State to help. But the people as a whole, with the few extreme cases mentioned, I think, would go about preparing their children with clothes and books and have them ready for school when the time came. — A. E. Bettis, Earl. Parents Opposed to Education.—I believe that the children should be sent to school by some means. There are some willing to go when there is an op-portunity; it is the old people who don't like education, as a general thing, and don't want it for the children. I hope the time is not far distant when we can have more and better schools, as I know it makes better citizens and bet-ter wage-earners. — Charles L. Mann, East Lake. Opposed to School System.—So long as the Legislature continues to invade the rights of the people and appoint the County Boards of Education as re-wards to political heelers, without regard to qualification or the needs of our public school system, that long am I opposed to a compulsory education. We are a much abused people. One of our members of the County Board of Edu-cation can not, I am reliably informed, either read or write, and would cer-tainly not be called upon to direct the educational movement in our county could the proper persons dictate the board. Two years ago the Legislature made these appointments, and provided for the election of their successors; the last session usurped the power and again named the same board for another term of two years, and it is reasonable to suppose the next sitting will duplicate the action of the latter. Our public schools are in a chaotic s
Object Description
Description
Title | Annual report of the Bureau of Labor and Printing of the State of North Carolina |
Creator | North Carolina. Department of Labor and Printing. |
Date | 1901 |
Subjects |
Agricultural statistics Cotton--North Carolina First person narrative Genealogy Industries Labor laws and legislation--North Carolina--Periodicals North Carolina--Census North Carolina--Newspapers North Carolina. Department of Labor--Periodicals North Carolina--Economic conditions--Periodicals North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts Railroads Textile industry |
Place | North Carolina, United States |
Time Period | (1900-1929) North Carolina's industrial revolution and World War One |
Publisher | Raleigh, N.C. :The Bureau,1900-1908 ;(Raleigh:Edwards & Broughton, and E.M. Uzzell, state printers). |
Agency-Current |
North Carolina Department of Labor |
Rights | State Document see http://digital.ncdcr.gov/u?/p249901coll22,63754 |
Physical Characteristics | 9 v. :ill. ;24 cm. |
Collection | University Library. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Type | text |
Language | English |
Format |
Annual reports Periodicals |
Digital Characteristics-A | 45811 KB; 694 p. |
Digital Collection | North Carolina Digital State Documents Collection |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Related Items | Continues: North Carolina. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Annual report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State of North Carolina. |
Title Replaced By | North Carolina. Department of Labor and Printing..Annual report of the Department of Labor and Printing of the State of North Carolina |
Title Replaces | North Carolina. Bureau of Labor Statistics..Annual report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State of North Carolina |
Audience | All |
Pres File Name-M | pubs_edp_annualreportbureauoflabor1901.pdf |
Pres Local File Path-M | \Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_edp\images_master\ |
Full Text | . •'•/ UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 00033934761 This book may be kept out one month unless a recall notice is sent to you. It must be brought to the North Carolina Collection (in Wilson Library) for renewal. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Ensuring Democracy through Digital Access (NC-LSTA) http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportofbu1901nort r e^ 1 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA wmmtMeonet*. W. £. FAJSON, Asst. Commissioner. RALEIGH Edwards & Broughton, and E. M. Uzzell, St„\ e Printers PRESSES OF EDWARDS & BROUGHTON 1902 COMMISSIONERS 1887—1901. e^ 1 FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF LABOR AND PRINTING OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE YEAR J90J H. B. VARNER, Commissioner. W. E. FAISON, Asst. Commissioner. i, TRADES QjJBn ] COUNCIL > RALEIGH Edwards & Broughton, and E. M. Uzzell, St.\ r« Printers PRESSES OF EDWARDS <1- BROUGHTON 1902 forth ^Uni+- «f /;, LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. To his Excellency Charles B. Aycock, Governor of North Carolina. Sir :—Herewith I hand to you the Fifteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor and Printing. I desire to acknowledge the very efficient work of iny Assistant, Mr. W. E. Faison, in the compil-ing of the report, and also in the examination of the State's printing. Respectfully yours, H. B. VARNER, Commissioner of Labor and Printing. January 10, 1902. to CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Agricultural Statistics. II. Miscellaneous Factories. III. Cotton and Woolen Mills. IV. Trades. V. Newspapers. VI. — Organized Labor. VII. Railway Employes. VIII. Technical Education. Growth of Manufactures. Manufacturing Enterprises. Age Limit in Factories and Mines. National Association Labor Commissioners. Appendix. INTRODUCTION. This Department was created by the Legislature of 1887, and during its fifteen years of existence has been presided over by five Commissioners, the portraits of whom appear as a frontispiece to this report. Hon. W. N. Jones, the first Commissioner, served two years, 1887-88 ; Hon. J. C Scarborough served four years, 1889-93 ; Hon. B. E. Lacy served in all six years, 1893-'97 and 1899-'01 ; Hon. J. Y. Hamrick serving 1897-99. The present Commissioner entered upon the duties of the office January 15, 1901. In compiling this the fifteenth annual report I have followed the lines laid down by my predecessor, and have sought to make the report of service to the State, and of especial value to the wage-earners for whom the Department was created. The tabulated sta-tistics are as accurate as could be had, and the letters published in the several chapters are of peculiar interest, giving as they do the opinions of all classes of our citizenship upon vital questions of the day. These letters show a remarkable growth of public sentiment favorable to the enactment of a compulsory school law. In addition to the regular report, an -appendix, giving the tabu-lated census report for North Carolina and other facts of general interest, is published by courtesy of the United States Census Bureau. The value of statistics is being recognized more fully each year, and the demand for the annual reports of this Department continue to increase. In this demand the need of frequent publications show-ing the wonderful resources of the State has been emphasized, and no better investment could be made than an annual publication of this character. It is not within the province of this Department to issue such a publication under the act creating it, even if the appro-priation admitted of it, but must confine itself to the conditions of the wage-earners. However, to some extent, in the absence of such publication, it has entered this field. With the limited appropriation, which has never been increased, although the work of the Department has been materially enlarged, it is impossible to make as complete report as could be wished. Nothing short of a thorough canvass of the State each year wilJ viii Introduction. accomplish the best results, and to do this it is necessary to increase both the appropriation and clerical force. It is to be hoped that our next Legislature will see the necessity for this work and make provision accordingly. For the cuts appearing in this report, the Department acknowl-edges the courtesy of Mr. D. A. Tompkins, of Charlotte, and the Seaboard Air Line and Southern Kail ways. CHAPTER I. AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. The following average tables are compiled from blanks filled out by representative farmers from every county in the State. The farmers always respond promptly. In this chapter we also publish letters showing the needs and condition of farm labor. The returns were received during the period from June 15 to Octo-ber 1, 1901, which explains difference in selling price of cotton and ether products shown in Table No. 5. Table No. 1 shows an increase of 12 1-3 per cent in value of land in twenty-one counties ; seventy-six counties report no change. Eigh-ty- two counties report fertility of land maintained, and fifteen report fertility not maintained. Forty-seven counties report tendency to have smaller farms, nine larger, and twenty-one no change. Table No. 2 shows mode of living in ninety counties improved, Sixty-three counties report cost of living increased. Ninety-six counties report negro labor unreliable, and one reports no negro labor. Thirty-nine counties report employment regular. Table No. 3 shows highest wages of men $15.62, lowest $9.65 ; highest wages of women $9.78, lowest $6.36; wages of children. $5.39. Forty-six counties report increase in wages, and fifty-one report no change. These figures show an average increase of nearly twenty per cent over 1900.- Table No. 4 shows' sixty-seven counties produce cotton at cost of $26.80 per 500-lb. bale; eighty-six counties produce wheat at cost of sixty-one cents per bushel; ninety-six counties produce corn at cost of forty-three cents per bushel; ninety-four counties produce oats at cost of thirty-one cents per bushel ; fifty-four counties produce tobacco at cost of $6.49 per 100 pounds. Table No. 5 shows market price of cotton eight cents per pound : wheat, eighty -cents per bushel; corn, seventy-one cents per bushel; North Carolina Labor Statistics. oats, forty-three cents per bushel; tobacco, $8.30 per hundred. These prices make the profit on products $3.20 per bale for cotton, nine-teen cents per bushel for wheat, twenty-eight cents per bushel for corn, eleven cents per bushel for oats, and $1.81 per hundred for. tobacco. Table No. 6 shows educational condition good in three counties, fair in forty-one, and poor in fifty-three. Moral condition good in twenty-one, fair in seventy-three, poor in three. Financial condi-tion good in one, fair in forty-three, and poor in fifty-three. The question, "Do you favor compulsory school law V was an-swered by eighty-three per cent "Yes," by seventeen per cent "No." 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. The large per cent favoring compul-sory education is an indication of the very rapid growth of public sentiment along the line of educational advancement. Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. i—Showing Condition of Farm Lands by Counties. County. Alamance _. Alexander. . Alleghany. _ Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick . Buncombe, - Burke Cabarrus Caldwell ___ Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland __ Columbus __ Craven Cumberland Currituck __ Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe . Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett . Haywood .__ Henderson . Hertford ___ Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Has Land In creased or Decreased in Value ? increased increased.. no no increased., increased.. increased no no no decreased _ no no no no no no no no no decreased _ no no no no no increased.. no no increased.. no increased no no increased increased no no no increased.. no no increased no increased.. no increased.. no no If so, What Per Cent? 7 15 25 15 15 14 Cause of Increase or Decrease. better prices. timber timber, min'rl: better prices _. better prices ... freshets Fertility of Land Main-tained? Tendency to Have Larger or Smaller Farms? yes smaller. yes : smaller. yes smaller. yes. smaller. yes smaller yes smaller. yes smaller. yes larger. yes_ ' smaller. yes ; smaller. yes smaller. no smaller. yes. yes. yes. smaller, smaller, larger. yes j same. freshets improvement. trucking | high prices better markets1 better prices __' good roads ! demand demand demand yes. yes no yes. no yes yes yes yes yes yes 3'es yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. yes yes yes yes smaller. smaller. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. same. smaller. larger. smaller. smaller. smaller. larger. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. same. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. i—Continued. County. Jones Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell 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 Has Land Increased or Decreased in Value? no no no no no increased __ no increased __ no no no no -- no no no _- no no no no no — no increased no no , no increased no no no no no no no no no increased no no no no no no no no no no no no __ If so, What Per Cent? 15 Cause of Increase or Decrease demand good roads _. improvements stock law railroad Fertility of Land Main-tained ? yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes yes_ yes_ yes yes yes yes yes. yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes yes yes no yes no no yes yes yes. no . i no yes yes yes no yes no yes Tendency to Have Larger or Smaller Farms ? same. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. same. same. smaller. same. same. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. larger. larger. smaller. smaller. same. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. same. larger. smaller. smaller. smaller. same. larger. same. larger. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. same. smaller. smaller. smaller. Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. 2 — Showing Condition of Farm Labor. 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 Have Farmers Im-proved in Their Mode of Living? yes __ yes _. yes _. no yes _. yes _. yes _. yes _. yes _. yes -. yes _. yes _. yes _. yes .. yes _. no yes _. yes _. yes -. yes _. yes _. yes _. yes -. yes _. yes _ . yes _. yes _. Has Cost of Living In-creased ? Davidson j yes Davie ' yes Duplin yes Durham yes Edgecombe yes Forsyth yes Franklin, yes Gaston yes Gates yes Graham yes Granville yes Greene 1 yes Guilford | yes Halifax yes Harnett yes Haywood yes ._.. Henderson. j yes Hertford ; yes Hyde yes Iredell yes Jackson \ yes Johnston | yes __. yes _ yes . no__ yes . yes . yes . yes . yes . yes . no__ yes . no .. yes . yes . no.. no__ yes _ no__ yes . yes . yes _ yes . yes . yes . no_. yes . yes . yes . yes . yes . yes . yes . no.. no__ no__ yes . yes . no., yes . no., yes _ no., yes . y r es . yes . yes . yes . no.. yes _ Is Negro Labor Reli-able? 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 no no . no no no no no Is Labor Abundant or Scarce? scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce j scarce ' scarce 1 abundant \ scarce ! scarce I scarce • scarce scarce scarce scarce normal scarce scarce scarce - scarce scarce plenty scarce scarce scarce scarce plenty scarce scarce scarce scarce . scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce . plenty scarce. scarce. scarce scarce scarce scarce plenty scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce. Cause of Abundance or Scarcity ? moved factories public work __ public work lumber, mi'ing increase demand-demand good prices demand public work __ Is Employ-ment Regular? factories public work _. lumber mills . migrated factories — public work public work migrated migrated public work __ lumbering j factories i migrated factories factories migrated migrated migrated migrated migrated factories lumber mills _ migrated migrated migrated migrated lumber mills factories public work __ lumber mills _ migrated public work __ public work __ yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. no. no. yes. no. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. y 7 es. yes. yes. no. yes. no. no. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. no. DO, no. no. no. yes. North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 2 — Contimied. County. Jones Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell ... 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 Have Farmers Im proved in Their Mode of Living? yes __ yes __ yes __ yes __ yes ._ 3'es _ . yes __ yes _. yes __ yes __ yes __ no yes __ yes __ yes _ _ yes __ yes __ yes __ yes __ yes __. no yes __. no yes _ _. yes __. yes ._. yes __. yes __. yes __. yes _ .- y Tes __. yes yes __. yes yes __. yes y ?es yes yes .__ yes no y Tes yes yes yes no __- yes yes Has Cost of Living In-creased ? yes ._ yes ._ yes __ yes __ no yes yes ._ yes _ . no yes __ yes ._ no no yes ._ yes __ no no yes __ yes __ no no __ yes __ no yes __ no yes __ no yes __ yes __ yes __. yes ._. no yes __. no no yes __. no no yes yes . .. no no y 7es yes yes ._. no no yes Is Negro Labor Reli able? 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 __ no __ no no __ no __ no __ no __ no Is Labor Abundant or Scarce ? scarce scarce scarce plenty __. scarce scarce plenty ._. scarce abundant. scarce scarce scarce scarce. __,_ scarce scarce scarce - scarce, -_ scacre scarce scarce scarce - scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce ! scarce... J scarce - J scarce ! scarce. | scarce scarce plenty scarce scarce scarce scarce scarce plenty scarce scarce scarce. scarce scarce - Cause of Abundance or Scarcity ? migrated mills factories public work . lumber mills factories no public work saw-mills public work __ migrated demand public work __ migrated factories lumber mills _ migrated migrated migrated migrated factories public work ... factories saw-mills factories migrated public work __ factories migrated manufacturing actories migrated - migrated mining Is Employ-ment Regular? lumber mills J factories \ migrated public work __ migrated lumber mills _ migrated migrated lumber mills _ migrated lumber mills J no. yes. no. no. no. yes. no. yes. no. yes. no. yes. yes. no. no. no. no. no. yes. no. yes. yes. no. no. no. yes. no. no. no. no. yes. no. no. yes. no. no. no. no. no, yes. no. yes. no. yes. no. no. no. no. Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. 3 — Showing Wages Paid Farm Labor. 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 Highest Wages Paid Men? OO OO OO 25 00 50 35 45 '5 90 50 50 00 00 >5 00 10 25 75 75 50 65 00 60 15 40 15 05 25 80 75 45 35 25 95 05 25 00 00 40 80 60 80 65 10 85 80 50 65 Lowest Highest Wages Wages Paid Paid Men ? Women ? $7-oo 6.75 9.40 9-25 10. 80 13. 10 8-35 10. 00 11.30 7-35 6.75 7. OO 10.45 8.35 11. 70 5-50 9. 60 13. 10 9.80 8.95 8.00 10. 90 11.65 14. 10 9-35 10. 15 '0.35 9-45 8.50 11. 00 9. 20 10.35 9. OO 10.95 9. OO 9-75 10.75 6.80 7.85 9. 10 6. 40 7. 80 S. 10 9. 00 10.75 11. 20 10. 40 11. 45 8-75 $6.00 8.50 S-75 11. 25 11.80 14.70 7-5o 9-5o 9.40 8-55 9. 10 8. 00 10. 10 7- 5o 8-45 6. 9c 10. 15 13-75 8.30 11.25 5. 00 12. 15 10.85 13-85 9-15 8.15 Lowest Wages Paid Women ? 8.65 8. 20 9- 15 9. 10 9-5o 8.50 12-35 9-55 1 1. 00 7- 35 6.60 7.90 7-95 5-50 9. ro 11. 25 S.65 11. 25 io.75 13. 00 11.50 S- 75 i Wages Paid Children ? f3 . 00 4-50 4-50 9-5o 6. 10 ! 9-75 6. 00 i 6. 10 6-35 6-75 5. 20 5.00 ' 6. 85 2.50 6-75 I 4-35 5-95 8. 00 5-25 6.75 4. OO 8.25 9- 15 9- 15 5. So 2. OO 6.55 5. 10 6.35 7.80 6.95 7.85 5-90 4-95 5- 35 4.40 4-65 5-9° 3-50 6.75 5- 60 6. 10 7-35 7-55 8.90 7-5o 6-35 3-5o 3-25 6. 90 5- 80 7- 50 5.00 4. 60 5-05 6-75 4. 00 4. OO 3. 10 3-25 5-7o 4. OO 5.00 6. 10 3-55 6.15 3-5o 7- 25 7-55 6-95 4.70 4- 50 5-45 6. 30 4.90 4-85 4.80 5-55 6.25 5-25 3-65 6-75 3.00 5- 15 4- 15 3. 00 5.20 5-95 4-50 5-55 7. 10 4.90 6.60 5- 4o Have Wages Increased or Decreased? increased. increased. no. increased. no. increased. increased. no. no. no increased. no. no. no. no. no. no. increased. no. increased. no. no. no. increased, no. no. no. increased. increased. no. increased increased. no. increased. no. increased. no. increased. no. no. increased. increased. no. no. increased. no. no. no. increased. North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 3 — Continued. County. Highest Wages Paid Men ? Lowest Highest Wages I Wagee Paid Paid Men ? : Women ? Lowest Wages Paid Women ? Wages jHave Wages Paid j Increased or Children ? < Decreased? Jones Lenoir . Lincoln Macon. Madison Martin McDowell ._ 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 Uuion Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson 1_: Yadkin Yancey Average Wages 10 25 7-15 6. 90 3.80 6-35 i-35 4. 20 6.60 4.90 9-30 4.80 2.25 1.85 7- 15 4 5 4.85 22.75 20.35 6.05 1. 90 3-9° 5. 10 7. 10 4.70 2. 40 3-65 6. 00 4-25 24.85 4-75 4-35 4.80 20.35 4-85 4.40 3- 5o 4-65 1. 60 7.65 2.50 2. DO 9-65 7.65 5-25 6.50 1. 00 o. 20 S.75 5 1 1 . 90 10.35 7.70 8-75 10.65 8.65 8.85 10.65 10. 00 9.80 8. 10 8.25 14. 00 9-85 10. 00 9-35 16.25 10. 75 10.05 "•75 7-50 10. 30 9.40 n. 15 7. 60 8.25 10. 40 9-75 17. 60 9-55 9-85 9-25 9-75 9-65 7. 60 9-35 10. 35 7.90 13. 10 8.40 6-95 10. 80 9-25 9.90 7-75 8.00 6.65 10.30 &I3-75 12. 00 14. 20 8.60 10.55 10.30 9-65 11. 10 6-95 10.75 10. 10 7- 30 12 85 8.80 9-3o 7-55 14.95 11.00 9.90 15-95 7-75 9- 5o 9.90 11.65 8.70 8.65 9. 60 9-85 17-75 9. 10 11.25 8. 85 9-30 9-75 8.90 7- 50 10.50 6.50 11.65 11. 15 7-75 13. 60 9-65 10.50 6. 90 7.40 5-45 9-75 $9-15 8.50 7-35 4-95 6.25 5-9° 6.25 7.90 5-5o 6-55 6.85 4-85 S-35 6.80 6-55 4.40 10. 40 7-3o 7. 00 9-45 6.25 5.65 5-90 7-35 5-25 5-35 7- 25 6. 90 i4-5o 7-35 7-5o 5- 10 6.85 7.90 4-45 5- 10 7.70 4-95 8.25 6.85 5-05 6. 90 5-35 7-45 4. 80 4.40 4- 50 6.15 $7.65 6.75 5-45 3-75 6.85 5.60 5.20 5.00 4-55 5-45 6-95 5-95 4-85 5.25 6.50 6.25 6.25 6-75 4-25 4.65 5. 00 5- 4o 5-35 5- 10 6. 00 6.65 H-45 5- 40 6-45 5-45 5- 15 4. 60 5- 7o 4-95 7- 15 4.05 6-95 4.85 4-75 6.50 7-35 5- 15 3. 80 4-85 3-55 6-35 increased. increased. no. no. no. no. no. I increased. 1 no. increased. ' no. increased. | increased. increased. increased. no. increased. increased. no. increased. : increased. increased. I increased. no. no. increased. increased. no. increased. no. increased. no. no. no. no. no. no. increased. increased. increased. increased. increased. no. , increased. no. - increased. increased. I no. S. 62 9.6; 9.78 6.36 5-39 Condition of Farmers. Average Table No. 4—Showing Cost to Produce Crops. County. Alamance __. Alexander... Alleghany... Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick _. Buncombe... Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland ._. Columbus Craven Cumberland. Currituck ... Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe. Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates . Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson _. Hertford Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston . ... Cost to Produce- 500-lb Bale of Cotton ? £20. OO 30. OO Bushel Wheat? Bushel Corn? Bushel Oats? 100 Poundy Tobacco i 30.85 27.50 28. 35 27. 00 21.65 30.00 28. 00 20. 00 20. 00 27. 00 25.85 $0. 60 .62 .78 .65 .72 • 50 • 75 .60 .62 .60 •49 .66 .68 75 •30 65 •37 .81 25.00 32-50 25.00 23- 15 31.60 1. 00 •7 •43 .60 p. 45 40 63 50 50 3i 33 56 43 35 40 4 S 42 38 38 30 49 28 55 23 50 47 38 28 53 31 Fo.35 .29 •37 •33 .28 .28 •3i •30 •30 . 20 •33 .28 •30 •25 • 25 .28 • 25 •38 3S 37 20 25 •35 20 ?6. 50 6. 25 6.89 6. 00 5.00 5- 80 6. 00 6.50 6. 00 5-75 5.00 10. 00 4. 00 25- 75 27. OO 27. OO 30. OO 27.50 25.00 25.6 28. OO 26. OO 31-65 32.50 25.00 27.75 21.65 29.85 26. 15 26 30 23 50 2S 35 I 37 J 23 1 .28 18 . .24 ! 33 j 25 36 40 j 24 I 36 ;. 22 i. 18 . 26 . 33 j- 33 1 6. 10 5-5o 5-35 9. 00 7-35 6.25 6. 00 6.60 6.65 6-35 7. 90 5.00 10. OO 5.90 LO North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No*. 4— Continued. County. Jones Lenoir , Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell 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 Cost _ Cost to Produce- 500 lb. Bale of Cotton ? Bushel Wheat? ?22. 75 26. IO 30. OO 32. OO " 2 8.~65" 31.00 28. OO 26.25 30. OO 26. IO 30. OO 25.00 30.00 26.65 27.50 25.60 27-75 22. OO 26. OO 29- 15 37-50 24. 25 25-35 24.65 26.85 32.50 26. OO 32.80 25.85 24- 15 26. 60 27-35 29. OO 26.80 #0 • 75 72 55 60 49 55 68 61 Bushel Corn? ?o.43 43 43 48 32 54 4i 36 48 55 56 47 46 45 39 43 30 38 43 35 35 36 38 33 5o 5i 41 45 36 58 55 57 48 37 58 39 48 53 40 39 35 31 47 4i 4i 5i 40 46 •43 Bushel Oats? p. 29 .28 •23 .28 . 20 30 32 .27 .28 •33 .41 .36 38 • 25 •33 •33 • 15 •29 .31 .24 • 27 29 28 29 29 30 26 30 28 33 35 25 •30 33 •33 . 28 •3' . 20 .26 .27 •25 •3i . 28 •3i 100 Pounds Tobacco ? $4- 20 8. 10 11.65 7. 00 6. 00 6. 00 7. 10 6.75 7. OO 6.65 5-85 6. 00 4-65 6. 25 6-75 6. 25 6. 00 7- 50 6 25 6. 90 5-S5 6. 50 4- 15 5-3° 5-95 6. 00 9-35 6.49 Condition of Farmers. 11 Average Table No. 5— Showing Market Price of Crops. County. ^Present Market Price— Cotton ? Wheat? Corn? Oats? Tobacco ? Alamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Beaufort _ Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland __, Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin - Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston - Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hyde Iredell Jackson . Johnston Jones 1% 8 8/2 1V% 1% 1% 8 to. 75 79 90 76 98 65 S 8'/ I 8% 8\e sy2 VA 8% 7* 8 8X lU 8% 8 80 77 8% 7f 71 7H 8 S .68 .70 .88 .80 .76 63 .92 .80 .70 1. 00 •75 .87 •74 .80 •75 .82 .88 1. 00 .68 .70 •83 .82 8.00 8-35 6. 00 8-35 7. 00 8.75 8-35 13-75 S. 00 6.05 6.85 6.25 8.00 ~5.~65 7-50 6. 90 7.65 6. 40 8.00 16.50 8.80 7. 00 'Period between June 15 and October 1. 1901. 12 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Table No. 5 — Continued. County. Lenoir Lincoln . Macon Madison Martin McDowell 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 Yadkiu .__ __ Yancey Cotton ? 1% 8/3 8% 8 7 7A 8 7/2 8 8 8/ 1% 7H 8% 7X l lA S Average price 8% 8K 8X 8 8 1 * Present Market Price— .08 Wheat? go. 88 •73 .90 .81 .72 .89 .76 .92 •75 .84 •9 1 1. 00 • 75 .72 .90 Corn? .80 •71 go. 41 45 45 44 40 44 42 47 39 45 50 43 43 48 42 40 38 38 37 39 44 44 39 47 56 40 39 48 40 47 43 35 40 43 48 40 39 45 46 52 38 49 48 40 40 3S 35 43 Tobacco ! . 6. 50 9- 25 7- 10 ^Period between June 15 and October 1, 1901. Condition of Farmers. 13 Average Table No. 6 — Showing Educational, Moral and Financial Condition. County. Alamance _. Alexander.. Alleghany. _ Anson Ashe Beaufort Bertie - Bladen Brunswick . Buncombe.. Burke Cabarrus Caldwell ._. Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee _. Chowan . Clay . Cleveland _. Columbus _. Craven Cumberland Currituck _. Dare Davidson Davie Duplin . Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin .__ Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford .__ Halifax Harnett Haywood __ Henderson . Hertford Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Educa-tional Condition of Working People ? Is it Improv-ing? poor fair poor __. fair ._. poor poor __. fair poor fair fair poor __. poor good fair poor __. fair poor ._. fair poor __. fair _^_. good __. poor __. poor poor ... fair poor ._. fair poor . -. poor __. poor __. poor __. fair fair fair poor __. fair fair poor __. fair good poor __. fair poor fair poor __. fair fair poor __. poor ._. yes yes yes yes yes no _ yes yes yes yes no _ yes yes yes no . yes no _ yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes Moral Condition of Working People? Is it Improv-ing? fair .. good . good _ fair ._ fair „ fair ._ fair _. fair .. good . fair __ good, fair ._ good _ fair ._ good . fair ... fair „ fair __ fair .. fair „ fair ... fair __ fair ... fair .. good . fair _. fair __ good . fair .. fair .. fair ... poor . fair .. fair .. fair ._ fair _. fair _. fair .. fair ._ fair ._ fair __ fair __ good _ fair __ fair „ good _ fair ._ fair __ -j yes — yes ._! yes ._ : yes ._ ; yes ._ no . — no - -! yes ._ yes ._ no _ ._ yes — ; no _ .J yes yes yes yes yes ... no _ — ! yes — ! yes -- yes -I yes ._ yes — yes -i yes —I yes yes yes yes no _ yes no . yes yes yes yes no _ no _ no . yes yes no . yes yes yes yes yes no _ yes Financial Condition of Working People ? fair __ fair ._ fair _. poor . fair _. fair .. fair .. poor . fair _. poor . fair ._ poor . good _ fair .. fair . fair .. fair .. fair _. poor . poor . poor . poor . poor . poor . poor . poor . fair _. fair .. fair . fair . bad .. fair .. poor . poor . fair .. poor . poor . poor . fair _. fair .. fair __ fair _. poor . poor . fair .. poor . fair _. fair _. poor . Is it Improv-ing? yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. no. yes. yes. 3 T es. no. no. yes. yes. yes. CO. no. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. 1-t North Carolina Labor Statistics. Average Tabee No. 6— Continued. County. Educa-tional Condition of Working People? Is it Improv-ing? Moral Condition of Working People? Is it Improv-ing? Financial Condition of Working People ? Is it Improv-ing? Jones Lenoir Lincoln . Macon Madison Martin McDowell 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 poor _.. poor __. fair fair poor __. poor ._. poor __. poor ._. poor ._. poor __. fair poor __. fair fair .. _. poor __. fair poor poor poor poor fair poor poor fair poor fair fair poor poor fair fair fair poor fair poor poor poor fair fair fair poor fair poor -__ fair poor poor poor fair yes yes no _ yes yes yes no _ yes yes yes yes no . yes yes 3'es yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no _ yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes fair .. fair .. good . fair „ fair „ fair .„ good . fair _ fair _. poor . fair __ fair __ good . fair __ fair „ good _ fair __ fair ._ good _ fair __ fair ._ fair __ fair __ fair fair fair __ fair __ fair __ fair „ good _ poor _ fair __ fair .._ fair __ fair __ fair __ fair ._ good_ fair .- fair __ fair ._ fair __ fair fair ._ good - fair __ good _ good _ yes no no yes yes no no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no _ no . yes no . no _ yes yes no . yes yes no . yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no . yes DO . yes yes yes yes poor __ poor __ poor ._ poor __ fair poor __ poor __. poor __. poor __. poor . _. poor __. poor ._. fair fair poor poor ._. fair fair fair fair fair fair poor -_. fair fair poor poor poor . _. poor fair poor fair poor _-. fair poor _-- poor __- poor __. fair fair poor -_. poor __. poor __. poor poor .— fair poor ._. poor poor yes. yes. no. yes. yes. no. no. no. no. no. yes. no. no. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. no. yes. yes. no. yes. no. no. no. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. yes. yes. no. yes. no. no. yes. no. no. no. yes. Condition of Farmers. 15 LETTERS FROM FARMERS. The following letters are selected from the large number received for publication: Compulsory School Law.—Will say the children of North Carolina will never be educated until we have a compulsory law to compel the people to send their children to school. — Gannon Talbert, Advance. Compulsory School Law—Labor Scarce.—As to compulsory school law, I favor it because there are a great many poor white children who are kept at home and made to work, while some of them have worthless, drunken parents, and are not allowed to go to school. But the negro schools are ciowded all the time, and they are getting ahead of the white children in learning. I hope our white people will wake up to see the importance of educating their children, or else be forced to educate them. As to laborers, the negroes are naturally the best laborers for this Southern climate, but they are going away very fast. Those who remain behind are trying to farm, and consequently keep their families at home to work their crops, while the large farmer has to lose his crop or plant less for want of labor. "We have suffered more this year than usual. The price for day labor was raised in some sections from fifty cents per day to seven-five cents, and still they stuck to their crops. Our cotton crop was increased this year, owing to good prices last year, so some had to plow up and plant corn and peas after cotton was up p.t»d ready to chop. Our lands can not improve as long as our landlords sell all their cotton seed and use nothing but commercial fertilizer to make crops on shallow-plowed land; we should plow deep and plant more clover and peas, and make compost by directions of Experiment Station. — Henry N. Clark, Airlie. Compulsory Education.—I am heartily in favor of a law that would in some measure compel all children of this State to receive their part of money paid by tax-payers of this State for education.—C. A. Wharton, Alamance-. Conditions Encouraging—Compulsory Education.—With the blessing of an abundant wheat and hay harvest, we feel encouraged as regards the con-dition of the working class. We are getting on a more solid foundation since we quit raising tobacco and are turning our attention to wheat and grass. Much yet needs to be done in the way of practical farming. Judi-cious management must be carried out as to using commercial fertilizers, or 16 North Carolina Labor Statistics. we will find ourselves in a few years with an impoverished soil. The educa-tional advantages in our county are good if people would avail themselves of the same. We have from six to nine months free school. I am sorry to say that the moral and religious condition of our people is not keeping pace with the educational. In regard to compulsory education, I would say that, with a reasonable, fair and conservative mode, I would favor it. — W. H. Hunter, Alexander. Educational Conditions Improving.—I have filled the blank figures as near the average for the county as I can. Considering the excessive rains that have fallen this year, I believe there has been more damage to land by erosion and overflow than usual, but I did not mark any decrease in value. There is not a great deal of change in the acreage on most farms, but I think the tendency among most live farmers is toward more intensive and less extensive farming, which I think very important. There is a lot of land that will produce crops at a great deal less cost than the average, and some farm-ers do produce crops, especially grain, at, in some cases, not more than half the average cost. While the negro labor generally is the most reliable, here it is very unsatisfactory. The railroads coming through and near by and •pening the way for the working of the timber interest, and the higher pric« of cotton for the last year, has made farm labor more scarce and more expensive. The educational condition, I think, is improving among the laboring classes, both white and black. The negro shows a greater interest in this than does the illiterate white man; but I don't think it is as much the real desire of knowledge s it is the name he imagines it will give him. As to compujsory education, I think it would be a good thing for the whites, and might be in the end for the negro. There seems to be a tendency among the negroes to think that education places them above common labor, the only thing for which they are fitted. The uneducated negro here is more reliable, and does more for himself and county, than the one who has been to school a little and thinks he is educated.—R. E. Andrews, Allenton Ferry. Labor Scarce.—I think the wage-earners are in very good shape in our township; they are so scarce they can get their own price. I think if we don't get compulsory school law there will be many a one who will be de-barred from voting. We have several, families in our school district who don't pretend to send their children to school at all, and they could. The boys walk around and hunt.—J. H. Henley, Alpha. Compulsory Education.—I think compulsory education would benefit the white people of this section.—A. B. Walker, Anderson. Compulsory Education.—I have some neighbors near me with six and eight children who do not get the chance to go to school one day. I wish their Condition of Farmers. 17 fathers and mothers were compelled to send them, as their children seem to be smart. One tenant on my land has a daughter who can not talk so you can understand a word, only once in awhile, and can not hear good. She has been offered the chance to enter the school at Morganton, but her parents wont send her. With all the begging I can do, and offers to take her to the railroad, she can't get to go. It would make me glad to know she could get the chance to go. As to some children over in the Blue Ridge whose parents are poor, and a school-house three or four miles distant, and the children barefooted, and the mercury at zero, would it be human to compel such chil-dren to go to school? — Joseph Johnson, Anna. Rapidly Advancing.—We do not raise cotton and tobacco as staple crops in Randolph: neither do we employ white women and children to labor on the farm. They are employed in the various cotton mills of the county. Our educational system is already advancing with amazing rapidity, and I fail to see the practical utility of attaching to it any automatic propeller to increase its speed. Under present conditions, an unrestricted compulsory educational law would work a great hardship to the poorer classes. Hence, I am opposed to compulsion.—J. A. Blair, Ashboro. Amendment Stimulus to Education.—The educational clause of the Con-stitution as amended has caused a great stimulus in the cause of education; and with the advantages the common schools now afford, no child who is mentally qualified will be deprived of his vote after 1908, without any com-pulsory law. — John Stephenson, Atfa. Farmers Not United.—Farmers are so little united it is impossible to con-trol labor; you can't get them to agree and do the same way. WT e have so much idling it is impossible to get laborers to work regular while they have anything to eat. They will not work until that is gone. I have no sugges-tion to make on that line, for I have thought over it a great deal and see no way to improve it. I think compulsory education a good thing if the whites were taxed to educate their children and negroes taxed to educate theirs. — J. A. Murphy. Atkinson. Amendment Incentive to Education—As to compulsory education. I can not say whether it would be to a great advantage in making a compulsory law upon this line, but I do believe its requirements would be essential, most especially upon the line of the Constitutional Amendment, requiring all voters after 1908 to learn to read and write any section of the Constitution, not only for this cause alone, but believing it will promote a better interest throughout the general state of affairs. — Robert Worthington. Ayden. 9 18 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Does Not Favor Compulsory Education.-—I do not favor compulsory edu-cation because, first, if a child, or his parents, knowing that he can not vote when he is twenty-one, will not try to get an education, the country does not need his vote. Second, I do not feel like the white people's money ought to be used in educating the negroes.—J. C. Barrington, Baird's Creek. Compulsory Law Wise.—I think compulsory school law is a wise and just one, as the public schools are poorly attended. We need such a law in order to prepare us for the Constitutional Amendment. I am pleased with the compulsory school law enacted by the last Legislature for Mitchell County. — Samuel D. Peterson, Bakersville. Great Interest in Education.—In regard to compulsory school law, will say I do not think it would better the people, as they are taking such an interest in education. We have school in every school-house in the county at present.—W. M. Hensley, Bald Creek. Favors Compulsory Education.—The wage-earners in this county receive very good prices for their labor, but it does not seem to profit them any in general. They dress and drink it out about as fast as they make it; some go ahead of time. As to compulsory education, in my opinion a man who has no education is blind in a financial way; an educated man can make anything look plain to him. I am in favor of at least four months free school in the year, and compel the parents to send their children to school; and for those who have no one to look after them, then let the State look after them and provide a school, board and clothes, and give them a good common school education; this school to be run the year round and kept up by taxation. Of course there are schools in the State to this effect, but they are too scattering. —J. J. Ferguson, Bald Creek. Compulsory Education.—As the Constitutional Amendment has been adopted, I think nothing short of a compulsory school law will suffice for our mountain people.—A. Z. Burton, Bald Creek. Compulsory Education—Labor Demoralized.—The school law will have to be compulsory if we get an interest aroused among all our people. I have taught school part of thirty years, since 1865, and in all that time have taught in only one section that sent all, or nearly all, the white children to school. At that place there was no change in pupils when the private school closed for the public to begin. I wish this could be accomplished all over our State, by persuasion or compulsion. I am now a member of the Board of Educa-tion in our county, and am trying to study the situation in order to make Condition of Farmers. 19 the best possible progress, but at best our educational interests are not ad-vancing as they snould. Some parents in our county are too lazy—poor, they say—to furnish their children subsistence and books when the school is free. The mill interests in our county and immigration have taken many of the best hands from the farms, and where a large area is devoted to trucking, our day labor is almost demoralized, as colored hands will not work by the day when there are berries, peas, beans, potatoes, etc., to gather and market. If our county would plant less truck by half, the labor could be better con-trolled, and truckers would realize more profit on their investments. We need a grade of wages upon merit, so the wage-earner would feel an interest in trying to improve his labor and thus advance. — Daniel Lane, Bellair. Contracts Unkept—More Interest in Education.—My opinion is that one great cause of dissatisfaction among laborers is that the laws are not enforced, and that we should have contracts for all kinds of work, and that they should be complied with. As it is, we have no contracts, and a bargain is rarely carried out, consequently dissatisfaction arises. If we had written contracts, and they were carried out, there would not be so many misunderstandings. I will give you my views on the compulsory school law, though I am not prepared to say what would be best; it has many sides to it. It would be a great burden on the taxpayers, who would not only have to keep the schools going, but would have to provide for some children whose parents are not able to provide for them and spare them from home. This makes it almost an impossibility. Having two races instead of one to care for makes the burden double on those who have it to carry. The tax-list will show who is doing it. I would be glad to see better schools and more interest taken in them, and believe there will be more in the future than has ever been before, as the people seem to understand fully what the Constitutional Amendment means in the way of an education.—J. R. Ballard, Ballard. People Too Poor.—In regard to compulsory school law, I am in favor of it myself, but I don't believe it would suit the majority of the people, as about one-half of the people are too poor to do without their children on the farm. — C. M. Critcher, Bamboo. Compulsory Education.—We have no public works in our county, and but very few men keep regularly employed hands. We are generally poor people, with a small farm to each family, and most men with their children do the work, with perhaps a few days' hired labor in the most busy season. I am very much in favor of some compulsory school law. There are a few men near me who won't try to send their children to school. I think they ought to be made to send them to the free school. — Thomas L. Day, Bamboo. 20 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education—Social Condition Poor.—I think that education should be compulsory, inasmuch as the taxes are collected and appropriated for that purpose. Children should be required to attend school, or parents should be required to send all children of school age to school until they can read and write the sections of the Constitution, so that no intelligent child, girl or boy, should be turned loose to take responsibilities upon themselves until they can read and write as required by law, and parents should be required to send children unless hindered by sickness or poverty, etc. The moral and religious condition is not improving as a whole; the offers are greater, advantages are greater for both, but, on the other hand, temptations and immoral and irreligious influences are greater, to counteract all offers. The Government distilleries of grain in our county are becoming to be almost unbearable; they have wrecked every society, and are pulling back every other institution that tends to upbuild humanity.—A. W. Gregory, Barclaysville. Labor Unreliable.—I believe it would benefit the wage-earner to have a law to compel him to comply with the bargain he makes the first of the year. If they bargain for the year, it would make them more reliable, better citi-zens, and cause them to command better wages; but on present system, the farmer starts out with a full supply of labor, but when the summer months come they begin to leave the farm and go on the railroad, brick-yard and saw-mill, because wages are a little better. This makes them unreliable, and they suffer on account of it.—W. W. Vick, Battleboro. " Need Railroad.—I believe a railroad through this county would be of more benefit to the working people than most anything; it would give them more employment, and increase wages.—D. W. Duncan, Bee Log. Industrial Education—Not Ready for Compulsion.—Would say that wage-earners need steadier employment and more education along industrial lines. More stable prices for farm produce, in my opinion, would bring this about. "While I am personally in favor of compulsory education, I don't believe the people as a mass are ready for it. I believe it would prove a hardship to a great many on account of their financial condition.—T. W. Gattis, Belle Voir. Love North Carolina—Ten-Hour Law—Compulsory Education.—If all the good advice that has been given in the Bureau of Labor to farmers and wage-earners had been heeded, old North Carolina would blossom like a rose. What we need most is to teach our young men to love North Carolina people, and to believe in them, and have faith in North Carolina soil, and learn how to cultivate it to better advantage. With the improved farm machinery, farm- Condition of Farmers. 21 ing is not the hard work it was in the times of our fathers. The farmers of this section live much better than their fathers. They have better dwellings, better clothing and better food than their fathers. Every young man should strive to secure a home of his own. He should lay by part of his wages to buy a home, be it ever so humble. If he earns but fifty cents a day, he should ?ave twenty-five cents of it. The next Legislature should enact a law making ten hours a legal day's work, so as to protect the class of laborers who have to labor in mills and factories. It is a disgrace to North Carolina the way most of the factory owners work their operatives. I am heartily in favor of compulsory education. An educated man is a better citizen in every way than an uneducated man, because his mind is better trained.—A. Gaither Higgins, Belwood. Favoks Compulsory School Law.—I don't know that any suggestion I can make will be of any benefit to the wage-earners. Farm hands are now making more clear money than the farmers themselves. I favor a compulsory school law, first, because the poorer classes of whites take no interest in seeing that their children get an education, and often let the school year pass without sending their children to school any, because they have not got as good clothes and as much to eat as some of their neighbors. The negro will go to school in his rags and eat bread, while the white children stay at home. I feel and know the need of an education. My parents were poor and not able to send me off to school, and we had none close enough for me to go to, so I grew to manhood without any schools to go to save a few months. I am in favor of better school laws, and also a compulsory one.—J. H. Richardson, Benaja. Favors Compulsory Education.—In regard to wage-ea-rners, we have com-paratively few in this county, owing to the smallness of the farms and the absence of any railroad enterprise and mining interest, yet the prospect for such things in the near future is good. Our farmers and families do their own work, except occasionally in harvest or haying seasons for a few days at a time. Yes, I favor a mild compulsory school law that will force parents and guardians to send to school all children from eight to sixteen years three months in the year. If the State taxes me for the education of the children, it is its duty to force them to accept the advantages of the public schools, otherwise, much is lost which the tax-payers contribute to remove the mass of ignorance so prevalent in our State. I hope that the day is near at hand when all of our children of school age will be in school four months or more in the year, under better teachers than formerly, and teachers better paid. — H. A. Eller, Berlin. Education Supreme Question—Need Stock Law.—I am of the opinion that the education of all the children in this State is the supreme question of 22 North Carolina Labor Statistics. the time, and I believe public school education should be made compulsory for a term of four to six years at least, from eight to fourteen or from ten to sixteen. I favor the increase in school funds and a higher standard in the free schools, and none but competent teachers and fair salaries. The chil-dren are the hope of the State. It is the men that make the State, and, I further say, good educated women. I further state that where public edu-cation has been made compulsory, the people like the law, and it results in great good to the children, and I very much doubt if we ever succeed to the full extent of our desires without a compulsory school law. The subject of better county roads is one that should engage our attention. Our roads, since the two large freshets in the spring, have been so badly damaged by excessive rains they need to be greatly improved, especially since the Norfolk and Western Railway Company is now projecting a railroad from Pulaski City, on New River, in Virginia, to mouth of Horse Creek, in Ashe County, a dis-tance of one hundred miles, so as to develop the iron and copper in this county. So better wagon roads will be a necessity. The next subject that interests the people of this county is very important, and made more so by the damage to fencing along the rivers and creeks by the present high waters, is a good, wholesome stock law all over the country. These are some hints that contain some thoughts on these two subjects. I believe our lands will maintain their fertility fairly well, and are susceptible of much im-provement.— J. Eller, Berlin. Educate Up to a Compulsory Law.—In suggesting the needs of wage-earn-ers in this locality, I beg to say that, in my opinion, the better condition of that class can only be obtained by the industry and frugality of the laborers themselves. With the steadily increasing demand for farm products, those farm laborers wno seize their opportunities find no lack of a fair market for their produce, and at prices at which they can live comfortably and accumu-late a surplus. The one great benefit to the majority of our people would be the annihilation or extermination of the distilleries. I do not think I exag-gerate when I say that ninety-five per cent of the want and poverty of this section is due to the existence of stills in our locality, not to mention the great percentage of crime committed on same account. To give every child a fair English education would, of course, be a long step toward the ideal condition of all classes, but in reference to compulsory education at present, I have expressed myself as unfavorable to that movement for the following reasons: First, people generally value those acquisitions most for which they have to put forth most exertion; and attach the least value to those things which are forced upon them, regardless of true value. Second, an education (or rather a book education) is of value to a person very largely in propor-tion to the mode and extent of the after application. Education of the people is advantageous to the State largely in proportion as that education is applied in lawful pursuits, and the upbuilding of the moral, social and industrial condition of its several communities. Accepting the foregoing statements as true, it appears to me that a compulsory school law will be received by a Condition of Farmers. 23 majority of our people as infringing on their rights, and a scheme whereby more officials will be paid, and Whereby their taxes will be increased, and if so, the law would be unpopular and difficult to enforce. The good results possible from the betterment of school privileges would be neutralized by the opposition to the system, and therefore the plan would be a failure. My observation and experience in school work, covering a period of about fifteen years in New York State, and at the time when compulsory enactments of that State were under discussion, have led me to believe that it is unwise to attempt to enforce a compulsory school law until such time as a substantial majority of the people are in favor of the same. If my information is cor-rect, the people are not ready for it in this section of the country. The question may be asked, "When will they be ready?" In reply to this, if I may be allowed to do so, I will give a brief outline of what, in my opinion, would lead the people up to the point of demanding such a law, and then the enforcement of the same would be an easy matter. If each school district should be required to meet once each year in its school-house, or place where school is held, and elect from among the qualified voters a committee, con-sisting of three, a clerk, librarian and a tax-collector—the powers and duties of the committee to be to employ licensed teachers for a period of not less than six months in each year, and to levy a tax, which, in connection with the funds received from the State under the present laws, would be sufficient to maintain such school, and to levy such other tax for the building of school-houses, equipments, etc., as might be voted at any regular or special school meeting, and to be the executive head to carry into effect all orders of the meetings not inconsistent with the law. The other officers to perform the duties indicated by their respective offices. Let the penalty for failure to maintain a school six months in each year be a forfeiture to that district of the State's money which it would otherwise receive. Then the parents of children would become more intimately acquainted with the schools, and would become individually and to their own knowledge financially interested in having good schools, and would appreciate more fully the necessity of sending their children to school. And again, with each district having a sort of independence of its own in the management of its school affairs, a rivalry will spring up among adjoining districts as to which shall have the best school and the longest session, whence will arise that interest among parents which now seems to be almost entirely lost, and which is one of the essential elements of progressive free schools. I would not withdraw the county supervision of school work by a competent supervisor, but, on the other hand, would require each County Supervisor to visit each school at least twice each year, and spend one-half day at each visit, and to make written reports to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, setting forth the condition of the school. Under such a plan, it seems to me that the negro schools would be benefited by creating the necessity on their part of paying at least one-half of their school expenses. And the white schools would be largely benefited from the fact that the white districts, in raising a tax upon themselves, would not be required to pay one-half of it over to 2i North Carolina Labor Statistics. the support of the negro school. A law something on the line suggested, in my opinion, would soon create a feeling among the inhabitants in each district that the children must attend school in order to get the benefit of the school tax they have to pay, and it will be their pride to have the best school in their section, and then in natural sequence will follow a demand for compulsory law to bring in those few who have failed to appreciate the advantages given them. It may be that in other sections of the State greater interest is shown among parents for the education of their children, but I Lave seen the matter exemplified to some extent at this place, where there are about two hundred and sixty children of school age, and it has been by con-stant urging that about seventy-five of these have been kept in school, al-though the schools were absolutely free. Until a greater interest can be made manifest among parents, I do not think compulsory laws will be of much avail. The practical details of the law at which I have hinted, would require too much space and time for me to express here; but I speak of them from a practical knowledge of the system of schools in New York State from about the year 1875 until 1890, during which time there was that transforma-tion from a system practically like ours here, to what their system now is. Pardon me for so tedious a reply to your inquiry; I plead the excuse that I am heartily in favor of the improvement of our school system, and will gladly a*ist in the accomplishment of that object.—C. E. Whitney, Bessemer City. Compulsory Education.—I think the compulsory school law is a good one. The white children are not sent to school as they should be. The parents do not seem to take an interest in educating their children as they should, and I fear that unless something is done the time will come when the white race will be behind in this country. — John L. Phelps, Beston. Compulsory Education—Should Pay More Attention to Fruit.—I favor an absolute compulsory school law. I think such a law ought to be passed, and I hope it is not far in the future when it will be passed. Our people are looking forward to- the boys who will be deprived of their votes if they fail to learn to read and write, and if the children won't go to school freely to learn, there should be a law to force them, and then if they can't learn to read and write they ought not to be allowed to vote. So far as any suggestion in rela-tion to wage-earners, I hardly know what to say. I know a great many of our farmers have neglected their farms on account of public works, and neg-lected them to their sorrow. Farm hands can hardly be hired; all seem to want to get to some public works, if the works only run on one-half time. The public works here are a curse to the country, no doubt. The farmers all seem to be getting into the idea of small farms well worked, and are sowing more grass and clover than usual. Grasses, clover and fruit-growing would be the life of our county if only engaged in more by farmers. We have a fine county for grasses, etc.. and fruit of different sorts, but too little atten- Condition of Farmers. 25 tion is paid to our orchards; we have a few farmers wno are setting out good orchards, but not enough of such men. Then stock-raising would be profit-able here it seems, as all stock here are perfectly healthy; cattle or sheep hardly ever die with disease. Our hillside lands nave washed badly this spring—worse than common—and unless our farmers change their hillside land from, corn, etc., to grasses the soil will soon be gone.—F. M. Fiuzeix, Beta. Economy and Thrift—Compulsory Education.—Wage-earners should be encouraged to economy and thriftiness in their habits of living, and be en-couraged to beiieve and see that they are a part and parcel of this great Com-monwealth. Yes, we should have a compulsory educational law; there are some parents who have smart children who take no interest in their educa-tion. All such should be compelled to send their children to school, not only for the good of the children, but for the good of society and the betterment of this great Commonwealth.—S. C. Humphries, Bethel Hill. Need Manufacture—Compulsory Education.—The thing which I believe would do the most to help the wage-earners is an increase in manufacturing establishments, because an increase of hands employed at work other than farming increases farm products in prices; also, it might be of some ad-vantage to have agricultural schools establisned. The first thing I desire to say in regard to compulsory education is that we are forced to pay taxes for schools, and I think it would not be wrong if we were forced to make the best use of the taxes we are forced to pay. There are some people who rarely or never send their children to school. One of the great objections to com-pulsory education is constitutional rights. "Oh," some will say, "don't force a person to send to school against his will; the Constitution allows a man the right to send his children to school or not to send them." But when will we ever fully understand our rights unless we learn to read them? I hardly know what length of term would be best to advise, but I verily believe it would be well for us if we had a compulsory school law providing for at least six months per year.—S. E. Tweed, Big Laurel. Compulsory Education.—I am highly in favor of compulsory education. I think we should have better qualified teachers, and that parents should be compelled to send their children at least four months in every year from the age of nine to sixteen. I am highly pleased with the adoption of the Consti-tutional Amendment. I think it will bring about an intelligent citizenship and general good to all. — Arthur Teeter, Big Lick. Compulsory Education.—I feel sure that a compulsory school law is the only way whereby our young will ever be educated. I am in favor of raising 26 North Carolina Labor Statistics. the standard of education in our public schools, for instance, not allow anyone to teach except they are perfect in the English language, and increase our pub-lic schools to five months in each year, and allow teachers $35 per month, and have only one grade of teachers; this way of having first, second and third-grade teachers ought not to be.—W. A. Cacle, Big Lick. Compulsory Education.—I favor a compulsory school law, because I think it would benefit the rising generation, as well in moral and religious improve-ment as anything else. 1 think there should be a special tax levied to run a school six months in each school district, and parents should be compelled to send their children to school at least five months of each term. — David S. Mel-ton, Bluff. Compulsory Education.—1 can not make any suggestion in regard to the needs of wage-earners, for the reason that you know they are generally on the spend-as-you-make order. My observation is that those who spend only for ne-cessities lay by for the rainy day, while the most of them look only at the pres-ent. I answered your 20th question, "Yes," because I know there ought to be something done with those stingy old men who say that they are compelled to keep their children at home to work, while they loaf and talk politics and some do even worse. There is not a boy or young man that I can recall that was, and is, being raised by a widow who can not read and write. So I am in favor of compelling education, because it will only hit those that should be hit.—H. M. Hight, Bobbitt. Compulsoky Education.—The working class of people are becoming more independent every day in this county; also, the interest in education is daily increasing, yet. there is a class who are good, honest people and work day by day to accumulate property for their children who seem to consider education of very little importance, and prefer to keep their children at work than to send them to school; hence, we see the necessity of a compelling power. A child has to be sent to school before he becomes interested, and where the parents prefer not sending them, in nine cases out of ten they grow up illit-erate, therefore, to educate this class we will have to use compelling means. — J. P. Cox, Bolivia. Wage-eaexers Doixg Well—Compulsory Education.—In Western North Carolina the land is more equally divided than any country I have traveled in. The owners do most of their farm work themselves. Some very good farmers will help their neighbors during their busy season at ' reasonable prices. Some of the large farmers have renters to cultivate part of their farm, and hire them part of their time to help on the other, so wage-earners are doing very well in this section. As to compulsory education, I have taught public schools; my experience is that about fifty per cent is a good Condition of Farmers. 27 average attendance. A great many people are not interested in education; they try to excuse themselves by finding fault with the teacher, in fact, don't want to put themselves to any trouble in buying books and creditable cloth-ing. If there is not something done for this class of children between now and 1908 many will be deprived of voting. So I am in favor of a compulsory school law in North Carolina. In Boomer School District there are about one hundred and forty pupils. We average from eight to ten months school dur-ing the year. I think I am safe in saying there are one-fourth who don't at-tend any (Juring the year. One-half of the school term is free, by paying a small subscription they could have the privilege of sending the whole year. I think the education of the children of Boomer is above the average in Wilkes County. I don't know of anything more to interest you. I am very thankful for having this opportunity. I hope North Carolina, in the near fu-ture, will equal any State in the Union. I hope in 1908 all the children, espe-cially the white children, will be able to read and write any section of the Constitution.—I. M. Crouch, Boomer. Compulsory Education.—I think that a compulsory school law would be a good thing, for there are parents who do not send their children to school who ought to. If the children were in school it might keep them from mean-ness that they are apt to get into, and make better men and women; it is gen-erally the ignorant who commit crimes.—G. F. Gatlin, Bowers' Mill. Compulsory Education.—As you desire my views on compulsory education, I will say that I think a compulsory school law should be enacted compelling parents to send their children to school at least two-thirds of each public school term (unless they are sending to private schools). I also think that there should be some provision made for us to have longer schools, and that there should be a contingent fund in each county for needy children, who have no clothing suitable to wear to school, and that the committee should be required to furnish the teacher, on the first day of the school, the names of all the pupils in the district, and upon the third day of school, if the teacher has in his possession the names of any pupils who have not attended school, that he should report such names to the chairman of the committee, and then the chairman, or one of the committee appointed for the purpose, shall visit the homes of such children and ascertain the cause of their non-appearance at school. If he finds them without clothing, he shall go and buy suitable cloth-ing for them and pay for the same out of the contingent fund; but, if he finds any of them sick, they shall be excused until they are well enough to attend. I will not say anything about those who have not enough to eat. as I take it for granted if they have enough to eat to stay at home on that they have enough to go to school on. Now, there may be times when the weather will be very cold and children who have two or three miles to go may have to stay at home, but I think by compelling them to attend just two-thirds of the time, that the other third will be allowance enough for all sickness and severe 28 North Carolina Labor Statistics. weather, and it may be that one-fourth would be allowance enough and they could be sent three-fourths of each schoolterm. I am not in favor of compell-ing them to go more than three-fourths of the time. I also think that our sys-tem of teaching should be raised to a higher standard. Let us have teachers who are well prepared to teach our schools, and by all means let's not hire a lazy teacher, for no school at all is better than one that is crippled and smoth-ered by a lazv teacher.—A. L. Brewer, Bower. Kill Homestead Law—Compulsory Education.—One thing I think would be a great help would be to kill the homestead mortgage law. It would, I think, put life in the laboring class of people, and the farmer could have confi-dence in the working people; also, think compulsory school law would cause the people to educate their children better, and I hope to have it soon.—J. M. Mace, Bowman's Bluff. Compulsory Education—Land in Hands of Few.—There are many reasons why I favor a compulsory school law. The only way, in my judgment, to im-prove morality is to educate. One reason for so much illiteracy is that masses of men from forty to sixty are very limited in education; on that account their children are very much so, and while the State has given of her means to carry on a system of public schools, the citizens failed to take the ad-vantage of it. Take the majority of our mountain sections, the average at-tendance has been less than fifty per cent. I have been for years in favor of a compulsory school law, more so now; the Constitution requires it, and, fur-ther, morality requires it. I could suggest other reasons, but will let this suffice. The railroad has opened up a large section of fine timber that is giving employment to a great many hands for wages that farmers can not pay. The best farming land is owned by men who are called big farmers, and they are land poor; the laboring man can not buy, and to lease or rent, the landlord wants all, and the laborer can not pay the rents and live, therefore, the fertility of the soil is decreasing. They are living on the fat of the land and depend too much on buying, instead of improving their lands and raising, as they did in former years. A great many small farmers are improving their soil, and the tendency is that way, better farmers and better stock. There is no dependence on the negro; if he gets a day ahead that is all there is in it, and the more he is educated, the lower he gets in the mire. Farm labor is scarce on account of improvements, lumbering especially, but very soon there will be a reaction. There are no women and children who work on the farm, except those living in the mountain sections; they work on their own farms. We do not raise cotton, and very little tobacco, in this county; corn, rye and hay are the staple crops here, although it will be light this year, so many rains drowned out, and, in all probability, a drought is on us now: if so, the consequences will be fearful. I do not know that this will give you the information you desire, but this is the way I see it.—J. J. Shipman, Bre-vard. Condition of Farmers. 29 Compulsory Education.-—I think at least one-third of this section will be in favor of compulsory education. Schools won't do any good until we have the compulsory system.—W. A. Harward, Bridgeport. Compulsory Education.—My humble opinion is that the most needed thing is education in the broadest sense. Education is power. Educate a boy and he will take care of himself. Fail to educate him morally and intellectually and in many cases the prison-keepers will have to take care of him at public expense. Instead of three and a half months public school here a year, in my county, on an average, with a meagre attendance, we should have seven or eight months school with a law compelling the parents or guardians to send their children. With this system the masses would be educated and prepared for the various fields of labor and usefulness, and ignorance, the old parent of crime, would receive such a blow as would exterminate it from our State, and the burden of criminal courts and prison expenses would be lifted from our people. Without a compulsory system we can not hope to have an edu-cated citizenship in many years to come. Without it many of North Caro-lina's sons will be driven from the ballot-box, branded as unfit to have any voice in public affairs. — Levi Hamlin, Briggsville. Compulsory Education.—I would say in regard to compulsory education that if it is morally right to tax us to support public schools, it is also right to compel parents to send their children to get the benefits. The State might establish a college in every county in the State and give tuition to all free of charge, and yet there would be a large per cent of the children who could not read or write. Four months of public school is sufficient to give every child a good, practical education if they only would attend and get the benefit of schools. Give us compulsory school in as mild a form as possible. All able-bodied men can send their children to school, if not, then the State should look after them.—J. H. Daniel, Bringles. Compulsory Education.—I favor compulsory school law. The people are compelled to pay taxes to run the schools, and, I think, parents ought to be compelled to send their children to the schools. However, I do not think educating a negro makes him a better citizen, still I am willing to try the ex-periment.— F. G. Chilcutt, Brown's Summit. Compulsory Education.—Now, in reference to compulsory education, will say that it has always been a matter that has received my serious considera-tion, and have believed that such an enactment would be to the interest of the people, and especially do I see the necessity of it now, since citizenship will soon depend on it, and men's right to vote will depend on the result of North Carolina Labor Statistics. educational training. I admit that it would look hard, in a sense, to compel and deprive men and women in things of their own choice, but again, no one has a right to grow up in ignorance and be a tool among the intelligent. Every man is required to do his duty, and the command is upon him to get wisdom, and with all his getting get understanding (Bible). I hail the day when we will have a compulsory school law.—R. H. Clarke, Bryson City. Compulsory Education.—I am in favor of all children between six and fourteen years of age being compelled to go to school, at least three months in the year, if their parents have to go to the poor-house while they are in school. —M. J. Anthony, Burlington. Need Compulsory Education.—I am inclined to believe that a compulsory school law is the very thing we need, and I think that a good common school education would do more to improve our people, morally, religiously and financially, than any other one thing they could be given.—W. J. McClure, Bushnell. Compulsory Education with Negro Left Out.—I am in favor of compul-sory education if it will leave out the negro. I don't want to help feed and clothe him and send him (the negro) to school.—W. H. Long, Bushy Fork. Schools Unsatisfactory—State Should Furnish Clothes and Books.— I can't see any improvement in our township in the public schools for the past five years, although the expenses increase. There is too much politics and so-called religion mixed in with the running of public schools. In regard to compulsory education, since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment requiring all voters to read and write any section of the Constitution after 1908, I think if we had our schools properly conducted, that most of the future voters who have any patriotism about them will learn to read and write with-out being compelled to do so. There are some parents who are too poor to buy books and clothe their children decently enough to send them to school. Now, in that case, will the State furnish the books and clothes for such chil-dren? If not, then I am opposed to compulsory school law. It is a long time off, but it may be better to be thinking about it now. After 1908, I think it would be proper and right to allow anyone, no matter what his age, to be al-lowed to attend the public schools who can not read and write. In that case, those who are so unfortunate as not to have had the privilege of attending school before they were twenty-one years old could qualify themselves after they became of age for citizenship.—J. W. Terry, Caldwell Institute. Condition of Farmers. 31 Conditions Improving—Compulsory Education.—Wage-earners spend their money too fast. Our laborers and farmers are all better off, and improving all the time. The price of cotton last year was good, and truck brought a good price. The farmers have money and good day laborers can get a dollar per day. I am in favor of compulsory education, for the reason that so many work their children and will not send them to school.—H. C. Lamb, Camden. Compulsory Education.—One of the best improvements the State can make will be to have at least six months of compulsory education in a year, com-pelling the parents to send their children to school from the age of seven years to twelve years; and also, pass a law not to allow a child to work in any factory or workshop until it attains the age of thirteen years. This would benefit the State financially and morally, and improve the mind to a higher standard; also, to let each race take out of the school fund the money collected from them for school purposes, which will improve the white race, as they are the ones who pay the taxes to support educa-tion. Let the State adopt a series of school books all over the State to be sold to all counties, so the same system will benefit, all over the State, the children whose parents move from one section to another, and put them as cheaply to the people as possible; also, to provide graded schools in all towns of any size, and when necessary, and to force the people to send their children to a private school the same length of time as the term of the free school in their district, then they may be exempt from sending to tj.e free schools.—A. R. Hllburn, Canetuck. Need Factories—Not Ready for Compulsory Education.—For wage-earners we need factories of different kinds. We have a great variety of timber, which, if it could be manufactured here, would give all people employment. Farmers do not hire much labor in this mountain section. As to compulsory education, if we could have sufficient money and sufficient laws to carry it into effect it might answer our needs, but my opinion is, we will have to get the parents interested first, and, then, the people are always opposed to an in-crease of taxation. I do not think it would suit the people of this county. — J. L. Randall, Canto. Compulsory Education.—I am a poor farmer and teacher in public schools, in which I am very much interested. I have been in the public school for the last ten years, and really believe we must have a compulsory law of edu-cation. I think if our law-makers have a right to tax us, they also have a right to compel us to give our children the benefit of this taxation. I think the parents should be compelled to send at least fifteen days in each school month, unless providentially hindered; in such cases they should be com-pelled to report each day to the teacher cause of absence. — John A. Fry, Carthage. 32 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education.—Don't think compulsory school law would be the best. The school term is fully as long as most of them have the time to at-tend.— D. S. Rice. Castalia. Compulsory Education or Nothing.—As to education, the children do not go to school, and at the rate they go it costs almost as much per capita as a private school would. We either need compulsory education or abolish the entire business.—A. W. Alston. Centreville. Compulsory Education.—Yes, sir; I favor a compulsory educational law, as it will be the only means by which the standard of education will ever be raised in the Old North State. My opinion is that if the education of the children of North Carolina is not looked after, and a compulsory school law enacted, we will drift from bad to worse until we have reached a state of af-fairs too appalling to think of. The need of working people is education, that they may be able to make their own calculations as to what a bale of cotton would be worth at the enormous figures of four to seven cents per pound. More money and education is our only hope. Compulsory education is the only salvation of the educational question.— "VV. N. Rogers, Cheoah. Work Plentiful—Compulsory Education.—The only thing I san see for the wage-earners to do is to apply themselves to work. It is no trouble for them to get work now in cotton mills, furniture shops, masonry, house car-penter work, or on farms. If the mind is willing, the hands can find plenty— to do. In regard to compulsory education, will say that I am in favor of a law that will compel parents to send their children to school from six years of age to twelve or fourteen. Our rural districts are improving in this line, but I find the case different about the cotton mills; although the advantages and opportunities are good, the majority of the mill parents fail to see the great need of educating their children. A great many of the parents around the mills keep their children at work all the time, while they spend the greater part of their own time in idleness. These children should be edu-cated. It is a moral duty every parent owes his children, and whenever he fails to perform this duty we need a statute compelling him to perform it. — L. H. J. Hauser. Clierryville. Do not Need Paternalism—Compulsory Education.—In regard to wage-earners, relative to their needs and benefits, it is hard to tell what would be best for them. A good portion of them are indifferent in regard to their con-dition, while others are thrifty and will do something for themselves. My opinion is that the wage-earner has under our laws an equal opportunity to carve out a living, and let him do it if he will, and if he will not, you can't help it. We do not need paternalism for any class of our people. The most Condition of Farmers. 33 of our people are poor, and the greater portion run their own affairs, small farms such as they can work with their own families. In fact, I think that owing to the unreliable labor we have to depend upon that the small-farm system is the safe thing for us in the rural districts. The tendencies of the times point that way. Ignorance, .to some extent, is the father of idleness. Under our laws you can prosecute a man for vagrancy, but you can't prevent him from raising up as ignorant a set of children as himself, neither can you make him ambitious, have a sense of honor, or be thrifty. Hence, we need a compulsory educational law, and need it now, to force such parents, not to bring up their children to their own ignorant, degraded level, to be a curse to themselves and society, but to give them light, that they may make good law-abiding citizens and have the right of suffrage to cast their vote for the com-mon good of our State, and, perhaps, be an ornament to society. Why there should be any question about passing such a law to force people out of dark-ness into light, I can't understand.—W. C. Brewer, Chip. Compulsory Law Would not Work Well—Organize Wage-Earners.—I do not think that a compulsory school law would work well in this township. I am of the opinion that it would be much better for the State to furnish the poor boy with some school books. With the books and the boy's neighbor friends to encourage him, if he be any good he will learn to read and write. I think all wage-earners should organize in one union with wise leaders and without politicians.���J. M. Southern, Cherryfield. """ Labor Unreliable.—In compliance with your wish for suggestions from farmers relative to the needs of the wage- arners, I will say that the greatest of all needs is the want of some form of discipline that is alike just to the employer and the employee. We have felt this need more this year than usual. Scarcely a farmer in this county employing negro labor, that has not been annoyed by interference on the part of some fellow-farmer or timber-man decoying his labor uy offering an increase of wages of five or ten cents per day. In many cases teams and plows have stood idle, and rented crops, for which the landlord has made advances, have been allowed to suffer be-cause of this interference. As a rule, the negro is a very short-sighted crea-ture, and the supplying of his present wants seems to be his ambition. He depreciates the value of a promise made, and is fond of change, going from place to place. His unstable ways work a hardship fcr him, though he seems not to be aware of it. The employer is more at fault for this order of things than the laborer. When the employer goes to a laborer's home at night or on Sunday for the purpose ot securing his services for the coming week, when the employer knows that said laborer is already engaged with his neighbor, that employer is doing his neighbor an injustice by depriving him of the labor that he has a right to by agreement, and is doing the laborer an injustice by making him shiftless and unreliable. The custom of paying an idle, shiftless 34 North Carolina Labor Statistics. man the same wages as an industrious and care-taking one is a bad rule. A laborer should be paid according to his worth, then there would be an incen-tive to all to do better.—J. L. Butt, Chocoioinity . Labor Unreliable—Compulsory Education.—I hardly know what to say in regard to wage-earners; so many are so unreliable that it is hard to make any suggestion relative to their needs. I can speak only for the southern section of this county. If there could be some way fixed to compel them to stick to their work and save their wages it would greatly improve their condition, but such a thing is out of the question. As to compulsory education, I am clearly of the opinion that it is necessary. I used to be opposed to it, but now I favor a law forcing every child to attend school at least three months each year from the age of seven to fourteen. That is, they should attend school twenty-one months during the seven years. I make this as a suggestion; also, I would favor free books to those unable to purchase them.—W. H. Hol-land, Christie. Better Wages—Compulsory Education.—I believe advance in the prices of wages will have to be made in order to keep our young men in our Old North State. Education, I believe, since the Amendment, will be more encouraged than before. However, I favor compulsory education during the fall season; not in the winter in these mountains. When we get this, then wealth will follow; also, morals and religious worship. Hoping you may greatly aid in bringing this about, which will greatly improve our every condition, and bring renown upon you as a leader in the annals of history.—H. C. Edwards, City. "* Wage-earners Have all They Could Ask For.—I think wage-earners have all they could ask for in good wages and a chance for steady work. Economy on their part would give them all homes of their own. — John Humphrey, Clark. Need Higher Prices—Compulsory Education.—In regard to your inquiry, I would say that I am not very well posted as to the needs of the laboring peo-ple, but, as far as my observation goes, I think we need more and better em-ployment, and I know of no way to remedy this until the farmers get higher prices for their produce. As to compulsory education, I am in favor of it, and since the adoption of the Constitutional Amendment I am more in favor of it than ever. There is no use to undertake to elect a Legislature at this time that will pass such a law. Like the dog law, it is very popular among the masses of the people, but our Legislature is afraid to pass it, knowing at the same time it is to the best interests of their constituents. It is well to discuss this great and important question, and try and create public senti-ment in favor of compulsory education.—M. F. Owen, ClarJctoti. Condition of Farmers. 35 Favors Compulsory Education.—I am in favor of compulsory education because most people need driving in some way or other. Besides, it is wrong to sell property to raise money for education and then leave it to the careless whether they send their children or not.—J. L. Autry, Clement. Compulsory Education—Compliance with Contracts.—A compulsory school law will benefit that class who are entirely dependent upon public schools. I have now in mind several large families, the heads of which do not afford the children any school opportunities. I can not make any sugges-tions relative to the needs of wage-earners, unless it be that they be impressed with the importance of a strict compliance with their contracts and the edu-cation of their children. Too much legislation is worse than none. Generally, men desire to be let alone and permitted to have a fair field in life's battle, not being discriminated against by class legislation.—A. C. Wharton, Clem-monsville. Equalize Salaries—Appropriate More for Public Schools and Less fob Other Institutions.—Wage-earners need the burdens of taxation lightened. It would benefit the laboring class to have more equal justice in the distribu-tion of the State funds. Some of the high officers get from twelve to fifteen dollars per day, while road hands, overseers and school committees get noth-ing, and Magistrates get almost nothing for their services. The contrast is too great. I suggest for the benefit of the working class that there be more equal justice. We have a number of election officers who receive from one to four dollars per day, while school committeemen are required to serve for nothing. The school officers are of much more importance than some of the election officers, and it would be just to pay them something for their services; besides, it would give an impetus to education. In regard to compulsory edu-cation, I am in favor of freedom and liberty in all things. A great many of the very poor people can hardly pay their taxes, support their families and spare the time to send to school. I am highly in favor of education among the common and poor classes of people, and I believe they must need help and encouragement more than compulsory laws. I would suggest that the next Legislature appropriate more for public schools and less for State institu-tions, especially the University of North Carolina. If more of the people's money could be put into public schools it would no doubt do greater good to a greater number in the State. In those high institutions of learning only a favored few get the benefit of the large appropriations that are made to them, while all are equally burdened to pay the money into the treasury.—E. B. Hendren, Cline. Conditions Good—Opposed to Compulsory Education.—The wage-earner is in good condition for living and laying up a little for a rainy day; some are making enough to buy them small farms. The lands have changed around North Carolina Labor Statistics. considerably. All that will stick to business will prosper. All in my com-munity are farming pretty extensively; wheat good, and on account of con-tinued rains, all hands are busy, but the crop is safe. Now, in regard to com-pulsory education, I am now opposed to compelling children to go to school. The whites are waking up to their duty, and so far as the negro is concerned he can work out his own salvation. The world is open and free to him, and if he fails to improve the opportunities, then his education will amount to nothing with us; let him go. I have a large family of negroes on my farm now that during the protracted rains have idled around afraid of wet ground, and have let their crops swamp in grass and weeds, and it is so in all cases where negroes are working. They are a failure and a curse, always ready to vote against the white man. Let compulsory education alone.—P. W. Eagle, Clio. Favors Compulsory Education.—I am in favor of compulsory education, and I have been for a long time. We have several families in our neighborhood who live in sight 01 school-house, who have never sent their children to school a day, and it a free school, and they have been living here for five and six years. Their children never go to Sunday School and church. The negroes send their children to school every chance they get; it is some of the whites who do not care.—R. L. Wooten, Coahoma. Compulsory Education.—I don't think I can make any suggestions to im-prove wage-earners. They are devoted to their churches and seem very re-ligious, but morally are bad. They seem to ignore at least three of the com-mandments. This refers to the colored race. Compulsory education will benefit the whites more than any other class. White parents are more care-less about requiring their children to attend school when the child prefers to stay away, besides their labor is always in demand on the farm. This shows the need of a law to compel parents to send them, and at least make them keep pace with the negro, who makes use of every privilege and is ready to make a sacrifice of part of their year's work to enable their children to go to school. But the educated negro becomes useless as a farm laborer; he be-comes a dude, must preach, teach public schools, or loaf if not fit for the above occupations. This makes less labor, and will necessarily reduce the size of the family to suit the size of the family living on it, and when the old heads disappear will bring social equality among the white race, and only he who has the most money will be respected the most. A change in our system of farming, growing such crops as can be handled by machinery, will be the only means of keeping up a good size farm.—J. W. Leary, Coleraine. Favors Compulsory Education.—Having served as school committeeman a number of years, also a member of school board for some years, I am satisfied Condition of Farmers. 37 from experience that we should have compulsory school law. In my judg-ment the Constitutional Amendment will do very little towards creating in-terest in educational lines, for the simple reason that if a young man does not see the need of an education until he comes to vote, it will be rather late for him to begin to prepare himself for the franchise. While the Amendment may be beneficial in some respects and accomplish some of the purposes for which it was created, it will never be the benefit to the school interests that was claimed for it. My views regarding compulsory laws were given in my report of 1900. This report will be found on page 250, Annual Report of the Bureau of Labor and Printing, 1900.—J. M. Putnam, Collinsville. ''Labor Scarce and Unreliable.—I have answered each question as I under-stand it. As to the scarcity of labor, farm laborers are scarce and unreliable as wage-earners. The general laborer, as tenants, are reliable, and their in-terest, in common with other farmers, is increasing, and those who stick to the farm are doing better. The amount of wages paid is controlled by various conditions and circumstances.—T. L. Jones, Columbia. Value or Land Increased—Compulsory Education.—The increase in the value of land is caused partly by better prices for farm produce, and, second, by lands becoming improved. Negro labor can not be relied upon. The scarcity of labor is caused by so many people moving to the towns to work in factories. The highest wages per day for farm hands is fifty cents and board; women fifty cents and board themselves. Lowest for men, thirty-five cents and board; women, twenty-five cents and board, and if you wish to include board, etc., men's wages range from fifty to seventy-five cents per day, board included, and women from thirty-five to sixty-five cents, board included; children, twenty to forty cents, board included. It cost more to produce five hundred pounds of cotton last year than it has for several years. In this sec-tion dry weather was the principal cause. The educational condition of the working class could be improved by compulsory education. Too many of the poorer class do not send to school when they have a chance. The principal cause is indifference. I have been teaching in the public schools of this State for ten years. The per cent of illiterates in this part of the county (No. 5 Township) is about five per cent. Our public school is above the average in this State. I favor compulsory education, and let us have it just as soon as possible.—W. K. Lyles, Concord. Does not Favor Compulsory Education.—I do not favor compulsory educa-tion, because we can't compel one race without the other, and my experience teaches me that education spoils the negro as a laborer.—J. E. Howard, Conetoe. 38 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education.—Your favor to hand, and I have given in detail, as near as possible, the facts in regard to things inquired after. Would say that I would heartily endorse a law that would compel parents to educate their children, as there are parents, to my knowledge, with large numbers of chil-dren who will let a public school run four months in the year within two hun-dred yards of their homes and never send a single one of their children one day, simply because the child is a little backward about starting. There-fore, in my estimation, a compulsory educational law would be of great bene-fit to the working people of North Carolina.—E. J. Eaton, Conrads. Compulsory Law the Only Hope.—I have always been opposed to compul-sory methods, but I am convinced that it is the only way that we will be able to educate all classes. I have been a school committeeman, or trustee, many years, and I find that it is impossible to get a certain class to attend, and they are the very ones for whom the public schools are for. I feel sure that under our present system there is waste of much of the public school funds, and especially of that appropriated to the schools of the colored race.—J. M. C. Penninger, Cooleemee. Favors Compulsory Education.—There are several of your questions which I hardly know how to answer, i can not teil what it costs to produce a bale of cotton, bushel of wheat, corn, oats, pound of tobacco, etc., as I have never kept any accurate account of same, and information to be of any value should be accurate. The highest wages paid farm hands is fifty cents per day, in-cluding board, or ten dollars per month. The educational condition of the working people is fairly good if they would take advantage of it, but a lot of them do not. Therefore, I favor a compulsory school law. If it is right to tax the people to run the public schools, it is also right to compel them to give their children the advantage of them. I think it would have a tendency to stop so many from moving to the towns for the purpose of putting their chil-dren out in cotton mills and other factories, while their fathers spend what little they earn for liquor and spend most of their time in drinking and abus-ing their families.—V. C Montgomery, Cool Springs. Conditions Good—Compulsory Education.—I think that the wage-earner is much better off, and anyone can get good employment all the time if he wishes. In regard to compulsory education, I am strongly in favor of the law. There are some parents who will not send their children to school unless they are compelled to do so. We were all in hopes that our last Legislature would do something on that line, but I think that our people will demand of our next Representative to enact such a law.—W. C. Webb, Cordova. Condition of Farmers. 39 Prospect Gloomy—Compulsory Education.—The financial condition of the working people is now fairly good, but the prospects for another year are rather gloomy, owing to the freshets and continued rain. Very few of the poorer class of farming people—tenants—will be able to pay for their pro-visions and fertilizers. A right considerable amount of planted land has been turned out. Wheat and oats are a total loss on some streams, and in-jured on all. In this county we have in most of the districts comfortable school-bouses, easily accessible to all the children, and' there are from four to six months in the year during which the children can be very easily spared from the farm. There is hardly a family too poor to send if they will try hard enough. Many of the parents, however, being uneducated themselves, are indifferent about the education of their children. Compulsory education is the only remedy. I think the limit in years should be from eight to four-teen or fifteen. The distance, in many cases, would be too great for little children under eight years. To compel children over fifteen to go would, in many cases, work a hardship, and would tend to make the law unpopular and ineffective. Interest in education has very decidedly increased during the last year or two, and the outlook is brighter than it has ever been for general education. — Alfred Baldwin, Covington. Favors Compulsory Education.—As to compulsory education, I am highly in favor of it. The tax has to be paid to school them and I think they ought to be made to go to school at least four months in the year. I would suggest that owing to the poor class of children, who are badly clothed and have to go barefooted, that the school term should be through August, September, October and November, that is, at a time the parents can best do without their labor, and the school would be out before real cold weather would set in. I would say that it would be just and right to tax each class of people, whites and blacks, to educate their own children. It is wrong to tax the white peo-ple to educate the negro.—R. H. Stephens, Coivarts. Prosperous and Contented—Compulsory Education.—In Haywood County the people are nineteen-twentieths landlord and tenant, or as we are called in homely phrase, "lana owner and renter," and not more than one farmer in a dozen hires help, except in harvest or meadow time, hence, we have neither negroes, floaters nor tramps. Our farmers and tenants alike are prosperous and contented, and as I write (June 24th) prospects for farm crops were sel-dom better. Schools for the education of the children of the State, although on the upgrade, are not sufficient to meet the requirements of the times. This school year of 1901-'02 will give the children perhaps four months of school. and everything taxed high to obtain the cash necessary for that length of school. Now, if the fine lady's poodle, the fox-hunter's hound, the stockman's shepherd, and the negro's 'possum dog, yes, and all other dogs alike, had been taxed two dollars each, the State of North Carolina would have had money 40 North Carolina Labor Statistics. enough, to run seven months at least. But legislators look back of the dog for the vote of his owner, and regard neither the life of the sheep (that are often killed by the dog.), nor the cultivation and improvement of the minds of the children of the State. But why grumble about the tax? The man who carries a head on his shoulders between the ages of twenty-one and fifty years is compelled to pay tax, as also the man or woman who owns property, but that same man may be the father or guardian of half a dozen children of school age, and during school term he may keep those children at home to work, or he may hire them in a cotton mill and drink up, or down, their wages, or he may, through sheer meanness, keep them at home in idleness. Now, if children are kept from school, be the cause whatever it may, the school is taught, if taught at all, in vain, and the tax is paid in vain. I promise you in advance that I will never vote for another man to represent Haywood, either in House or Senate, who is not in favor of a compulsory school law and will promise to work and vote for it.—M. A. Kirkpatrick, Crabtree. y- Open South Fork Creek.—I am only referring to the condition of my town-ship. The drainway of our township is a creek, known as South Fork Creek, which is very near filled up. There is a vast quantity of dismal to the south of said creek, which the creek, when kept open by the farm owners, did drain, but in a wet spell like unto now the water pours down upon the lands of our locality, so we are unsafe at all times, and upon an average we do not make more than half crops, and we are not able to open the creek, and we would like to have aid from the State, if it be possible. Farm labor has left the farms and gone to the log-woods for support.—S. C. Patrick, Creswell. Favors Compulsory Education.—My filling of the above is only the opin-ion of one. I would say in regard to wage-earners, nine-tenths of them are negroes of a very poor class (I mean their work is poor and uncertain), and I do not think educating them makes them any better, as they have a good school of about four months each year and they do not fail to attend it. I am in favor of compulsory education for the white children, as there are scores of children in our community whose parents are so careless their children are growing up in ignorance almost in sight of good schools of four months per year. It doesn't make any difference about the "coon."—W. A. Smith, Cro-martie. Education Injures the Negro.—The more education a negro has the bet-ter subject for penitentiary and the less value to the country. Of course there are a few exceptions, but a very few. Nearly all abandon the farms; it will soon be so you can't get farm hands. All want to teach, preach and study law as soon as they can read and write, and will be a curse to the coun-try soon. The grass is eating up crops; can not get anyone to work in field. Condition of Farmers. 41 Talk of compulsory education! Pass laws compelling them to work and make bread, instead of stealing. Pass laws for each race to educate its own chil-dren. If it is not constitutional, change the Constitution.—S. N. Formy, Cronly. Factories Needed—Compulsory Education.—1 am not prepared to say what would benefit the wage-earners. The establishment of manufactures of various kinds, which we have not, might furnish employment for many un-employed men of this county. Farmers can not, machinery is taking the place of men. It might be of benefit to all wage-earners for a portion of the wage-earning families to emigrate to some unsettled Western State. Some have already taken advantage of this, and are now farming for themselves and furnishing employment for others who were not so lucky. We must have a compulsory school law; without it, after 1908, our elections will be more unpleasant than they have hitherto been. I often hear poor men ex-claim that their boys shall have the freedom of the ballot-box as they them-selves have had, if it costs them their lives in the defense of their boys' lib-erty. I say compel such men to educate their boys, not only so they will be allowed to vote, but for a blessing to them and their parents ail through life; not only this, but an honor to the State and county in which such a law may be enacted. I would suggest that the limit be somewhere from five to nine months in the year. The children in my section are not needed at home or on the farms more than three months in the year, and a great many of them not so long. I consider the educational question the most important now confronting the people of this State, especially the poorer class, which is greatly in the majority. In my school district we have about six months free school, with about, one hundred and sixty children of school age, between the ages of six and twenty-one. The average attendance last term was about fifty, and one hundred and ten children kept away from school, some for one cause, some another, mostly all children of poor farmers, who are compelled to pay taxes to run this school, and then claim they can not spare their chil-dren that they may receive an education and be fitted for the duties of life. Give us compulsory school law, that all children may have a fair education. When men find they must send their children to school a certain number of months in the year, then they will prepare for it and can live fully as well. — I. B. Pless. Cruso. Compulsory Work—Compulsory Education.—The wage-earners of this sec-tion need a law that will compel them to work in a prescribed manner, and then pay accordingly. As a general rule, we all do our own work, or rent to some one. The general rule is one-third of crop, garden free, or furnish stock and tools, one-half. A compulsory school law in this county would be rather tyrannical, but I honestly believe it is the only means of improving the relig-ious and moral condition of the people. It would be a grand thing to keep children out of bad company and learn them energy and business, instead of 42 North Carolina Labor Statistics. loafing and idleness. There are some very poor people here who need a work-house like they have in other counties, so they can earn clothes, books, etc. Compel them to work, and then compel them to go to school. Have such a place established in the county, and by the county, for the benefit of such classes. Then all who have the means to go to school go right on, and if the poor .go to work, which would be better for them than to loaf, it would be business instead of idleness. Both things in connection would greatly benefit this part of the county. We only work about five months out of the year any-way. There are some that do, but the majority do not. This, I think, could be engineered in such a manner as to impart equal justice to all parties. Edu-cation in work is as essential as education in books, and both are a great deal better than either by itself. I hope this will be of some benefit to you, also to our county.—W. H. Anderson, Jr., Culberson. Need Railroad Facilities—Compulsory Education,—I believe that if we had railroad facilities it would give us a market for our farm products and would give us more demand for farm labor. I favor the compulsory school law and think it would be good for our people.—J. M. Kexxer, Callasaja. Need More Labor—Compulsory Education.—In regard to labor, we farmers are paying our labor all we are able at present prices of our produce. We need more labor, and labor we can depend on. Our crops have suffered on account of labor being so scarce. We all down here favor the compulsory school law, and think it the very thing wanted—help us out with it.—F. B. Orr, Currie. Farm Work not Popular—Compulsory Education.—Since the products of the farm have depreciated so much, especially tobacco (which is the only money crop in our section), a large number of young men have left the farm; some have gone West. Indeed, farm work is not so popular as it was a few years ago. If something could be done to enable the farmer to control the price of his crops, it would help very much to increase interest in farm work. The farmer has to accept just what the manufacturer is pleased to pay. It is hard to decide what is best as to compulsory school law. Many parents are greatlj' wanting in interest, at the same time many are poorly prepared to furnish board, books and clothes to send to school. The old adage is quite true, "Where there's a will, there's a way," so if we could get parents to realize the importance of the matter they would then seek the means of doing better. I am at a loss to decide what could be done that would cause parents to realize the needs of their children. In our section education has never been appreciated by a large number of our people. Frequent changes in the school law is not the best. WT e should get right and let the law continue. — Pinkney Oliver, Balton. Condition of Farmers. 43 Need Compulsory Education.—The great trouble is to reach the poorer class of people. They will not send to school, though it is paid for. I have long since decided that some compulsory act is necessary to reach that class of people who will not send to school, then teachers who will labor to work up an influence with that class. Too many teachers in the State take no interest further than the money—what I call "money sharks." Our institutions in the State should make it one of the great principles to be taught, the great interest of the soul and moral character, as well as the improvement of the mind. I think, with some legislation and the proper influence of the press in the State just now, we can do wonders in the line of education. Our county subscribed eighty-five thousand dollars to building railroads in the county, which has raised the taxes and keeps out purchasers, and our lands are as-sessed higher than the products will justify by farming, consequently young men are not farming, and the negro is going to where he thinks he can do better waiting and cooking and washing for summer boarders; our young men to clerking and other employment about town. Our products are corn, rye, oats, some wheat, potatoes, and vegetables and grapes.—E. B. Clayton, Davidson River. Opposed to Compulsory Education.—I oppose a compulsory school law, be-cause, first, such a law can not be enforced, in my opinion; second, the class of people this law is intended to benefit have as much school now as they can spare their children to attend.—J. M. Thrash. Davidson River. Not Ready for Compulsory Education.—I do not think the people are ready for compulsory education yet. I think a liberal public school system would be better for awhile, as working people generally are willing to avail themselves of the opportunity of all the public school they can. If they have a chance to earn a living and good schools for five or six months of the year, there would be very few children to grow up unable to read and write, and they would be apt to resist and evade all compulsion or force. Give them good common schools with good school-houses, good roads, opportunity to work at fair wages, a just and equitable system of taxation, and they will take care of the rest.—D. L. Morrison, Decatur. Favors Compulsory Education.—I think education should be made com-pulsory to every child in the State of North Carolina, and I have always been of that opinion before the Amendment to the Constitution was adopted. I know of some young men in my neighborhood who were born and raised in sight of a school-house, who can't read or write, and if their parents had been compelled to send them to school, to-day they could be so they could read and write and their fathers just as well off as they are. — Harris Harrison. Denton. 44 North Carolina Labor Statistics. Compulsory Education—Economize.—In my opinion a compulsory school law would have a tendency to better the wage-earners and tenants, both mor-ally and financially. The two main causes for the bad circumstances of the classes in question are that they do not set the proper estimate on time, and then in making debts with the merchant do not consider in the proper light the time for paying said debts. There are ways in which they might cut off some of the expenses, and that is by doing without some things used. I would say leave off loafing and put in more time. Every tenant should, in the months of January and February, prepare enough wood for the whole year, then, instead of cutting wood, cut grass and gather the crops.—W. W. Washburn, Depeiv. Compulsory Education—Child Labor.—As to compulsory school law, I have not always been in favor of it. It will put a low class of indecent chil-dren in our public schools, but after considering well, we decide that it would be best for the child, and answer, "Yes, we favor it." We oppose the employ-ment of children under ten years of age in cotton factories; their lives will be short if they go in at twelve or fifteen years old.—D. N. Hunt, Dexter. Conditions Improved—Compulsory Education.—I have tried to make you a partial report on the wage-earning class, and must say that in most cases there is some little improvement, and, while it is very slight, yet to the close observer there can be seen some improvement in their mental and financial condition. The best and only remedy I see for the evils of ignorance is the compulsory educational law. Let it be passed with provisions sufficient to enable all to go, and then let the people see that the law is carried out fully. The religious and moral conditions can't improve much as long as the people remain in ignorance. I am in favor of public education to the extent it re-quires, and then let the State and her citizens rally to the support of our University; and I am in favor of taking away every vestige of politics from that school, and then we will have a university that we will be proud of. I am sorry that there has been any religious feeling engendered by certain peo-ple in the State.—R. F. Jarrett, Dillsboro. Compulsory Education for Whites.—In regard to my opinion on compul-sory education, I must say I favored the amendment on the grounds to elim-inate the negro from politics; now go and pass a law to educate him, I think it would be very inconsistent. I believe if the negro is to remain with us the white race should not be taxed to educate him, much less furnish the money, then compel him to go to school. So far as the white race is concerned, I favor compulsory education. If the white people are not educated, from my observation, since the amendment has been adopted, the negro is making a greater effort for an education than the white race. The negro labor in this county is almost a failure.—G. D. Markham, Durham. Condition of Farmers. 45 Favors Compulsory Education.—There are very few wage-earners in our community. I know of but few regular hands. The farmers do their own work mostly, employing day hands on special occasions. Our township will not for a long time be much for hirelings; owners of farms do not think they can at present prices afford to hire help. Very few of the farms of this town-ship do much more than support their owners. Saw-mills and shingle-mills do furnish a few persons employment. Nothing short of some public enterprise, in my view, will ever help wage-earners in this township. As to compulsory education, I favor it from the fact that it might call into requisition the capa-bilities of some child or children which would develop and do much good in the State. The powers may otherwise lie latent in the child's mind and never amount to anything. I favor it again because it loosens the iron grasp of the parent and gives the child a chance to be somebody. When parents are so very indifferent I do not think it amiss for the State to interfere. The State is responsible for the conduct of all her citizens and, therefore, should have much to do in shaping their lives. Therefore, I conclude that the State should provide for the moral and mental culture, and even the physical, if need be, of all the children of the State to the extent of qualifying them for good citizens. I do not think the franchise among the "plain people" amounts to as much as some claim. The mere privilege of voting with people who never can hold office for want of qualification, does not amount to much. The more ignorant voters, the demagogues have the better chance. Just barely being able to read and write will not make much of a factor in the government. I would be glad if we could stimulate our people to higher motives than being merely able to read and write. I would be glad to say something to every boy in the State to cause him to make the best of himself. Girls, too, should be stirred up to greater efforts to mental cultivation.—J. R. Denton, Dysartville. Compulsory Education Necessary.—I am at a loss to make any suggestion relative to the needs of tbe wage-earners, as our lands produce so little per acre of wheat, corn, cotton, and the various things produced by the farmers in this country. The farmers can't afford to pay high wages for labor unless we could produce more to the acre and get more for what we do make. In re-gard to compulsory education, I believe it will have to come in order to reach the very poor class of our white children. There are plenty of people who are so poor they can't buy the clothes and books necessary for their children to have to go to school, and they do not want their children to go clad worse than other children, and so they thus allow them to grow up totally ignorant. If we had a compulsory school law passed that would require every child to be in school three or four months in the year, and that time to be at the time the parents can best do without their children at home, it would be a great stimulus to the intelligence of our people. But to pass a compulsory school law might require an appropriation of some money to go with it so as not to work too great a hardship on some extremely poor and destitute families. To punish a man by fine or imprisonment for failing to do that which a law would 46 North Carolina Labor Statistics. require of him to do when he or she, as the case might be, are totally unable to do it, would be rather hard. Though I do not believe we would have a great many families in the State to help. But the people as a whole, with the few extreme cases mentioned, I think, would go about preparing their children with clothes and books and have them ready for school when the time came. — A. E. Bettis, Earl. Parents Opposed to Education.—I believe that the children should be sent to school by some means. There are some willing to go when there is an op-portunity; it is the old people who don't like education, as a general thing, and don't want it for the children. I hope the time is not far distant when we can have more and better schools, as I know it makes better citizens and bet-ter wage-earners. — Charles L. Mann, East Lake. Opposed to School System.—So long as the Legislature continues to invade the rights of the people and appoint the County Boards of Education as re-wards to political heelers, without regard to qualification or the needs of our public school system, that long am I opposed to a compulsory education. We are a much abused people. One of our members of the County Board of Edu-cation can not, I am reliably informed, either read or write, and would cer-tainly not be called upon to direct the educational movement in our county could the proper persons dictate the board. Two years ago the Legislature made these appointments, and provided for the election of their successors; the last session usurped the power and again named the same board for another term of two years, and it is reasonable to suppose the next sitting will duplicate the action of the latter. Our public schools are in a chaotic s |
OCLC Number-Original | 8319939 |