. •'•/
UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL
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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