North Carolina community progress, April 20, 1924

              NORTH   CAROLINA
]    [1 PUBLISHED   TWICE A MONTH BY THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLEGE FOR WOMEN , GREENSBORO, N.C.jJ   I
PUBLISHED   TWICE A MONTH BY THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLEGE FOR WOMEN , GREENSBORO, N.C
PUBLISHED IN   THE INTERESTS OF THE HOME, THE SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY
VOLUME  5.
APRIL 20,  1924
NUMBER  12.
ILLITERACY  IN  SURRY  COUNTY
By   C.   Gurney   Robertson,   Supt,  of  Public  Welfare
In dealing with illiteracy in Surry County, I first
want to refresh your minds in regard to the position
North Carolina holds in comparison with other states
in the union.
In 1920 there were only 10 states where the per
cent of illiteracy was higher than 10 per cent, and
North Carolina was the eighth of this number. There
are only1 two states that have more illiterate native
white people than North Carolina. They are New
Mexico and Louisiana. In 1920 the average white
illiterate voter in North Carolina was between 10 and
11 per cent. In Surry County it was near 18 per
cent. Therefore Surry County has 8 per cent more
illiterates than the average for the state.
In 1910 there were only two counties in North
Carolina west of Surry that had a greater per cent
of illiteracy. I did not find out just how Surry
stood in 1920 but judging from the annual average
paid to our white teachers, we have made but very
little progress over other counties. 92 counties out
of the 100 pay their teachers a greater annual salary
than Surry. Yes, Wilkes is just below us. Surry
County's per cent of illiteracy was reduced from 15
per cent in 1910 to 10 per cent in 1920. Mt. Airy
was reduced in the same time from 13 to 7 per cent.
However, actual tests show about three times as many
as are given by the census.
A survey of three counties in the state revealed
the fact that the white owners who operated their
farms never reached higher than the fourth grade.
The white tenant on an average never reached the
fourth grade and the negro farmer not higher than
the second grade.
There are 91 counties in the state that have more
local school tax districts than Surry. Only eight having less. There are two counties that have the county
unit system.
. Within the past two and one-half years the county
has helped about 60 people financially. These receiving from 3 to 18 dollars per month. Seven of
these were negroes, all of whom were illiterate. Of
the remaining 53, 40 were illiterate and the other 13
were, able to read and write some. Probably not any
of the 13 had been higher than the third grade. The
condition that exists in a great number of the homes
(Continued on Page 93)
SOME ASPECTS OF WELFARE WORK ABROAD
(Address delivered by Mr. Ernest J. Swift, Assistant
to Vice Chairman, Insular and Foreign Operations,
National Headquarters, American Red Cross, before
the Twelfth Annual State Conference for Social
Service, Charlotte, N. C, March 26,  1924.)
When we look around the world today and take
stock of the things that have happened and the strides
that have been made for human welfare during the
past few years, I think we are justified in feeling optimistic. Particularly is this true of Europe, for out
of the misery of the World War has come, at least,
more clearly conceived ideals of effort in the service
for humanity.
An important factor in the new order of things
is the movement toward universal and national autonomy. Old ramparts of feudalism have been broken
down in many quarters. New states have overturned
the economic and social domination of great landlords, and many old feudal holdings in Northern,
Central and Eastern Europe have been divided among
small landholders. In consequence of this, a new cultural elevation is available to peasants, laborers, and
the lower classes generally. Now their boys and girls
crowd the elementary and high school, where formerly
they were held in a pitiable state of illiteracy. The
desire to share the fruits, as well as the burdens of
civilization, grows apace and is exerting a great uplifting force.
Building, of course, is difficult in Europe for poverty is wide-spread and politics still sweep aside needed
projects of reform. But even if most nations have
their eyes on discontented neighbors who glare over
the frontier fences, there is a hopeful note in present
day social tendencies.
European nations have always been, and still are,
strongly individual and national in viewpoint. Their
schools are made to develop certain selected types. The
workman's child goes to one school and the business
or professional children to another. The parent selects
the child's trade or profession and he is trained for
it. One group is schooled for high stations and the
other for manual labor. The endeavor is to give
each class a store of memorized knowledge with small
bearing on the solution of everyday questions. This
is probably why the social problem of the family
around the corner forms little concern for the average
European.