An Economic Policy for the South - Page 4
Speech reflecting on challenges facing the American South ; -4- had to come from migration from the farms for the simple reason that the birth rate in urban territory has not been sufficient even to maintain a stable population. Estimating the cost of rearing and educating a child to the age of 15 on a Southern farm at only 1500 dollars, the 3,800,000 migrants from farms of the Southern states alone represent a contribution during the decade of 1920-30 of about 700,000,000 dollars per year to the cities, mostly in the North, a contribution amounting to more than half the average farm value of the cotton crop. In considering the child population problem, remember that our average income is only about half that of the other states. A comparison of Alabama and New York is enlightening. New York, according to a carefully worked out formula, has six times as much wealth available for school purposes as Alabama, yet Alabama has almost twice as many children per adult as New York, so that it is fairly accurate to say that the Alabama child, in comparison with the New York child, is under a 12 to 1 wealth handicap in school advantages. The question immediately arises, "Does not this comparison merely reflect the condition of the South's negro population?" I think we have been inclined in the past too often to dismiss these disparities with that observation. I have the conviction that the South can never develop a sound economic policy without giving due consideration to problems of race relationship, and we must begin with the basic proposition that we can not possibly strengthen the condition of white children without extending advantages to the colored. I, for one, am prepared to go ahead with a policy that will bring greater security and happiness to our colored neighbors while we are adding to the security and happiness of our own. The vicious circle of low income, poor schools, low productiveness is hard to break. The social cost has been terrific. The other day it was announced in Washington that the Southern states led in crime. The Assistant Attorney General of the United States, Hon.