The Lincoln times., 1955-03-10
N. {. Lost
261>000
People
Continued from page 81

SOHtiIlucu lEOIn page 81
Dor supply. Previous studies show
that migrants from rural states
are mostly young adults without
families. The cost of rearing a per-
son from birth to 18 years of age
has been estimated by Louis 1.
Dublin and Alfred J. Lotka, at
$7,766 i'll family of five persons
with an annual income of $2,500,
and at $l6,766 in a family of five
having an income of from $4,000
to $4,000. These estimates were
based on the ways of living and
the price levels of 1935-1946:
SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE
These estimates. Dublin and
Lotka point out. do not include an
allowance for the value of person.
al services rendered by members of
! the household other than the ia
ther. For example, it is most diff
cult to estimate in dollars and
cents the value of the services of
mothers who carry the major bur-
den of managing and operating
homes and of taking care of chill
dren.
go There is, of course. social
significance to this great outmi-
grafton of North Carolinians
which cannot be put into economic
terms. Migrants leaving their
home state and home communi-
ties must make many personal
and social adjustments. New en-
| ployerS, new friends, new homes,
new church affiliations; new play
groups, and new ways of living
must be taken on. No doubt many
of these new social adjustments
are happy ones; but, on the other
hand, we do know that high rates
of social mobility frequently lead
to personal and social probe of
pathological character 1t takes
a generation or more for new
population to become firmly es-
tablished in a new community.
(4 Finally, this great outmi-
grafton of people suggests that in
stitutions (public and private) in
the communities to which mi
MrantS go should develop pro-
grams which will help these people
make profitable and happy social
and economic adjustments. These
programs will be particularly
acute in the fields of new hous-
ing, vocational guidance, recrea-
ton, health services, and public
welfare.
COST TO REAR CHILD
At present price levels it prob
ably costs from $4,000 to $4,000
to rear a child from birth to 18
years of age, depending somewhat
on the incomes and standards of
living of the families involved. II
must be remembered, of course,
that a large percentage of our out
f-date migrants came from the
low income rural families of the
state On the other hand, we must
also consider the value of these
outmigrant lahorerS to urban in
dustry where most of them go.
How much, for instance, would it
cost an urban family and the ur-
ban community to feed, clothe, ed
ucate and otherwise service a po-
tential laborer from birth to 18
years of age?
What we are getting at is that
the economic value of North Car
olina's contribution of 100000 peo-
pie to the nation must be based
not only on the cost of living in
North Carolina but also on the
cost of living in the urban out-of-
state areas to which these people
are going, as well as on their pro-
ductive capacities in an urban en-
vironment.
Allowing for initiation and other
factors, and for purposes of clari-
fication and emphasis, let it be
assumed that these migrants rep
resent an economic contribution of
at least $15,0G0 per capita, or
total of $4,000 100000 equals
$4,000, ,000, 900. This amount of
money would not pay off our ma
tional debt; but it would, if re-
turned to North Carolina in the
form of Federal aid for education
al, social and health services, en-
able our state to "export" more
productive, healthier. and better
educated human product.