UNIVERSITY OF NC Al 
 
 A STUDY OF 
 YOUTH HEEDS AND SERVICES 
 IN 
 DALLAS, TEXAS 
 
 
 
 by 
 
 Jack Robertson 
 
 VOLUME I 
 
 A Report 
 to 
 
 The American Youth Commission 
 
 of 
 
 The American Council on Education 
 
 744 Jackson Place 
 
 Washington, D. C, 
 
 : r % 
 
 1937 
 
'* 
 
 
 s 
 
American Youth Commission 
 744 Jackson Place 
 Yfashington, D. C« 
 
 Homer P« Eainey 
 Director 
 
 VVA 
 3W-7 
 
 V. / 
 
Letter of Transmittal 
 
 To the Director 
 of 
 The American Youth Commission 
 
 Dear Dr. Rainey: 
 
 I have the honor to submit to you our report on "A Compre- 
 hensive Analysis of How the Heeds of Youth Are Being Met in 
 Dallas, Texas". This report presents a study of the general 
 program of coordinating agencies concerned with the care and 
 education of youth; an analysis of personal interviews with 
 4,608 youth between sixteen and twenty- four years of age and 
 recommendations of policies and procedures which would seem 
 to influence these young people most effectively. 
 
 The study was conducted by Mr. Jack Robertson with the 
 assistance of a staff of twenty-five field and office workers 
 and covered the period from June 1, 1936, to October 1, 1937. 
 
 This preliminary draft is for confidential distribution 
 to members of the Commission, to the Chairman and members of 
 the Dallas Youth Council and to such other persons as may 
 offer criticisms, suggestions or revision prior to its pub- 
 lication. 
 
 Faithfully yours, 
 
 Owen R. Love joy 
 Associate Director 
 
 October 15, 1937 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/studyofyouthneed01robe 
 
Dr. Owen R, Love joy, Associate Director, 
 American Youth Commission, 
 744 Jackson Place, 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
 Dear Sir: 
 
 In transmitting this report, it would be simpler to 
 list those to whom we are not under obligation than those 
 to whom we are. Every social agency has generously shared 
 its records, experiences, and advice, and particularly did 
 those constituting the Dallas Youth Council, under the able 
 leadership of H. G. Spruce, provide good will and patient 
 sponsorship on which we must further rely for the correc- 
 tion of errors. 
 
 The Civic Federation of Dallas has provided ample and 
 pleasant quarters. To you and those associated in the ac- 
 tivities of the American Youth Commission, particularly 
 Howard Bell and A. C. Rosander of the Maryland Ttudy, are 
 we indebted for guidance at the most critical points. So 
 unstintedly have been the contributions of every member of 
 the staff sharing in the Study that it is with reluctance 
 that I limit public acknowledgment to Catherine Plunkett, 
 F. E. Hobden, Rozelle Rosenthal, Jarr.es 0. Wing, and Marjorie 
 Jackson for their special services in the fields of group 
 work agencies, supervision, public schools, delinquency, 
 and inter-racial relationships. 
 
 Our greatest debt is, however, to those four thousand- 
 odd youth without whose generosity the Study would have 
 been possible. 
 
 Incomplete as this list is, I must ask others to ac- 
 cept anonymously, my gratitude and all to realize that the 
 responsibility for any mis-statements or false interpreta- 
 tions is my own. 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 Jack Robertson 
 Director — Dallas Study 
 
 Dallas, Texas 
 September 25, 1937 
 
COITTEITTS 
 VOLUME I. 
 Letters of Transmittal 
 INTRODUCTION i 
 
 1. Objectives 
 
 2. Techniques 
 
 3. Organization of the Dallas Study 
 
 <L. Values and Possible Usages of the Material 
 
 PAKE OBE. TIE SETTI1TG of TEE DALLAS STUDY ' 1 
 
 PAKE WO. CHARACTERISTICS of THE INDIVIDUAL AREAS. ... 6 
 
 PARI THREE. PUBLIC SCHOOLS 19 
 
 PART FOUR. HEALTH FACILITIES 30 
 
 1, The Race Factor in health 
 
 2. Indices of Recent Progress in Public Health 
 
 3. health Hazards of Youth 
 
 4, Health Agencies 
 
 PARI FIVE. PUBLIC RECREATION 5< 3 
 
 1. Properties and Their Locations 
 
 2. Facilities 
 
 3. Personnel 
 
 4. Program 
 
 5. Financing 
 
 FART SIX. PUBLIC LIBRARY 62 
 
 PART SEVE1I. GOVERNMENT AIDS to YOUTH 65 
 
 1. Rational Youth Administration 
 
 2. Texas State Employment Service 
 
 PART EIGHT. DELINQUENCY, CRUIE and TREATMENT IEASURES. . 69 
 
 PART NINE, HOUSIHC- 
 
 00 
 
5. Scholarships and Loan Funds 
 
 6. Services Hot Slsemfcere Classified 
 
 7. Summary and Conclusions 
 
 GENERAL CCSTCLITSIOITS 
 
 APPEIIDICES 
 
 A. Case Histories 
 
 B. Forms and Procedures 
 C« Laws Relatinc to Youth 
 
 * * * * 
 
 Errata 
 
 1. Page 79, footnote 2 should read Fart 14, Section 2. 
 
 2. Page 87, footnote 2 should read Part 14, Section 2. 
 
 3. Page 235, second paragraph, line 4, the percentage should 
 read 26.05^. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 Section 1. Objectives 
 
 To consider all the needs of American youth 
 between the ages of twelve and. twenty-five, 
 and to develop a comprehensive program for 
 their care and education. 
 
 Making a series of area studies, each complete in itself and re- 
 presenting a particular sector of American life and yet each supple- 
 menting the other to present a comprehensive picture, was one of the 
 first devices agreed upon by the American Youth Commission to carry 
 out the above charge given it by the American Council on Education. 
 
 The choice of Dallas from among the many areas which e xtended 
 invitations as one to be studied seemed eminently vise. 
 
 1) As the following description will attempt to 
 show, it is not a specialised city, but one 
 in ivhich are to be found the many patterns 
 characteristic of urban life in cities of the 
 same general population class. 
 
 2) Dallas has been and remains a rapidly growing 
 city and illustrates the problems incidental 
 to rapid growth. 
 
 3) There has arisen a series of social agencies 
 concerned with the problems and needs of Dallas 
 youth and each pledged cooperation in the making 
 of the study. 
 
 The Study then began on June 12, 1936, to outline with more clarity 
 and detail the values and objectives which might be realized within the 
 limits of allotted time and budget. These were, first, that an evalu- 
 ation and understanding might be gained of the broadly defined social 
 services of the city, including the public school system, public recreation, 
 
delinquency treatment, the church, and the privately supported agencies, 
 such as the Young Men's Christian Association, the Young Women's Christian 
 Association, the Eoy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, and adult 
 organizations concerned with these problems, such as service clubs, women's 
 clubs, Parent-Teacher Associations, etc. It was felt that sxich an evaluation 
 would be of use only if it were based upon a definite and clear-cut under- 
 standing of youth needs and problems, but no acceptable and accurate state- 
 ment of youth needs could be found. The second objective then became so 
 to study not only the physical and social environments within which Dallas 
 youth live, but also the physical, social, and mental qualities of the 
 youth themselves, that there would exist a reliable body of inf ormation 
 concerning -their needs and interests, their contributions and reactions to 
 programs designed for their benefit. A study of physical conditions alone 
 was not felt to be sufficient if the Study were to make the maximum contri- 
 bution to the general objective of the American Youth Commission "to develop 
 a comprehensive program for the care and education" of American youth, for 
 interests and psychological patterns might or night not exist in a measure 
 which would limit the effectiveness of any program failing to take account 
 of them, but if properly evaluated, might offer keys to the solutions of 
 come of the difficulties. 
 
 To accomplish objectives as broad as these, requiring as they do an 
 understanding of the patterns of life of all those between 12 and 24 within 
 the community and a stady of all services designed for their benefit, neces- 
 sitated some criteria for points of emphasis in our Study and a reasonable 
 standard by which to measure present deficiencies. This raised a third 
 question. What might one reasonably expect each youth to be and to possess 
 in a land as potentially abundant as ours? Our answer to this problem need 
 
in no way be taken as the final goals for American youth, but it does 
 
 account for the emphases in the Study and the elaboration in some instances 
 
 on social qualities and psychological conditions as a supplement to the 
 
 elements of the physical environment studied. Wo folt that the following 
 
 served our purpose reasonably well. 
 
 That youth desiring work should have an opportunity 
 which gives not only steady, secure, and increasing 
 income making possible a constantly rising standard 
 of living, but also the satisfaction of creative em- 
 ployment. 
 
 That youth should have the mutual trust and respect 
 of all others within the community. 
 
 That he should share in common the ideals and the re- 
 sponsibilities of community life. 
 
 That he should neither suffer nor feel inferior because 
 of his racial background. 
 
 That his personal development should be carried to the 
 highest potential. 
 
 That there should be opportunities for creative use of 
 leisure that are varied, interesting, and personally 
 satisfying. 
 
 That his personal habits and his environment should be 
 conducive to sound physical and mental health. 
 
 That he should have opportunities for the freest expres- 
 sion of Ms political views and his religious urges. 
 
 That he should have the opportunity to develop and preserve 
 family life on a normal and stable plane. 
 
 S ection 2. Tec hniques 
 
 Many possibilities were open to us in attempting to arrive at a 
 reasonable and reliable body of inf ormation regarding the needs and in- 
 terests of the youth of Dallas. Educational and psychometric examinations 
 might have been given to a limited number. Case studies might have been 
 

made of youth known to agencies or of a selected group. Or the mere cor- 
 relation of existing facts or S'featements of authorities might have formed 
 the basis. It was after careful consideration of all these and other pos- 
 sibilities that we determined on a quantitative and statistical analysis 
 of a representative sample of Dallas youth, large enough in number -to in- 
 clude all significant elements and yet intensive enough in character that 
 problems would be revealed. 
 
 This decision once made, a Schedule containing 45 questions was pre- 
 pared as the minimum of information to be gathered through the course of 
 an intimate and personal conversation with -youth from every walk of life. 
 A copy of this Schedule may be found in Appendix B. In order to guarantee 
 uniformity of answers, Manuals of Procedure were developed and the great- 
 est possible care exercised in the selection of an experienced staff, 
 competent to cairy out the objectives of this phase of the Study. A train- 
 ing program was inaugurated which is described in the Appendix containing 
 the Schedule and Manuals of Procedure . 
 
 Three further factors needed to be determined: first, the geographic 
 scope of the Study; second, the extent of the sample to be interviewed; 
 and third, the age range. 
 
 The decision in the first was more difficult because there exist, 
 just to the north of the city of Dallas proper, two independent townships, 
 many of whose residents work in Dallas and, although not allowed to hold 
 municipal office or vote in the city elections, play an important role in 
 the broad civic life of the community, "here also exist, on the outskirts 
 of the city, areas of some size which have an intimate association with 
 those within the city boundaries. Further complications existed because 
 
the city school system includes some of these latter areas and youth liv- 
 ing in them may hold memberships in organizations of a c ity-^wide nature. 
 After careful consideration, it mas decided to limit the Study to youth 
 now living within the recognized boundaries of the city. Many justifica- 
 tions for this appeared, two of the most important being, first, that the 
 independent townships (Highland Park and University Park) have a different 
 set of institutions including independent school systems, independent park 
 systems, and independent municipal governments. If we carried out the 
 objectives of evaluating social agencies in addition to the study of youth 
 needs, to include these areas would have made necessary the investigation 
 of the institutional life of each and the constant explanation of the 
 variations which existed. The second reason for not including these areas 
 was that estimates of their population were even loss accurate than those 
 of the city proper. 
 
 While it was felt that the validity of our results depended not so 
 much upon the size of the sample taken as upon its representativeness, we 
 proposed to reach as large a number as possible while using every known 
 fact about the composition of the youth population to check the represen- 
 tativeness of tlie sample. By combining the recently devised Census Tracts 
 of the city into IS Areas of Investigation and setting a quota of interviews 
 for eaoh Area on tho basis of loiown information, we insured that the group 
 reached was geographically representative as well as in the proper proportion 
 in the matters of sex, age, etc. These Areas mere so formed as to preserve 
 
 1. These Tracts were outlined by a local committee under Walter T, 
 Watson in 1935 at the request of the United States Geographer. 
 
the greatest possible homogeneity and wherever a Tract had peculiar 
 characteristics of racial or economic composition, it -was studied individual- 
 ly. Throughout the Study references are made to peculiar characteristics 
 of these Areas and the extent to which certain youth problems are concen- 
 trated within then. Accurate figures as to the number of youth in each of 
 these Areas did not exist. We had for guides only the Census of 1930 which 
 enumerated a total of 50,562 youth between 15 and 24, and the enumeration 
 of population taken in connection with the Real Property Inventory carried 
 on by the Civil Works Administration during November, December, and 
 January 1934-35. The composition of these A rea s of Investigation from 
 Census Tracts is shewn in Map 1, following Pago 16. 
 
 In determining the ages of those to be interviewed, we sought a group 
 which might reasonably be expected to have arrived at a point of maturity 
 enabling them to give accurate and dependable answers to the questions we 
 wished to ash. It was felt that those who would reach their sixteenth 
 birthday prior to June 1, 1937, but who lad not reached their twenty-fifth 
 
 birthday on January 1, 1937, would be sufficiently expressive to meet 
 
 2 
 this test. 
 
 Information which threw light on the problems, needs, characteristics, 
 and services for youth was gathered from a multitude of sources, in ad- 
 dition to the personal interviews with youth. Briefly, these were: 
 
 1) Publications and records of social agencies. 
 
 2) Personal interviews with directors of service 
 programs for youth. 
 
 1.' Real Property Inven t o'ry7 1934, Civil Works Administration Project - 
 'DaYias, Texas; Department of Uommeree, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic 
 Commerce, Washington, D. c, !■ • 
 
 2. Throughout the remainder of the Study, reference to our sample of 
 youth, 16 to 24, includes this slightly extended age range. 
 
vii 
 
 5) Observation of youth groups in action. 
 4) More intensive analysis of existing studies. 
 Often it was necessary to devise new forms for recording information, 
 and the most important of these are presented in Appendix B, Pages XKXK-XLV. 
 The hand and mechanical processes for tabulating material were so arranged 
 that wherever significant correlations seemed to exist, it was possible to 
 determine these. 
 
 Section 5. Organization of the Dallas Study 
 
 From the beginning, the interested citizens and representatives of the 
 social agencies vdio had taken the responsibility of extending the invitation 
 to the -American Youth Commission formed a group from whom counsel and advice 
 as well as aid in securing information ;vure secured. Convinced of the de- 
 sirability of not only keeping in touch with the progress of the Study but 
 also of deriving the maximum benefits from its findings, this group, with 
 the addition of representatives of other agencies, formed during the early 
 months an organization known as the Dallas Youth Council which has met from 
 time to time to hear reports, and at its last meeting, July 2, 1037, under- 
 took such steps as vrould lead to recommendations for a program designed to 
 meet local needs revealed by the Study. 
 
 Section 4. V a lue s and Possible Useages _o_f t he Material 
 
 It lias been stated' before that the Dallas Study was organized insofar 
 as possible to make the maximum contribution to the objectives of the 
 American Youth Comr.dssion to formulate "a comprehensive program for the care 
 and education" of A ne rican Youth. This accounts net only for the emphases 
 
but for the detail in which some of the findings are examined. The Study 
 has "been conceived from the start as a source book on youth problems* needs, 
 and ideas, and as a basis for program-making. In addition to whatever values 
 it may have in this regard as a basis for experimental programs, it should 
 have specific value to the city of Dallas as a basis for more intensive 
 social planning. 
 
PART ONE, THE SET 71 11:1 of TJY "J Ah LAS STUDY 
 
 In selecting Dallas for a study of youth needs, the American Youth 
 Commission chose, according to the 1930 Census, the 32nd city in the 
 United States in terms of population, 260,465 having been enumerated in 
 that year. It is not an old city, its first inhabitant having been John 
 Neely Bryan, who settled in 1841. It was in 1851 that Dallas was first 
 incorporated as a town, and in 1871 that it was incorporated as a city. 
 
 .At an elevation of 512 feet, it enjoys an annual rainfall of 22 
 inches and the percentage of possible sunshine is 66. Its average tem- 
 perature during the month of January, the coldest, is 45 degrees, and 
 during the month of July, the hottest, 84 degrees. 
 
 Its early development was intimately connected with the growth of 
 transportation facilities to the rich agricultural regions which surround 
 it. Railroads, induced by various subsidies and strategems to build 
 in or through Dallas, made it a terminal point for many years. Its posi- 
 tion as a distribution center has increased rather than decreased with 
 the years and in the Census of Business taken in 1955 it ranked as the 
 
 16th city of the nation in the amount of net sales in wholesale distribu- 
 
 2 
 
 tion. More recently its adjacency to the East Texas oil fields has made 
 
 a center for the distribution of machinery incidental to the extraction 
 e.nd transportation of this mineral. 
 
 1, It was these subsidies, described by Justin Kimball in his book. 
 Ou r City— Dallas , which almost plunged the city into bankruptcy 
 in the early 1870' s and caused to be written into the Texas Con- 
 stitution in 1872 that no County or Municipality could give a grant 
 or pledge its credit to any private individual or corporation. 
 
 2. C ensus of Busi ness; 1255, Vol, III, Wholesale Distribution, p. XIX, 
 Washington, D. C: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of 
 the Census, February 1957, 
 
"widely advertised for its importance in these regards and for its 
 
 supply of cheap labor, small-scale manufacturing, especially of garments, 
 
 1 
 has been attracted. Manufacturers found little in the way of otate reg- 
 ulation or control that govern laboring conditions. A maximum work wool: 
 of 54 hours for women and 48 hours for children under 15 is prescribed. 
 The labor of children under 15 years of age is prohibited, but where 
 earnings are needed in the home, work permits may be issued to children 
 of 12 or over who have completed the fifth grade. Labor of women at 
 night is not prohibited, nor docs there exist a minimum wage regulation. 
 
 With the growth of manufacturing have come increasing efforts to 
 organize local workers, the Open Shop Association proving the center 
 of opposition to such organizations. The garment industry has for the 
 past three years been marked by a series of minor strikes which at times 
 
 Commenting upon the advantages of Dallas, which include the plenti- 
 ful supply of natural gas, reasonable taxes, favorable climate, 
 and the" normal building costs, the Chamber of Commerce beginning a 
 three-year campaign in 1927 had this to say about labor: "Dallas 
 has a good supply of intelligent native white male and female, 
 semi-skilled and unskilled labor, which is adaptable to a variety 
 of industrial occupations. Wages are reasonable and they should 
 remain so because of the surplus seeking employment and the condi- 
 tions which contribute to a low cost of living". Seating that 
 "Dallas stands out as the loading Open Shop city in the entire 
 Southwest", the following conclusions were drawn: "Under present 
 labor conditions, an industry which locates in Dallas can foci 
 assured that the employer will have the general support of all in- 
 terested in the community, to see that his right to run. his own 
 business, free from interference and dictation, is not infringed 
 
 upon The Open Shop Association of Dallas has never attempted 
 
 to exercise the authority of a wage-fixing commission. We have 
 believed that the safe and sane way to serve this city was to 
 maintain a condition whereby every employer was free to run his 
 own business, to trade with his own employees in a wide-open mar- 
 ket where neither membership or non-membership in an organization 
 was a bar to employment; and our experience has convinced us that 
 this is the best policy to pursue". The Southwes t, prepared by the 
 Industrial Department of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce. Pages 9, 
 30 and 31 of section on Industrial Survoy of Dallas: Dallas, Texas: 
 Industrial Dallas, Inc., 1927. 
 
have flared into violence between police and picketers and pieketers 
 and non- Union workers. The recent differences between the American 
 Federation of Labor and its dispossessed Committee on Industrial Organ- 
 ization have brought on a feverish race between these two groups to 
 organize Dallas workers. In spite of these efforts, Dallas can hardly 
 be characterized as a labor-conscious city. As a financial and distri- 
 bution center its key-note is not industry but business, and a great 
 many of its white workers are employed in clerical and sales operations. 
 In spite of the contrasts which exist between Areas, 4 of the 16 Areas 
 are predominantly middle-class, principally populated by those engaged 
 in one of the "white-collar" jobs. 
 
 The general population of the city is predominantly white of native 
 origin. The percentages derived from the 1930 Census revealed 14.9$ 
 Negro, 2.4$ Mexican, and 1.9$ foreign-born white, leaving some 80.8$ 
 of native white parentage. The growth of the city has been rapid during 
 the decade from 1920 to 1930, the number increasing from 158,000 to 
 260,000. The rate of growth has begun to show a decline, however, and 
 a fair estimate for the year 1936 seems 292,000 with racial proportions 
 about the same as in 1930. The population is supplemented from year to 
 year" by the young men and young women, ordinarily the latter in the majority, 
 who come from the surrounding towns, villages, and country-side to estab- 
 lish themselves in the city. At the same time, Dallas has proved one 
 of the sources from which Negro males have migrated in great numbers to 
 the industrial centers to the north and northeast. Both the increase 
 in the white population and the decrease in the Negro population by 
 these methods bring with them serious adjustment problems to which at- 
 
tention is given in later sections. 
 
 With the existence of these three groups— native white, Negro, 
 and Mexican — Dallas has developed a threo-way segregation: 
 
 1) There is the ever-present segregation between 
 the Negro and the -white, necessitating a dual 
 set of institutions, including schools and parks, 
 separate facilities in hospitals and separate 
 compartments in street cars and buses. All re- 
 lationships between the two groups are derived 
 from or take account of this general pattern of 
 segregation. 
 
 2) The Mexican group, small though it is, has a dif- 
 ferent, pattern with reference to the native white 
 group. Not legally excluded from public schools 
 or other institutions, there are social barriers 
 which are raised against the Mexicans in more per- 
 sonal relationships. Ordinarily, the Mexican, like 
 the Negro, lives within the bounds of a segregated 
 area and if he should go beyond this, he is unlike- 
 ly to be accepted into the neighborhood. 
 
 3) A third relationship is that existing between the 
 Mexican and the Negro, for although we find places 
 where proximity and mutual problems bring the 
 groups somewhat closer together, these are the 
 exceptions and not the rule, for the Mexican has 
 come but recently and is competing in many in- 
 stances for jobs which the Negro now holds or for- 
 merly held. The result is often bitterness and 
 distrust. 
 
 In addition to the influences upon institutional life, two ad- 
 ditional e ffects of this segregation should be noted: 
 
 1 ) Since the Areas of Negro settlement are scattered 
 throughout the city, it is almost impossible, be- 
 cause of the distances, to bring about an inte- 
 gration of community life for all Negroes. 
 
 2) The occurrence of an Area of a different race be- 
 tween two Areas similar in race interposes a 
 barrier which limits social interchange between 
 the similar Areas. 
 
 A further barrier to social integration are the railroads which 
 
 cut the city into various sections. As these railroads have been re- 
 
sponsible for much of the growth of Dallas as a whole, they also set 
 the limits within which a real estate development was likely to take 
 place, with the result that as one crosses from one side of the tracks 
 to the other, one usually finds great differences in the types of hous- 
 ing. The infrequency of places to cross these tracks prevents any 
 great amount of inter-neighborhood association. 
 
 This mosaic character has boen accentuated by another phenomenon 
 of the city's growth. Dallas, like many other cities, has grown with- 
 out reference to any pre-determined plan, its area having been added 
 to bit by bit as one individual real estate development after another 
 reached a point where it seemed advantageous to extend the city boun- 
 daries to include it. This growth — ro-oici, uneven, and unplanned — has 
 placed upon the city terrific strain to weld these units into a co- 
 hesive whole. Each addition has also r iemands for extensions 
 of social services, such as schools, j , policing, in propor- 
 tion to the increase in size. Such extensions, however, often necessi- 
 tate heavy capital outlays for school buildings or parks and the pro- 
 vision of these physical facilities requires so much of the city's 
 income that actual operating services are sacrificed or limited. 
 
 Control of municipal affairs now rests in the hands of a body of 
 nine Councilmen who appoint a City Manager to administer the services 
 for which they are the policy-making body. City services having a 
 special reference to this report are those of policing, public health, 
 public education, public recreation, public welfare and relief, and 
 each of these is commented upon or examined in some detail in one of 
 the sections to follow. 
 
 With these general characteristics outlined, we turn to a consi- 
 deration of each of the 16 Areas into which we divided the city. 
 
FART TITO, CHARACTERI STICS OF TIE INDIV IDUAL AREAS 
 
 Area 1 is found to the northeast of the business section, extending 
 to the city boundaries on the north, composed of Census Tracts 2, 3, 10, 
 and 11, -which -were separated more for the saJ3 of expediency than through 
 any differences that exist, We find in our interviewer's report these 
 statements: 
 
 The people living here do not represent a group 
 typical of Dallas nor of Texas, for their counterparts 
 may be found in nearly any part of the United States 
 in -which there is a big city life. 
 
 Just as the people in this Area are similar to each 
 other in their habits of work and play, in their speech 
 and dress, so are the houses in which they live and their 
 worldly possessions similar. The houses are of the one- 
 story brick cottage type with six or seven rooms, and each 
 lias a neat and attractive lawn and garden almost identical 
 with the one next door, and the one after that. The inside 
 furnishings might be described with the same words — nothing 
 original or creative or showing any particular thought or 
 planning except for the fact that everything is nice and 
 proper for people of that class. Practically every family 
 lias a car, for, there being little or no family group life 
 in the home and no community life in the neighborhood in 
 which to participate, substitutes for these things are 
 found elsewhere. 
 
 The working people in this section are largely of the 
 "white-collar" business class, although there is the oc- 
 casional person who through necessity and "bad luck" is 
 forced into the labor group where he must work with his 
 hands and with tools. It is significant to note that the 
 attitude of the predominating group, however, is that any 
 work which involves manual labor is beneath their station, 
 even though the money returns be greater in some cases. 
 There is little diversity of occupation. One finds chiefly 
 accountant's, salesmen, engineers, small building contractors, 
 and owners of small businesses. The parents 'education and 
 training are limited, high school and sometimes a year or two 
 of unspecialifed college work be rag usual, so that there are 
 very few people who are qualified in highly skilled techniques. 
 Due to this limited earning power, a large percentage of the 
 group have roomers, chiefly of the office worker type whose 
 income would not otherwise enable him to live in such a district, 
 
Area 2, lying like a tapering wedge be bwoen two railroads which 
 finally cross at its northern extremity, has beyond its southeast 
 boundary the largest ITegro settlement in Dallas and beyond its south- 
 west border the largest Mexican settlement, often referred to as "Little 
 Mexico". With large apartment houses and frame cottages intermingling 
 in that portion nearest the city, the frame houses gradually become more 
 and more predominant until near the very end there is found an almost 
 hidden section, several blocks square, which is composed entirely of 
 Uegroes. 
 
 Several factors distinguish this Area: 
 
 1) It is cut almost its entire length by a cross- 
 town traffic artery. 
 
 2) There is a shopping center near the northern end 
 which serves many of the residents of the restricted 
 township of Highland Pari: Just to the north. 
 
 3) Almost in the center of the Area is found Horth Dallas 
 High School, serving not only this Area, but other white 
 areas adjacent to it. 
 
 Its heterogeneous character is shown by the occupations of those who 
 have residence there. In checking the occupations of the fathers of the 
 youth we interviewed, we found 20$ engaged in managerial and executive 
 positions, 22% in skilled labor, Ufa in semi-skilled labor, 10$ in sales, 
 and almost 10$ in professional work, in addition to the 1Z% who are or were 
 farmers. Unskilled and service occupations as well as clerical work were 
 well represented. Our interviewer very commonly found that all members of 
 a family were at work and that the total amount of time when all members 
 of the family were together was extremely limited. 
 
 Ar ea 5 has many characteristics which make it similar to Area 1. A high 
 school which serves the Area isj as in the case of Area 1, located not 
 
•within the boundaries of the Area, but within those of an adjacent one. 
 Also, like Area 1* it has a largo and active trade center. Differences, 
 however, occur both in physical appearance and in occupations. In the 
 first place, the Area is much older than is Area 1 and some of the older 
 residenc.es haTB already given way to apartment buildings or have been 
 converted into boarding homes. The uniformity which is so evident in Area 1 
 in the matter of the structure of the houses is not found here and we find 
 that whereas in Area 1 73/2 of the parents of the youth interviewed were 
 engaged in "white-collar" jobs, only 60$ of those in this Area were so en- 
 gaged, while the percentage of skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled labor- 
 ers was 2Z>% for Area 3 and only 16J» for Area 1. Hie fact that the Area is 
 older lias also contributed to the somewhat stronger, though limited, amount 
 of neighborhood life. One' last distinguishing characteristic of this Area 
 is its prominence as a medical center. Here in one group are found the 
 City-County Hospital and four clinics, surrounded by offices of many private 
 physicians. 
 
 Separated from Area S by the almost inevitable railroad* we find odd- 
 shaped Area 4 whose boundaries can be explained only in terms of the State 
 law req^^iring that all property over which the city has jurisdiction be 
 within a continuous and unbroken line, for the boundary lines extend some 
 three or four miles northwest in order to encompass the water reservoir and 
 the municipal airport. Here and there these narrow parallel lines are 
 extended to include a small settlement, the largest of these being the 
 Negro colony of some 900 or more persons, known officially as North Park 
 and un-officially as "Elm Thicket". The bulk of the population, however, 
 live in that area immediately adjacent to Area 3 and most of the white youth 
 
interviewed -were found in this section. Small sections of the Area have 
 "been real estate developments and contain homes similar to those in Area 1, 
 but many of them are mere shacks without conveniences. 
 
 Twenty-two and five-tenths percent of the youth who were interviewed 
 had fathers whose chief occupations had been farming, while 50^ had fathers 
 engaged in some type of manual labor. Most of the residents of this Area 
 find their release through either neighborhood gossip, excessive church 
 participation, or riding about in cars. Apathy, lack of nourishment, over- 
 work, ignorance and lack of understanding, and isolation from the city's 
 life seem the distinguishing marks of most of this Area. 
 
 The llegro settlement, of course, presents a different picture. From 
 
 our interviewer's report on the community: 
 
 Here one finds a strange mixture of all the 
 essentials of a small rural tovm rath some of the 
 
 characteristics of the cultural life of the city. 
 These latter elements have been introduced through 
 associations with the wealthy residents of Dallas 
 in whose homes many of the Negroes are employed as 
 domestics. An intimate and friendly spirit pervades 
 this area of small homes owned or now being paid for. 
 The sick are administered to by all the residents of 
 the community. 
 
 Interiors of the homes often show taste and care 
 in furnishing, but only a few are inspired to develop 
 lawns and flowers as an aesthetic setting for these 
 homes. Recreational outlets are limited, and ho\ise- 
 to-house visiting is the chief form. 
 
 Area 5 is comprised of four distinct sub-areas, each with its own 
 individuality, and shading gradually into the adjacent region. The inter- 
 viewer reported as follows: 
 
 Census Tract 14, the smallest of these areas, is 
 the most influential in terms of the city's community 
 life. It is here that we find those old families who 
 dominate with an air of rightful proprietorship every 
 cultural movement in the city. Only in very recent 
 
-!j - 
 
 years lias the growth of the city shaken somewhat this 
 
 possessiveness. One finds homes large and spacious 
 and the oenter of conservatism and formality. Typical 
 of this area perhaps is the narrow opening between stone 
 •nulls through -which one enters by car. This expresses, 
 no doubt, that here one may find a group living on a higher 
 plane to -which one may ascend, if at all, only after years 
 of social apprenticeship. 
 
 Only a Country Club, a few stores, and some vacant 
 areas separate Hunger Place, just described, from the newer 
 section marked off as Census Tract 1. Here, coupled with 
 the newness, is a variety in architecture, which some tires 
 reaches the bizarre. The section definitely conveys the 
 notion of prosperity, but a prosperity which is, to at least 
 some of its residents, a new and unaccustomed one. 
 
 To the south of Hunger Place lies an area still differ- 
 ent in -composition and characteristics. Here one finds homes 
 which twenty years ago compared favorably with those of Hunger 
 Placo. More than a sprinkling of the original owners still 
 remain, somewhat saddened by the increase in small cottages and 
 apartment houses and the conversion of former homes into room- 
 ing houses. One finds a greater variety of life on a slightly 
 lower plane. ?ho growth of apartments and the opening of homes 
 to roomers have brought an influx of office workers', young 
 students of business colleges, and the like, who bring with 
 them traces of the snail-town or rural background and feel 
 more than any other group the need for a richer community life. 
 
 The last district which comprises this Area is, from the 
 view of the other tracts, "across the tracks", having small 
 frame cottages with many unuaved streets. It is known in part 
 for its concentration of policemen, notormen, and similar oc- 
 cupational groups. Education is more limited but stronger 
 bonds of feeling exist. Problems incident to city life on 
 low wages are well known and pleasures are usually found through 
 the media of the second-hand automobile, the radio, and the 
 five-cent magazines. 
 
 Area 6 presents a different picture from any of the Areas surrounding 
 
 it. It is formed of three Census Tracts and its upper section is composed 
 
 of frame cottages, merging into an area of formerly fine residences which 
 
 are gradually being replaced by apartment houses or being converted into 
 
 boarding homes. The increase in the use of homes for this purpose lias 
 
 increased anonymity and destroyed a large portion of the community life 
 
 which formerly existed. Many of the residents have been attracted to Dallas 
 
 from the surrounding towns and neighborhoods and their place in the city 
 

has not as yet been established* while their ties in former communities 
 seem to lave been definitely broke:.. 
 
 Of Area 9 only two portions deviate from its predominant note of work- 
 ing men , s homes. These are the group oi rooming houses clustered near the 
 entrance to the Exposition grounds and the fairly large settlement of 
 Negroes segregated in the southern portion of the Area. Our interviewer 
 reported as follows: 
 
 The majority of the houses are five- and six- 
 room frame cottages originally constructed as one-family 
 dwellings, but in a number of cases nor: occupied by two 
 families who are usually on such intimate terms that 
 their rooms are connected and a common telephone is 
 shared. These individual and multiple dwellings are 
 cheaply furnished, but fairly neat and well kept. The 
 presence of children and the necessity in some cases 
 for having a bedroom combined with the sitting room 
 account for a few instances of disorderly appearance. 
 
 Definitely a "family area", many families are 
 young married couples with anywhere from one to five 
 children. Frequently, married sisters and brothers 
 live in the same block with their respective families. 
 
 The churches are usually small frame buildings on 
 the less frequented streets. Methodist, Baptist, 
 Christian, and Full Gospel are the most prominent denomi- 
 nations. The people are divided into - cliques which cor- 
 respond to the church to which they belong. These churches 
 are particularly active in young people's work. There are 
 many socials, mission societies, revivals, and even athletic 
 teams sponsored by the various denominations. Many young 
 people attend church services and meetings as many as fif- 
 teen or twenty times a month. Religious pictures were noted 
 in the homes more frequently than any other type of picture. 
 
 On some of the streets there is a neighborly, "gossipy" 
 atmosphere. One girl complains that this is an evil influence 
 on the youth because it is impossible for a young girl to have 
 dates without the neighborhood gossip discussing her affairs. 
 It has, the young woman maintained, ruined the life of her 
 next-door neighbor and will also injure a young high school 
 girl unless she is guarded from their tongues. 
 
 Area 10 is formed from the area that immediately surrounds the business 
 
 district, an Area in transition. All parts show that disintegration which 
 
 follows when a former residential area becomes one of potential industrial 
 
usefulness. In addition to the -white residents who form the bulk of the 
 population, there aro large settlements of Negroes and Mexicans and the 
 district houses a squatter's camp which came into existence in the early 
 depression days and continues as the temporary or permanent abode of families 
 who cling to the notion of "moving on". Of the white residents, otir inter- 
 viewer reported: 
 
 Area 10 has all the signs of an old prosperity* 
 Homes in once beautiful settings which, no doubt 
 thirty or forty years ago were the showp laces of the 
 community, are now in decay. The ever—growing expan- 
 sion of the local industries and spread of business 
 houses have pushed their tentacles into the district 
 and the former habitants or their heirs have abandoned 
 it for less noisy and more desirable surroundings. Most 
 of the old mansions have been converted into small and 
 cheap apartment houses or rooming houses. The nearness 
 of the business section mates it, of course, the logical 
 place for the small income earners to live* The hand-to- 
 mouth existence of most families in the district creates 
 a general feeling of insecurity which is accentuated by 
 the enforced migratory existence of rural workers. It 
 goes without saying that in such surroundings all the 
 ills common to tenement districts are rampant — potty 
 crime, juvenile delinquency, disease and prostitution. 
 The nearness cf the town's business section places, of 
 course, a certain speculative value on the property and 
 sufficient growth of the city will in all probability 
 finally absorb the district. For the present though 
 this value forces the owner to collect what revenue ho 
 can squeeze out of the property with a minimum of cost. 
 The consequence is that the old mansions are in a shame- 
 ful state of neglect in regard to repairs and modern 
 conveniences. 
 
 The ifegro settlement was reported in this way: 
 
 A generation has soon but little change in the 
 attitude or the physical appearance of this section. 
 Depending upon the adjacent city markets for occasion- 
 al labor which, with seasonal cotton-picking and some 
 occasional yard work, provides a precarious livelihood, 
 parents introduce their children to the art of gathering 
 food, junk, and rags from the nearby market,* 
 
 In this generation the educational level lias risen 
 from perhaps the third to the fourth or fifth grade. Un- 
 necessary in the pursuit of a livelihood, education has 
 
-13- 
 
 littlc moaning and the educated person is looked upon 
 with a suspicion which arises from the dislike of any- 
 one who holds himself to bo better than those of the 
 community. Strangers are greeted with distrust and 
 suspicion for this sane reason. A minister coring in 
 to give a sernon seldom concerns himself with the actual 
 . living of his auditors. Nor do other social service 
 
 groups find it fruitful ground for their labors. In spite 
 of this general attitude, some pride is evidenced in the 
 existence of the school within the borders of the area and 
 teachers often have the high regard of those who see no 
 point in education. 
 
 No sense of indignation is felt by the residents at 
 the prostitutes and gamblers who live here. likewise com- 
 mon law marriages, which tend to become permanent, are a 
 frequent occurrence and an accepted institution. 
 
 For recreation -'die young person turns to the public 
 dance halls in a nearby section or to the beer taverns 
 which have boon substituted for the prohibition-day speak- 
 easy. No park or play area for outdoor activity is avail- 
 able. 
 
 Briefly, we find in this area all the complexities 
 of modern problems — ignorance, poverty, lack of train- 
 ing or skill, precarious living, bad housing, crime, 
 delinquency, and race antagonism. Religion occurs only 
 as an occasional and unrelated emotional experience. 
 
 Ar ea 11 is reported by our interviewer as follows: 
 
 This Area is so hetorogene jus as to be almost 
 impossible of consideration as a whole. The district 
 was originally settled by families of some means and 
 stability who moved out to what was then considered 
 the outskirts of the city. Ihe . atural beauty and 
 uncrowned fooling attracted those who made their homes 
 there. This was virtually an extension of the resi- 
 dential section just south >f business district. 
 As the down-town business district moved in on the older 
 residential section, those havi: , their homes there moved 
 out practically on masse, leaving a very poor, unsavory 
 section between Area 11 and town. The advance of industry 
 continued even farther south and there sprang up many fac- 
 tories and business houses along the northern and western 
 boundaries. A largo Negro section grew up to the southeast 
 of the Area. This Area was hemmed in on three sides, with 
 growth to the south being limited to families of lower 
 economic level. The land adjacent to the railroad was filled 
 in with poorly built, unpainted, and bare shacks. As inroads 
 began to^bc made on all sides by industry, the residential 
 section began to deteriorate in appearance, population, and 
 residential value. Those families who could moved out rapidly. 
 
-14- 
 
 Those who had their roots there remained, expecting eventually 
 to move also. Tho Area could no longer attract families of 
 more than moderate means and the new-comers to this part of 
 town were younger people of small incomes who went to the 
 extreme southern part of the Area to settle. There grew up 
 in this section small, attractive frame and brick cottages. 
 
 One compact section was settled entirely by Jewish 
 families of from medium to high economic level. Scattered 
 throughout the Area were many Jewish families of lesser 
 means. As families moved from the section to East Dallas 
 or Highland Park, Jewish families from other parts of South 
 Dallas took over these vacated homes. Although still fairly 
 intact, even here aro seen the effects of mobility. 
 
 Looking at the Area as a whole, we see that improvement 
 came to a standstill some years ago and many streets are 
 unpaved or in bad repair. Little has been done to beautify 
 homes or the community. A general feeling of unrest and 
 conflict prevails throughout the Area. The older residents 
 have been caught by the encroaching industries and hemmed 
 into a section that has lost its former attraction. They 
 are both apologetic for and defensive of their place of 
 residence. They would like to move, but their property 
 has so little sales value that this is impossible. The 
 economic range is wider than is usual among the population 
 of a single section of the city, making anything approach- 
 ing unity an impossibility. The older members have fallen 
 into a kind of stagnation, getting no stimulation from their 
 own neighborhood and often neglecting to seek it elsewhere. 
 
 Separated from the city by the Trinity River lie three Areas, the 
 largest of these being Oak Cliff, our Area 15 , which, liko East Dallas, 
 was once an indopendont township. Bound together by this tradition, the 
 Area has continued as one in which community life remains closer than that 
 of other sections. Marks of this differentiation are to be found by such 
 evidences as an independent newspaper, tho special edition of a Dallas 
 paper, exclusively for this Area, tho Oak Cliff -Dallas Commercial Associ- 
 ation, the Associated Leagues West of the Trinity, and the fact that many 
 of the service clubs have independent groups mooting in this Area. It is 
 here that more independently functioning groups of young men and women 
 were found than in any other section of the city. Long established, the 
 years have, of course, brought changes in the economic fortunes of the early 
 
-15- 
 
 residents and gradations are to be found. Not even the passage of the 
 years, however, nor "the additions to the population from other areas 
 have changed the predominant note of friendly, democratic, middle-class 
 relationships. 
 
 Occupations arc commonly of the small office manager or salesman 
 type, -with a large percentage of skilled and semi-skilled workmen, and 
 retired farmers. 
 
 Area 16 , a newer and loss integrated community, lies to the south of 
 the above-described Area and is known as Trinity Heights* At the con- 
 clusion of tlie observation period, our interviewer reported these facts: 
 
 The majority of the dwellings are small, un- 
 attractive cottages with an occasional well-built 
 and we 11 -equipped home, and frequently a row of 
 dingy shacks. The observer is impressed with the 
 generally unfinished appearar.ee of this section, 
 typified by the lack of paving and side-walks, parks, 
 libraries, and other recreational facilities. It 
 was evidently built hurriedly to accomodate families 
 of small incomes, coming largely from rural areas or 
 small towns, and attracted to Dallas by the hope of 
 better work opportunity. The Area has no well devel- 
 oped business or shopping district and depends on the 
 neighboring community of Oak Cliff for such service. 
 Everything points to a complete lack of plan or com- 
 munity organization in the development of this Area, 
 but its remoteness from the city proper makes this 
 need most acute. It is evident that although their 
 employment or an occasional shopping or recreation 
 excursion may take these people across the Trinity 
 River, they do not generally identify themselves 
 with the life of Dallas as a whole. 
 
 The older generation aro generally occupied in 
 the skilled or semi-skilled trades. The younger 
 generation mostly are employed in semi-skilled rou- 
 tine factory work or as clerks in stores and wait- 
 resses in restaurants. Many of the youth have left 
 their rural or small-town homes and have come to 
 Dallas in search of better work opportunities, and 
 are now living with friends or relatives. 
 
 As a general rule, those people are somewhat 
 undorhoused due to economic pressure, large families 
 
-16- 
 
 occupying dwellings T/vhich are more suitable for a 
 couple with at most one or two children. Wo often 
 find houses in which every room but the kitchen 
 has been converted into a bedroom. 
 
 We have omitted from the previous discussions descriptions of the 
 Negro Areas which we numbered 7, 12, 13, and 14, and which arc widely 
 separated from one another. 
 
 Area 7 is the largest of this group and hero aro found the centers 
 of much of the institutional life of the entire Negro population. The 
 Y.M.C.A., the Y.W.C.A., the only Negro branch of the public library, the 
 only Negro high school in Dallas, and the only Negro park having a year- 
 round program of activities aro all in the Area. Here life shows many 
 gradations, however, and far from all of the group are reached by the 
 influence of those institutions. Wo find a hierarchy of social life, 
 each group having a different plane of existence which converge only 
 through the impersonal channels of trade and charity. Isolation and 
 poverty are found, as are culture and affluence. It is this Area which 
 shows the greatest results of the attempt of the Negro to build for him- 
 self a scheme of existence equivalent to that which he has been denied. 
 Sanatariums and civic grotips, stores and dance halls., law offices and 
 insurance firms — all of these exist and are owned and operated by Negroes. 
 There is in this Area, as in all the Negro Areas, the prosence of the store 
 owned and operated by Italians and catering almost exclusively to the 
 Negro groups . 
 
 The entire district is hemmed in by business or white sections and 
 further expansion seems impossible. Through the center of the Area runs 
 a railroad track, now no longer used, but which remains a favorite lounging- 
 

 .— 
 
 
-17- 
 
 loafing place of many of the residents. 
 
 To escape the congestion of this Area, many Negroes sought new homes 
 in Area 12, commonly known as Queen City. Others sought residence here 
 because of cheaper rents. Dependent as this Area in large measure is upon 
 the cultural centers found in A r ea 7, we find distinctions, stratif icationj 
 and some isolation. Those who are accepted into the more exclusive cir- 
 cles which center in Area 7 find all their recreational outlets there and 
 do not look upon Ares. 12 as more than a place in which to live. There are 
 others in the community, however, who feel themselves outsiders in this 
 regard and resent their exclusion. We have the same phenomena- observable 
 in the white Area 11 which adjoins this Area on three sides, a district 
 divided against itself. 
 
 If Area 12 suffers from the distances and distinction* which separate 
 it from the active cultural centers, the position of A rea 13 is even worse 
 for it lies almost five miles from the center of the city in the southern 
 extremity. Many of its residents have come here from farms and rural 
 places and seek their livelihood as common laborers. While the whole 
 Area is commonly referred to as Lincoln Manor, there are three sub-sec- 
 tions, each of which has a defensive pride, and as one district resents 
 being grouped with the other two, so are the other two irritated by this 
 attempt at differentiation. Our interviewer reported that there is no 
 form of community organization or activity, visiting from house to house 
 being the principal means of recreation. The only thing done together as 
 a community is gardening which is a hang-over from a relief project en- 
 couraging clients to help thems elves. The Italian grocer on the corner 
 is the spokesman for the community. Whatever the residents want done 
 
comes through him. Strangers are looked upon with suspicion as many fam- 
 ilies are on relief and fear being removed . Ho one knows anything until 
 convinced that the inquirer is not from the relief office. 
 
 The one Negro settlement which it was possible to study as a unit is 
 Census Tract 41 which became our Area o f Investigat ion 14. This Area 
 presents in most of its aspects conditions mid-way between those found in 
 Area 12 and Area 13, just described. Housing, the percentage on relief, 
 the dearth of community outlet, the extent of poverty, the place of the 
 church, disintegration, and stratification, all these follow the in-between 
 pattern. Its aspect is not so sophisticated as that of Area 7 or Area 12, 
 nor yet so rural as that of Area 13. 
 
 We have saved until last a description of Area 8 which houses the 
 majority of the Mexicans who make Dallas their home. Adjoining Area 10 on 
 the south, this Area shows the same disintegration in process. The value 
 of the Area as a residential section has been undermined, but its indus- 
 trial possibilities have been only partially realized. All of this is, of 
 course, furthered by the handicaps of language, a different set of customs 
 and mores, and a background of poverty and ignorance. Streets in the Area 
 are largely unpaved, except where they serve industry. 
 
 These Areas which have been described form the mosaic and the contrasts 
 which make up the city of Dallas. Especially pertinent to youth, in ad- 
 dition to the municipal services of policing, public health, public edu- 
 cation, public recreation, public welfare and relief, mentioned above, are 
 the County agencies for treatment of delinquency, private agencies render- 
 ing services to youth, and employment and work programs under Federal con- 
 trol. In the following sections, attention is given to the manner in 
 which these arc conducted. 
 

 
 .. : - . ■ 
 
 f 
 
-19- 
 
 PART T IIRLin:. PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
 
 Under the jurisdiction of an elected School Board serving over-lap- 
 ping terms of two years without pay, is the Dallas Public School System, 
 a system consisting of 11 grades with an entrance age of six years, and 
 a special compulsory school attendance law requiring attendance for the 
 full term of all those under the age of 15. There are 47 white elementary 
 schools, which usually encompass the grades from 1 through 7, 2 Junior high 
 schools with a 3-year grade span, and 6 white high schools, of which one 
 offers technical training in addition to the regular academic courses. 
 For the Negro students there are 12 elementary schools and 1 high school. 
 The Dallas Public Evening Schools are also a part of this system. 
 
 Construction of buildings is financed through bond issues and the 
 % 300, 000. 00 voted in April, 1937 is expected to provide more adequate 
 buildings, especially a new Negro high school, during the coming year. 
 
 A School Census is taken annually of all persons of scholastic age, 
 6 through 17, and on this the State from its tax resources pays a per capita 
 sum which varies from year to year, but ■which was set at s?19«00 for the year 
 just past. Tables 1 and 2, which follow, show the number enumerated in 
 the spring of 1936 by each age within the scholastic range and the number 
 enrolled during the school year of 1936-37. The total number enrolled in 
 all public schools was 49,380. 
 
 In addition to the public schools, of course, there are a number of 
 parochial schools and private institutions which may be attended in lieu of 
 the public schools. These, however, by no means take all of those not 
 
TABLE 1 — NUMERICAL AND PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF WHITE YOUTH (including 
 Mexicans), BY SEX AID AGE, A3 ENUMERATED IN SCHOLASTIC CENSUS 
 OF 1936 and ENROLLED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS DURING THE SESSION OF 1S35-Z1 
 
 Age 
 
 Males 
 Enum- 
 erated 
 
 Males 
 
 En- 
 rolled^ 
 
 En- 
 rolled 
 
 Females 
 
 Enum- 
 erated 
 
 Females 
 
 En- 
 ■rolled 
 
 : i 
 :En- 
 .rolled 
 
 Total 
 Enum- 
 erated 
 
 Total 
 
 En- 
 rolled 
 
 : % of ~ 
 
 . Total 
 : Enrol led 
 
 6 
 
 1747 
 
 1561 
 
 90 
 
 1759 
 
 1608 
 
 92 
 
 . 3486 
 
 3169 
 
 91 
 
 7 
 
 2035 
 
 1327 
 
 90 
 
 1922 
 
 1723 
 
 90 
 
 3957 
 
 3550 
 
 90 
 
 8 
 
 1954 
 
 1773 
 
 91 
 
 1940 
 
 1860 
 
 96 
 
 3894 
 
 3633 
 
 95 
 
 9 
 
 2017 
 
 1826 
 
 91 
 
 2024 
 
 1850 
 
 92 
 
 4041 
 
 3676 
 
 91 
 
 10 
 
 2059 
 
 1868 
 
 92 
 
 2102 
 
 1835 
 
 87 
 
 4141 
 
 3703 
 
 89 
 
 11 
 
 2169 
 
 1965 
 
 91 
 
 2113 
 
 1858 
 
 83 
 
 4282 
 
 3323 
 
 89 
 
 12 
 
 2290 
 
 2122 
 
 93 
 
 2212 
 
 2099 
 
 95 
 
 4502 
 
 4221 
 
 93 
 
 13 
 
 2134 
 
 2055 
 
 96 
 
 2057 
 
 1966 
 
 96 
 
 4191 
 
 4021 
 
 96 
 
 14 
 
 2161 
 
 1920 
 
 89 
 
 2138 
 
 1840 
 
 86 
 
 4299 
 
 3760 
 
 88 
 
 u 
 
 2153 
 
 1581 
 
 64 
 
 2192 
 
 1675 
 
 76 
 
 4345 
 
 3256 
 
 75 
 
 is 
 
 2111 
 
 1227 
 
 58 
 
 2017 
 
 1103 
 
 55 
 
 4128 
 
 2335 
 
 57 
 
 it 
 
 1734 
 
 644 ■ 
 
 37 
 
 1751 
 
 577 
 
 33 
 
 5465 
 
 1221 
 
 35 
 
 Total 
 
 .24544 
 
 20369 
 
 82.98 
 
 24187 
 
 19999 . 
 
 82.63 
 
 4873-1 
 
 40568 
 
 82.83 
 
 1, There were 340 above the scholastic age and 1 below enrolled. 
 
 2. There were 147 above the scholastic age enrolled. 
 
■ 
 
TABLE 2 - NUMERICAL A3 I SE DISTRIBUTION OF NEGRO fOUTH, BY Si,X 
 AIID AGE, AS ENUMERAIED IK SCHOLASTIC CENSUS OF 1956 AND EN- 
 ROLLED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS DURING TIE SESSION OF 1936-37. 
 
 THales :¥HTe s 
 :Enmn- : En- 
 •drated: rolled 
 
 339 I 294 
 
 7 : 391 
 
 8_ : „i^_ 
 
 9 : 413_ 
 
 10 \ 4 17 
 
 11 : 478 
 
 12 _ ; 466_ 
 
 : 
 
 13 __j_ J=14_ 
 
 : 
 
 14 t 402 _ 
 
 : 
 
 15 i 381 
 
 16 _ i 378 
 17 
 
 306_ 
 
 otal : 4827 
 
 _551_ 
 399_ 
 405_ 
 40 2_ 
 45 9_ 
 453 
 373_ 
 320_ 
 25 2_ 
 174_ 
 100 
 
 3982 
 
 % : Fema le s 
 En- : Enuni- 
 r oiled : e rated _ 
 
 __86_ : 577 
 
 89_- 396 
 
 90_ -_ 382 _ 
 
 98_ ■ 420 _ 
 
 96 : 524 
 
 96 : 498 
 
 97_ : 471_ 
 
 90 : 464 
 
 79 '• 492 
 
 66_ : 443 _ 
 
 _46_ : 447 __ 
 
 52 ; 34,8. 
 
 82.59 : 5262 
 
 YFemales: 
 
 % : Total : 
 
 Total : 
 
 
 : En- : 
 
 En- : Enum- : 
 
 En- : 
 
 ! 
 
 trolled" 1 : 
 
 rolled:erated: 
 
 rolled: 
 
 Bj 
 
 •• 531 : 
 
 87 '. 716 : 
 
 625 : 
 
 
 •• 345 : 
 
 87 \ 7S7 : 
 
 696 : 
 
 
 : 356 : 
 
 93 ! 824 : 
 
 755 : 
 
 
 » 422 j 
 
 100 \ 333 : 
 
 827 _: 
 
 _ 
 
 • 490 
 
 93 : 941 : 
 
 892 : 
 
 
 : 450 
 
 90 \ 976_ _ 
 
 909 J 
 
 - 
 
 : 458 
 
 97 : 937 
 
 911 • 
 
 
 : J 3 !— 
 
 93 . 873 
 
 • 8 9 8 „ 
 
 
 : 409 
 
 33 : 894 
 
 : 729 
 
 
 : 334 
 
 : 75 • 824_ _ 
 
 • 586 ._ 
 : 408 _ _ 
 
 
 '• 234 
 
 : 52 ':_325_ 
 
 
 _^123 
 
 : 55 '\_j^_. 
 
 : 223_ 
 
 
 : 4387 
 
 : 83.37 : 10089 
 
 : 8369 
 
 
 ~% of 
 
 Total 
 Enrolled^ 
 
 87 
 
 88 
 
 _91 
 
 99 _ 
 
 _93 
 
 97 
 
 91 
 
 _ 81 - - 
 _71 
 
 49 
 
 34 
 82.95 
 
 1. There were 80 above and 1 below the scholastic age enrolled. 
 
 2. There were 72 above and 2 below the scholastic age enrolled, 
 
found in public schools, though the exact percentage is not known. 
 
 Two things are apparent from the Tables above: 
 
 1) The peak load at the present time is found around 
 the ages of 11 and 12. 
 
 This fact reveals the fall in the birth rate in Dallas and indicates that 
 
 high schools will bear their heaviest loads during the next three or four 
 
 years, while the grade schools have for the most part passed the peak. 
 
 This is a vital factor which is being taken account of in the planning 
 
 at the present time. 
 
 2) The number who are not in attendance calls for an 
 explanation of the manner in which the compulsory 
 school law is enforced. 
 
 Each principal serves as a truant officer in his district and attempts 
 to keep the children in school "by a policy of persuasion rather than 
 compulsion". When hie efforts fail, the services of one of the two of- 
 ficers provided recently by the Juvenile Court for this purpose is called 
 upon. If further persuasion by one of these proves unsuccessful in induc- 
 ing the student to return to school, the matter is dropped. There is 
 provision in the law to prosecute those parents who do not keep their 
 children in school. However, since school officials feel that there is 
 some doubt as to its legality, the issue has never been raised. Suspension 
 and expulsion from school are still common methods of disciplinary measures, 
 Ho married person, regardless of age, is permitted to attend. 
 Three other factors seem significant to the discussion of public 
 schools: 
 
 1) The minimum requirements for teachers and 
 their basis of selection. 
 
 2) The teaching loads. 
 
 3) The curriculum offerings. 
 
I 
 
Requirements for Te a eh ers and Basis of Their Selection 
 
 The fundamental teaching requirements are a college degree, a per- 
 manent teaching certificate, and at least two years teaching experience 
 for elementary schools or three years for high schools. Beyond these 
 requirements, the kind of school in which the experience was acquired 
 and references are taker into consideration. Qualifications desired are 
 "good general appearance", "good health", "enthusiasm", "tact and common 
 sense", "professional interest", "resourcefulness", "knowledge of subject 
 matter", and "classroom management". Selection of new teachers is based 
 upon the assistant superintendent's evaluation of the applicants' compar- 
 ative qualifications in these regards. 
 
 Additional training required consists of four semester hours of work 
 every four years. This is the maximum amount credited for any four-year 
 period. The work may be done in residence, by correspondence, or by 
 extension. At least two semester hours must be in Education. Travel and 
 attendance at conferences of the national Education Association may be 
 counted as part of the additional training, but only two semester hours 
 for both combined are allowable. 
 
 Salaries in elementary schools range from $1,206.00 to f;.2,000.00 per 
 year and from ^l, 404. 00 to $2,700.00 in the high schools. 
 Teaching Loads 
 
 In the elementary schools and Junior high schools the average class 
 in the white schools is 36.8 pupils. There is no maximum set, but 40 is 
 considered the highest desirable figure. There is likewise no definite 
 minimum, with 20 considered the lowest practical number for a class. In 
 smaller schools, this number sometimes goes as low as seven or eight. In 
 
-24- 
 
 one Mexican school, with only tyro teachers, there are s onetimes 75 under 
 a single teacher's care. The teaching hours are from 8:20 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.* 
 with 30 minutes for lunch. The allowance for a rest period is 30 minutes, 
 but varies with each school and is not always provided for. Some primary 
 teachers are free at 2:45. The most accurate general number of teaching 
 hours is 6 per day. 
 
 In the elementary Negro schools, the average class is 46.5 pupils. 
 Here again no definite maximum or minimum is set, but the classes run 
 correspondingly larger than those of the white schools, ^he teaching 
 hours are identical. 
 
 In the high schools, there is no average figure that can be arrived 
 at, other than the general teaching load. The size of class allowed is 
 dependent on the subject matter to bo taught, the personality of the 
 teacher, the strength of his voice, and the size of his classroom. Subjects 
 which are considered adaptable to larger groups include commercial law, 
 commercial geography, Texas and United States history, civics, economics, 
 and, in some instances, public speaking. For the usual academic subjects 
 30 to 40 students constitute most classes. For the above named courses 
 the figure sometimes runs to 60 or 70. The minimum number desired is 20, 
 but such classes as Advanced Latin are sometimes as small as 3 or 10. The 
 thesis is maintained that size of classes does not materially affect teach- 
 ing efficiency. Through a study of comparative figures of class sizes 
 and number of failures, the high school supervisor has reached the conclu- 
 sion that increase in si z e cannot be correlated with increase in failures 
 and is opposed to the suggestion of the National Education Association to 
 limit all classes to 30 students. The average teaching load is about 150, 
 
-25- 
 
 some times running as high as 200. There are five teaching hours a day, 
 ■with one or two exceptions of instructors who have consistently large 
 classes. Their hours are reduced to four a day. 
 
 The Negro high school is operated in two shifts ~ one from 8:00 a.ra. 
 to 12:30 p.m. , and the other from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. The average class 
 here is 45 with no maximum or minimum set. The average teaching load is 
 180 students, ^he supervisor pointed out that in view of the fact that 
 there were always so many absentees and since the teaching day was over at 
 12:30 p.m., "leaving all afternoon to do as they pleased", the teaching 
 load was actually no heavier than that of the white schools. There are 
 four and one-half teaching hours in the Negro teacher's day. 
 
 There are a total of 1,469 teachers in the Dallas system, Of this 
 number 1,260 are white instructors for 40,856 students, and 209 are Negro 
 for 8,524 students. In the white elementary schools, there are 869 teachers 
 for 29,509 students and in the Negro, 158 teachers for 6,959 students. In 
 the white high schools there are 391 instructors for 11,547 students, and 
 in the Negro high school 51 instructors for 1,565 students. 
 Cu rriculum 
 
 Of the curriculum offerings in the high schools, the widest program 
 range is that in the Technical High School which offers its enrollees op- 
 portunities for either academic work or that designed to fit them for 
 vocations. The other 5 white Dallas high schools are primarily of a gen- 
 eral education or college preparation nature and, with the exceptions of 
 typewriting, shorthand, and a few similar commercial subjects, their cur- 
 ricula fall entirely within this field. The Negro high school offers still 
 less than either of these in the way of academic subjects and those of a 
 
-EC- 
 vocational nature aro almost unknown. 
 
 Enrollments were checked in each subject for the year 1936-37 and by 
 more or less arbitrary classification of the offerings, the following re- 
 veals the actual percentages of the total enrollments according to the 
 general nature of the subject. 
 
 TABLE 3 — PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL COURSE ENROLLMENTS OF 
 DALLAS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, ACCORDING TO TYPE OF STUDY 
 FOR 1936-57 
 
 (X 
 
 High School 
 
 1 2 5 
 
 Academic: Border-line Vocational 
 
 4 
 Unclassified 
 
 All high schools 
 
 : : 
 
 60.46 : 4.71 : 15.96 
 
 18.87 
 
 Negro high school 
 
 34.06 : 4,24 : G.59 
 
 5.11 
 
 5 academic high 
 schools 
 
 61.43 : 5.20 : 12.81 
 
 20.43 
 
 Technical High : : : 
 
 School : 42.36 : 2. 87 : 34.83 
 
 19.92 
 
 1. Includes mathematics, English, languages, public speaking, science 
 social sciences (including history and civics). 
 
 2. Includes clothing, foods, household chemistry. 
 
 3. Includes bookkeeping, commercial arithmetic, business economics, 
 journalism, commercial lav, shop, commercial geography, architec- 
 tural and mechanical drawing, salesmanship, shorthand, typing, 
 comptometry, advertising, commercial art, business psychology, 
 machine accounting, office practice, pottery, printing, house- 
 
 ho Id i.iathemat i c s . 
 
 4. Includes chorus, orchestra, band, military, physical education. 
 
 Three laws in Texaz 
 
 date to instruction in high schools. 
 
 1) All instruction, except that necessary in the 
 teaching of foreign languages, shall bo given 
 
 in English. 
 
 2) All pupils aro now required to pass a successful 
 examination on certain phases of the United States 
 and Texas Constitutions before graduation. This 
 nay be satisfied through the years of study of 
 American History or a course in Civics. 
 
-27- 
 
 3 J All pupils are required to take Physical Education 
 tliroughout their high school period, although boys 
 nay substitute Military Training or athletics in part 
 for the regular Physical Education course. This law 
 is not observed in regard to the Negro high school. 
 
 Counseling 
 
 Counseling, in the Dallas high schools, consists of the effort which 
 one teacher, known as the S en ior Counselor, in each school devotes to see- 
 ing that, as pupils approach graduation they have the proper distribution 
 of credits to permit then to receive diplomas; and second, one period of 
 45 minutes a day devoted by one teacher in each school to special guidance 
 work. Most of this time is spent in re com lending vocational books for the 
 library, in arranging for outside speakers to address groups, or the en- 
 tire school assembly, on various occupations, and in occasional individual 
 or group conferences. More intensive work is done in the technical High 
 School where one teacher devotes almost her entire tine to the matter of 
 placement and guidance service. In no instance, however, are aptitude 
 tests or the usual devices of vocational counselors employed. 
 Evening Schools 
 
 The Pallas Public Evening Schools are open to anyone who is not en- 
 rolled in the day schools. Fees include an enrollment fee of $2.00, a fee 
 of 53.00 for the first class, 12.00 for the second, and §1.00 for each ad- 
 ditional class, plus laboratory fees: 
 
 Pottory $ 8.00 per year 
 
 Sculpture 10.00 per year 
 Conptonetry and . 
 
 Bookkeeping 5.00 for. 5 weeks (2-hour class) 
 Electric and Gas . 
 
 Yielding 7.50 for 5 weeks (3-hour class J 
 
 An additional fee of 13,00 is charged those who desire high school credit 
 for their work. 
 
During the year 1936-57 there v. r as a net enrollment in the 8 centers in 
 
 1 
 ■which these schools are conducted of 3,313, the average belonging was 1,790 
 
 and average attendance 1,339. The average cost mas $2.21 per person. 
 
 Of the teachers, there were: 
 
 ■White Male 
 
 53 
 
 Yvhite Female 
 
 39 
 
 Negro Male 
 
 4 
 
 Negro Female 
 
 9 
 
 The enrollment included 5,024 whites, of whom 1,410 were male and 1,614 
 female, and 295 Negroes, of whom 44 were male and 251 female. The age range 
 extended from 12 to 69, with an average age for males of 23.9 years, for 
 females 25.9 years, and for the total group of 25 years. The median age 
 for males was 22.63 and that for females was 23. P. Of those enrolled, 251 
 were within the scholastic age. 
 
 The majority of the students are employed from 8 to 85 hours per week, 
 With wages ranging from &2.50 to $10QsJOO per Tree!:. The average working 
 hours are 44 and wage $21.69 per week. 
 
 Classes are held between the hours of 2:00 and 9:00 p.m., most of 
 them beginning at 5, 6, and 7 o'clock. 
 
 The Director of these Evening Schools believes that there should be 
 more subsidization by the Public School System, making possible lower fees 
 and a wider range of subjects. Many of the drop-outs, he feels, are accounted 
 for on the basis that people come to learn a specific thing and having 
 reached that point, no longer wish to continue. 
 
 T7 The 't'ernTuc'ed' to designate those continuing in regular attendance. 
 
-2?- 
 
 Many additional facts could be presented concerning the public schools 
 their operation, and community relationships. Comment is made later upon 
 the health program, and upon recreational uses of school facilities, and 
 the extent to whioh youth Lack the type of education and training which 
 would be of greatest benefit in meeting their problems. At this point, 
 however, the following seem in order: 
 
 1) The unpaid School Board 1ms remained relatively 
 free from political influence, and rendered a 
 reasonably high character of public service. 
 
 2) An adaptation of the platoon system has resulted 
 in remarkably efficient use of school buildings. 
 
 3) A cafeteria system which provides good meals at 
 lor; cost has been developed. 
 
 4) Records appear to be accurate and comprehensive, 
 except in the matters of the social history of 
 the individual student. 
 
 Less favorable is the evidence in some other regards: 
 
 1) Discrimination against the Negro is evident in 
 the provision of buildings, the allocation of 
 teachers, and the offerings of the curriculum. 
 
 2) The ineffectiveness of the present means of en- 
 forcing the compulsory attendance law, 
 
 3) Adequate guidance and counseling is woefully 
 lacking. 
 
 4) Only 15.96$ of the course enrollments are in 
 vocational subjects. 
 
 5) Fees at the Evening Schools are unnecessarily 
 high in view of the average cost and number of 
 scholastics for which the State actually pays 
 the city $19.00 per scholastic. 
 
■ 
 
 ' 
 
•30- 
 
 PAfiT FOUR. [SALT:- FACILITIES 
 
 Fundamental to all youth activities is sound physical and mental health. 
 One member of the Dallas Youth Study staff, therefore, spent the greater part 
 of two months in an examination of the extent and character of the facilities 
 devoted to the preservation and restoration of health among the youth of 
 Dallas. The problem was, of course, complicated by the fact that the majority 
 of such institutions serve all age groups and that what is actually being done 
 for youth is seldom isolated. Nevertheless, the co-operation given by the 
 many public and private agencies revealed situations and conditions relevant 
 to the life of youth. 
 
 From the standpoint of elementary physical conditions, Dallas is favor- 
 ably situated. The chief climatical hazard to health, other than the exces- 
 sive heat of summer, lies in the abrupt changes which occur in winter, when 
 mild periods terminate suddenly in "northers", characterized by rapidly falling 
 temperatures and often by sleet and ice. Those without sufficient clothing or 
 fuel have no time in which to prepare themselves, even through the expedient 
 of asking for charity. 
 
 As shown above, the growth of Dallas preceding 19S0 was rapid. During 
 the twenty-year period (1910-1930), the population almost trebeled and between 
 1920 and 1930, over 100,000 people were added. Needless to say, this popula- 
 tion growth carried with it a variety of health problems, especially growing 
 out of housing conditions. In spite of the fact that by 1933 26,186 acres had 
 been taken irrto the city, which gave an average density of only 10,7 persons 
 to the acre, there were areas of overcrowding. There is, however, sufficient 
 
 T. Part One, pT 3, ■'< ■ 
 
•31- 
 
 potential residential area to accommodate all persons under healthful living 
 conditions. The construction of sound and sanitary housing failed to keep 
 pace with population growth prior to 1930, and in addition, the rapidly ex- 
 panding trade and industrial centers destroyed the desirability of many areas 
 formerly housing portions of the population. This intrusion of industry in 
 the residential areas, as is pointed out elsewhere, has affected the amount 
 spent on keeping housing in a state of good repair. Housing conditions detri- 
 mental to health as revealed in the Real Froperty Inventory made in 1934 are 
 •shown on Pages GO— 32. 
 
 One can readily see that during the long period of rapid expansion, when 
 the rate and direction of growth were unpredictable, how difficult it was, 
 without unduly burdening the tax structure, to provide funds sufficient for 
 the capital outlay required in the provision of health and educational facil- 
 ities. While growth during the past seven years has by no means been as rapid, 
 the nature of the economic situation cheeked public building. Even the cub- 
 sidies of the Federal Government for such purposes were not taken advantage of 
 except in the instance of additions to the City-County Hospital (Parkland). 
 The arrival at a more stable rate of growth and a somewhat improved economic 
 situation will no doubt make possible more adequate social planning in the 
 future. 
 
 Section 1. The Race Factor in Health 
 
 In addition to the complications presented by a rapidly expanding popula- 
 tion, the existence of three racial and national stocks — native white, Mexicai 
 and Negro — has made the problem even more difficult. There is a general 
 
 1. Part Two, pp. 11-1. V 15, 
 
-32- 
 
 opposition to the use of the same health facilities by all three of these 
 groups and segregation is a popular demand by the white group, A rather 
 typical example was the demand made on Parkland Hospital that separate de- 
 livery rooms be provided. The condition bring forth this protest has, to 
 some degree, been met by recent additions to that unit* 
 
 It is very difficult to arrive at any conclusions as to just what the 
 differences are in the health problems of these three groups. The statistics 
 prepared by the Public Health Department are inadequate in two respects : 
 
 1) So few of the actual cases of communicable diseases 
 are reported that it is impossible to determine the 
 extent of these. 
 
 2) Death rates are not computed by racial groups. 
 
 From the report of the Vital Statistics Bureau on principal causes of 
 
 death, 1935-36, we were able to determine the following: 
 
 On an estimated population in 1935-36 of 298,000 and a 
 total number of 3,580 deaths, we computed the crude death 
 rate for this year as being 12.01 per thousand estimated 
 population. The Table below shows death rate for each of 
 these three groups from the more significant of the prin- 
 cipal causes. 
 
 TABLE 4 DEATHS per 100,000 ESTIMATED POPULATION, by PRINCIPAL 
 
 CAUSE, for FISCAL YEAR 1935-36 1 
 
 Cause 
 
 Total 
 
 : ft\ ite 
 
 Negro 
 
 Mexican 
 
 
 Pneumonia 
 
 123.1 
 
 : 30.16 
 
 317.77 
 
 433.3 
 
 
 Syphilis 
 
 22.8 
 
 : 6 1 . 50 
 
 95.55 
 
 66.7* 
 
 Tuberculosis 
 
 42.9 
 
 : 29,15 
 
 100.00 
 
 183.3 
 
 Diphtheria 
 
 8.38 
 
 : 7.29 
 
 15.33 
 
 16.7* 
 
 Cancer 
 
 104.69 
 
 : 110. 3 
 
 82.22 
 
 33.3* 
 
 Influenza 
 
 33.89 
 
 : 29.15 
 
 55.56 
 
 66.7* 
 
 Homicide 
 
 30.87 
 
 : 6.88 
 
 162.22 
 
 33.3* 
 
 Typhoid 
 
 2.01 
 
 : .81* 
 
 8.89* 
 
 - 
 
 1. Computed from Principal Caune of Death for the Fispal Ye ar 1955-5 6, 
 
 Bureau of Vital Statistics, Department of Public Health, Dallas, Texas 
 * Based on less than 5 deaths. 
 
The effort is often made to explain away differences such as those re- 
 vealed in Table 4 on the basis of a racial susceptibility to certain forms 
 of disease. It is extremely difficult to prove the extent to which such dif- 
 ferences are due to racial susceptibility and to what extent to inadequate 
 housing, mal-nutrition, lack of sanitation, over-crowding, and lack of health 
 education, A study of mortality statistics prepared by the United States 
 Census Bureau 1 reveals that among cities of 100,000 or more, Dallas, for 1932, 
 showed highest death rates among colored for diphtheria, was tied with Chat- 
 tanooga for the highest death rate among colored for influenza and pneumonia, 
 was second only to Chattanooga in deaths from typhoid and para-typhoid fever, 
 but ranked 25th in deaths among colored from tuberculosis among 31 cities re- 
 porting this disease, by color. Even here, though, the deaths among the 
 colored population was five times as high as those for whites. 
 
 The death rate from all causes for the colored population compared favor- 
 ably with other cities in 1032, ranking 16th among 31 cities reporting. At- 
 tention is called to these racial differences and comparisons only to illus- 
 trate the need of more vigorous health campaigns for these groups. 
 
 Sec t ion 2. Indices of Recent Progress in Public Health 
 
 The following Table showing deaths by years from a few of the principal 
 causes may illustrate the success or failure of public health measures in com- 
 batting these diseases. It should be remembered that in the period covered by 
 the Table, the population was increasing constantly and, as will be shown 
 later, public health expenditures reached their lowest mark since 1920 and 
 that the period of economic stress aggravated many of those diseases of a 
 
 1. Mortality Statistics, 1932, United States Ce'nsus, pp. 3-2G< 
 
dietary nature, 
 
 TABLE 5 NUMBER of DEATHS from 6 PRINCIPAL CAUSES in DALLAS, TEXAS, 
 
 for EACH YEAR, 1931-1936 
 
 Cause 
 
 1955-36 
 
 1934-35 
 
 19 33-54 
 
 1932-33 
 
 1931-32 
 
 Tuberculosis 
 
 128 
 
 126 
 
 127 
 
 142 
 
 139 
 
 Pneumonia 
 
 367 
 
 313 
 
 293 
 
 257 
 
 267 
 
 Diphtheria 
 
 25 
 
 11 
 
 29 
 
 34 
 
 41 
 
 Typhoid 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 16 
 
 10 
 
 23 
 
 Syphilis 
 
 68 
 
 58 
 
 69 
 
 45 
 
 52 
 
 Influenza 
 
 101 
 
 59 
 
 43 
 
 147 
 
 69 
 
 These comparisons are sufficient to show that much remains to be done 
 in combatting these diseases, most of which lend themselves to correction if 
 public health measures are sufficiently vigorous. 
 
 A further index of the general health of the community (although a fairly 
 
 delicate one) is the infant death rate. The Vital Statistics Bureau shows: 
 
 1 935-36 1934-35 1955-54 1952-55 1951-52 
 
 Infant death rate per 
 
 1,000 live births 71.6 71.4 72.1 85.2 77.7 
 
 This shows that some improvement in the last two years has been made in this 
 regard. That this is still inadequate is shown in the Public Health Conserva- 
 tion Contest sponsored by the United States Chamber of Commerce, which sets as 
 a reasonably adequate standard an infant death rate of less than 50 per 1,000 
 births, or, for cities having about 70 infant deaths, a 1£$> reduction each 
 year over the average for the preceding five years. 
 
-35- 
 
 Gn this basis Dallas achieves a rating of 51 of the standard 100 points 
 for the year 1935. In the same year Dallas' maternity mortality rate was 6 
 deaths per 1,000 births, compared to the standard of 4 or less deaths. This 
 brings out further significant health problems. 
 
 Section 5 . Health Hazards of Youth 
 
 In addition to the information secured on the youth interview Schedules, 
 it seemed advisable to secure some information regarding the specific health 
 hazards of the youth population. Two methods suggested themselves as being 
 suitable to the time which could be allotted to this phase of the Study, the 
 first of these being an age distribution chart of the cases reported to the 
 Bureau of Vital Statistics. These are presented in Charts 1 through 4. 
 
 The hazards are revealed by the fact that although the age group, 12 
 
 through 24, comprises 23.84^ of the total population and the group 16 through 
 
 i 2 
 
 24 comprises 17.87yo, the following percentages of reported cases of these four 
 
 diseases fell in this age range. 
 
 TABLE 6 NUMBER and PERCENTAGE, FALLING WITHIN THE YOUTH AGE RANGE, of 4 
 
 DISEASES REPORTED to THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, DALLAS, TEXA.S, 1935 
 
 Disease 
 
 Total Number 
 
 of Cases 
 
 Age 
 
 Range 
 
 
 
 
 12-24 : 
 
 16-24 
 
 
 : No. : % : 
 
 No. : % 
 
 Tuberculosis 
 
 223 
 
 
 : 44 :19.73: 
 
 31 : 13.90 
 
 Syphilis 
 
 1,157 
 
 
 ! 350 .-30.25: 
 
 336 : 29.00 
 
 Diphtheria 
 
 310 
 
 
 ! 75 : 24.19! 
 
 47 ! 15.16 
 
 Pneumonia 
 
 338 
 
 
 : 32 : 9.46: 
 
 26 : 7.69 
 
 1. Part Ten, Sec. 5; Part Eleven, Sec. 5; Part Twelve, Sec. 5. 
 
 2. These figures should in no sense be taken as representing the actual 
 prevalence of these diseases, for the United States Public Health 
 Survey of 1936 revealed that Dalla3 physicians were reporting only a 
 limited proportion of actual cases. 
 

 , 
 
 
As these figures show, youth who fail to receive diphtheria immunization 
 
 in infancy, when it is most effective, continue to be subject to the disease 
 
 throughout the age range and the number of reported cases seems sufficient to 
 
 justify more vigorous measures toward immunization. As Dr. J. W, Bass, Director 
 
 of the Health Department, said in his Quarterly Bulletin for April-Fay- June 
 
 1935, 
 
 "The immunization program of the Health Department has demon- 
 strated very conclusively that diphtheria can be prevented through 
 the administration of toxoid and indicates that the total elimina- 
 tion of diphtheria is entirely possible, We have made con- 
 siderable progress in the elimination of diphtheria in Dallas and 
 the danger at present is that the low diphtheria rate will tend to 
 make people indifferent to the dangers of the disease....."^ 
 
 "uch more serious to the present youth group, however, is the extent of 
 
 syphilis which rises sharply around the age of 16. While youth should benefit 
 
 from the enlarged Venereal Disease Clinic of the City-County Hospital and the 
 
 general public attention aroused by Surgeon-General Thomas Parran, it is too 
 
 early to note any significant effects of these. In reporting to the public, 
 
 Dr. Bass called attention to the wide prevalence of syphilis: 
 
 "Over fifty per cent of all infection of syphilis and gonorrhea 
 occurs between the ages of 15 and 30.... The disease is 6 to 8 times 
 as high among Hegroes and. very poor whites as it is among white 
 people of the upper economic strata nf society. Sufficient med- 
 ical knowledge is already at hand to practically eliminate the dis- 
 ease in a generation if it were only anplied in an effective manner 
 In Sweden where public health authorities have relied alto- 
 gether on treatment there has been a '--!-. J reduction A campaign 
 
 of early treatment, education a. : • ..--up work, epidemiological 
 investigation, for five or ten years offer greater possibilities 
 than a campaign for elevation of public morals and suppression of 
 prostitution could offer in five hundred years "^ 
 
 TT Quarterly Bulletin , April-:"ay-Jiinq'TH3"57T ] epartment~of Health, Dallas , 
 
 Texas; pp. 3, 4. 
 2. Quarterly Bulletin , July-August-September 1936, Department of Health, 
 
 Dallas, Texasj pp. 2, 3. 
 
-37- 
 
 There seemed to be another simple way in which some determination might be 
 made to indicate the proportion of illness among the youth age group. This 
 was to secure an age distribution for a few large samples of clinic loads. 
 Samples were taken from clinic records, 2,226 cases from the City-County 
 Hospital Clinic and 472 cases from Baylor Hospital Clinic. These were all 
 cases of any kind of illness occurring in a given period. The results 
 giving age distribution are shown in Charts 5 and 6, While the shaded 
 portion of the Charts excludes, for the sake of convenience, those aged 12, 
 these are included in the following Table, 
 
 7--— UMBER and PERCENTAGE of CASES FALLING WITHIN the YOUTH AGE RANGE 
 in 2 SAMPLES of CLINIC RECORDS 
 
 Clinic Sample 
 
 Total 
 
 Number of 
 
 Cr? 
 
 ses 
 
 Age 
 
 Range 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 "* ' 12-24 ' 
 
 ■ ■ ■ 16-24 ' ' 
 
 
 No, 
 
 % 
 
 Ho. : ; 
 
 C ity-C ounty (. Park- 
 land) Sample 
 
 2,226 
 
 608 
 
 >27.3 
 
 486 .21.30 
 
 p 
 Baylor Sample 
 
 472 
 
 144 
 
 50.5 
 
 124 -26.26 
 
 1, Cases of year 1935 
 
 2, Consecutive cases registered during August 1935 and December 1935 
 
 These samples, coming as they do from public or semi-public clinics, in- 
 dicate that among the lower economic levels there is either a prevalence of 
 disease among the youth population larger than its proportion of the total 
 population, or this group has greater difficulty in obtaining the services of 
 private physicians and hospitals. 
 
 Some statistics concerning the age distribution of a sample of mothers 
 were also secured from the City-County Hospital obstetrical records. The age 
 distribution of 502 mot). ere in births recorded by the hospital is shown in 
 
Chart 7. Sixty-five and five-tenths per cent of these births were to mothers age 
 24 or less — the youth group. A compilation was also made of cases of first 
 births by age grouping of mothersi The fact that 93$ of these white primi- 
 parae studied and 87$ of a similar colored sample are of births to mothers 24 
 or under validates the conclusion that this group should be prepared for 
 parenthood and child care, studies which have but small place in our present 
 educational processes. 
 
 These sample studies and morbidity records, while representing in some 
 cases only the low economic level and in other cases an incomplete picture, 
 shotild do much to dispel the notion that the youth group is an unusually 
 healthy one when compared with other portions of the population. The specific 
 health hazards are syphilis, a disease which has been practically stamped out 
 in some countries by vigorous public health campaigns, tuberculosis, diphtheria, 
 and the hazards of childbirth. All of these suggest the necessity for inten- 
 sive health campaigns as well as facilities for their treatment.or prevention. 
 
 Section 4. Health Agencies 
 
 City Depa rtment of Public Health 
 
 The new City Charter, which became effective in 1931, placed the conduct 
 of the Public Health Department in the hands of a Director, and an Advisory 
 Committee of three, replacing the unwieldy health board of twenty-four members 
 which formerly existed. Dallas has been exceedingly fortunate in tha character 
 
 "l^ It should be borne in mind that in making' social interpretations of these 
 figures, that the City-County Hospital cases are representative of only a 
 low economic level in the community; also that these are Sjn^ll samples. Comps 
 able figures from the Vital Statistics records covering the whole popula- 
 tion might or might not modify those statistics. 
 
-39- 
 
 and fitness of the members of the Public Health Advisory Board who serve at 
 the pleasure of the City Manager. Likewise, the present director of Public 
 Health, who has long been affiliated with the Department, received special 
 training in public health as a recipient of a scholarship awarded by the 
 Rockefeller Foundation in 1935. The Department is organized as indicated in 
 Chart 3. 
 
 The personnel of the Department consisted at the time of the report to 
 the United States Public Health Service in 1936 of one Director, six staff 
 physicians, one sanitary engineer, two veterinarians, nine nurses, one social 
 workers, one director of laboratories, eight clerical workers, and 30 employees 
 not included under these classifications. These employees draw salaries 
 totalling $91,265.00. All of these 59 employees are under the City Civil Ser- 
 vice with the exception of the Director himself and three laborers. It is 
 fair to say, therefore, that appointments within the Department are as free 
 from political control as possible. 
 
 The budget figures for the Department for the years since the reorganiza- 
 tion are as follows: 
 
 1932-33 $ 107,122 
 
 1933-34 101,543 
 
 1934-36 106,286 
 
 1935-36 111,415 
 
 1936-37 115,681 
 
 The per capita expenditures for the Department for the past 14 years may 
 
 be of interest: 
 
-40- 
 
 
 
 : 
 
 for 
 
 Per Capita 
 
 Ye ar 
 
 Population 
 
 Depart 
 
 ient 
 
 Expenditure 
 
 1922-23 
 
 188,347 
 
 1 10,496 
 
 
 .74 
 
 1923-24 
 
 198,766 
 
 112,050 
 
 
 .56 
 
 1924-25 
 
 209,135 
 
 96,969 
 
 
 .45 
 
 1925-26 
 
 219,606 
 
 94,660 
 
 
 .43 
 
 1925-27 
 
 230,025 
 
 100,331 
 
 
 .43 
 
 1927-23 
 
 241,175 
 
 112,431 
 
 
 .46 
 
 1928-29 
 
 250,325 
 
 112,333 
 
 
 .44 
 
 1929-30 
 
 260,475 
 
 114,945 
 
 
 .44 
 
 1930-31 
 
 266,000 (estimated) 
 
 121,203 
 
 
 .45 
 
 1031-32 
 
 272,000 " 
 
 112,420 
 
 
 .41 
 
 1932-53 
 
 278,000 " 
 
 107,122 
 
 
 .38 
 
 1933-34 
 
 282,000 " 
 
 101,543 
 
 
 .36 
 
 1934-35 
 
 236,000 " 
 
 106,286 
 
 
 .37 
 
 1935-56 
 
 292,000 " 
 
 111,415 
 
 
 .38 
 
 1936-37 
 
 298,000 » 
 
 115,631 
 
 
 .38 
 
 Since there is no absolute standard by which it can be determined what 
 any city should spend for efficient promotion of public health, what Dallas 
 is spending in this regard may be compared with what is being done in other 
 cities of its approximate size. This is an extremely difficult comparison 
 to make since functions of the health departments vary widely in American 
 cities. Sor.e, for instance, include expenditures on health service for 
 school children which, in Dallas, is performed by the health department of 
 the public school system. For this reason, the Sub-committee on Current 
 Practices of Health Departments of the Committee on Administrative Practices 
 
-41- 
 
 of the American Public Health Association has collected its data on budgets, 
 recording expenditures through official health agencies for all services other 
 than hospitalization, institutional care, medical relief, garbage collection 
 and disposition, capital outlays and depositions. Expenditures by Boards of 
 Education for medical and nursing service are also included as expenditures 
 for services constituting an accepted public health program of the usual 
 urban community. According to the figures released by this Sub-committee in 
 1935 on all these expenditures for cities of 250,000 to 500,000, the average 
 per capita expenditure is as follows: 
 
 Year 
 
 Average 
 . .809 
 
 Maximum 
 
 $ 1,802 
 
 I tinimum 
 
 1930 
 
 $ .53 
 
 1931 
 
 .812 
 
 1,803 
 
 .406 
 
 1932 
 
 .87 
 
 1,005 
 
 .413 
 
 1933- 
 
 .732 
 
 1,698 
 
 .377 
 
 As recorded by this Sub-committee in 1935 Dallas expenditures for similar 
 services were $.529. 
 
 The services of the Department of Public Health come under five heads as 
 shown in the organization chart. 
 
 The Division of Engineering and Inspection performs the routine food and 
 
 1. The problems of the Engineering and Inspection Division were greatly in- 
 creased in 1936 by the Centennial Exposition held within the city limits, 
 with an attendance in excess of six million admissions. The Department 
 made every effort in advance of the opening of the Exposition to lay down 
 regulations in accordance with state laws and city ordinances designed to 
 afford health protection. Restaurants, other food shops, and demonstrators 
 distributing food samples were required to comply in every respect with 
 city and state laws. Before erection of buildings, the Chief Inspector 
 reviewed all plans, requiring sanitary accommodations usually called for 
 in such construction in the city, such as screening, fans, toilets and 
 lavatories for each color and sex of employee, proper disposal of refuse, 
 etc. Also, all food handlers were inspected for chest and skin diseases 
 and amoebic dysentary. Attendants for children, as in nurseries on the 
 grounds, were required also to have negative tests for diphtheria and 
 scarlet fever. That these services were performed adequately during the 
 Exposition appears evident from the generally healthful conditions that 
 prevailed in the community during that time and the cleanliness of the 
 food places at the Exposition as commented upon by visitors. 
 

 sanitary inspections necessary to a city the size of Dallas. Dallas has 
 
 streams of water which become Dv - ;nant in the long dry summers, 
 
 necessitating considerable work each year in channelling and oiling creeks 
 
 to keep down malaria. This control is a further function of the Division. 
 
 The resent milk ordinance of the city was passed January 20, 1930. 
 
 The following ratings of the United States Public Health Service show the 
 
 steady improvement affected by systematic inspection since that time. Hating 
 
 is based on percent compliance with the United States Public ;i ealth Milk 
 
 Ordinance and Code: 
 
 1950 1932 1954 1936 
 
 Status of Fasteurizing Flants {% compliance) .46 .93 .94 .97 
 Status of Retail Raw Milk Dairies 
 
 (% compliance) .77 .93 .97 ? 
 Status of Wholesale Raw Milk Dairies 
 
 (% compliance) .52 .94 .95 ,98 
 Status of Enforcement Measures 
 
 (% compliance) .51 .98 .99 ? 
 Per Capita Consumption 
 
 (pints) .68 .76 .80 ? 
 
 As a consequence of these ratings, Dallas has been awarded three con- 
 secutive lienor roll ratings (90f- or b tter) by the United States Public Health 
 Service. 
 
 The Laboratory Division of the Pul Lie Health Department is manned by five 
 employees, headed by a woman chemist of long experience* 3ine 1930 the water 
 supply has been accredited by both bhe State Sealth Department and the United 
 States Public Health Service. 
 
 The Division of Vital Statistics, third of the five Divisions, records 
 all births and deaths in the city. This Division is in charge of a registrar 
 who has two assistants. 
 
The Emergency Hospital Unit, charged with the administration of aid in 
 cases of accident or injury or where prompt treatment is necessary, is the 
 fourth of the Divisions. 
 
 The fifth is the Division of Communicable Diseases, charged with the 
 responsibility of enforcing measures of quarantine and isolation which pro- 
 tect the community' s health. In addition, this Division renders bed-side 
 nursing care and conducts health centers in neighborhoods for teaching, and 
 immunization of those financially unable to obtain the services of private 
 physicians. 
 
 School Health D epartment 
 
 Ranking next to the Public H ea lth Department in its relationship to the 
 youth group is the Department of Health Work of the p ublic Schools, providing 
 primarily for health inspection services and an educational program. 
 
 On a budget of approximately §32,000.00 a year, a small portion of which 
 is contributed by the Federal and State Governments, this Department main- 
 tained a staff of 24 persons, including a physician, dental hygienist, and 19 
 public school nurses, who in the course of their duties made approximately 
 2,000 home visits, suggesting pre-school hygiene, gave 64,219 health inspec- 
 tions by nurses, 9^879 examinations by physicians, and 9,424 dental examina- 
 tions during the course of 1534^35. 
 
 The work of this Department is restricted to pre-school and grade school 
 children and is purely a diagnostic service, individuals in need of treatment 
 being referred to other health agencies in Dallas. 
 
 The educational program involved in the same year some 150 lectures on 
 child hygiene, 7 radio talks, and the distribution of 5,000 articles of 
 
printed matter on the same subjects, as well as a showing of four motion 
 pictures on tuberculosis. The control of this health agency rests with the 
 School Board. 
 
 Dallas Chi 1 d Guidance Cl inic 
 
 Special mention should perhaps be given to the operation of the Dallas 
 Child Guidance Clinic, founded as a community demonstration by the national 
 Committee for Mental Hygiene in 1925 and financed since that date as a member 
 agency of the Dallas Community Chest. Between the founding of the Clinic and 
 the rendering of the annual report covering the year ending November 30, IS 35, 
 4,f-98 individual cases were registered, and during the year ending November 
 30, 1935, 1,037 cases were contacted, of which 374 were staffed. 
 
 Several interesting things appear from this annual report, among them 
 being the fact that while only 23.5$ of the cases were referred to the Clinic 
 by schools, 74.89/!- of the cases were attending school, which wculd indicate 
 that as yet there has been no full awareness on the part of school teachers 
 of their function in detecting rial -adjustments and referring them for treat- 
 ment. Also interesting to note is that although it is stated that 
 
 Physical defects per se and alone seldom act to specifically con- 
 dition the total behavior react n in the problems of a mental 
 hygiene clinic. 
 
 584 physical defects were discovered, of these the largest number (135) being 
 
 eye, ear, nose, and throat variations and the second number being the 106 who 
 
 were more than 7% under-weight. A further interesting statement is that which 
 
 follows Table 8 giving the economic status of the new cases staffed. The 
 
 Table and statement follows: 
 
TABLE 8— ANALYSIS of ECONOMIC STATUS of 325 HEW CASES STAFFED in 1935 
 
 : Number of Cases : Percent 
 
 Total ' 325 : 100.0 
 
 Affluent 
 
 5 \ 1.5 
 
 Comfortable 
 
 7 : 2.0 
 
 Moderate 
 
 53 , 1C.3 
 
 Marginal 
 
 96 : 29.5 
 
 Dependent 
 
 164 : 50.7 
 
 It is seen in the above Table and in the one to follow, showing 
 the frequency of problems in unemployed families, that the incidence 
 of economic limitation continues to range high among the children 
 examined; and among this group personality instability is highly 
 prominent. In the individual child the relation of financial dis- 
 tress and emotional insecurity is definitely seen and doubtlessly 
 explains why the child of average or normal intelligence, who pre- 
 viously has been able to adapt quite satisfactorily, now frequently 
 shows symptoms of distress from inadequacy of functioning in a given 
 situation. This same circumstance is shown even more specifically 
 in the child of unemployed parents whose personality instability has 
 attracted notice since 1951, and who continues to show a stead"" rise 
 in percentage of personality problems in this group. 
 
 TABLE 9- 
 
 -FREQUENCY OF SERIOUS BEHAVIOR AND PERSONALITY PROBLEMS IN 
 CHILDREN OF 126 UNEMPLOYED FAMILIES 
 
 Behavior Problems 
 Personality Problems 
 
 1951 1932 19 55 19 34 1935 
 
 33. C$ 35,1% §6.15? 47.2^ 34.0^ 
 64.0 80.0 89.2 99.2 69.0 
 
•46- 
 
 Other Hea lth Agenc ie 3 
 
 In summary form, the outstanding features of other health 
 operating in Dallas are presented as follows: 
 
 Ham e of Agency 
 
 Type 
 
 Control 
 
 Out-Patient Clinic 
 Service 
 
 City-County Hos- General Governmental 27 clinics per wk. 
 pital (Parkland) ( City-County) all classifications 
 
 Baylor University General Church 
 Hospital (Baptist) 
 
 23 clinics per wk. 
 all classifications 
 
 agenc le; 
 
 Servioe 
 
 Charg e 
 
 7b% pay no 
 feej all 
 fees less 
 than 25/ 
 
 50/ for first 
 visit; 25/ 
 
 for each 
 re -vis it 
 
 St. Paul's Hos- 
 pital 
 
 General 
 
 Church 
 (Catholic) 
 
 14 clinics per wk. 
 different classi- 
 fications 
 
 Hone 
 
 Methodist Hos- 
 pital 
 
 General 
 
 Church (Meth- 
 odist Epis- 
 copal South) 
 
 5 clinics per wk. 
 all classifica- 
 tions 
 
 Less than 
 25/ 
 
 Freeman Memor- 
 ial Presby- 
 terian Clinic 
 
 Pedia- 
 tric 
 
 Private 
 (charity) 
 
 Charity pediatric 
 clinic covering 
 all related dis- 
 eases of child- 
 hood 
 
 Hone 
 
 Dallas Birth Con- 
 trol Clinic 
 
 Birth . 
 Control 
 
 Private 
 
 Birth Control 
 Clinic 
 
 Hone 
 
 Baylor Dental 
 Clinic 
 
 Dental 
 
 Church 
 (Baptist) 
 
 Dental 
 
 To cover cost 
 of material 
 
 Dallas Tubercu- 
 losis Ass 'n. 
 
 Tuber- 
 culosis 
 
 Private 
 
 Tuberculosis 
 
 None 
 
 Scottish Rite 
 Crippled Child- 
 ren's Hospital 
 
 Children Private 
 
 (fraternal) 
 
 1 orthopedic 
 clinic per week 
 
 Hone 
 
 Bradford Memor- 
 ial Hospital 
 
 Childre: 
 
 a Private 
 (Board of 
 Trustees) 
 
 1 pediatric clin- 
 ic; 5 sessions a 
 week 
 
 Eone 
 
Name of Agency 
 
 Dallas Child Guid- 
 ance Clinic 
 
 Infant Welfare 
 Stations 
 
 Health Centers 
 
 Typo Control 
 
 Psychia- Private 
 trie 
 
 Pre-natal Private 
 and in- 
 fant 
 
 Teaching City Dep't. 
 of Public 
 Health 
 
 Out -Patient Clinic 
 Service 
 
 Service 
 Charge 
 
 Hone 
 
 Pre-natal examina- Hone 
 tions; eye, ear, 
 nose, and throat 
 examinations for 
 infants; vaccinations 
 given through County 
 Health Department 
 
 Immunization of child- None 
 ren against diphtheria, 
 small-pox, and typhoid 5 
 instruction to mothers 
 in pre-natal and post- 
 natal care 
 
 While some of these agencies render services of such nature that beds, 
 bassinets, and incubators are not required, the others furnished the follow- 
 ing figures on capacity and occupancy for 1935: 
 
 Name of Agency 
 
 R ated Capacity 
 
 Average Occupancy 
 
 City-County Hos- 
 pital (Parkland) 
 
 Beds 
 Bassinets 
 
 260 
 35 
 
 Beds 
 Bassinets 
 
 240 
 25 
 
 Baylor University 
 Hospital 
 
 Beds 
 Bassinets 
 
 350 
 50 
 
 Beds 
 Bassinets 
 
 205 
 30 
 
 St. Paul's Hospital 
 
 Beds 
 Bassinets 
 
 270 
 30 
 
 Beds 
 Bassinets 
 
 203 
 1C 
 
 Methodist Hospital 
 
 Beds 
 Bassinets 
 
 82 
 18 
 
 Beds 
 Bassinets 
 
 51-53 
 10-17 
 
 Freeman Memorial 
 Presbyterian Clinic 
 
 Beds 9 
 (day service 
 only) 
 
 
 
 
 Scottish Rite Crippled Beds 
 Children's Hospital 
 
 Bradford Memorial 
 Hospital 
 
 Beds 60 
 Incubators 5 
 
 Beds 
 Incubators 
 
 o7 
 
 27 
 
-43- 
 
 Methods of Establishing Seed for Out-Patient Clinical Service: 
 
 Since local physicians contribute their time to 
 all out-patient clinics, an eligibility scale for such 
 service has been set by the Dallas County Medical Soc- 
 iety. This is that the family income for man, wife, 
 and child must not be greater than $75.00 per month or 
 $9.00 for each additional child. Where illness, death, 
 or unemployment has caused undue stress, exceptions are 
 made. Not subject to these requirements are the Scottish 
 Rite Crippled Children's Hospital, vjhich renders service 
 to children from all over the State, the Baylor Dental 
 Clinic, which is a teaching clinic, and the Dallas Child 
 Guidance Clinic. In other Clinics, social workers in- 
 vestigate families who apply for health service to deter- 
 mine their eligibility on the scale outlined above. 
 
-4-9- 
 
 Summary 
 
 Summarizing the material presented in this section on the general health 
 conditions in Dallas with special reference to youth, we find the following 
 to be true : 
 
 1) The provision of public health facilities has failed to keep 
 pace with the rapid expansion in population. 
 
 2) Mortality rates are exceedingly high for Negroes and it is evi- 
 dent that a concerted public health campaign should be made for 
 this group. 
 
 3) Both infant and maternity mortality rates are far higher than the 
 accepted standard and health programs for youth should take 
 cognizance of the fact that almost all first births occur to 
 mothers within the age range, 14-24. The City Health Department 
 and some of the Clinics are attempting to meet this problem, but 
 wider attention should be given to it. 
 
 4) Among the 12-24 year age group, syphilis, tuberculosis, diphtheria, ., 
 and pneumonia are morbidity hazards and should be combated with 
 vigorous health measures. 
 
 5) Per capita public health expenditures in Dallas decreased from 74^ 
 in 1922-23 to 36^ in 1933-34. Since that time they have risen to 
 only 38^ and are far below the average for cities of the same size 
 in the United States. 
 
 6) The school health program is a diagnostic service only and is 
 confined to pre-school and grade school children. 
 
 7) Cases referred to the Child Guidance Clinic for treatment showed 
 high prevalence of physical disorder, especially under-woight 
 conditions and disorders of the eye, oar, nose, and throat; and 
 showed high incidence of cases from dependent or marginal homes, 
 indicating that unwholesome living conditions take a heavy toll in 
 mental as well as physical illness. 
 
 3) Finally, when viewed as a whole, health agencies in Dallas render 
 a groat variety of clinical services, but are largely concentrated 
 in two areas, which means that many patients must travel long dis- 
 tances. Schemes of eligibility determined by the Dallas County 
 Medical Society fail to take account of varying degrees of ability 
 to pay for services received. 
 
PART FIVE. PUBLIC RECREATION 
 
 Introduction 
 
 The assumption of responsibility by governments for the pro- 
 vision of facilities and activities for the occupation of free hours 
 has been a recent development, the first playground having come with 
 the turn of the century. With the growth of the realization that 
 under modern urban conditions, unless there was widespread recreation- 
 al provision and supervision, governments would have to meet the cost 
 through either health correctives or the social correctives of jails, 
 reformatories, and Juvenile Courts, there has been a growing attempt 
 to meet the needs. As attention was called to the problem, there 
 has been a growth of knowledge concerning the best ways to meet these 
 needs, a development and testing of various techniques, and the de- 
 velopment of a group of leaders skilled in techniques and with a 
 definite philosophy concerning the problem and ways of meeting it. 
 
 More recently there has gradually evolved a set of standards 
 which any city may reasonably be expected to meet as a part of its 
 public responsibility. The best expression of these is to be found 
 in the revised schedule for appraisal of 'community recreation pub- 
 lished by the National Recreation Association. While not entirely 
 applicable to the situation in Dallas, this appraisal sheet was used 
 as a guide for gathering information as to the adequacy of the present 
 recreational facilities publicly provided. By the most liberal in- 
 terpretation of these standards, the recreational provisions in Dallas 
 could be considered as only 65/2 adequate at the time of the appraisal, 
 October 1936. In the description which follows information used in 
 
the appraisal is supplemented by additional facts and observations. 
 
 Section 1. Properties and Their Locations 
 
 The administration of the recreational system of Dallas rests 
 
 in the hands of a five-member Board appointed by the City Council 
 
 for terms of two years. This Board, known as the Park Board, is 
 
 charged with the responsibility of all park properties and facilities, 
 
 these being a total of 84 park properties of which 56 are equipped 
 
 playgrounds and 5 are community houses. Dallas has a total acreage of 
 
 4,307 acres in park properties which would more than meet the standard 
 
 of one acre to each one hundred of the population, but as Mr. Eugene T. 
 
 Leis, Field Representative of the National Recreation Association, 
 
 pointed out on his visit to Dallas in the summer of 1936, 
 
 1,824 acres represent water areas 
 
 281 acres are outside the city limits 
 3,200 acres are at the very edge of the city. 
 
 Thus, a total of 3,481 acres or 79; :: . of all park property are in out- 
 lying areas. In addition to this, 62 acres are devoted exclusively 
 to scenic areas or useage which, while adding materially to the beauty 
 of the city, cannot be considered as available for recreation purposes. 
 Furthermore, only 29 acres are open to Negroes or, accepting the stan- 
 dard of one acre for each one hundred of the population, the Dallas Negroes 
 should have 311 additional acres of park property. 
 
 Looking back over the history of the acquisition of these areas, 
 one is struck by the fact that they have been acquired from time to 
 time as need, a pressure group, or political strategies made advisable. 
 No major plan of developing those facilities in accordance with the 
 growth and direction of the city's population has been followed. This 
 
-52- 
 
 may in part be explained by the rapid growth of the city in directions 
 that could not be foreseen in advance. As in the provision of other 
 social facilities, the raore stable rate of growth -which has now been 
 attained may make possible the exercise of greater wisdom in this 
 regard. 
 
 When viewing Map 2 on which the park properties are located, sev- 
 eral unserved areas stand out. This is true of the area bounded on 
 the north by Mockingbird Lane, on the east by Greenville Avenue, on the 
 south by Vickery Boulevard, and on the west by the Houston & Texas 
 Central Railroad. It is likewise true of the area lying to the north 
 of the St. Louis & Southwestern Railroad which blocks to some degree 
 the usefulness of Craddock, the nearest park. This condition may be 
 remedied, as it is now contemplated to make available a park area ad- 
 jacent to the Federal Housing Project which is located near the center 
 of this unserved region. Munger Play Park, strategically located on 
 Haskell Avenue north of Ross Avenue, is inadequate to serve the area 
 with an effective program for older youth. The area located between 
 the Santa Fe Railroad on the north and Grand Avenue on the south and 
 cast of Pacific Avenue is heavily populated and near only one park, 
 that of the Pan-American Exposition. This park property has for the 
 past two years been used throughout the summer months for an exposition 
 to which admission is charged. It contains in the extreme corner a 
 demonstration playground and adjacent to this several permanent build- 
 ings to be used as the Civic Center. The admission charges naturally 
 prevent its use as a play space, in addition to the fact that the un- 
 served area is cut off from the grounds by a number of railroad tracks 
 
and heavily trafficked thoroughfares. The area immediately surround- 
 ing the junction of Oakland and Forest Avenues is likewise unserved. 
 This area is in the vicinity of Forest Avenue High School whose grounds 
 are inadequate for any outdoor program. School officials, and members 
 of the Dad's Club and of the Parent-Teacher Association of this school 
 have united in their efforts to obtain some facility. It is quite likely 
 that under the terms of the bond issue voted in the spring of 1937 the 
 School Board may make this provision and a co-operative arrangement 
 could be worked out to meet the need of a play area. The area south 
 of Jefferson Street between Beckley and Tyler has no neighborhood 
 facility in spite of its dense population. In addition, there are 
 three areas, one west of Holmes Street and south of Metropolitan, another 
 in the extension of the city boundaries into the West Dallas area, and 
 a third the extension of the city in the direction of Lisbon which 
 have no park facilities, but which as yet have populations too small 
 to justify the operation of parks. The population trends in these 
 directions should be watched carefully, however, for possible future 
 acquisitions. It is unlikely that the first of these three areas will 
 develop a population \shioh justifies a park. The western portion of 
 the area now known as Trinity Heights, known on the Census Tract map 
 as area 49, is too distant from the nearest park to make use of it as 
 a playground area for the younger children. 
 
 The situation in regard to playgrounds for Negro children is still 
 less fortunate. The settlement in North Dallas which contains the 
 largest number of Negroes has a well located park, but one which is 
 inadequate in size or equipment to meet the needs of the whole area. 
 
The settlement of Negroes around South Haskell Avenue below Grand 
 Avenue is likewise without park or playground facilities. A third 
 area, the entire district known as Lincoln Manor, is too distant from 
 Wahoo, the largest Negro park, to make use of it as a neighborhood 
 play area. 
 
 In the enumeration of these conditions, it should be remembered 
 that in almost every instance there is a school which may have some 
 play facilities and which usually has available areas which can be 
 utilized as playgrounds. Under the Federal Recreation Project it 
 has been possible to do this in a few instances during the last two 
 years. This program, however, is not permanent and has been serious- 
 ly curtailed at varying times. 
 
 Se ction 2. Facilities 
 
 According to the standards of the National Recreation Associa- 
 tion, available areas should be used to provide children's playgrounds, 
 neighborhood play fields for the older group and for special useages, 
 such as swimming pools, tennis courts, and golf courses. In these 
 regards, we find certain inadequacies existing. 
 
 First, regarding playgrounds, according to the standards there 
 should be one supervised playground within easy walking distance (one- 
 fourth to one-half mile not barred by heavily trafficked streets, 
 etc.) of all children, and one acre for each 1,500 of the population. 
 The playground should have a minimum size for the age group, 5-14 
 years, of two and one-half acres. Each playground must be considered 
 from the standpoint of its location and size as well as the factors 
 of equipment and supervision. 
 
' 
 
 ■ 
 ■ 
 
 _ 
 
 1 
 
 ■ 
 
-55- 
 
 In Dallas it is extremely difficult to determine the exact num- 
 ber of acres used for children's playgrounds, as many of the parks are 
 not marked into restricted areas and other portions serve two or more 
 age groups with their hours of useage scheduled to avoid conflict. 
 As best could be determined under these conditions, Dallas lacks 73 
 acres of meeting the total land requirement. Mr. Leis, on his visit, 
 stated that 12 to 14 additional playgrounds were needed. The Park 
 Board report on facilities states that there are 54 equipped playgrounds 
 and an attempt was made to determine whether this equipment met the 
 National standards. A special inventory taken by the playground super- 
 visors revealed a considerable variation in the extent of equipment and 
 in no case did the requipment reach the standard set. 
 
 A more f ortunat e situation exists in regard to play fields, the 
 
 areas devoted to the older age group, and in this case we find the 
 
 shortage in terms of area insignificant. The provision of special 
 
 recreation facilities lags far behind the National standards. Mr. 
 
 Leis in his report on his visit lists the needs as follows: 
 
 3 more 18-hole golf courses 
 31 more regulation baseball fields 
 60 more Softball fields 
 68 more tennis courts 
 18 more outdoor swimming pools 
 26 more wading pools 
 10 more community centers 
 
 15 shuffle board courts (there are none now) 
 15 handball courts (there are none now) 
 15 volley ball courts (there is only one now) 
 15 basketball courts (there is only one now) 
 
■56- 
 
 Section 3. Personnel 
 
 In considering the second of the four elements needed (namely, 
 facilities, personnel, program, and financing), for a sound recreation 
 program, we had great difficulty in rating personnel according to the 
 National standards due to the fact that Dallas was and is now spon- 
 soring one of the Federal Recreation Projects, largely financed by 
 the Works Progress Administration and the National Youth Administration, 
 -'•his program, temporary in nature, makes a larger staff possible, even 
 though it is composed primarily of those of relief status, relatively 
 untrained in recreation work. While this program is in duration, some 
 of the regular staff members of the playground department have been 
 elevated to supervisory positions in charge of special activities, thus 
 giving the supervisory classification a higher rating than it would 
 normally receive. For example, the National standard for a city the 
 size of Dallas is four persons devoting full time to the supervision 
 of special activities. Under the regular program Dallas has one full- 
 time director and four who devote part time, while under the emergency 
 program during 1936 it was possible to have three additional full-time 
 persons and three regularly employed persons to devote full time to 
 these activities. Likewise in the matter of playground directors, the 
 regular program provided 26 for the summer period, while the emergency 
 program added 43 who gave three- fourths of their time for the nine months 
 operation period in 1936. Thus the regular program, which is only half 
 the National standard, has been raised under these conditions, but 
 
 1. The program operated from February - November, 1936, and 
 renewed in March 1937. 
 
J • 
 
 ■ . 
 
 ■ . 
 
 i '-■ - 
 
 . ■ . 
 ■ 
 
 - :' 
 
 i 
 
 . i s 
 
 . • - 
 
 . . . 
 
 si « 
 
 ■ 
 
 , 
 
still fails to meet the requirement of 54 year-round playground directors. 
 Also, in regard to play leaders, \vhich the National standard sets at 
 90 for a city the size of Dallas, we find the regular program provides 
 none, while under the emergency program there was an average of five 
 for the nine months period and 32 of its persons were reduced to this 
 status during the summer months when the regular program employed play- 
 ground directors. The National Youth Administration paid an average 
 of 75 play leaders over this nine months period, but they devoted only 
 one-third of their time and were, therefore, the equivalent of only 25 
 such workers. 
 
 According to the statistics reported in The Playground, Year Book 
 Number, for April 1926, Dallas had in 1925 24 men and 36 women, exclu- 
 sive of caretakers, of whom 24 were employed the year round in the De- 
 partment of Parks and Playgrounds. These 60 workers wore supplemented 
 by 27 volunteer workers during that summer. In the Y ea r Book Number 
 for June 1936, the number of paid leaders had dropped to 11 men and 35 
 women and of this 46, only 13 were employed full time, no volunteer 
 workers being used. During this ten-year period the population had 
 risen from ah estimated 194,000 to approximately 300,000. The expen- 
 diture for salaries in 1925 is reported as $98,000 and the official 
 budget shows $95,441 for personal services in 1935-36. The expenditures 
 for services of those officially classified as supervisors or recreational 
 leaders is only $17,845.60. 
 
 The training and qualifications of leaders and the method of selec- 
 tion were also investigated and it was discovered that by taking advan- 
 
 1~. Proposed budget for 1936-37. 
 
-58- 
 
 tage of the summer vacation of teachers and advanced college students 
 specializing in recreation, it was pdi si n . e to obtain for the regular 
 personnel a relatively high calibre of leadership in spite of the low 
 salaries that are paid. A brief examination and training period are 
 given before the opening of the regular summer playground season. It is 
 in this way that leaders are chosen from among the applicants. The sit- 
 uation in regard to the emergency personnel is not so fortunate, of course, 
 due to the limitations of the Federal Project that at least 90> of the 
 workers must be of relief status. 
 
 Se ction 4. Program 
 
 The programs presented on the playgrounds include a number of 
 routine activities— a swimming period for the younger age groups, 
 tennis, croquet, horseshoes, and several types of ball games. These 
 programs are often handicapped by the lack of equipment. Athletic 
 leagues are organized in baseball, volley ball, soccer and the touch- 
 tackle variety of football, and in tennis with inter-park tournaments 
 held in season, otory hours and handicraft are an additional regular 
 park feature , Subsidies of the Federal Government, with its theatre 
 and music units, made possible a more intensive community night pro- 
 gram than ordinarily. Amateur theatre groups were organized in each 
 park, producing entertainment for other parks. At least one night a 
 week in each of the supervised playgrounds and community centers was 
 devoted to such entertainment. 
 
 By using the National Recreation Association appraisal sheet, we 
 found the greatest deficiencies in nature activities, folk-dancing, arts 
 and crafts, and social recreation. 
 
' 
 
-59- 
 
 The index used to measure participation in the various programs 
 likewise reveals program deficiencies, for we find Dallas falling far 
 short in the matter of swimming, which can bo attributed only to the 
 lack of facilities, basket ball and volley ball, attributable to the 
 lack of equipment. Other lacks in participation, we feol, are attri- 
 butable to the insufficient financing with which to conduct an actual 
 program or an educational program to stimulate the use. 
 
 Section 5 . Financing 
 
 By the use of the appraisal sheet, several facts in regard to the 
 financing and administration of the program come to light. First among 
 these is, that while there is a Park Board serving without pay and 
 thus meeting the National requirement, overlapping terms are not pro- 
 vided and, hence, should there be a change in the governing body of 
 Dallas, the entire Board might be replaced. This took place in 1935. 
 This condition has made the Director unsure of support wliich he had 
 for his program and he is to some extent handicapped in any progressive 
 development of recreation. In addition to this, the attention which 
 this Board could give to the normal program of recreation was extremely 
 limited by the heavy load placed upon it in the construction and opera- 
 tion of the new Civic Center buildings located in the Exposition park 
 and opened in conjunction with the Texas Centennial deposition in 1936. 
 
 The Association also recommends, through its appraisal sheet, a 
 citizen's advisory committee and a progressive educational program to 
 acquaint the citizens with recreation facilities and their proper use. 
 Neither of these exists in Dallas. An annual report is rendered by the 
 Park Board and may be obtained on call, but few citizens know or care 
 
to do this. 
 
 Dallas is handicapped in the financing of any program of recrea- 
 tion at the present time by the heavy proportion of its budget which 
 must go into the interest and sinking fund account. The tax income 
 for 1936-37 was estimated at $216,340.00 which is supplemented by 
 miscellaneous income derived from income-producing activities and by 
 certain bookkeeping entries involved in transfers between accounts. 
 The total income is shown as #326,535.00 and it is from this last 
 figure that the sundry charges are taken which total $142,318.00, 
 leaving a balance of $184,217.00 for maintenance, capital expenditure, 
 and operation. 
 
 The standard set by the National Recreation Association for op- 
 eration and maintenance is $3.00 per capita of the total population 
 which would give an approximate figure of $900,000.00 for Dallas at 
 the present time as contrasted with the actual expenditure of $184,217.00, 
 the actual per capita expenditure being $,614. 
 
 Other facts that should be noted about the Department of Parks and 
 Playgrounds are: the attempt that has been made to reach potential 
 delinquents in the neighborhoods and interest them in wholesome group 
 activities; the attempt to serve the residents of areas of low income 
 by operating community houses in these centers the year round; and the 
 willingness of the Supervisor of Playgrounds to co-operate with other 
 agencies in providing wholesome recreation for Dallas. 
 
 Summary 
 The recreation program in Dallas follows the accepted pattern in 
 
 the provision of public recreation, but is only 65^? adequate on the 
 
• ■ ' : 
 
 '•■' 
 
 ....-•.■■ 
 ..-.•■ . . 
 
 p 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 . - ■ . 
 
 j 
 
 ■ 
 
 : 
 
•61- 
 
 basis of the "reasonable standard" of the National Recreation Asso- 
 ciation. Most serious of the deficiencies recorded are: 
 
 1) Inadequate finance for service program 
 
 2) Lack of an educational program to stimulate 
 use 
 
 3) Certain sections of the city have no park 
 areas, or the property provided is inadequate 
 to meet recreational needs 
 
 4) Insufficient park areas for Negroes 
 
 5) The number of tennis courts, swimming pools, 
 wading pools, and other areas for special- 
 ized games is far below standard 
 
 6) The lack of overlapping terms for Park Board 
 members hinders stability of administration 
 and long-term planning 
 
 Commendable features of the pari: system are: 
 
 1) The excellent landscaping of most areas 
 
 2) The training programs for recreational leaders 
 
 3) The concentration of community centers in areas 
 of most need 
 
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 PART SIX. _ PUBLIC LIBRAR Y 
 
 Although administered separately, the public library must be consider- 
 ed as an essential part of the educational and recreational systems of 
 Dallas. Through the efforts of a group of citizens, sufficient funds were 
 raised to match the subsidy offered by Andrew Carnegie and a completely 
 equipped library was offered to the city in 1900 on the provision that the 
 city would assume its maintenance and operation. The Association which had 
 been responsible for the raising of the funds also sought to remove the 
 administration of the library from any sort of politics by seeing that the 
 proviso was included that they might nominate members for a non-partisan 
 board which would have advisory functions. This board has been contained 
 through the several changes in municipal administration and is credited by 
 the librarian with the charter amendments necessary to raise the library 
 appropriation. 
 
 At the present time the library is financed by a two and one-half mill 
 tax on each 510000 of assessed value. 
 
 The physical facilities consist of one central library with four 
 branches and one under construction. In all of these thoro is a combined 
 total of 130,311 volumes, or a total per capita of .502 which is far below 
 the median, of .932 for cities of over 200,000. During 1936 10,142 volumes 
 were added which is about the average number added each year. In this same 
 year 5,480 volumes were lost 'or withdrawn, giving a net increase of 4,662 
 volumes. With the present rate of population increase, this does little more 
 than maintain the present ratio, and provides no possibility of reaching the 
 
• 
 
 - 
 
 ■ 
 
-63- 
 
 American Library Association standard of two volumes per capita. Even this 
 
 increase is possible only at the expense of other services, for the library 
 
 is spending the highest percent of its budget (32%) for books, periodicals, 
 
 and bindings of any city in the United States. 
 
 Fortunately, no censorship has been established as to what books may be 
 
 purchased, though, as the librarian said, 
 
 "We have been very quiet about this for fear -we 
 might give someone the notion". 
 
 Circulation per employee is the highest of any city reporting to the 
 
 American Library Association which reflects the serious understaff ing and 
 
 can be done, as the librarian said, 
 
 "Only at the sacrifice of the personal services 
 which are now considered an essential part of 
 true library service". 
 
 The circulation per capita amounts to 3.11 per year, as contrasted with the 
 
 median for cities over 200 , 000 of 5.435. 
 
 The total income from tax and other sources amounted to §76,099.00 in 
 1936 or $ .32 per capita, as compared with the American Library Association 
 standard of §1.00 per capita. Asked to account for this low appropriation, 
 the librarian placed the responsibility on the rapid growth of the city 
 during the past twenty years which had brought a strain on all public ser- 
 vices to keep abreast of the increased demands. Salaries for librarians are 
 almost the lowest paid in the United States and the chief librarian admitted 
 extreme difficulty in finding competent personnel at the salaries offered. 
 It had been possible, however, in some instances to help the more promising 
 assistants obtain professional training during the summer months. 
 
 The present budget does not include funds to stimulate use of the 
 library through charts, exhibits, and the like, nor can any sizeable increase 
 
-64- 
 
 be handled by the present staff. Mo gifts or endowments have been made to 
 the library and although at least some members of the Library Board were 
 convinced some years ago that it would be possible to secure a million dollar 
 endowment for the Reference Room, there was not a sufficient number on the 
 Board who felt they could devote the tine required to make an endowment cam- 
 paign a success. 
 
 Finally, although the opening of the new branch means an extension of 
 service, no additional funds have been made available and its opening will 
 constitute a certain amount of sacrifice in the central library and other 
 branches. 
 
 In later sections, we shall present in more detail the extent to which 
 youth- arc making use of the library, as wo 11 as the reasons given for not 
 using. On Map 3 we show the locations of the libraries and the percentage 
 of youth from each Area who did not use the library during the four weeks 
 prior to the interview. For the city as a whole, these percentages by races 
 were t 
 
 
 % Using Public 
 
 % Not Using Pub- 
 
 
 Library 
 
 lic Library __ 
 
 Total Youth 
 
 20.43 
 
 79.57 
 
 "White Youth 
 
 22.15 
 
 77.83 
 
 Negro Youth 
 
 14.16 
 
 85.84 
 
 Mexican Youth 
 
 17.42 
 
 82.58 
 
PART SEVEN. G.Jy^rJllIIT AIDS TOJTOUTH 
 
 Two programs operating in Dallas at the present time for the benefit 
 of the youth population are those fostered by the national Youth Adminis- 
 tration and the Junior Division of the Te:;as State Employment Service. 
 
 Section 1. national Youth Administ ration 
 
 The 1JYA program, common to its work in most of the country, has two 
 parts. The first of these is student aid by which up to 12?a of the total 
 enrollment of high schools and colleges may be aided on a part-time work 
 basis at a rate of pay fixed at an average of $6.00 per month for high school 
 students, who must be at least 16 years of age, $15.00 a month for college 
 students, and $30.00 a month for graduate students. 
 
 The second phase of the program is part-time work for out-of-school 
 youth. In Dallas, 330 youth, of whom 120 were Wegroes, were employed in 
 June, 1937 for an average of 34 hours per month and at a monthly rate of pay 
 for unskilled work of $12.00 and for the semi-skilled of s?15.95. 
 
 The eligibility requirements are that the youth be between 18 and 25 
 years of age, that his family be eligible to receive public assistance, and 
 that he be referred through one of the recognized agencies (in Texas, the 
 Texas Relief Commission, the Old Age Assistance Commission, and the Rural 
 Resettlement Administration). Almost all begin at the unskilled rate, but, 
 f ollovdng a period of four or five months training, a worker may be qualified 
 to earn the intermediate wage. In June, 1S37, there were 12 out of the total 
 group of 330 who received this wage. 
 

 - 
 
The actual projects, which are organized under local or state government 
 sponsorship, are chiefly construction or be autifi cation of parks or other 
 public property and, for the gar Is , employment in the sewing room. One of 
 the present projects employs 18 workers to assist in the recreation program 
 conducted under the City Department of Parks and Playgrounds. 
 
 The Area Director estimates that there is a 10^ monthly turnover, though 
 replacements have been slightly less than those who have failed to return or 
 have been disqualified by change in family status. He also noted that three 
 weeks of idleness preceding the one week of work each month tended to weaken 
 work habits and diminish efficiency. The whole program is now considered 
 as training and attempt is made during work hours to contribute to the work 
 skills of the employed youth, chiefly by establishing work discipline. 
 
 Section 2, Texa s St ate E mployment Service 
 
 The second program conducted in Dallas is the placement service of the 
 Junior Division of the Texas State Employment Service through which white 
 (including Mexican) individuals between the ages of 16 and 21 and up to 25, 
 if they have not had previous work experience, may qualify for placements 
 without charge. All youth employed on ilYA projects arc required to be regis- 
 tered through this bureau, ilegroes do not have its special services, but are 
 required to register through the Division located elsewhere in the city which 
 renders service to white unskilled laborers and to all Ilegroes. 
 
 May, 1937, the last month on which records were available, was the most 
 active month of the local bureau since its establishment. In this month 362 
 new' youth wore registered, while 211 received placements. It might be noted 
 that of the new applicants, 173 were boys and 105 boys were placed, while 189 
 
of the new applicants wore girls and only 66 girls wore placed. Of the 211 
 placements, 95 ware considered to have a sufficient degree of permanence to 
 be classed as regular employment, while 116 wore temporary. Of the jobs, 50 
 were running errands, 13 labor, 72 some form of mercantile work, 1 was in a 
 skilled trade, 5 were clerical, and 70 were in domestic and restaurant service 
 
 The median grade attainment for those applying was 9.8 grades, ranging 
 from below the fourth grade to one college graduate. 
 
 That both of these programs are making contributions to the solution 
 of the problems of many of the youth of Dallas is beyond question. As to 
 whether these contributions are the most valuable that could be made is 
 another matter. Certainly many things need to be considered before deciding 
 that under the present circumstances this is the most that can be done or 
 all that is needed. 
 
 1) Although the 1IYA program is now considered 
 as a training program, it is open not to all 
 those who need training, but only to youth 
 whose families have established a relief status, 
 a status which in Texas has been limited to 
 
 those in a semi-starved state . 
 
 2) The work hours each month are so limited that 
 very little in the way of real skills can be 
 established even over a long period of time. 
 
 3) The responsibility for such training as docs 
 exist rests primarily on the project foreman 
 who is chosen for his ability to produce and 
 who may or may not have the qualities which 
 would stimulate learning. 
 
 4) The pay is so low that any job which pays 
 $15.00 or C'20.00 a month is more attractive, 
 even though this job holds no future and no 
 possibility of learning skills which might be 
 of benefit later. In addition, the youth is 
 forced to accept any private employment which 
 is offered. 
 

-68- 
 
 5) The projects which are carried on have very- 
 little in the way of training possibilities 
 and although the Youth -Administration has 
 demonstrated its willingness to engage in 
 other projects which might hare greater 
 possibilities, it has been unable to secure 
 local sponsorship. 
 
 6) Lastly, to effective training there are the 
 handicaps of a high rate of turnover and 
 the limited education of the youth. 
 
 In summary, then, one may say that the restric- 
 tions imposed prevent the program from reaching 
 any significant proportion of the out-of-school 
 youth and that the character and method of work 
 done prevent any significant training. 
 
 The employment service is more difficult to judge, but certainly, 
 
 1) If the services are justified for white youth, 
 then they are justified for Negro youth, 
 
 2) With the bulk of the placements being tempor- 
 ary and largely composed of jobs of runnin^ 
 errands or doing domestic work, the service 
 can scarcely do more than temporarily relieve 
 the acuteness of the youth's unemployment sit- 
 uation. 
 
 o) With the number of new applications constantly 
 larger than the number of placements, the dis- 
 proportion between these will constantly grow 
 and the chances of any one registrant's receiv- 
 ing a placene nt will thereby be reduced. 
 
 These criticisms are made not to shew; that the employment service isn't 
 needed, for it is more than justified because of the reduction which it 
 brings in the hap-hazardness of placement and the competition which it sup- 
 plies to the commercial employment agencies, whose charges in many instances 
 are excessive, but because it should be remembered that an employment ser- 
 vice at its best can only steer the proper individual to the proper job, 
 and has little effect on the total proportion of unemployment. 
 
PART EIGHT. DELINQUEN CY, CRT E A ID n^TLElTT MEASURES 
 
 Any attempt to measure the extent of delinquency and crime in Dallas is 
 
 complicated by the existence of two government units having some jurisdiction, 
 
 not always clearly defined — the City and the County. Four sources of 
 
 information with varying degrees of reliability exist. 
 
 1) The records of the Dallas Police Department 
 which are kept in accordance with the Manual 
 of Reporting of the United States Department 
 of Justice and are included in the Uniform 
 Crime Reports . 
 
 2) The records of the Juvenile Court of Dallas, 
 
 a County institution whose records are subject 
 to all the inadequacies suggested by Sophia 
 Moses Robison in her study, Can Delinquency Be 
 Measured? 
 
 3) The records kept in connection with the Dallas 
 County Jail which are limited for our use by 
 the fact tlat they include those from without 
 the city limits. 
 
 4) The annual report by the Texas Prison Board of 
 the Texas Prison System for the fiscal year 
 ending December 31, 1936. This report includes 
 certain information regarding all persons ad- 
 mitted to the Texas Prison System on conviction 
 of some penitentiary offense. We could make 
 only partial use of these figures because most 
 of them are concerned with the entire State and 
 have a low degree of reliability. 
 
 The Unif orm Crime Report seemed the most reliable source from which to 
 
 obtain some indication of the relative extent of crime in Dallas. For the 
 
 1. U ni form Crime _%ports_, issued quarterly, by Federal Bureau of 
 Investigation, U. S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. 
 
-70- 
 year 1936, Dallas, the 32nd city of the United States in terms of population, 
 ranked as follows for certain types of crime among cities of over 25,000 
 population. These figures show the slight variation between those of 1936 
 and those of the quarter, January 1-March 31, 1937. 
 
 TABLE 10 — RANK OF DALLAS, ACCORDING TO NUMBER OF OFFENSES KNOWN 
 TO POLICE AMONG ALL CITIES REPORTING TO UNITED STATES 
 DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, FOR YEAR 1936^0 FIRST QUARTER 
 OF 1937 2 
 
 
 1936 
 
 : : 
 
 January 
 
 1-March 31, 1937 
 
 
 Offense 
 
 Number of 
 Known to 
 
 Offense si :Number of 
 Police tRank: Known to 
 
 Offenses: 
 Police : Rank 
 
 
 Murder, non-negli- 
 gent manslaughter 
 
 105 
 
 i : 
 
 »5th : 
 
 25 
 
 i 6th 
 
 
 Rape 
 
 21 
 
 : : 
 
 : 24th: 
 
 2 
 
 : 
 
 : 50th 
 
 
 Robbery 
 
 214 
 
 :31st: 
 
 55 
 
 : 32nd 
 
 
 Aggravated assault 
 
 320 
 
 : 18th: 
 
 43 
 
 : 22nd 
 
 
 Burglary 
 
 1,786 
 
 : 17th: 
 
 478 
 
 : 17th 
 
 
 Larceny — theft 
 over $50.00 
 
 233 
 
 : f 
 
 :36th: 
 
 59 
 
 : 28th 
 
 
 Larceny — theft 
 under &50.00 
 
 7,449 
 
 : 6th: 
 
 2,149 
 
 : 6th 
 
 
 Auto theft 
 
 1,156 
 
 :19th: 
 
 251 
 
 : 23rd 
 
 
 1. Uni form Crimo Repor ts, Vol. VII, Number 4, pp. 140-144,- issued 
 by U. S. Department of Justico, Washington, D.C,, January, 1937. 
 
 2, Uniform Crimo Reports , Vol. VIII, Number 1, pp. 13-14; issued 
 by U. S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., April, 1937. 
 
 These figures indicate that Dallas has two outstanding crime problems, 
 murder and potty theft. 
 
 Of the 105 criminal homicides recorded in 1936, 79, or 75.2/2, were com- 
 mitted by Negroes on Negroes, although the Negroes compose only 14,9/2 of the 
 total population. Dr. R. T. Hamilton, Negro physician of Dallas, had this 
 
-71- 
 
 to say about the situation: 
 
 Arrests are made, but within a few days the 
 murderer is on the streets again going about his 
 business, and ready for his next victim. His white 
 boss has gotten him out on a small bond or on his 
 own recognizance. If the case ever comes to trial 
 his white boss swears that he is a "good nigger", 
 and most often a suspended sentence is given. 
 
 Last year the Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce 
 held a conference with law enforcing officers of the 
 city and county to find out what could be done about 
 this sort of thing. The Sheriff, who gave the im- 
 pression of being a fine fellow with an open mind, 
 and a representative of the District Attorney's of- 
 fice, finally stated that nothing could be done about 
 it until white jurors are convinced that a Negro life 
 is just as sacred in the sight of the law as a white 
 life. "The general feeling around the courthouse", 
 they said, "when a Negro commits a murder on a member 
 of his race is, 'Oh, vie 11, he only killed a nigger i 
 Just as well let him out to get another one'". 
 
 The extent of petty thievery is not so easily explained, but perhaps a 
 
 partial explanation lies in the fact that Dallas has one of the lowest per 
 
 capita number of police department employees of any city of comparable siae 
 
 Statement reprinted in editorial appearing in the Dallas Journ al of m 
 January 20, 1937, which went on to say: "There is too much of un- 
 comfortable truth in that for it to be passed over lightly. It has 
 been suggested that a court of domestic relations with a trained social 
 worker in charge could be advantageously devoted to Dallas Negroes 
 exclusively. Many of these killings are the result of quarrels growing 
 out of sex jealousy. If a small claims court could also be provided, 
 the Negro population of Dallas wouB have access to a form of justice 
 which is denied them because of the costliness of the white man's court, 
 Preventive justice, in other words, would go a long way toward eliminat- 
 ing the need for retributive justice. But justice of some sort the 
 Negro ought to have. No white man can honestly say that the Negro gets 
 full justice now." 
 
-72- 
 
 in the United States, for, for the 37 cities having over 250,000 inhabitants, 
 the average of employees per one thousand inhabitants during the year 1935 
 ■was 2.1, while for Dallas it was .9. 
 
 The police records for the month of October, 1936 were checked as a 
 representative month which might throw light on the age and sex distribution 
 and nature of charges placed against those who constitute the youth popula- 
 tion. During the month a total of 2,799 arrests were made and charges enter- 
 ed. The leading charges placed were: 
 
 Charge Number Ent ered 
 
 Drunkenness and dis orderliness 
 
 Suspicion 
 
 Suspicion of vagrancy 
 
 Traffic violations 
 
 Vagrancy 
 
 642 
 444 
 449 
 227 
 258 
 
 Table 11 shows the number of arrests made during the month of those 
 falling within the age range of our Study. It will be noted that these total 
 702, or 23.5/b, of the total number of arrests. 
 
 TABLE 11 — NUMERICAL DISTRIBUTION, BY AGE AND SEX, OF PERSONS UNDER 25, 
 ARRESTED BY DALLAS POLICE DURING OCTOBER, 1936 
 
 
 : Sex 
 
 Age 
 
 Total : Male 
 
 Female 
 
 Total 
 
 702 : 466 
 
 236 
 
 Juveni le s 
 (under 17 
 
 ) 136 ! 128 
 
 8 
 
 18 
 
 35 : 22 
 
 13 
 
 19 
 
 70 : 51 
 
 19 
 
 20-24 
 
 461 : 265 
 
 196 
 
 The most frequent charge placed against females was that of suspicion 
 of vagrancy which accounted for 164 of the total arrests and is the charge 
 
-73- 
 
 commonly placed against those suspected of prostitution. The most frequent 
 charge placed against males in this age group was simply suspicion, account- 
 ing for 164, the charge commonly placed against boys picked up because they 
 are out late without presenting reasonable excuses for their hours. It like- 
 wise covers a number of instances in which the charge is not yet definitely 
 known. Frequent complaints were heard that boys, especially Negroes, were 
 arrested and held on "suspicion" charges for periods of three or four days 
 at a time. Other crimes which seemed to have a high incidence in this age 
 range were burglary, for of 52 charged with this offense, 32 were within 
 this range and 20 were juveniles, and theft under $50.00, and of the 96 
 charges of this nature 56 were against youth in this age range and 25 were 
 juveniles. 
 
 Since the annual report of the Juvenile Court is presented on the basis 
 of its total jurisdiction, which covers the entire County, we made a special 
 study of the records of cases reported from within the city limits. Several 
 factors limit the usefulness of Court records as criteria on the actual ex- 
 tent of delinquency. These factors have been best enumerated by Sophia Llose: 
 
 2 
 
 Robison in her study, Can Delinqu ency 3_e Lie assured? and are in summary: 
 
 1) That the concept of delinquency varies from area to area and 
 from group to group; 
 
 2) That the use of the Court as a device in the treatment of be- 
 haviorisms in children likewise varies from area to area; 
 
 3) The tendency not to subject girls to Court treatment unless the 
 offense is very serious; 
 
 4) The variety of treatment because of the age factor — a tendency 
 not to arrest younger children; 
 
 5) The tendency to accord different treatment on the basis of color. 
 Fully aware of these limitations, we were nevertheless, forced to accepi 
 
 1, Appendix C, pp. II -II I. 
 
 2. Robison, Sophia Moses* Can Del inquency Be Meas ured? ; Hew York; Columbia 
 University Press, 1936. 
 
-74- 
 
 the records of the Juvenile Court as the best available index of delinquency 
 
 and from them we have prepared Maps 4 and 5 showing the concentration in 
 
 certain areas. 
 
 Even though these Maps and the figures to follow do not represent the 
 actual extent of behavior of an anti-social type, they do reveal the number 
 who each year have some Court experience and we cannot but believe that such 
 an experience, attended as it may be by temporary incarceration, has in many 
 instances a profound effect on the life of the youth and when there is a high 
 ratio of such experience in a given area, it undoubtedly affects attitudes 
 toward the provocative behavior, the Court, and its officers. 
 
 Of the 714 offenders charged from November 1, 1935, to October 31, 1936, 
 546 lived within the city limits. Of these, 344, or 63%, were charged with 
 theft or burglary in one form or another, while the remaining charges included 
 incorrigibility, assault, sex offenses, vagrancy, running away, prowling, and 
 miscellaneous offenses. The race and sex of the offenders are as follows: 
 
 White 
 
 
 Male 
 
 270 
 
 
 Female 
 
 42 
 
 Negro 
 
 
 
 
 Male 
 
 178 
 
 
 Female 
 
 36 
 
 Mexican 
 
 
 
 Male 
 Female 
 
 Their ages were: 
 Age 
 7 
 
 10 
 11 
 12 
 13 
 14 
 15 
 16 
 17 
 18 
 Unknown 
 
 N umber of Offe nders^ 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 10 
 
 24 
 
 40 
 
 50 
 
 68 
 
 83 
 116 
 136 
 
 12 
 1 
 2 
 
 Of these 546 offenders, only 314, or 57.27/a, were appearing before the 
 Court for the first time, 70 had appeared for the first time earlier in the 
 
-75- 
 year, 60 had appeared earlier that year and also in previous years, and 102 
 had appeared before November 1* 1935. The following shows the number of 
 times that each of these 546 offenders had appeared before the Juvenile 
 authorities charged or suspected of some offense: 
 
 nber of Times 
 
 Number of 
 
 Appearing 
 
 Individuals 
 
 1 
 
 314 
 
 2 
 
 96 
 
 3 
 
 57 
 
 4 
 
 35 
 
 8 
 
 15 
 
 6 
 
 11 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 3 
 
 9 
 
 2 
 
 10 
 
 4 
 
 11 
 
 2 
 
 15 
 
 1 
 
 21 
 
 1 
 
 30 
 
 1 
 
 In other words, these individuals had been charged with 1,158 offenses. 
 Of these, 740 had been committed within the year, November 1, 1935-October 31, 
 1936, and 418 had been committed prior to that time. The offenses prior to 
 this period were committed by 162 individuals. 
 
 This high percentage of failure in treatment methods (first treatment 
 
 having failed in more than 4 cases out of 10), leads us to an investigation 
 
 of the disposition which had been made in each of the charges. The disposition 
 
 of the last charge placed against each of these 546 individuals is shown 
 
 below: 
 
 Dispos it ion Number of__ Offenders^ 
 
 Released to parent, relative, 404 
 
 or other person. 
 
 Sentenced to County or State 75 
 
 institution. 
 
 Sentenced and probated. 27 
 
 Out on bond. 12 
 
 Suspended sentence, 2 
 
 Transferred to adult Court. 8 
 

Placed in private homes. 2 
 Committed to State institution 
 
 for feeble-minded. 1 
 
 Returned to County boarding home. 5 
 
 Placed in non-State institution. 2 
 
 Unknown . 8 
 
 Of those who load previously appeared before the Court within the past 
 year, 130 in all, we find that 71 were released without record of other action 
 being taken in the case, a total of 65.1$. 
 
 Since no case records were available, it was impossible to study these 
 cases to see in what types of situations treatment methods had failed. The 
 treatment methods in cases of five of the most frequent offenders were 
 checked, however, and the following is a summary of what was found: 
 
 First Case 
 
 First 4 offenses — charged with theft; released in every instance. 
 Fifth offense ~ cutting holes in tops of automobiles; placed in 
 
 County Jail and later released. 
 Sixth offense — released to his attorney. 
 
 Seventh offense — theft of an automobile; released to his parents. 
 Eighth and ninth offenses — theft under $50.00 and of a second 
 
 automobile; released on bond. 
 Tenth offense — theft of the third automobile; placed in the County Jail. 
 Eleventh offense — consisted of 16 separate charges; sent to Reformatory 
 to remain until 21 years of age. 
 
 The first offense in this instance was committed on November 12, 1929, 
 and the final offense during 1936. 
 
 Second Case 
 
 The second boy's delinquencies began with truancy in March, 1929, follow- 
 ed by charges of prowling late at night, three cases of the ft of purses, 
 three further cases of prowling, followed by shooting an airgun at a 
 gasoline pump, truancy, theft, attempted burglary, and a final suspected 
 charge of the theft of a watch. In every case he was released, although 
 in six cases it is recorded that he spent a few days in the County Jail. 
 He is now past the Juvenile age and is no longer under the jurisdiction 
 of the Department. 
 
 Third Case 
 
 Beginning in 1931, this boy committed 13 offenses, ranging from truancy 
 to burglary and including two automobile thefts. He was released in 
 
the first 7 cases, sent to the Boy's Industrial Hone for a period follow- 
 ing the eighth case, and released in the next five. 
 
 Fourth Case 
 
 This boy had offended 21 times, beginning his delinquency on March 30, 
 1929, and the charges placed against him range from truancy and prowling 
 to automobile theft and incorrigibility to further truancies. In every 
 instance he was released. 
 
 Fifth Case 
 
 In the instance of the boy who had been before the Court 30 times during 
 the past five and one-half years, he had been released in the first 14 
 instances, received a suspended sentence in the 15th which he never 
 served, and released in all of the following cases. 
 
 In contrast to these, we sometimes find action of the opposite extreme, 
 as in the case of the 9-year-old Negro boy who, on his first offense, was 
 charged with burglary and sentenced to the reformatory for two years. 
 
 The actual Court procedure in dealing with these delinquents is somewhat 
 as follows: 
 
 Boys picked up during the night by either County or City Officers are, 
 unless released, turned over to one of the eight Probation Officers. These 
 Officers have vri.de legal authority, being privileged to arrest under the 
 same conditions as a Deputy Sheriff or police officer or to release from com- 
 mitment at any tine except where major offenses have been committed. The 
 Officer placed in charge then makes some disposition of the case or, if he 
 feels that it merits the attention of the Juvenile Court, the case is tried 
 during one of the Saturday morning sessions presided over by the County Judge. 
 Home investigations are presumably made, although no such visits are recorded 
 in the records of the Juvenile Court. The dearth of records, according to the 
 Chief Probation Officer, is due to the insufficiency of stenographic service. 
 The State Training School for Girls now demands a full case record with each 
 admittance and the Court prepares this. In other cases little recording is 
 
done. If the offender is not released, he may be sentenced to the Industrial 
 Home which was, according to one of those instrumental in founding it, con- 
 ceived as a place where boys might be put whose home conditions are such that 
 their chances for rehabilitation are limited. It is now used chiefly as a 
 place for recurrent offenders. Or, on the other hand, the individual may 
 be sentenced to one of the State institutions . 
 
 The staff of the Probation Department is appointed by the District Judges 
 of the County, meeting as the Juvenile Board. The result is that the appoint- 
 ments are largely political and at the present time four of the eight workers 
 are without training or experience. ITo special training is given. Although 
 214 offenders in the period studied were Negroes, only one of the eight work- 
 ers is a Negro and her salary is $70.00 a month, whereas other members of the 
 staff receive upward from $160.00. 
 
 The Probation Department has other duties besides those of delinquency 
 cases called to its attention. These are: 
 
 2) Supervising the granting of aid to widows. 
 
 3) Supervision and care of dependent children," 5 
 
 The treatment of delinquents has these obvious deficiencies: 
 
 1) Asking a County Judge to serve as Juvenile Court Officer, a task 
 which is highly specialized in nature and the performance of which 
 requires long training and apprenticeship, when his other duties, 
 or the preparation for them, could not possibly permit such special- 
 ization. 
 
 1. Part Three, p. 22. 
 
 2. Some 224 widows were aided during 193c and on January 1, 1937, 197 re- 
 mained on the rolls. The total amount expended during 1936 was $20,039.90, 
 showing that the average grant per widow was somewhere around $100.00 
 
 and that if the 549 children who were aided through these grants are in- 
 cluded, a total of 773 persons shared in the grants, or an average of ap- 
 proximately $26.00 per person for that year. 
 
 3. 307 dependent children were aided, for whom a total of 213 placements are 
 shown, 117 being in foster homes, 23 placed in homes for delinquents, and 
 the remainder in homes of relatives, in boarding homes, etc. 
 
-80- 
 
 PART MINE . HOUSING 
 
 Dallas was fortunate enough to be included in the list of 64 cities 
 in which a survey of housing conditions was made and published as the 
 Real Property Inventory of 1934. The housing conditions revealed have 
 special pertinence to problems of health, delinquency, home satisfac- 
 tion, family life, recreation, and reference is made to them in sections 
 of the report which follow. For the present, we present a few of the 
 figures for the city as a whole. 
 
 In all, a total of 71,274 dwelling units were enumerated in 55,646 
 
 structures. Information is analyzed and presented below on the basis of 
 
 dwelling units and structures, conditions of dwelling units being further 
 
 analyzed on the basis of occupancy and vacancy: 
 
 TABIE 12 ~ CONDITION OF 71,274 DWELLING UNITS AND 55,646 STRUCTURES AS 
 REVEALED IN REAL PROPZRTY INVENTORY OP 1934. 
 
 Condition 
 
 Dwelling Units 
 
 Structures 
 
 
 Occupied 
 
 Vacant 
 
 
 In good condition 
 
 25,383 
 
 1,744 
 
 20,121 
 
 Needing minor repair 
 
 > 30,444 
 
 2,395 
 
 25,813 
 
 Needing major repairs 8,925 
 
 895 
 
 8,338 
 
 Unfit for use : 1,095 
 
 304 
 
 1,306 
 
 Not reported 
 
 : 70 
 
 : . 19 
 
 | 68 
 
-81- 
 
 Thess figures show that 15.74$ of all dwelling units either need major 
 repairs or are unfit for use. This is true also of 17.33$ of all structures. 
 
 Since the Real Property Inventory classified these dwelling units on 
 the basis of rental or owner occupancy, it is also possible to see to what 
 extent correction of these conditions is likely to take place: 
 
 1) Of the total number of dwelling units, 23,205 were occupied by 
 their owners and of these, only 8,872 are reported as owned 
 free of debt. Likewise, of these 23,205 owner-occupied units, 
 2,533, or 10.91$, are in need of major repairs or are unfit for 
 use. It is very unlikely that any considerable portion of these, 
 constituting 22.57$ of all units needing repairs, are owned free 
 of debt and that the owners, therefore, are able to make the 
 necessary repairs. 
 
 2) 48,069 of the units were rented and of those, 8,686 are reported 
 unfit for use or needing major repairs. There is likelihood of 
 these repairs being made only if the rental is sufficient to 
 cover the cost. 
 
 These facts then are especially significant: 
 
 $ of Total Units 
 (11,219) Keed- 
 ing Such Repairs 
 
 22.00 
 24.38 
 12.97 
 12.15 
 
 3.83 
 .32 
 
 1.67 
 
 It would seem obvious from the above that at least 60$ of the dwelling 
 units, and possibly a much higher percentage, which need major repairs or 
 are unfit for use, cannot be repaired without either placing a very heavy 
 burden of debt on the owner or necessitating very sizeable increases in 
 rents. 
 
 Information based on the number of persons per room showed that of the 
 71,274 units, there were conditions of crowding (one to two persons per room) 
 
 Rented 
 
 Dwell- 
 
 
 Heeding : 
 
 Llaj 
 
 or Repairi 
 
 ing 
 
 Units 
 
 Monthly Rental 
 
 or Unfit 
 
 for Use 
 
 
 Mo. 
 
 
 Percent 
 
 5,284 
 
 
 Less than $10. 
 
 2,469 
 
 
 46.72 
 
 9,347 
 
 
 $10. to $14.99 
 
 2,736 
 
 
 29.26 
 
 8,493 
 
 
 $15. to $19.99 
 
 1,456 
 
 
 17.14 
 
 13,463 
 
 
 $20. to $29.99 
 
 1,364 
 
 
 10.15 
 
 8,968 
 
 
 $30. to $49.99 
 
 436 
 
 
 4.36 
 
 1,893 
 
 
 $50. end over. 
 
 37 
 
 
 1.94 
 
 621 
 
 
 Unknown . 
 
 188 
 
 
 30.29 
 
-82- 
 
 in 13,013 units; of over-crowding (two to three persons per room} in 1,477 
 
 units; and of greatly over-crowding (r.ore than three persons per room) in 
 
 289 units. Crowded conditions exist then in 20.73^ of all occupied units. 
 
 Many duelling units were also found to be without facilities. 
 
 TABLE 13 — NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF MELLING UNITS WITHOUT CERTAIN 
 CONVENIENCES 
 
 Convenience lacking 
 
 Number 
 
 Percentage 
 
 Total Units 
 
 71,274 
 
 lOOfo 
 
 Gas or electricity as 
 cooking facility 
 
 11,294 
 
 15.84 
 
 Gas or electricity as 
 lighting facility 
 
 7,801 
 
 10.94 
 
 Running water 
 
 5,666 
 
 7.94 
 
 Hot water (have cold 
 water only) 
 
 16,967 
 
 23.80 
 
 Private indoor water 
 closets 
 
 12,697 
 
 17.81 
 
 Tubs or showers 
 
 13,800 
 
 19.36 
 
 Automobiles 
 
 35,375 
 12,451 
 
 46.82 
 
 Gas, oil, or coal as 
 principal fuel 
 
 17.44 
 
 Of further significance is the fact that the median rental on the 
 48,069 rented units was $20.75 per month and, as an indication of the 
 mobility of the population, the report that of the 65,917 occupied units, 
 19,732, or approximately 30^, had been occupied for less than six months; 
 an additional 9,041 had been occupied for six months but less than a year; 
 7,594 had been occupied one year, but less than two years. In other wordsi 
 only 45^b of the dwelling units had been occupied continuously for a period 
 of two years. 
 
PART TEN. WHITE YOUTH of NATIVE or EUROPEAN PARENTAGE 
 CHARACTERISTICS and PROBLEMS 
 
 Introduction 
 
 ' The modern adult, male or female, is ex- 
 pected to be an effective producer, through paid 
 occupation, through home responsibilities, or 
 possibly through unpaid social service. An adult, 
 here again either male or female, is expected to 
 be an intelligent citizen, with considerable grasp 
 of intricate social, economic, and political 
 problems. An adult is also expected to be aware 
 of contemporary movements in art and science, to 
 develop genuine, individual interests amid the 
 conflicting appeals of contemporary culture, and 
 to participate in the social exchange of ideas 
 and the formation of our own time-spirit. The 
 normal adult min d may then be defined as a mi nd 
 th at is eq uipped vocatio nally, soc ia lly, an d 
 " pirituall y Tor 1 i i'c on the adult level under 
 present conditions . . . . . ." 1T ~ 
 
 — "The Making of Adult Minds in a Metro- 
 politan Area" - Frank Lorimcr 
 
 From that which has already been presented, it should be evident that 
 the social forces, institutions, and opportunities vary widely for the three 
 dominant groups in the city — the white, the Mexican, and the Negro. It 
 has seemed wise, therefore, to present separately what wo found in our 
 interviews with these three groups. This portion, then, deals with the 
 characteristics and the problems of the white youth. 
 
 In Dallas, there are almost five times as many white youth of native 
 or European parentage as there are Negro and Mexican youth, and in many parts 
 of the nation this proportion is increased rather than diminished. By sheer 
 weight of numbers, if through no other justification, therefore, the white 
 
-84- 
 
 youth must ultimately assume the major responsibility for the functioning 
 of the social order. The long operative trends have so diminished area 
 differences that any facts concerning Pallas youth should have far wider 
 significance and application than the confines of the city itself, 
 
 Questions crowd upon one another. Have these youth been prepared to find 
 the best of their social heritage and preserve it? Have they been prepared 
 to meet its problems? Are they as individuals as well equipped as they 
 might be to build for themselves lives that are full and wholesome? Since 
 it is to them that minority groups must ultimately appeal for the correction 
 of injustices or the preservation of rights, will they have the knowledge and 
 courage required to deal with these issues? Finally, are they being prepared 
 to see and understand what lies before them? 
 
 These are but a few of the questions we sought to answer by an under- 
 standing of the character and e::tent of the problems, of the relationships 
 to the community, and of the contributions made by social institutions to 
 the lives of a large and representative sample of youth. In each step of this 
 inquiry, there was constantly the thought: If deficiencies are revealed, how 
 may they most effectively be met? 
 
 Every reliable source of information was investigated to discover 
 the ratios of such factors as employed to unemployed, on relief to 
 non-relief, in school to out of school, age, sex, etc,, to insure 
 that the 3,622 white youth readied represented in their proper pro- 
 portions all walks of life and all conditions. Our sample met every 
 test of representativeness which we could impose with the exception 
 of one. We reached a slightly higher proportion of females than of 
 males, but in every instance the influence of this factor has been 
 measured and pointed out. 
 
 Not only was it necessary that a representative group be interviewed, 
 
 the interviews must bring out through a confidential and sympathetic manner 
 
 the half-hidden factors whieh, as much as the more obvious ones, have made th 
 
youth what ho is. Therefore, the intorvi ewers were required to have the 
 highest qualifications, and the interviews had to be taken in physical sur- 
 roundings which would promote leisurely, confidential progress from purely 
 factual information to the more personal aspects of the interview. Homes, 
 which were most likely to provide this atmosphere, were tho sotting for 
 64.9 3/0 of the interviews. In order to maintain the representativeness of 
 the sample, 16.47°^ of the interviews wore made at place of employment, and 
 the remainder were taken in such places as parks, playgrounds, on the street, 
 at club meetings, and in recreational centers . 
 
 Section 1, Censu s Mater ial 
 
 Age Distribution 
 
 Tho Census of 1930 showed a progressive increase in the number of those 
 of each age from 16 to 19, but gave no indication as to whether this increased 
 or decreased progressively with the ages 20 to 24. This progressive increase 
 was due to at least two major factors: first, a falling birth rate, and, 
 second, the migration of farm and village youth to the city. Just how the 
 past seven years had affected these relative numbers was not known, but there 
 was evidence that the resumption of migration to cities by farm youth between 
 1935 and 1937 made the proportion of each age very similar to that which ex- 
 isted in 1950. 
 
 Since our age range actually covered a range of nine and one-half 
 years, including those whose status as youth changed during the 
 interviewing period, we reached a slightly larger number of 16-and 
 24-year-old youth. 
 
 The number and percentage of each age reached are shown in Table 14. 
 
TABLE 14 NUMBERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,622 WHITE YOUTH 
 
 (excluding Mexicans), ACCORDING TO AGE AT LAST BIRTHDAY 
 
 
 Total ■ 
 
 Total 
 
 
 Number 
 
 % 
 
 Total 
 
 3,622 
 
 100.00 
 
 16 years 
 
 366 
 
 10.10 
 
 17 years 
 
 324 
 
 8.94 
 
 18 years 
 
 
 10.85 
 
 19 years 
 
 422 
 
 11.65 
 
 20 years 
 
 462 
 
 12.75 
 
 21 years 
 
 400 
 
 11.04 
 
 22 years 
 
 392 
 
 10.82 
 
 23 years 
 
 390 
 
 10.76 
 
 24 vears 
 
 473 
 
 13.05 
 
 Sex and Marital Status 
 
 There existed in Dallas, according to the 1930 Census, a ratio of 83 
 males to every 100 females between 16 and 24 years of age. In interviewing, 
 we reached a ratio of 70 males to every 100 females. Feeling that in some 
 instances sex might be a conditioning factor in the extent or character of 
 a given problem, we examined all our findings on the basis of their distri- 
 bution according to sex and wherever significant differences appear, special 
 attention is called to them. 
 
 An investigation of the marital status of these youth reveals that almost 
 10% of the females who had married arc now divorced or separated. Hot even 
 these figures show completely how man; c .' the marriages of this group are 
 failing, for we found more than one instance in which a girl of less than 20 
 had been twice married and divorced. 
 
 Thus, our very second question reveals a serious problem which has alreadj 
 affected a considerable portion of the youth and will undoubtedly affect more 
 
-87- 
 
 and more. What accounts for this instability of marriage, reflecting as 
 it does mistakes and unhappiness? Has the youth not been prepared or do 
 there exist stresses and strains, economic and social, which cannot be with- 
 stood? Only a partial explanation can be given from the material gathered. 
 At a later time 1 some of the comments of youth reflecting the inadequacy of 
 sex instruction received will be presented. For the present, we point out 
 only that we found: 
 
 1; No evidence that any preparation for marriage is 
 included in the regular school curriculum 
 
 2) The attempts of the Y.M.C.A. ?J to meet this deficiency 
 have reached only a small percentage 
 
 3) The median hourly wage of less than 35^ for married 
 males reveals how few can provide for their families 
 a reasonably adequate standard of living* 
 
 Table 15 shows the sex and marital status of all white youth inter- 
 viewed. 
 
 TABLE 15 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,622 WHITE YOUTH 
 
 (excluding Mexicans), ACCORDING TO SEX and MARITAL STATUS 
 
 Total 
 Number 
 
 Total 3,G22 100.00 
 
 Male— single 1,253 34.59 
 
 Male— married 232 6.40 
 
 Fale--widowed, divorced or separated 14 .30 
 
 Female— single 1,140 31.47 
 
 Female — married 894 24.68 
 
 Female — widowed, divorced or separated 89 2.45 
 
 1. Part Ten, Section 3, p. 113 
 
 2. Part Fifteen, Section 6. 
 
 3. Part Fourteen. 
 
■88- 
 
 Sect ion 2. Home Life and Back ground 
 Nativity of Parents 
 
 The small portion of the Dallas population which is foreign-born or of 
 foreign-born parentage is, if we exclude the Mexicans from consideration, 
 derived almost entirely from six countries— Germany, England, Russia, Italy, 
 Ireland, and Canada. Most of these foreign elements have already been 
 assimilated into the general population. A proof of this is that youth of 
 foreign-born parents were found spread almost evenly over the entire city. 
 Only in one Area, 11, is there a concentration and here are settlements of 
 Russian and German Jews, but as we have already shown, these settlements are 
 breaking up. 
 
 The number and percent of youth interviewed of native and foreign-born 
 parents are shown in Table 16. 
 
 TABLE 16 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,622 V.HITS YOUTH 
 
 (excluding Mexicans), ACCORDING TO BIRTHPLACE of YOUTH'S 
 PARENTS 
 
 
 Total 
 Number 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 3,622 
 
 100.00 
 
 Both in United States 
 
 One or both in foreign country 
 
 Do not know 
 
 3,442 
 175 
 
 5 
 
 95.03 
 
 4.83 
 
 .13 
 
 1. Part Two, pp. 13-14, 
 
Church Affiliat ion of Par ents 
 
 Church affiliation of preference of youth's parents, like age, sex, 
 and marital status, was intended to be used as a "control factor" in assist- 
 ing us in reaching a representative sample. The latest figures available 
 were those of the United States Religious Census of 1926 and for Dallas we 
 had only the figures for the population as a whole. In view of the growth 
 of the city, these figures may be unreliable, but our distribution approx- 
 imated the Census findings. 
 
 In addition to throwing light on the background of the youth we 
 interviewed, our information was so gathered that it was possible 
 to determine to what extent those of particular beliefs were con- 
 centrated in certain Areas of the city. For the most part, there 
 seems to be a fairly even distribution of the adherents to each 
 faith throughout the city. The significant exceptions are that the 
 Jews are found in concentrated numbers in only two Areas, 5 and 11, 
 and the number of "non-believers" are found in greatest numbers 
 in the Area of social dis-orgauization immediately surrounding the 
 business section (Area 10). 
 
 Tabulations of responses are shown in Table 17, 
 
 TABLE 17 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,614* WHITE YOUTH 
 
 (excluding Mexicans), ACCORDING TO CHURCH PREFERENCE OF 
 YOUTH'S PARENTS 
 
 Total 
 
 Both Baptist 
 
 Both Episcopalian or Anglican 
 
 Both Jewish 
 
 Both Eethodist 
 
 Both Presbyterian 
 
 Both Roman Catholic 
 
 Both of some other Protestant denomination 
 
 Parents of different Protectant denominations 
 
 Any combination of Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, 
 
 non-believers 
 Neither pare.it belongs to or prefers any church 
 Do not know; other combinations 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 Number 
 
 <ri 
 
 _3,614 
 
 100.00 
 
 1,136 
 
 31.43 
 
 62 
 
 1.71 
 
 49 
 
 1.35 
 
 632 
 
 17.48 
 
 240 
 
 6.64 
 
 155 
 
 4. 26 
 
 639 
 
 17.66 
 
 285 
 
 7.83 
 
 » or 
 
 
 136 
 
 3.76 
 
 231 
 
 6.39 
 
 51 
 
 1.41 
 
 Of the white youth, 3 made no response to this question and are 
 included in this Table, 
 
Physical Condition of Homes 
 
 The data most illustrative of the differences in home background are 
 presented in the two Tables which show the number of home conveniences each 
 youth checked as having in his home and the rating of the homes by a combina- 
 tion of these conveniences. 
 
 It will be seen that the most prevalent convenience is electricity, 
 enjoyed by 95.68% of the youth group, although in Area 4 18.27% were 
 without electricity and in Area 10, 10,69% were without. In three 
 Areas, however, over 99% of the hones were so equipped. Adequate 
 heating was less prevalent than' adequate lighting, for 9,63% of the 
 homes were without such heating, a condition which ranges from 1.68% 
 of the homes in Area 2 to 26.93% of those in Area 4, We found 6.23% 
 of the homes without indoor baths, a condition found in 29,81% of the 
 homes in Area 4, in 16.32% of those in Area 16, and 12.68% in Area 10. 
 
 Finally, however, it should be remembered that in every 106th home, none 
 of these conveniences were present, and that for Area 10, every 37th home 
 lacked all of these conveniences. 
 
 The complete tabulation of the occurrences of each of these conveniences 
 is shown in Table 18. 
 
 TABLE 18 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,617 WHITE Y0UTK* 
 
 (excluding Mexians) ACCORDING TO HOT IE CONVENIENCES 
 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 
 Number 
 
 at 
 
 Total 
 
 3,617 
 
 100.00 
 
 Radio 
 
 3,096 
 
 85.59 
 
 Bathroom 
 
 3,392 
 
 93.77 
 
 Electricity 
 
 3,461 
 
 95.68 
 
 Daily newspaper 
 
 3,393 
 
 93.80 
 
 Current magazines 
 
 2,386 
 
 65.96 
 
 Automobile 
 
 1,976 
 
 54.63 
 
 Piano 
 
 800 
 
 22.11 
 
 Other musical instruments 
 
 820 
 
 22.67 
 
 Steam, gas, or warm air heating 
 
 3,269 
 
 90,37 
 
 Telephone 
 
 2,159 
 
 59,69 
 
 None of the above 
 
 34 
 
 .94 
 
 Of the white youth, 5 made no response to this qucstic 
 and are not included in this table. 
 
The combination of these conveniences into groups provides a basis 
 for ranking the homes on a six-point scale, revealing that 9% of the 
 homes lacked the combination of adequate heating and lighting, that 
 in Area 4 this amounted to 26.91,=, in Area 10 to 22.22??, and in Area 
 16 to 15.96$, and that 18.16/2 of the homes did not have the combina- 
 tion of gas, lights, bath, and radio. 
 
 The complete coding on this basis is shown in Table 19. 
 
 TABLE 19— NUMBERICAL AND PERCENTAGE of 3,616 VffllTE YOUTH'S HOMES* 
 (excluding Mexidans) ACCORDING TO NUMBER of HOME CON- 
 VENIENCES 
 
 Total Total 
 Number 
 
 Total 
 
 Upper luxury level with at least 8 selected 
 conveniences- 1 
 
 Minimum luxury level with at least 6 selected 
 
 conveniences 2 
 Upper comfort level with at least 4 selected 
 
 conveniences ^ 
 
 Minimum comfort level with at least 2 selected 
 4 
 conveniences 
 
 Below minimum confort with at least 1 selected 
 
 convenience b 
 Homes lacking sufficient conveniences to be 
 
 codeable above 123 3.40 
 
 3,616 
 
 100.00 
 
 518 
 
 14.32 
 
 1,241 
 
 34.31 
 
 1,200 
 
 33.18 
 
 331 
 
 9.15 
 
 203 
 
 5.61 
 
 * Of the white youth, 6 made no response and are not included in this 
 Table. 
 
 1. Must include radio, bathroom, electricity, daily newspaper, automobile , 
 piano, gas, telephone. 
 
 2. Must include radio, bathroom, electricity, daily newspaper, automobile, 
 gas. 
 
 3. Must include radio, bathroom, electricity, gas. 
 
 4. Must include electricity and gas. 
 
 5. Must include either bathroom, electricity, or gas. 
 
 Father's Occupation 
 
 The responses we received to our question: 
 
 "IN WHAT OCCUPATION HAS YOUR FATHER WORKED MOST OF 
 HIS LIFE?" 
 
-92- 
 
 showed that, for the group we reached, almost equal percentages had fathers 
 
 who followed the so-called "white-collar" jobs and those who followed the 
 
 so-called "blue-shirt" jobs. The largest single group was composed of those 
 
 whose fathers were skilled laborers, comprising 23.38/£ of the total group, 
 
 while 8«89$2 were semi-skilled laborers, and 4. r '9°£ unskilled, or a total of 
 
 37.26/0 in this "blue-shirt" category. Nineteen andnine-hundredths percent 
 
 had fathers who held administrative or managerial positions, 11,04$ in sales, 
 
 and 7. 25/" in clerical work, making a total of 37.38/5. That many of these 
 
 youth have come from farms is shown by the fact that 16 .74^ of their fathers 
 
 had spent the major portion of their time in farming. The professional group 
 
 accounted for a percentage of only 6.36/o. 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 20. 
 
 TABLE 20 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,541* WHITS YOUTH 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO USUAL OCCUPATION OF YOUTH'S 
 FATHER. 
 
 Total 
 
 Professional 
 
 Administrative , Managerial 
 
 Sales 
 
 Clerical 
 
 Service 
 
 Skilled 
 
 Semi-skilled 
 
 Unskilled 
 
 Farmers 
 
 Occupations not elsewhere classifiable 
 
 * 81 members of this group (i.e., total white youth) made no response 
 to this question and are not included in this Table. 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 Number 
 
 
 3,541 
 
 100.00 
 
 225 
 
 G.36 
 
 676 
 
 19.09 
 
 391 
 
 11.04 
 
 257 
 
 7.25 
 
 70 
 
 1.97 
 
 828 
 
 23.38 
 
 315 
 
 8.85 
 
 177 
 
 4.99 
 
 593 
 
 16.74 
 
 9 
 
 .25 
 
■93- 
 
 Relicf Received 
 
 A further index of the economic position and character of hone life of 
 
 these youth is the extent to which governmental or private agency relief had 
 
 been received during the past twelve months. For single youth information 
 
 was gathered on their parental families, and for married youth, on their own 
 
 families. 
 
 The percentages show that 10.09/0 of the total group had received 
 relief in one or more forms during that period. In some Areas this 
 amounted to only .62/1 while in two others it was over 23%, Of those 
 aided, private agencies had given relief in only 5 of the 364 cases. 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 21. 
 
 TABLE 21 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,611* WHITE YOUTH 
 
 (excluding Mexicans), ACCORDING TO RELIEF RECEIVED by YOUTH'S 
 FAMILY DURING TWELVE PONTES PRIOR to INTERVIEW 
 
 Total 
 
 Public work relief such as WPA, CCC , or NYA 
 
 Public direct relief such as TRC, or City- 
 County Welfare 
 
 Both Public work relief and public direct 
 relief 
 
 Relief from private agency including church 
 aid, United Charities, etc. 
 
 Relief from both private and public agencies 
 
 No relief received 
 
 Total 
 Number 
 
 Total 
 
 3,611 
 
 100.00 
 
 304 
 
 8.41 
 
 45 
 
 1.24 
 
 10 
 
 .27 
 
 4 
 
 1 
 
 3,247 
 
 .11 
 
 .02 
 
 39.91 
 
 4 members of this group (i.e., total white youth) made no response to 
 this question; 7 did not know; these are not included in this Table, 
 
 Marital Status of Youth's Parents 
 
 While in all other questions on the Schedule by which information was 
 gathered about the youth's parents, reference was made to the natural, step-, 
 or foster family with whom the youth had spent most of his life, the question 
 
-94- 
 
 in regard to marital status referred exclusively to the youth's own parents, 
 Vi r e found that in 61.47$ of the cases the youth's parents were still 
 
 alive and living together. Death of one or both parents was found in 28. 65/ 
 
 of the cases. Divorce or separation had broken the home in 9.32fi of the 
 
 cases and desertion in .35/?. 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 22. 
 
 TABLE 22— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,611 WHITE YOUTH' 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO MARITAL STATUS of YOUTH'S 
 PARENTS 
 
 ?otaT" " ""Tbtal 
 Number % 
 
 Total 
 
 Parents alive and living together 
 
 Parents dead 
 
 Father dead 
 
 Mother dead 
 
 Father deserted 
 
 Mother deserted 
 
 Parents divorced 
 
 Parents separated 
 
 Other 
 
 3,611 
 
 100.00 
 
 2,220 
 
 G1.47 
 
 125 
 
 3.46 
 
 626 
 
 17.33 
 
 284 
 
 7.36 
 
 12 
 
 .33 
 
 1 
 
 .02 
 
 236 
 
 6.53 
 
 101 
 
 2.79 
 
 6 
 
 .16 
 
 * Of this group of white youth, 5 made no response to this question and 
 6 did not know; these figures are not included in this Table. 
 
 Satisf action with Hom e Life 
 
 Our question in regard to the satisfaction which youth felt with their 
 present home life was confined exclusively to single youth and provided a 
 measure, first, of the extent to which youth were already living in places 
 other than their natural homes, and second, the extent to which youth living 
 at home were anxious to leave because of conditions of either the home itself 
 or of the environment surrounding it. It should be noted that this question 
 
-95- 
 
 was so phrased that positive answers were not accepted from those who, even 
 
 though they felt they might be happier away from home, would remain in the 
 
 home because of a sense of duty or fear. 
 
 We found that of the 2,445 single white youth interviewed, 500, 
 or 20.44^, were already living away from their parental homes, 
 these being found living in greatest proportions in Areas 1, 2, 5, 
 6, and 10, but that of the youth living in every Area, at least 
 14$ were away from their natural homes. 
 
 The numerical and percentage tabulations showing the extent to which 
 single youth were living at home and of those who desired to leave are pre- 
 sented in Table 23. 
 
 TABLE 23 NOMBERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION nf 2,445 SINGLE WHITE 
 
 YOUTH* (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO WHETHER NOW LIVING 
 
 WITH PARENTS and DESIRE TO CrNTINUE 
 
 
 Total 
 Number 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 2,445 
 
 100.00 
 
 Single, not living with parents or relatives 
 
 Would not leave home 
 
 Now living at home, but desire to leave 
 
 500 
 
 1,720 
 
 225 
 
 20.44 
 
 70.34 
 
 9.20 
 
 Of the white youth, 51 made no response to the question and 1,126 are 
 married; these figures are not included in this Table. 
 
 The fact that a youth says he would prefer to continue living at 
 home does not necessarily mean that there is a strong personal bond, 
 for as one youth, who gave this preference, said: 
 
 ''I am away from home a great; deal of the time, and 
 although I like to live at home, it doesn't make 
 a great deal of difference." 
 
 Or, this willingness to continue living at home may be derived from 
 a lack of critical evaluation or from an acceptance of some moral 
 tradition or saying which may or may not be true. A 19-year-old 
 part-tine worker, after signifying that he would not leave home, 
 went on to say, 
 
 "My mother nearly lost her sight five years ago 
 and is very nervous and hard to get along ivith. 
 
I have a fight with her ever so often and say 
 I'd like to get away, but I don't think I would 
 because a boy's best friend is is mother." 
 
 Table 24 carries this inquiry the next step forward, for they present 
 the number and percentage of the single youth living at home in each Area 
 who desire to leave and the reasons given for this desire. 
 
 We find that of those at home 11.57^ wish to leave. The percentage of 
 the various Areas shows but little variation from this figure. Of the total 
 group 4.24/3 would leave because of conditions within the home, such as dis- 
 cord, crowding, or the like, -while 5.29$ would leave because of the con- 
 viction that job opportunities are much better elsewhere than in Dallas or 
 because of wanderlust. 
 
 Few of those who were convinced that better jobs were to be had else- 
 where gave evidence of any real information on employment possibilities in 
 other sections. The frequent proble;?- of adjustment of the child of foreign- 
 born parents is found in this quotation from an 18-year-old girl: 
 
 "Father is Italian and won't let me do anything or go to any 
 parties or dances unless the Italians are having it. I can't 
 do anything I want to, or go around with other young people. 
 He has the old foreigner's point of view*" 
 
 Of the total group 3D, or 2%, gave some other reason, of which 
 29 were simply expressions of the desire to be independent or to 
 develop one's own personality without family restriction. Many 
 of these 39 showed no antagonism toward the family. 
 
TABLE 24— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 1,945 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans), 3INGLE and LIVING WITH PARENTS, AC- 
 CORDING TO PRINCIPAL REASON GIVEN FOR DESIRING TO LEAVE HOME 
 
 Tota l 
 
 Family discord 
 
 Too much responsibility 
 
 Too much restriction 
 
 Home too crowded; no privacy 
 
 Better job opportunities elsewhere 
 
 Wanderlust 
 
 Racial or national discrimination 
 
 Other 
 
 Would not leave home 
 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 
 Number 
 
 % 
 
 
 1,945 
 
 100.00 
 
 
 33 
 
 1.69 
 
 
 14 
 
 .71 
 
 
 24 
 
 1.23 
 
 
 12 
 
 .61 
 
 
 67 
 
 3.44 
 
 
 36 
 
 1.85 
 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 
 39 
 
 2.00 
 
 
 1,720 
 
 88.43 
 
 Of the white youth, 51 made no response to this question; 1,126 are 
 married; 500 do not live with parents or relatives; these figures 
 are not included in this Table. 
 
 Summary 
 
 Summarizing the data we gathered on the home life of the youth inter- 
 viewed, we find that: 
 
 1) 95/2 are of native-born parentage 
 
 2) Over 80^ have parents both or one of whom were affiliated 
 with some branch of the Protestant church. 
 
 3) One home out of every 11 lacks either adequate heating or 
 lighting or both, and 2 homes out of every 11 arc below a 
 standard of comfort which includes bath, lighting, heating 
 and radio. 
 
 4) 37/o of the youth had fathers who had spent most of their 
 occupational lives in laboring jobs; 37^i had fathers v/ho 
 had spent their lives in sales or office work; 16$ were 
 sons or daughters of farmers; and 6% had fathers who were 
 professional people. 
 
 5) One out of every 10 families had received relief and in two 
 Areas one out of every 4 families had been on relief during 
 the year preceding; the interview. 
 
6) In 6 out of 10 eases parents were living together; in 
 5 out of 10 the home had been broken by death; and in 
 1 out of 10 by divorce, separation, or desertion. 
 
 7) 20/o of the single youth were living away from home, 
 and 1 out of 9 of those at home expressed a desire to 
 leave. 
 
 Section 3. Educational Backgr ound and Interests 
 F o rma 1 Schooli ng 
 
 The level offormal school attainment (highest grade successfully com- 
 pleted) was our first measure of the extent, character, and influence of 
 education in the lives of these youth. 
 
 The largest group were those whose education consisted of high school 
 
 completion, amounting to 31.63$ of the total group. There were, however, 
 
 52.96% who had not completed high school, 7.28% who had not completed grade 
 
 school, and only 3.28% who had completed college. 
 
 Wide variations in the proportion of youth with meagre educational 
 backgrounds are found as we compare the Areas of Investigation. In 
 Area 4, 19. 23% and in Area 10, 20.63% had not completed the seventh 
 grade, while in Area 1 this amounted to only ,61% and in Area 5 only 
 .77%. An additional 22.11% in Area 4 and 18.51% in Area 10 had 
 stopped their education at the end of the seventh grade, compared 
 with 2.46% in Area 1 and 3.1% in Area 5. Area 4 had not a single 
 college graduate. 
 
 Among those who had obtained their schooling in several places complaint 
 
 was heard against the lack of uniformity which made transfer from school to 
 
 school so difficult. One girl felt "old and out of place" because she had 
 
 been demoted two grades on transferring to Dallas. Another said: 
 
 ''J was an orphan and lived with different relatives in several 
 States and had trouble all the time in my credits when I was 
 forced to change schools." 
 
-99- 
 
 Through the use of this question and that used later to discover the 
 
 extent of present participation in part-tine education, we attempted to get 
 
 a complete picture of any class work taken. While all courses which were 
 
 the equivalent of a year's formal schooling were counted as an additional 
 
 grade passed, we found many instances in which part-time courses had been 
 
 taken in the past which were not the equivalent of a full year of schooling) 
 
 but which do to some extent add to the picture of formal education. 
 
 In this way we discovered that 61 of those who were not high 
 school graduates had taken short-term business training and that 
 109 of high school graduates had taken such training. Fifty- 
 three of less than high school graduation had taken some course, 
 such as beauty culture or trade training, as had 122 high school 
 graduates. We found 20 who, after graduation, took post-graduate 
 high school work, which, however, was not equivalent to a full 
 school year. 
 
 A complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 25. 
 
 TABLE 25— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,622 YffllTE YOUTH 
 (excluding Mexicans), ACCORDING TO HIGHEST SCHOOL GRADE 
 SUCCESSFULLY PASSED 
 
 Total Total 
 Number 
 
 Total 5,622 100.00 
 
 Less than 6th grade 
 
 6th grade 
 
 7th grade 
 
 8th grade 
 
 Sth grade 
 
 10th grade 
 
 11th grade (high school graduate) 
 
 1 year beyond high school 
 
 2 or Z years beyond high school 
 4 or more years beyond high school 
 Graduate level 
 
 121 
 
 3.54 
 
 143 
 
 3.94 
 
 301 
 
 8.31 
 
 290 
 
 8.00 
 
 441 
 
 12.17 
 
 623 
 
 17.20 
 
 1,145 
 
 31.61 
 
 219 
 
 6.04 
 
 220 
 
 6.07 
 
 86 
 
 2.37 
 
 33 
 
 .91 
 
■ 100- 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 We found only the slightest differences in the educational attainments 
 of males and females. Almost exactly the same percentages had discontinued 
 their schooling in the same grade. The median grade attainment for the total 
 group was 10.8 grades; for all males, 10.7 grades; and for all females, 10.9 
 grades. 
 
 Reasons Given for Leav ing Full-Time Day Sc hool 
 
 Irrespective of the grade level attained, we tried to secure from all 
 who were no longer in full-time day school their reasons for leaving. The 
 answer given by 45.87$ was "Could not afford to continue", while that given 
 by 12,83$ was "Lack of interest in school generally". A third reason given 
 by 10.07$ was "Feeling of completion on graduation", which might be applica- 
 ble to grade school, high school, or college commencement. 
 
 Among the 84 reasons given which we could not code on the Schedule 
 was that there was no school available or that the difficulty in 
 reaching one was so great that the youth were forced to stop their 
 education, given by 18 youth. 
 
 We found among the 3,025 white youth who had left full-time day 
 school, 84 who at the time of the interview intended to return and 
 50 who, although they left of their own accord, volunteered the 
 information that they regretted having done so. Table 26 shows 
 complete results. 
 
^ABLE 26 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of .",008 WHITE " 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL REASON GIVEN 
 for LEAVING FULL-TBIE DAY SCHOOL 
 
 Total Total" 
 Number % 
 
 Total 
 
 Could not afford to continue 
 
 Could afford to continue, but desired to 
 
 earn own money 
 Lack of interest in school generally 
 Disciplinary difficulties 
 
 Subjects too difficult, or not kind desired 
 To marry 
 
 Feeling of completion on graduation 
 Own health 
 Family reasons: family health, family objection 
 
 to work at home 
 Other reasons 
 
 3,008 
 
 100.00 
 
 1,380 
 
 45.87 
 
 259 
 
 8.61 
 
 386 
 
 12.83 
 
 48 
 
 1.59 
 
 69 
 
 2.29 
 
 296 
 
 9.84 
 
 303 
 
 10.07 
 
 97 
 
 3.22 
 
 86 
 
 2.85 
 
 84 
 
 2.79 
 
 Of the white youth, 17 made no response to this question, and 597 
 are still in full-time day school; these figures are not included 
 in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 We compared the responses of the two sexes to see whether reasons 
 given for leaving full-time day school were the same for males as for fe- 
 males. A very significant difference appears in considering the response, 
 "To marry", for 16% of the girls who left school did so for this reason, 
 while only .5$ of the boys gave this as a reason. Other differences were 
 go slight as not to be significant. Contrary to the popular motion that 
 girls like school better than do boys, we find that a slightly higher per- 
 centage of girls dropped school because of lack of interest. 
 
 Some very interesting facts are revealed when comparisons are made be- 
 tween the grades at which the youth left school, and their reasons for leaving, 
 Shown below are the three dominant reasons for drop-outs at each grade level: 
 
■102- 
 
 Highest grade 
 
 Could Not Afford 
 
 Lack of 
 
 
 Passed 
 
 to Continue 
 
 Interest 
 
 To Marry 
 
 Less than 6th 
 
 51,69$ 
 
 16.10$ 
 
 2.54$ 
 
 6th 
 
 47.52 
 
 18,44 
 
 5.67 
 
 7th 
 
 51.06 
 
 19.50 
 
 6.03 
 
 8th 
 
 40.81 
 
 21.08 
 
 9.42 
 
 9th 
 
 42.77 
 
 16.45 
 
 11.84 
 
 10th 
 
 31.15 
 
 18.83 
 
 18.58 
 
 11th (high school 
 
 
 
 
 graduate*) 
 
 53.85 
 
 7.71 
 
 7.71 
 
 1 year of college 
 
 53.33 
 
 9.74 
 
 9.74 
 
 2 or 3 years of 
 
 
 
 
 college 
 
 38.07 
 
 14.77 
 
 15.91 
 
 4 or more years 
 
 
 
 
 of college* 
 
 19.72 
 
 2. 02 
 
 5.63 
 
 Graduate level 
 
 4.00 
 
 4.00 
 
 8.00 
 
 17.47$ of the high school graduates and 64.79$ of those with 4 
 years of college gave as their reason, "Feeling of completion 
 on graduation". 
 
 One can hardly believe that: 
 
 1) The economic factor should be allowed to interrupt 
 
 so great a proportion of school careers or that there 
 exists no way to prevent it. 
 
 2) There exists no educational process which can produce 
 the essential values and at the same time hold the 
 interest of the student through the eleventh grade or 
 its equivalent. 
 
 3) Marriage must necessarily terminate education. 
 Changes in Course of Study 
 
 In an attempt to measure the degree of conscious dissatisfaction with 
 previous school experience, we asked each youth to tell whether he would 
 make any change in his course of study if allowed to repeat his school 
 career and, if so, to designate the principal change. 
 
 We found that of the 5,481 youth who answered this question, 40.64$ 
 would make a change. The principal change that would be made by the greatest 
 
-103- 
 
 number would be to increase the amount of business training taken, while 
 physical science or mathematics was second. 
 
 Youth on the whole were more vocal concerning the handicap they feel 
 because of lack of business training than on any other point. Sometimes 
 consciousness of a need for vocational training which the present school 
 system is not prepared to offer is the reason for discontinuing school 
 careers. The report came from many that requests to transfer to the voca- 
 tional school in order to obtain this training had been refused. As one 
 youth put it, she would revise her course of study by 
 
 "Leaving out a lot of things and putting more things in like 
 'Tech' 'has. Everybody fights to go there". 
 
 One of those who stopped high school because she couldn't get business 
 
 training has probably very wisely generalised from her own case, as follows: 
 
 "If the Junior high school (strategically located near a low 
 economic area) were made into a vocational full high school, 
 there would be many more of these 15-year-olds who would stay 
 in school. They can't afford to go to the academic schools 
 and can't get into 'Tech'. They would be kept out of trouble 
 too." 
 
 The significance of the fact that only 1.43$ felt the need for more 
 social studies will be brought out later in connection with the attitudes 
 on social questions. For the present, it might be pertinent to again call 
 attention to the fact that the amount of school time spent on these subjects 
 in the Dallas school curriculum is exceedingly small. (Probably more time 
 is spent in Dallas on such subjects than is spent by schools in the areas 
 around the city from which so many youth have migrated.) 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses showing the number and percentage 
 who would make changes, by type of change, is shown in Table 27. 
 
 
 Part Ten, Sec. 8, p. 156 ff, 
 
-104- 
 
 TA3LE 27— DUMBER ICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,481 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (Excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL CHANGES in 
 COURSE OF STUDY IF ALLOWED TO REPEAT GRADE SCHOOL and HIGH 
 SCHOOL EXPERIENCE 
 
 ToTaT Total 
 Number % 
 
 50 
 
 1.43 
 
 203 
 
 5.83 
 
 76 
 
 2.18 
 
 153 
 
 4.39 
 
 95 
 
 2.72 
 
 117 
 
 3.36 
 
 11 
 
 .31 
 
 583 
 
 16.74 
 
 92 
 
 2.64 
 
 42 
 
 1.20 
 
 ,059 
 
 59.14 
 
 Total 5,481 100.00 
 
 More social studies (including psychology) 
 
 More physical sciences or mathematics 
 
 More English or literature 
 
 More foreign languages 
 
 More home economics 
 
 •'ore trade training 
 
 More physical or health education 
 
 More business training 
 
 Fore art, music and public speaking 
 
 Other 
 
 Would not change 
 
 * Of the white youth, 141 made no response to this question and are 
 not included in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 A slightly higher proportion of males than of females felt that, if 
 
 they had the opportunity to repeat, they would change their school experience, 
 
 and the proportion who would change rose steadily with an advance in educations 
 
 attainment. This may be partially explained on the basis that the wider the 
 
 school experience, the more likelihood of some errors having been made in 
 
 selection of courses. 
 
 The variation between sexes as to the type of ohange which would 
 be made in school courses is what one would expect. Almost the 
 same percentage of males as of females would increase the amount of 
 business training, but 10$ of the males and only 2.87$ of the females 
 would increase the amount of mathematics, and 8$ of the males and 
 only .14$ of the females would increase the amount of trade training. 
 Four and six-tenths percent of the females would increase the amount 
 of domestic science. 
 
Present Participation in Part-T ime Education 
 
 Some of the opportunities for continued part-time education in Dallas 
 
 have already been mentioned and the enrollments notedi We sought to discover 
 
 to what extent part-time courses were being taken in the Public Evening 
 
 Schools, the Y.M.C.A., Y.W.C.A., college extension schools, correspondence 
 
 courses, and commercial institutions. Of the total group interviewed, 7,4:1% 
 
 were taking courses in one or more types of schools. 
 
 The Area differences were significant, for in those Areas which 
 showed a relatively low educational attainment, such as 4, 10, and 
 16, less than 5% were taking such courses, while in Areas 1, 3, and 
 5, where the educational attainment was higher, the percentage was 
 9% or 1($. 
 
 If we evaluate the relative weight of the three motivations con- 
 sidered as purposes in taking such courses, we discover that of the 
 268 who were taking such courses, 67 in the Public Evening Schools, 
 33 in the "institutional" schools, 35 in the "non- institutional" 
 schools, and 26 who were taking correspondence courses (coded under 
 "Other"), a total of 161, or 59.07$, were motivated by vocational 
 purposes. Thirty-eight, or 14.18/2, were taking courses for credit, 
 and 16, 79$ for "cultural" or avocational reasons. 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses by type of school and purpose in 
 
 taking course, is shown in Tabic 28, 
 
 Part Three, p. 23. 
 
-106- 
 
 TABLE 28 NUMERICAL AND PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,620 WHITE YOUTH* 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO EXTENT OF PART-TIME SCHOOL 
 COURSES TAKEN DURINC THE FOUR WEEKS PRIOR TO INTERVIEW - BY 
 TYPE OF SCHOOL and PRIMARY PURPOSE in TAKING COURSE 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 Total 3,620 100.00 
 
 Public evening school (for credit) 
 Public evening school (cultural) 
 Public evening school (vocational) 
 Institutional schools (S.M.U., Y.M. C.A., etc.) 
 
 (for credit) 
 Institutional schools (cultural) 
 Institutional schools (vocational) 
 Non-institutional schools (for credit) 
 Non- institutional schools (cultural) 
 Non- institutional schools (vocational) 
 Other schools 
 Took no part-time courses 
 
 13 
 
 .35 
 
 14 
 
 .38 
 
 67 
 
 1.85 
 
 24 
 
 .66 
 
 14 
 
 .38 
 
 33 
 
 .91 
 
 1 
 
 .02 
 
 17 
 
 .46 
 
 35 
 
 .96 
 
 64 
 
 1.76 
 
 152 
 
 92.59 
 
 * Of the white youth, 2 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table, 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 We found almost the same proportion (around 97°) of single and married 
 males and single females taking part-time school courses, but a much smaller 
 proportion (\,B%) of married females taking such work. The proportion of 
 those taking part-time school courses was greater for those of higher educa- 
 tional levels than for those of lower ones. In other words, those whose 
 educational deficiencies were greatest took additional courses in fewer 
 numbers than did those whose educational attainments were highest. 
 
-107- 
 
 Reasons Given for Not Having Taken Part-T ime Co urses 
 
 Of the 2,763 no longer in full-time day school and who had not taken 
 part-time courses during the four weeks prior to the interview, we asked 
 their principal reasons for this non-participation. "Not interested; no 
 neod; do not know why" is the reply given by 1,219, or 44.11%. 
 
 One of the most discouraging things was to find case after case in 
 which the youth had set his mind on going to college and had no interest 
 in part-tire courses. It seemed obvious that the youth felt that knowledge 
 would be of no value unless obtained in a regular and recognized college. 
 It is difficult properly to place the responsibility for this feeling, but 
 obviously, if education is to be stimulated, then recognition for part-time 
 effort, the only sort which is presently available to this group, must be 
 given both by employers and by schools, and stress placed on its value and 
 availability. 
 
 Although no other response to this question was accepted unless the 
 interviewee showed a definite desire to take such courses, second in importanc 
 was the reason, "Lack of money; cost of books, carfare, instruments, etc.", 
 given by 25.62%. 
 
 Even many who were not interested in courses for themselves felt that 
 the fees were too high. One youth was particularly outraged at Tshaft he con- 
 sidered an injustice: 
 
 "I know a boy who enrolled there (Dallas Evening School) and 
 went about two months. Then he found he couldn't afford it; 
 he couldn't even buy the books, so he dropped the course. 
 He still owed 53.00 and the school went after him to pay it. 
 They even went to his boss and tried to get him fired because 
 he didn't pay. He nearly lost his job in that way." 
 
Combining the responses which are similar in nature, "Too tired after 
 
 work" and "Lack of time", we find that 16.42$ gave one of these responses. 
 
 A typical example is a 23-year-old grocery clerk, working 66 
 hours per week, who completed three years of college and wished 
 to continue study while saving Money to complete his college 
 course: 
 
 "I tried it for a week, but couldn't stand it. I 
 didn't have time to study and was too tired after 
 work to attend classes." 
 
 Some 218, or 7,88$, gave some reason coded under "Other" in 
 Table 29, and oi these, 88 who desired to take such courses were 
 unable to do so because of the care of small children. Poor eye- 
 sight or illness prevented 26, and 15 had not participated because 
 they intended to resume their education through full-time day 
 school channels. Two and eighty-nine hundredths percent felt that 
 the courses offered wore inadequate, a percentage which was high 
 in Area 11, where also was the greatest percentage who were pre- 
 vented because of lack of money. 
 
 TABLE 29 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 2,763 WHITE YOUTH* 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL REASON GIVEN FOR 
 HOT HAVING TAKEN PART-TIKE SCHOOL COURSES DURING THE FOUR 
 WEEKS PRIOR to INTERVIEW 
 
 Total 
 
 Not interested; no need; do not know why 
 
 Lack of money: cost of books, carfare, 
 instruments, etc. 
 
 Too far to go 
 
 Family objections 
 
 Do not like schools 
 
 Too tired after work 
 
 Too old; has finished school 
 
 Lack of time; has to work at night ( - 
 
 Courses inadequate; courses wanted noi 
 
 Other reasons 
 
 * Of the white youtfo, 14 made no response to this question and 845 were 
 full-time day school students or had taken part- 
 time school courses during the past four weeks; 
 these figures are not included in this Table. 
 
 — 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 
 Number 
 
 % 
 
 
 2,763 
 
 100.00 _ 
 
 y 
 
 1,219 
 
 44.11 
 
 
 708 
 
 25.62 
 
 
 13 
 
 .47 
 
 
 6 
 
 .21 
 
 
 13 
 
 .47 
 
 
 60 
 
 2.17 
 
 
 52 
 
 1.88 
 
 S nings) 
 
 394 
 
 14.25 
 
 offered 
 
 80 
 
 2.89 
 
 
 218 
 
 7.88 
 
Comparisons 
 
 A check of the relationship between sex and marital status as to the 
 reason for not having taken part-time school courses brought out the follow- 
 ing interesting differences: 
 
 Percentage Not Taking Such Courses 
 Sex and Marital Status Becaus e of Lack of Interest 
 
 Single Males 33.17 
 
 Harried Males 34.44 
 
 Single Females 37.37 
 
 Parried Females 58,66 
 
 Approximately the same proportions of those from each grade level not 
 
 taking courses said they were not interested in such further education. 
 
 Interest in Vocational Trai ning 
 
 As a practical measure of the extent of interest in increasing voca- 
 tional skills, we asked each youth if he would take vocational training if 
 it were offered free and available under more or less ideal conditions, i.e., 
 not far from his home and at hours which would not interfere with his working 
 schedule. 
 
 We found that 42.74 r /o of those now out of school would not take such 
 training and an additional 4.97'P said they did not know, while for the 
 total group, the typo of training that would be taken by the greatest per- 
 centage, 13.91fi, was typing or stenography, and the second, professional or 
 technical. 
 
 In contrast to the 111 who wished to take training but did not 
 know for what, we found many who had very definite ideas as to 
 what they wished to study, such as beauty culture, advertising, 
 selliiv, nursing, radio or television, air-conditioning, Diesel 
 
engineering, professional music, dancing, and interior decorating. 
 One was constantly impressed throughout the Study by the large per- 
 centage of males who showed interest in physical sciences and 
 mathematics and in new technical developments, such as air-con- 
 ditioning, Diesel engineering, and television. 
 
 The complete tabulation of results is shown in Table 30. 
 
 TABLE 30— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,018 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO EXTENT TO WHICH FREE VO- 
 CATIONAL TRAINING WOULD BE TAKER, IT' IT WERE AVAILABLE, AND 
 SPECIFIC KIND OF WORK FOR WHICH TRAINING WOULD BE TAKEN 
 
 "Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 Total 3,018 100.00 
 
 Typing, stenography, and secretarial 
 
 Other business and clerical 
 
 Trades or crafts 
 
 Agriculture and allied occupations 
 
 Domestic or personal 
 
 Professional and technical 
 
 Do not know for what kind of work; or other 
 
 Would not take free vocational training 
 
 Do not know 
 
 Are now taking free vocational training 
 
 420 
 
 13.91 
 
 248 
 
 8.21 
 
 266 
 
 8.81 
 
 4 
 
 .13 
 
 103 
 
 3.41 
 
 349 
 
 11.56 
 
 111 
 
 3.67 
 
 1,290 
 
 42.74 
 
 150 
 
 4.97 
 
 77 
 
 2.55 
 
 *Cf the white youth, 7 made no response to this question and 597 are 
 in full-time day school; these figures are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 When the answers to this question given by youth no longer in school 
 
 are divided on the basis of sex and marital status, the following differences 
 
 appear in regard to expressed interest: 
 
 Percentage Who Y/ould Like to 
 Take Part-Time Vocational 
 Sex and Marital Status Training 
 
 Single Males 
 
 62.20 
 
 Married Males 
 
 58.27 
 
 Single Females 
 
 65.65 
 
 Married Females 
 
 27.00 
 
-Ill- 
 Differences in the type of training were also apparent, 20% of the 
 males saying they would take trade training, while only .93% of the females 
 would take such training. On the other hand, 19,7/? of the females would 
 take typing and stenography, while only 5,14% of the males would do so. 
 
 Our question was so phrased that individuals understood that they 
 were to signify the type of training most desired within the range 
 of occupations in which their previous education fitted them to em- 
 bark. Those from low educational levels were, therefore, confined 
 in the matter of choice, but high school graduates and those who 
 had had some college work, having a wider range of occupational 
 choices, revealed some interesting differences. Of the males who 
 had graduated from high school, almost three times as many would 
 study for seme type of office vjork as would train for some trade. 
 Likewise, two and one-half times as many would study for some pro- 
 fessional or technical work as would study a trade. The ratio of 
 female high school graduates who would enter some type of office 
 training in preference to domestic or personal service was 7 to 1, 
 
 Interest in Non-Vocational Education 
 
 The interest in avocational education is considerably less than that 
 
 expressed in vocational education. Two-thirds of the total group now out 
 
 of full-time day school said they would not participate in such education, 
 
 even though available free. 
 
 Considerable variation in interest in such education is apparent 
 between the Areas, usually being lowest in those Areas where the 
 level of previous education is low. Only 18,33% in Area 10, for 
 example, showed any interest in such courses, 
 
 Moreover, a rather sizeable percentage of the total group, 3.52%, 
 was uncertain as to the subject to be studied. For most Areas, the 
 subjects which attracted the greatest interest were instruction in 
 the actual practice of music, art, or crafts, with literature and 
 languages attracting almost equal percentages, and drama a few more. 
 In the miscellaneous category we included those who wished to com- 
 plete their grade school education, of whom there were 12, those 
 who wished to complete their high school education, of whom there 
 were 30, and those who wished to take special study in grammar and 
 rhetoric, 61. Twenty-five wished to study home economics and 29 
 wished to study dancing. Even the 33.85% who said they wished to 
 take some avocational work must not be credited as being motivated 
 
-112- 
 
 exclusively by the desire for knowledge for its own sake, for we 
 found in the actual interviewing that many who wished to study 
 Speech, study grammar or rhetoric, or complete a given level of 
 school looked upon such activity as valuable to their progress in 
 vocational lines. The distinction between avocational and voca- 
 tional education became purely one of purpose rather than of a 
 difference in subject content and it was not always possible to 
 determine this purpose with sufficient exactness to classify the 
 response under the proper category. 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses may be found in Table 31. 
 
 TABLE 31 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 2,975 WHITE YOUTH* 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO EXTENT of PARTICIPATION 
 in FREE PART-TIME NON-VOCATIONAL, IF AVAILABLE, by SUBJECTS 
 MUCH YOUTH TTOULD MOST LIKE TO STUDY 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 Total 2,975 100.00 
 
 Literature 
 
 Languages 
 
 Social studies (including psychology) 
 
 Art or music — appreciation only 
 
 Art, music, or crafts — active participation 
 
 Physical science or mathematics 
 
 Speech, dramatic technique, r ' c. 
 
 Other 
 
 Uncertain as to what subject would study 
 
 Would not participate 
 
 79 
 
 2.65 
 
 76 
 
 2.55 
 
 47 
 
 1.57 
 
 39 
 
 1.31 
 
 330 
 
 11.09 
 
 39 
 
 1.31 
 
 91 
 
 3.05 
 
 201 
 
 6.75 
 
 105 
 
 3.52 
 
 1,968 
 
 66.15 
 
 Of the white youth, 50 made no response to this question and 597 are 
 still in full-time day school; these figures are 
 not included in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 The percentage of each sex by marital stat\is who signified a desire to 
 take non-vocational education is shown below: 
 
Percentage Expressing a De- 
 sire to take Non-Vocational 
 Sex and Marital Status E ducation 
 
 Single Males 34.42 
 
 Tarried Males 22.71 
 
 Single Females 43.47 
 
 ! arried Females 26.17 
 
 Just what accounts for this influence of marriage upon interest in 
 further education is difficult to determine, but certainly for the married 
 male, added responsibility of a family is not cared for by increased wages, 
 and the degree of economic security is usually less than before marriage. 
 
 It also seems significant, however, that with advances in educational 
 attainment, there was greater interest in such courses. 
 
 Attitude on Sex Educati on 
 
 The majority (47. 47^) of the group felt that home end parents were the 
 proper channels through which sex education should come, only 20.32>! believing 
 that it should come through the school, while the source given with the next 
 greatest frequency was that of a private physician or clinic, given by 3,38$« 
 
 Many who chose school as the best source of sex education did so reluc- 
 tantly after deciding that, though home and parents were the ideal sources, 
 many parents were not prepared to make this contribution to the education of 
 their children. Typical of this attitude were these expressions* 
 
 "Home is really the best place, but usually the poorest." 
 
 "Some parents are utterly incapable of teaching that sort 
 of thing. Fortunately, my parents did very well, I think f 
 To let a child grow up -without knowledge of that is next 
 to criminal." 
 
 "That's the parents' business, but most of them haven't got 
 the gut s . " 
 
Some who suggested one of the grades in high school as the proper 
 level for instruction realized that this might find some already possessed 
 of such knowledge who might destroy the morale of the class. This brought 
 forth expressions as: 
 
 "School is the best place if you can get them to listen and 
 
 not giggle." 
 
 "They should keep the wise guys out of the classes." 
 
 It is significant to note the large number who believed that such 
 
 education should begin very, very early in the youth's life. Two hundred 
 
 and ten of the 710 who indicated school as the best place recommended the 
 
 elementary grades as the proper level to begin. 
 
 Responses for which we had no coding were given by 224, composed 
 chiefly of 82 who expressed the belief that a combination of school 
 and parents would be the best method of sex education, 59 who be- 
 lieved that well-written books on the subject were most useful, 24 
 who felt that one's own experience was the best source, and 23 who 
 believed that one could be adequate].;: instructed by friends or con- 
 temporaries. 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 32. 
 
TABLE 32 NUMBER ICAL and PERCENTAGE DTSTRUB r > ION of 3,577 WHITE YOUTH* 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO OPINIONS EXPRESSED as to 
 the BEST SOURCE OF SEX EDUCATION 
 
 Total Total 
 Number 
 
 Total 3,577 100.00 
 
 2,056 
 
 57.47 
 
 210 
 
 5.87 
 
 299 
 
 8.35 
 
 201 
 
 5.61 
 
 14 
 
 .39 
 
 21 
 
 .58 
 
 21 
 
 .58 
 
 121 
 
 3.38 
 
 39 
 
 1.09 
 
 224 
 
 6.26 
 
 371 
 
 10.37 
 
 Home, parents 
 
 School — elementary level: 6th grade or below 
 School — junior high school: 7th, 8th, 9th grades 
 School — senior high school: 10th, 11th grades 
 School — other 
 Church 
 Clubs 
 
 Private physician or private clinic 
 Free public information service or free clinic 
 Other sources 
 TT o opinion 
 
 * Of the white youth, 45 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 Compa risons 
 
 A considerably larger percentage of females (64$) than of males (47.52$) 
 were willing to entrust sex instruction to parents and the home. Marriage 
 does not appear to affect these responses, but those who stayed in school 
 longer indicated in larger numbers that school was the best place for such 
 education. 
 
 Summary 
 
 In presenting data on education and educational interests, we have had 
 constantly in mind these questions: 
 
 1) Has the education been adequate? 
 
 2) If not, are the deficiencies being overcome? 
 
 3) If there arc educational deficiencies that are not at 
 present being met, are there ways in which these might 
 be overcome? 
 
-116- 
 
 While the evidence thus far presented and summarized below is largely 
 quantitative, further Sections will reveal more of the qualitative ade- 
 quacies and inadequacies. 
 
 1) 47?? of the group are high school graduates and 3.5^ are 
 college graduates. 
 
 2) Slightly over 40$ would change their high school earners 
 if allowed to repeat them, an increase in the amount of 
 business or vocational training taken being the change 
 that would be made most frequently. 
 
 3) 7,5/S are in attendance in part-time schools and 16. bl% 
 are still in full-time day school. 
 
 4) 42.74;% would not take free vocational training and 66,15% 
 would not take free non-vocational study even though available, 
 
 5) Marriage adversely affects the interest in education. 
 
 If we evaluate the general attitude toward all education, 
 we find it is derived from the early notion that education 
 will contribute to the youth's own ability to obtain an 
 economic livelihood and social advancement, that even while 
 in school he feels that much of what he is having is failing 
 to give him this aid he so badly needs and he sees but little 
 in the way of potential help from any existing or prospective 
 educational processes. Education which he first symbolizes 
 as the key to economic security becomes in practice an imprac- 
 tical and unrelated experience. 
 
 Section 4. Employment and O ccupations 
 Vocational Guidance 
 
 To measure the extent of vocational advice received, it was necessary to 
 
 set some standard and we finally phrased the question as follows: 
 
 "HAVE YOU EVER RECEIVED ADVICE CONCERNING WHICH VOCATION YOU 
 SHOULD FOLLOW FROM A PERSON WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH VARIOUS 
 OCCUPATIONS and WHO KNEW YOUR ABILITIES? IF SO, GIVE THE 
 PRINCIPAL SOURCE of SUCH ADVICE." 
 
-117- 
 
 Out of the total group we found only 504 who had received such advice, 
 a total of 10.94$. The major source of such advice was school officials, 
 with personal friends accounting for a sizeable percentage. Employers had 
 given such advice to 1,76% of the total group. 
 
 The importance of this problem of getting proper advice was expressed 
 
 explicitly in the query of one youth: 
 
 "Is there anywhere you can go and find out what fields of 
 work are open? My worst problem is to know what I want to 
 do and I think most high school graduates feel the same 
 way from the time they leave school. And then some youth, 
 not knowing what they want to do, waste their time in high 
 school preparing for work they don't like." 
 
 Another girl whose search for work, like that of the one above had been 
 
 handicapped by a lack of training, reported on her school experience: 
 
 "1 mixed my subjects all up without any plan — a little of 
 everything, but I didn't know anything when I got through. 
 If I'd had an adviser to help me select a course, I'd have 
 got alorg better." 
 
 The situation which we so often found, in which youth prepare to 
 enter college, but, unable to do so, are forced to work without any 
 job training, was reversed occasionally, as in the case of an 18- 
 year-old high school graduate who received no advice as to what to 
 take in high school and graduated lacking subjects required for 
 college entrance. 
 
 That which passes for vocational guidance in the schools drew forth 
 
 some bitter comments, such as: 
 
 "They (school authorities) think they're giving you guidance, 
 but they aren't. They don't know what vocational guidance is." 
 
 "We had a student council in school, but the counselor was just 
 like a 'bull in a china shop'. Ke called us out alphabetically 
 and asked us what wo wanted to do." 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses is found in Table 33. 
 
TABLE 33— -NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3617 Y/HITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORD lid TO EXTENT OF AND PRINCIPAL 
 SOURCE of VOCATIONAL ADVICE RECEIVED. 
 
 Total 
 Number 
 
 Total 
 
 School official 
 
 Public employment office official 
 
 Private employment office official 
 
 Employer 
 
 Personal friend 
 
 Service Club members (Lions', Rotary, etc.) 
 
 Other 
 
 No vocational advice 
 
 3,617 
 
 100.00 
 
 253 
 
 6.99 
 
 5 
 
 .13 
 
 10 
 
 .27 
 
 64 
 
 1.76 
 
 147 
 
 4.06 
 
 5 
 
 .13 
 
 20 
 
 .55 
 
 5,113 
 
 86.06 
 
 *0f the white youth, 5 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in the Table. 
 
 Present Emplo yment Status 
 
 The most striking thing revealed by our question as to employment status 
 covering the seven days prior to the interview was the extent to which youth 
 were partially or totally unemployed* If we consider the 16.65% of the total 
 group who were unemployed, but able and willing to work, and in addition, thosf 
 who were at work on government relief projects, and those who were only par- 
 tially employed, but seeking full-time employment, we find a total of 23.33%, 
 or more than 1 out of 5. This varied from a total of 35.87% in Area 16, 
 2^.83% in Area 4, to 11.07% in Area 1, the least distressed Area in this re- 
 gard. 
 
 This question also gives us the distribution of those in school by 
 Areas. We find that for Area 16 this constituted only 2.77% of the 
 total group, in Area 9 only 5.21%, in Area 10 only 8.93%, in Area 1 
 32.61%, and in Area 2 34.63%. We also found the heaviest concentra- 
 tion of those occupied with home duties in the Areas that presented 
 relatively low economic status, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 16. Of significance 
 also seems the very small number who were not employed and who did not 
 want or need work, giving every indication that the youth group de- 
 sires to be fully occupied. 
 
-119- 
 
 Table 34 shows the present employment status, 
 
 TABLE 54 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,621 MITE YOUTH* 
 
 (exclusive of Mexicans), ACCORDING TO EMPLOYMENT STATUS 
 DURING 7 DAYS PRIOR tc INTERVIEW 
 
 Total" Total 
 Number % 
 
 1,255 
 
 34.60 
 
 140 
 
 3.89 
 
 95 
 
 2.59 
 
 603 
 
 16.65 
 
 64 
 
 1.76 
 
 38 
 
 1.G4 
 
 76G 
 
 21.15 
 
 62 
 
 1.73 
 
 1 
 
 .02 
 
 597 
 
 16.51 
 
 Total 5,621 __ 10 0.00 
 
 Gainfully employed 30 or more hours 
 Gainful! employed at least 5 and less than 30 hours 
 Gainfully employed on public work relief projects 
 Unemployed: able and willing; no work at all or 
 
 worked less than 5 hours 
 Not employed: ill health or other disabilities 
 Not employed; on vacation; job promised; started to 
 
 work this week 
 Not gainfully employed: occupied with home duties 
 Not employed: does not want or need work 
 Not employed: able to work; family objection 
 Full-ti m e day s chool student 
 
 * 1 member of this group (i.e., total white youth) made no response to 
 
 this question and is not included in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 The following percentages have been arranged to show the influence of 
 
 sex and marital status on the desire to obtain full-time work and the ability 
 
 to secure it: 
 
 Percentage of Total Percentage of Those 
 Group Seeking Full- Seeking Work, Not 
 Sex and Marital Status Tine Work Ful ly Employed^- 
 
 All Males 
 Single Males 
 Married Males 
 
 All Females 
 Single Females 
 Tarried Females 
 
 1. Unable to obtain full-time work in private industry! 
 
 77.30 
 
 34.28 
 
 72.69 
 
 37.84 
 
 97.45 
 
 18.96 
 
 43.95 
 
 47.27 
 
 63.50 
 
 47.44 
 
 17.09 
 
 46.41 
 
-120- 
 
 A check of the educational background of the employed and unemployed 
 groups reveals this interesting comparison: 
 
 Percent Unemployed, 
 
 Highest Grade Number in Percent Employed Employed less than 30 
 
 Passed Labor Market 30 or More Hours Hours or on Relief 
 
 5P.95 40.05 
 
 16.85 83.15 
 
 24.21 75.79 
 
 40.00 60.00 
 44.67 
 
 58.37 41.62 
 
 59.34 40.16 
 
 66.50 32.59 
 
 74.33 25.50 
 
 81.97 18.03 
 
 84.91 15.09 
 Graduate level 18 1 0.00 
 
 Though it is not possible to determine how much of this employment 
 of youth is due to the affiliations and relationships of their families 
 in the communities (which undoubtedly are greater in most instances 
 for youth who can afford higher education), education appears to have 
 been a real asset in securing employment. The fact that one-third of 
 those whose education consists of high school graduation are unemployed 
 shows, however, that a high school diploma by no means guarantees a 
 job. 
 
 Occupations of Employed Group 
 
 Table 35 is presented to show the types of occupations of the youth we 
 interviewed. We found the largest percentage, 22.37/b of the total group, in 
 the "white-collar" jobs, with 9.11/2 in some form of laboring occupation, and 
 6,11% in some form of domestic or personal service. Of the total group 58.84/? 
 were not occupied, i.e., in school, homeinakers or housewives, and unemployed. 
 
 Less than 6th 
 
 89 
 
 6th 
 
 95 
 
 7th 
 
 185 
 
 8th 
 
 150 
 
 9 th 
 
 197 
 
 10th 
 
 249 
 
 11th (high school. 
 
 
 graduate) 
 
 786 
 
 1 year of college 
 
 148 
 
 2 or 5 years of 
 
 
 college 
 
 122 
 
 4 or more years 
 
 
 of colle.ee 
 
 53 
 
■121- 
 
 TABLE 55-— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,618 WEITE YOUTH * 
 (excluding Mexicans), ACCORDING TO PRESENT GAINFUL OCCUPATION 
 
 Total' 
 Number 
 
 Total 
 
 
 
 
 5^618 
 
 100.00 
 
 Prof es clonal 
 
 
 
 
 80 
 
 2.21 
 
 Administrative, managerial 
 
 
 
 
 20 
 
 .55 
 
 Sales 
 
 
 
 
 268 
 
 7.40 
 
 Clerical 
 
 
 
 
 442 
 
 12.21 
 
 Service 
 
 
 
 
 245 
 
 6.77 
 
 Skilled 
 
 
 
 
 52 
 
 1.43 
 
 Semi -skilled 
 
 
 
 
 228 
 
 6.30 
 
 Unskilled 
 
 
 
 
 50 
 
 1.38 
 
 State or Federal work relief project 
 
 
 
 
 95 
 
 2.62 
 
 Occupations not elsewhere classifiable 
 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 .24 
 
 Not employed: full-time students, homema; 
 
 :ers, 
 
 
 
 
 
 unemployed 
 
 
 
 
 2,129 
 
 58.84 
 
 * Of the white youth, 4 made no response 
 
 and 
 
 are 
 
 not 
 
 included in 
 
 this Table 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 A distribution by sex and marital status of the youth in given 
 types of occupations reveal the following interesting differences! 
 
 Type of Occu p atio n Male Female 
 
 S ingle Harried S iTigle Married 
 
 Professional 3.38>2 2.02$ 9.38$ 5. 10/' 
 
 Managerial 1.18 5.56 
 
 Sales 23.98 20.71 
 
 Clarical 27.36 20.20 
 
 Service 7.H4 r .09 
 
 Skilled 4.71 8.59 
 
 Semi-skilled 20.05 22.22 
 
 Unskilled 5.U0 6.06 
 
 Relief 5.47 5.05 
 
 A study of the educational background of the youth in all occupations 
 
 hows that these occupations fall into three classes: 
 
 l) Occupations in which the proportion of youth from each 
 educational level is greatest for the lower levels. 
 
 .20 
 
 - 
 
 9.18 
 
 16.33 
 
 36.91 
 
 27.55 
 
 28.71 
 
 26.53 
 
 .59 
 
 - 
 
 5.66 
 
 17.35 
 
 .59 
 
 1.02 
 
 8.40 
 
 4.08 
 
•122- 
 
 2) Occupations in which the proportion of youth from each 
 educational level is greatest for the higher levels. 
 
 3) r C cupations in which the greatest proportion of youth 
 have a median educational attainment. 
 
 Occupations of the first class include relief work, unskilled labor, semi- 
 skilled labor, skilled labor, and domestic service; those of the second 
 class are professional and managerial; and those of the third, sales work 
 and clerical positions. Even though this concentration exists, this study 
 also reveals that in most types of occupations, we find youth with widely 
 varying educational backgrounds: college graduates and grammar school 
 graduates doing semi-skilled labor, sales, and clerical work; high school 
 graduates doing every sort of work from unskilled labor to semi-professional. 
 
 In connection with the youth's occupations, it is interesting to 
 note to what extent they are following the same types of occupations 
 as their fathers. There is, of course, more likelihood that a boy 
 would follow the same type of work as his father than would a girl. 
 We find that of the youth with occupations, only 14.35^ of the males 
 and only 7.38^ of the females have the same type of work as their 
 fathers. This percentage varies a great deal with each type of 
 occupation, running for the males from a low of 5.26/2 (percentage of 
 sons of administrators or managers who are administrators or managers) 
 to 50^ (sons of clerical workers who are clerks); and for the females 
 from none to 54.28'' (daughters of clerks who are in clerical work). 
 
 A comparison of the occupations which youth hold with the types of jobs 
 
 for which they would like to take vocational training, reveals the extent of 
 
 satisfaction with their present occupations and the types of occupations to 
 
 which they aspire. For example, we find that of those engaged in 
 
 Professional work, 
 
 2 out of 4 expressed no interest in vocational training; 
 1 out of 4 wished to study further professional work; 
 1 out of 4 would study for some other type of occupation, 
 in either business or trade. 
 
 ~T~, It should be remembered that "type"" of occupation refers to a general 
 
 class, i.e., "professional" includes pharmacists, teachers, doctors, etc.j 
 etc., and the son of a pharmacist who becomes a doctor is included in the 
 percentage. 
 
-123- 
 
 Administrative positions, 
 
 10 out of 20 would not take vocational training; 
 3 out of 20 would take further business training; 
 1 out of 20 would take trade training; 
 
 3 out of 20 would take professional or technical work; 
 
 1 out of 20 is studying; 
 
 2 out of 20 are undecided, either as to whether they 
 
 would study or for what they would study. 
 
 Sales work, 
 
 4 out of 10 would not take vocational training; 
 
 almost 4 out of 10 would study for some form of business 
 or clerical work (which includes sales work); 
 
 2 out of 10 would study for some form of professional or 
 
 technical work. 
 
 Clerical occupations, 
 
 3 out of 10 expressed no desire to go further with 
 
 vocational training; 
 3 out of 10 wished to take further business training; 
 
 2 out of 10 would take professional or technical or 
 
 trade training; 
 1 out of 10 is studying. 
 
 Domestic or personal service, 
 
 3 out of 10 would not take further training; 
 
 7 out of 10 expressed a desire to study for a variety of 
 
 occupations, but almost none desired to study further 
 for domestic or personal service. 
 
 Of those following the skilled trades, 
 
 1 out of 4 would not continue vocational study; 
 1 out of 4 wished to study further trade training; 
 
 1 out of 4 wished to study technical or professional 
 
 training; 
 the remainder wished to study for various other types of 
 work. 
 
 Of the semi-skilled laborers, 
 
 8 out of 20 would not take further training; 
 
 4 out of 20 would take further trade training; 
 
 3 out of 20 would take either clerical or business training; 
 3 out of 20 wished to study for technical or professional work; 
 
 2 out of 20 are studying. 
 
 Of the unskilled laboring group, 
 
 2 out of 10 would not study; 
 
 3 out of 10 would take trade training; 
 
 1 out of 10 would study for professional or technical work} 
 
 2 out of 10 would study for business; 
 
 2 out of 10 were undecided, either as to whether they would 
 study or for what they would study. 
 
Of the relief group, 
 
 2 out of 10 would not take vocational training; 
 
 3 out of 10 would take trade training; 
 2 out of 10 would study for business; 
 
 1 out of 10 would study for domestic or personal service; 
 
 2 out. of 10 were undecided, either as to whether they 
 
 would study or for what type of work they would train. 
 
 If we summarize this for the entire group, we find that: 
 
 1) 38.58% either would not study for a vocation or 
 do not know if they would, a percentage which may 
 be partly accounted for on the basis of satisfac- 
 tion with present employment, and partly on the 
 basis of inertia. 
 
 2) 21.65% wo 1 '.Id either perfect their abilities in the 
 occupation being followed, or would build upon it 
 to arrive at some similar, but more advanced skill. 
 
 3) Subtracting the 2.4% of the total group already 
 studying vocational training, there remain 37.5% who 
 gave evidence that they were so dissatisfied with 
 their present class of occupation that, if given the 
 opportunity, they would study for some other type of 
 work. 
 
 Lapse of Time between Scho ol and First Permane nt Jo b 
 
 For the group who have sought full-time employment, we endeavored to 
 measure the extent of time between their leaving school and finding such 
 employment. Of these 86.32% finally received at least one full-time job of 
 more than three months duration, although 7.08% of the total group were un- 
 employed for more than two years. Of the group wanting full-time employ- 
 ment 13.64% had never obtained it at the time of the interview and 5.79% had 
 been seeking unsuccessfully for more than two years. 
 
 Although some variations are to be seen in the success which has ' 
 attended the efforts of the youth of each Area to secure employment, 
 we find in every Area that a very significant percentage were idle 
 longer than two years before their J irst jobs or had been unable to 
 find work up to the time of the intervie;;. 
 
The median length of time between leaving school and securing employ- 
 ment is as f ollows : 
 
 For Those Who Secured Jobs Median Lapse of Time 
 
 Total group 
 Males 
 Females 
 
 4,1 months 
 
 3.8 
 
 4.6 
 
 For Those Who Had Not Secured 
 Jobs 
 
 
 Total group 
 Males 
 
 Females 
 
 18.0 months 
 
 16.8 
 
 18,6 
 
 "able 36 shows complete tabulation of responses to this question, 
 
 TABLE 36— -NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 2,570* WHITE YOUTH 
 (excluding Mexicans), ACCORDING to TIME ELAPSING BETWEEN 
 LEAVING FULL-TIME DAY SCHOOL and OBTAINING FIRST FULL-TH'E 
 EMPLOYMENT OF MORE T TT AN THREE MONTHS' DURATION 
 
 Total 
 
 Secured such employment within 6 months 
 Secured such employment within 6-12 months 
 Secured such employment within 12-18 months 
 Secured such employment within 18-24 months 
 Secured such employment, but not within 2 years 
 Has never secured such employment, has been seek 
 
 ing less than 6 months 
 Has never secured such employment, has been seek 
 
 ing 6-12 months 
 Has never secured such employment, has been seek 
 
 ing 12-18 months 
 Has never socured such employment, has been seek- 
 ing 18-24 months 
 Has never secured such employment, has boon seek 
 ing more than 2 years 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 Number 
 
 % 
 
 2,570 
 
 100.00 
 
 1,618 
 
 62.95 
 
 253 
 
 0.84 
 
 102 
 
 3.96 
 
 G4 
 
 2.49 
 
 182 
 
 7.08 
 
 98 
 
 3,i I 
 
 55 
 
 2.14 
 
 23 
 
 . E 
 
 26 
 
 1.01 
 
 14? 
 
 5.79 
 
 *0f this group (i.e., total white youth) 29 made no response to this 
 
 question: 1,025 are still in full-time day school or have 
 never needed or wanted full-time employment; these figures 
 are not included in this Table. 
 
• 126- 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 These figures illustrate that the females have more difficulty in 
 securing -work than do males which is further evidenced by the fact that 
 15,22^ of the females who wished full-time employment had not been able 
 to secure it, while 11.11$ of the males sought work unsuccessfully for 
 periods ranging to more than tiro years. 
 
 Comparing the groups from the various educational levels, we discover 
 
 that the length of time between school and work averages a shorter period 
 
 for those from each higher educational level. For example, of those who 
 
 completed only the seventh, grade or less, 24.16$ of those seeking work had 
 
 never secured full-time employment, while all college graduates who sought 
 
 work had obtained it, other percentages falling between these two. 
 
 As mentioned earlier, it is extremely difficult to determine 
 in how many cases this ability to obtain employment was due to 
 education and in how many cases to family prestige, personality 
 or other factors. It should be remembered, that even among those 
 who had one or more year." in college, there remained a consider- 
 able proportion unemployed and a considerable number who were 
 idle more than a year before securing work, and that these per- 
 centages are even greater in the case of high school graduates. 
 
 Reasons ^ive n for Une mployment 
 
 Our next question was designed to discover, from those who were un- 
 employed, what they considered to be the principal reason for their unemploy- 
 ment. Answers given divided the unemployed youth into two major categories: 
 those who felt that some factor in the economic system predominated in pre- 
 venting their obtaining work, and those who felt that employment might have 
 been secured wore it not for some personal inadequacy in the way of training, 
 experience, or effort in seeking, etc., with 59.46^ of the unemployed falling 
 in the first group and SO. 64?? in the s 3cond. Answers such as "Care of childrei 
 
-127- 
 
 or "Haven't had time to find work" were unassignable to either of these 
 
 factors and constitute 9,9% of the responses. 
 
 In suggesting this classification we are well aware that few youth 
 express their decision that there are no jobs to be had in terms of 
 "economic mal-adjustment" ; or, after deciding that some form of per- 
 sonal inadequacy or economic mal-adjustment is the cause of their 
 unemployment, think or plan how they might overcome such mal-adjust- 
 ment or inadequacy. 
 
 Although 40/1 of this group had had no work experience in a 
 permanent job, only 13. 4$ gave as their reason "Lack of experience" 
 or "Lack of Training and lack of experience". By far the largest 
 percentage, 38,68?? of the total group, responded that there were 
 simply no jobs. Among the miscellaneous reasons given for being 
 unemployed were "Haven't had time to find work", given by 35; an 
 admission of not having tried hard enough, given by 61; a lack of 
 knowledge as to how to seek work, given by 4; and satisfaction with 
 relief employment, expressed by 4 others. 
 
 This inability to find work often brought forth bitter expressions. 
 
 One from an 18-year-old typist who had had only temporary work was : 
 
 "They won't take you unless you've had a certain amount of 
 experience and how are you going to get it?" 
 
 Another girl, whose family moved here nine months before the interview was 
 
 taken, being forced out of the drouth area in West Texas, and whose only job 
 
 had been as a laborer in a canning factory, said: 
 
 "You have to have pull and know people to get a job. Those 
 coming here from other places don't have a chance." 
 
 A 17-year-old waitress explained her present unemployment this way: 
 
 "If you'll date your boss, you can get a job; if you won't 
 vou can't. I lost my last job because I wouldn't sleep with 
 my boss." 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 37. 
 
TABLE 37 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 760* WHITE YOUTH 
 
 "(excluding Mexidans) ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL REASON FOR 
 
 BEING UNEMPLOYED 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 760 100.00 
 
 Unemployed: wages are too low 
 
 Unemployed: no available jobs of kind desired 
 
 Unemployed: no availabole ,iobs — reasons other 
 
 than 3 or 4 
 
 Unemployed: lack of training 
 
 Unemployed: lack of experience 
 
 Unemployed: lack of training and experience 
 
 Unemployed: other reasons 
 
 18 
 
 2.36 
 
 140 
 
 13.42 
 
 294 
 
 38.68 
 
 61 
 
 8.06 
 
 58 
 
 7.63 
 
 44 
 
 5.78 
 
 145 
 
 19.07 
 
 Of this group (i.e., total white youth) 116 made no response to this 
 question; 1,852 are full-time day school students or 
 employed; 766 are homcmakers or housewives; 57 are 
 physically unable to work; and 71 do not want or need 
 work; these figures are not included in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 If we observe the classification suggested above of dividing responses 
 into cases where the economic factor is given as the predominant reason and 
 cases where some personal factor is , [ iven, we find differences on both the 
 bases of sex and education. For example: 
 
Sex and Grade Level 
 
 Percentage Giv ing as Cause of Une mployment 
 Economic Mai-Adjustment Personal Inadequacy 
 
 Males completing 7th 
 
 69.66 
 
 grade or less 
 
 76.07 
 
 Males ' completing 8th, 
 
 
 9th, or 10th grades 
 
 69.03 
 
 Males graduating from 
 
 
 high school 
 
 56.33 
 
 Males completing 1 or 
 
 
 more years in college 
 
 71.42 
 
 All Females 
 
 50.00 
 
 Females completing 7th 
 
 
 grade or less 
 
 63.50 
 
 Females completing 8th, 
 
 
 9th, or 10th grades 
 
 52.85 
 
 Females graduating from 
 
 
 high school 
 
 39.76 
 
 Females completing 1 or 
 
 
 more years in college 
 
 54.85 
 
 19.12 
 
 18.83 
 22.12 
 23.94 
 28.58 
 
 39.07 
 
 33.79 
 36.58 
 45.78 
 35.48 
 
 The figures seem to justify two conclusions: 
 
 1) Males are more likely to place the blame for their 
 unemployment on something other than themselves. 
 
 2) Education up through the point of high school grad- 
 uation appears to increase the feeling of vocational 
 or personal inadequacy. 
 
 Placement and Guidance Service Received 
 
 Through our next question we attempted to discover the extent to which 
 youth had made use of free employment services and the types of service re- 
 ceived. As Table 38 shows, 518 of the total group had registered and of the! 
 154, or 29.7/?, had received some placement. In other words, if a youth 
 registers, his chances are approximately 3 in 10 that he will receive a 
 placement. Should, however, the group of 935 who had need of employment but 
 
•130- 
 
 had not registered been added to the group w!l ° did register, the extent of 
 such placements would probably have dropped almost proportionately. 
 
 TABLE 38— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,621 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO REGISTRATION AT and SER- 
 VICES FRO?! A FREE EMPLOYMENT OFFICE DURING the TWELVE 
 MONTHS PR TOR to INTERVIEW 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 3,621 100.00 
 
 Not registered 3,103 85.t>9 
 
 Registered— received guidance only 20 .55 
 
 Registered — received neither guidance nor placement 344 9.50 
 
 Registered — one placement 125 3.45 
 
 Registered— two placements 14 .38 
 
 Registered — three placements 7 .19 
 
 Registered — four or more placements 2 .05 
 
 Registered — other 6 .16 
 
 * Of the white youth, 1 member made no response to this question and is 
 not included in this Table. 
 
 The failure of employment agency officials to understand fully the 
 
 personality or the physical condition of applicants often results in offers 
 
 of jobs 'which the youth himself either cannot or will not accept. Tvpical 
 
 examples are those of a 22-year-old unemployed youth who says that as a 
 
 result of his registration: 
 
 "I was sent on the VfPA, 14 miles away and had no money or 
 way to go to work"; 
 
 and of an 18-year-old high school graduate, who has since obtained a job for 
 
 himself as a sales clerk. His remark is interesting, because it illustrates 
 
 not only this failure, but also the existing attitudes toward certain types 
 
 of work. Although very much in need of a job at the time, he said, speaking 
 
 of the employment service : 
 
 "They called me and wanted me to cell flowers on the street and 
 I told them to jump in the lake." 
 
•1 Si- 
 
 Reasons Given for Not Having Regi s tered 
 
 We asked each interviewee why he had not registered at a free employment 
 service. Eliminating those who had been fully occupied with school, work, 
 or home duties, and the group who had registered, of the remainder, 32,3?' 
 gave as explanation that they did not know there was a free employment ser- 
 vice. 
 
 Among those knowing of the service, we found a full range of attitudes 
 
 from the snobbish 
 
 "I wouldn't be caught dead in them. Nobody uses them but 
 Mexicans and Negroes," 
 
 to the enthusiastic endorsement of the public office from a youth who des- 
 cribed commercial employment agencies as a "racket". 
 
 The combined responses of two categories similar in nature, 
 namely, "considered agency ineffective" and "Preferred commercial 
 agency or to get own job" amounted to 37.16/5. "Neglect; do not 
 know why", given by 19.35$, covers many degrees of timidity, apathy, 
 inertia. 
 
 The tabulation of these responses is shown in Table 39. 
 
 TABLE 39— NTO'ERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 904 TATITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL REASON GIVEN 
 POP POT HAVING REGISTERED at A FREE EMPLOYMENT OFFICE 
 DURING THE TWELVE MfRTHS PRIOR to INTERVIEW 
 
 TOTAL _ 
 
 Preferred commercial agency or to get own job 
 
 Did not 3 enow there was a free agency 
 
 Neglect; do not know why 
 
 Family objection 
 
 Too young 
 
 Did not want a job 
 
 Considered agency ineffective 
 
 No use since there were no jobs 
 
 Other reasons 
 
 * Of the white youth, 31 made " no res"ponse _ iro~ this" afuestio'n;" 518~TTalTl^gTstor"ec 1 
 2,169 had been employed the full period, were in school, 
 or were homemalcers or housewives; these figures are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 Number 
 
 io 
 
 904 
 
 100.00 
 
 255 
 
 28.20 
 
 292 
 
 32 . 30 
 
 175 
 
 19.35 
 
 4 
 
 .44 
 
 2 
 
 .22 
 
 69 
 
 7.63 
 
 81 
 
 8.P6 
 
 5 
 
 .55 
 
 21 
 
 2.32 
 
Summary 
 
 In this Section we hare shown that: 
 
 1) 13.94% of the total group hs d received vocational 
 advice. 
 
 2) 23.33$ wanted but did not have full-time employment. 
 
 3) Of those in the labor market, 34.28% males and 47.27% 
 females were without full-time work. 
 
 4) While education proves a considerable asset in the 
 search for employment, 40',' of those not employed are 
 high sc.nool graduate.-, indicating that education at 
 this level is no guarantee of employment, 
 
 5) The wide differences in educational background of 
 youth in the preferred types of occupation indicate 
 that for most of those a given level of formal edu- 
 cation is an asset, but other factors have consider- 
 able importance. 
 
 6) Cf those with occupations, only 14.35% males and 7.38% 
 females follow the same general type of work as their 
 fathers, although this mounts to 50% in the case of 
 the sons and daughters of clerical workers. 
 
 7) Only 21,65% would take vocational training for their 
 present occupation or for one which represents a more 
 advanced stage of similar work. 
 
 8) 86% of the group who sought full-time work have had at 
 least one job of three months or more duration, although 
 the median lapse of time between school and work was 
 4.1 months; 13.64' of the total group had never received 
 full-time work, although the median lapse of time was 
 
 18 months. 
 
 9) Approximately 60% of the youth considered their unemploy- 
 ment due to the limited number, kind, or compensation of 
 jobs, while 40% believed that they would be employe! if 
 it were not for some personal inadequacy. 
 
 1C ) 37.4% of those who needed and wanted full-time work re- 
 gistered at some free employment service, bit of t 1 ose 
 registered only 29.7% (11.1% of those needing work) re- 
 ceived placements through this source. 
 
These figures toget er present a composite picture of 
 partial or total idleness that reaches staggering pro- 
 portions. One white youth out of 5 in Dallas has nc 
 full-time employment." THIS MEANS THAT FOR THE WHITE 
 VODTH IN DALLAS THE FIRST PROBLEM FOR SOLUTION IS THE 
 PROVISION OF BETWEEN SEVEN AND EIGHT THOUSAND SATIS- 
 FACTORY FULL-TIME JOBS. 
 
 Section 5. Healt h 
 
 Our first index as to the character of health services the white youth 
 were receiving is presented in Table 40 which shows that 42. 55% of the total 
 group received some sort of medical examinations during t^e twelve months 
 preceding the interview. 
 
 TABLE 40— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,622 WHITE YOUTH 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO ROUTINE MEDICAL EXAMINA- 
 TION RECEIVED or NOT RECEIVED DURING THE TWELVE MONTHS 
 PRIOR to INTERVIEW 
 
 Total Tobal 
 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 8,6 22 100.00 
 
 Received medical examination 1,541 42.55 
 
 Did not receive medical examination 2,081 57,45 
 
 A waitress had this to say about the examinations given food handlers 
 
 by the City Health Department: 
 
 "The health card examination is just a joke. You just answer 
 questions and get a card. I know lots of girls who ought 
 not to be working with food." 
 
 In almost ever 1 / instance the percentage receiving examinations was 
 
 in Areas of relatively high economic status, and lowest in those of low 
 
 economic status. 
 
-134- 
 
 Table 41 shows, first, that 62. 53;?t felt no conscious need for 
 medical attention during the preceding year, and that 1*07$ of 
 the total group desired medical attention but did not receive it. 
 While small, this represents 2.3% of all thosu who felt a conscious 
 need for medical service. A third fact is that 4.11/2 of the total 
 group received medical attention either in whole or in part from 
 some charitable source. Tie may combine the two factors shown above 
 to conclude that of the group expressing a conscious need for 
 medical service, 13.9/owere unable to afford it through private 
 hospital and medical channels. This percentage is again intimately 
 associated with the economic status of the Areas, for it amounted 
 to less than 6% in Area 5, and over 30/= in Area 10. 
 
 TABLE 41— NUMERICAL AND PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3, 606 WHITE YOOTH* 
 (exclusive of Mexicans) ACCORDING TO MEDICAL SERVICES (ex- 
 clusive of medical examination) RECEIVED or NOT RECEIVED 
 DURING THE TWELVE MONTHS PRIOR to INTERVIEW 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 Total 
 
 3,G06 
 
 100.00 
 
 2,255 
 
 62.53 
 
 21 
 
 .58 
 
 18 
 
 .49 
 
 84 
 
 2.32 
 
 41 
 
 1.13 
 
 1,126 
 
 31.22 
 
 16 
 
 .44 
 
 8 
 
 .22 
 
 2 
 
 .05 
 
 48 
 
 1.33 
 
 No medical attention - no need 
 
 No medical attention - could not afford 
 
 No medical attention - other reasons 
 
 Free clinic** 
 
 Free hospital care 
 
 Private physician, specialist, private hospital care 
 
 Private physician and free hospital care 
 
 Private physician and free clinic 
 
 Private nurse or midwife only 
 
 Other medical services 
 
 * Of the white youth, 16 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 ** 13, (.31$) receiving free clinical care received free hospital care 
 as well, and appear in the Table under both categories. 
 
 Vie have used the term "conscious need" because our interviewers found 
 repeatedly that youth from families of high economic status obtained medical 
 service in cases where youth, to whom the cost was a more important factor, 
 would not have consulted a physician. For example, a single 18-year-old 
 girl had been kept out of school the entire past semester because of what 
 
-155- 
 
 she described as a "rim-down" condition, but said t'-at she had no need 
 for a doctor. A boy of the same age, who suffered from such repeated colds 
 that he had not attended church and had been kept out of school, did not be- 
 lieve his condition raerited medical attention. Fear and religious attitudes 
 also play their parts, as in the cases of an 18-year-old single girl who was 
 forced to give up her last job because she was suffering adhesions as a 
 result of an appendectomy several years ago and who does not go to a physician 
 because she fears another operation; and of a 22-year-old girl who had not 
 worked for the week prior to the interview because of ill health and who 
 
 "Father doesn't believe in having a doctor. He (tie doctor) 
 doesn't do any good by coming to see you." 
 
 Our question in regard to dental attention revealed a number of things: 
 
 1) How many of the youth (18.28??) had never been to a dentist; 
 
 2) ' ow many (52.4^) had been within the past year; 
 
 3) T 'ow many (29.3^) of those who had been at least once, but 
 not within the last year; 
 
 4) The reasons given for going or not going in all cases. 
 
 From this last information, we can report that only 1 out of 5 goes to 
 
 the dentist once a year because of a regularly scheduled habit. This varies 
 
 again, however, from 1 out of 2 in Area 1 to only 1 out of 10 in Area 10. 
 
 Almost the same percentage from every Area are forced to go to the dentist 
 
 because of acute need. 
 
 Occasionally we found cases of almost unbelieveable ignorance in re- 
 gard to dental habits. For example, a 21-year-old high school graduate 
 reoortediiiat he had not been to the dentist because 
 
 "The only reason you should go to a dentist often is to 
 have your teeth inspected and I can inspect my own." 
 
 Another high school graduate had not been because he agreed with his 
 mother' a opinion that, 
 
■136- 
 
 "Dentists fooling with teeth and cleaning them causes 
 them to rot." 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 42, 
 
 TABLE 42- --NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,594 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL REASON GIVEN 
 for GOING or NOT GOING TO A DENTIST DURING THE TWELVE 
 MONTHS PRIOR to INTERVIEW 
 
 ToTal Total 
 Number p 
 
 TOTAL 3.594 100.00 
 
 Went because of need 
 
 Went because of schedule habit: goes regularly 
 
 at least once a year 
 Vifent, sent by school 
 
 Went, sent by employer, CCC officials 
 Went, other reasons 
 Did not go, no need 
 Did not go, could not afford 
 Did not go, fear 
 Did not go, neglect 
 Did not go, other reasnrr- 
 Never have been (regardless of reason) 
 
 777 
 
 21.61 
 
 7 
 
 .19 
 
 13 
 
 .36 
 
 31 
 
 .86 
 
 688 
 
 19.14 
 
 150 
 
 3.61 
 
 45 
 
 1.25 
 
 184 
 
 5.12 
 
 6 
 
 .16 
 
 657 
 
 18.28 
 
 Of the white youth, 28 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 The relationship between what youth are doing and their health habits 
 is shown rather clearly by the following: 
 
 '■outage Receiving 
 Employment Status ] edioal Examinations 
 
 
 , 
 
 Employed full-time 
 
 54.88 
 
 Employed part-time 
 
 49.28 
 
 Full-time day school students 
 
 46.28 
 
 housewives 
 
 33.20 
 
 Unemployed 
 
 20.08 
 
 Relief workers 
 
 13.68 
 
■137- 
 
 We also find differences in the proportion of routine medical 
 examinations received by each sex, 5U.37';, : of the males and 36.88' 
 of the females receiving such examinations. For both groups, however, 
 the percentage receiving examinations rose steadily with the 
 advance in educational level. 
 
 Medical services received also showed relationship to sex, for 
 27.05% of the males had felt a conscious need for medical attention 
 during the year prior to the interview and 44.81% of the females 
 had felt such a need. 
 
 Differences in dental habits on the basis of sex do not appear large 
 enough to be significant, but differences on the basis of educational attain- 
 ment are marked. 
 
 Never Have Been 
 to A Dentist 
 
 Educational Level 
 
 Male Female 
 
 7th grade or less 51.52 44.52 
 
 8th, 9th, or 10th 
 
 grade 16.78 19.41 
 
 High school grad- 
 uate 11.01 11.03 
 
 1 to 5 years in 
 
 college 5.14 5.45 
 
 4 or more years 
 
 in college - - 
 
 } r ave Been, but 
 Not in Past Year 
 
 Y. r ent in Past Year 
 Because of Sche- 
 dule T Iabit 
 
 Male 
 
 Female 
 
 Male 
 
 Female 
 
 8.76 
 
 15.34 
 
 2.29 
 
 1.53 
 
 8.12 
 
 12.72 
 
 14.07 
 
 17.51 
 
 9.43 
 
 9.86 
 
 23.14 
 
 28.01 
 
 9.14 
 
 6.89 
 
 33.71 
 
 49.42 
 
 9.80 
 
 _ 
 
 31.77 
 
 75.00 
 
 Summary 
 
 Our material on health shows briefly that: 
 
 1) 42.5;?o of the youth were receiving medical examinations 
 each year, but many of these examinations must be con- 
 sidered woefully inadequate. 
 
 2) 37.47;% felt the need for medical service (27.05% males 
 and 44.81?? females). 
 
 3) 13.9% of those who desired such service could not afford 
 it through private sources. 
 
 4) 18/5 had never seen a dentist and 47.65? had not seen a 
 dentist within the past year. 
 
Health habits arc better for those with more formal 
 education, but many high school graduates do not have 
 the habits of periodic dental and medical examinations, 
 
 Section 6. Leisure Time Activities 
 
 Three Major Recreational Habits 
 
 To discover how youth spend their time when not in school or work, we 
 
 sought information as to the three principal ways in which free time was being 
 
 used. We found "Movie attendance" by far the most popular and counted as one 
 
 of these three by 56.26/? of all white youth interviewed. "Reading" was second, 
 
 listed by 38. 16$, and "Engaging in individual physical activities" third. 
 
 A variety of recreations was included under the miscellaneous category, 
 but no one of these appeared with as great frequency as the ten recre- 
 ations which were coded. Five of this miscellany appeared sufficiently 
 often to merit mention and are given below in order of their appearance: 
 
 1) Sewing, needle-work and embroidery 
 
 2) Visiting 
 
 3) Riding in automobiles 
 
 4) Hunting and fishing 
 
 5) Watching athletic events 
 
 Complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 43. 
 
 TABLE 43 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,613* WHITE YOUTH 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO THEIR THREE PRINCIPAL 
 LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES DURING THE TWELVE MONTHS PRIOR TO 
 
 INTERVIEW 
 
 fotaT Total 
 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL ~3T6T3 lOOTOO 
 
 Nothing in particular; sitting or standing around loaf in 362 10.01 
 
 Playing team games such as football, basketball, baseball 632 17.49 
 
 Engaging in individual physical activities 1,201 35.24 
 
 Reading 1,379 33.16 
 
 Movie attendance 2,033 56.26 
 
 Hobbies and cultural activities 338 9.35 
 
 Playing cards, checkers, puzzles, etc. 350 9.68 
 
 Dancing, attending, parties or teas 1,072 29.67 
 
 Listening to the radio 786 21.75 
 
 Dating 521 14.42 
 
 Other 811 22.44 
 
 *9 members of this group (i.e., total white youth) made no response to 
 this question and are not included in this table. 
 
Comparisons 
 
 As would be expected, sex and marital status affected recreational 
 habits profoundly: 
 
 Recreational Habit 
 
 Percentage of Each Sex, by Marital Status, List- 
 ing as One of the Three Major Recreational Habits 
 
 Movie attendance 
 Engaging in individual 
 physical activities 
 
 Playing team games 
 
 Reading 
 
 Dane in;-, attending 
 
 parties, teas 
 Listening to the 
 
 radio 
 
 Dating 
 
 Playing cards, check- 
 ers, muzzles, etc. 
 
 Loafing; nothing in 
 particular 
 
 Hobbies and cultural 
 activities 
 
 Hunting and fishing 
 
 Sewing 
 
 Visiting 
 
 Riding in automobiles 
 
 Single 
 Males 
 
 Married 
 Males 
 
 Single 
 Females 
 
 Married 
 Females 
 
 49.36 
 
 51.94 
 
 62.13 
 
 59.16 
 
 42.85 
 
 30.30 
 
 32.98 
 
 21.59 
 
 39.55 
 
 23.37 
 
 4.80 
 
 2.02 
 
 28.71 
 
 29.87 
 
 46.98 
 
 41.51 
 
 29.11 
 
 19.04 
 
 41.85 
 
 16.42 
 
 12.73 
 
 28.13 
 
 19.54 
 
 35.99 
 
 21.75 
 
 2.16 
 
 18.81 
 
 1.12 
 
 8.14 
 
 11.68 
 
 6.51 
 
 15.74 
 
 11.07 
 
 21.21 
 
 7.49 
 
 9.11 
 
 11.15 
 
 9.09 
 
 10.34 
 
 5.51 
 
 5.14 
 
 6.46 
 
 .24 
 
 .90 
 
 - 
 
 - 
 
 9.13 
 
 19.12 
 
 .71 
 
 2.15 
 
 2.93 
 
 11.92 
 
 2.29 
 
 3.44 
 
 3.10 
 
 5.62 
 
 As one 24-year-old housewife, with more than a year in college, naively 
 expressed it, 
 
 "I used to piety" tennis before I was married, but now I go to 
 a show. It's the truth - married life sure does change you." 
 
Groups having different educational backgrounds likewise show differences 
 in recreational habits. For example, almost one-third of those who finished 
 only the seventh grade or less counted loafing as one of their major recrea- 
 tional habits, while not more than 10% of those from more advanced educational 
 levels counted this. Also, the percentage engaging in individual physical 
 activities, the percentage who indicated reading as a recreational habit, and 
 the percentage listing hobbies and cultural activities all increase with each 
 advance in educational attainment. 
 
 Adequacy of Nei ghborhood Facilities 
 
 An interesting series of facts was revealed in the tabulation of res- 
 ponses to the two questions: 
 
 "DO YOU THINK ANY ADDITIONAL RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ARE NEEDED 
 by the YOUTH of YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? IF SO, WHAT IS THE ONE THING 
 MOST NEEDED?" 
 
 These were: 
 
 1) 50.68% of the total group felt that facilities were adequate. 
 
 2) This feeling seems in no way to be correlated with the actual 
 number of facilities. Youth in neighborhoods where almost no 
 facilities existed sometimes answered with greater frequency 
 that none were needed than did those in Areas more fortunate 
 in this respect. 
 
 3) 6.47% of the youth had the feeling that some facility was 
 needed, but did not know for what. 
 
 The explanation for these responses appears to be that the reply of 
 each youth is based, first, on the extent to which he was accustomed 
 to make use of the recreational facilities of the neighborhood and, 
 second, on his experiences with facilities other than those provided 
 in his neighborhood. For example, youth coming from rural areas, 
 where no recreational facilities had been provided, usually expressed 
 no need for additional facilities even though their recreational 
 habits showed a lack of wholesome activity. 
 
In contrast to this, a former resident of Los Angeles described 
 enthusiastically a fully equipped recreation field to which one 
 might belong for 3^ a week, and a former resident of Chicago showed 
 the interviewer a community paper issued there which told of the 
 activities of a recreation field house in that city, 
 
 A frequent comment was that there were no places for people to get 
 acquainted. Even after two years of residence in a section, youth would re- 
 port that they knew no one and that the greatest need was for some means of 
 meeting those of the same age in the neighborhood. Also frequently reported 
 were cases of young married women whose children prevented their going out, 
 since the expense of hiring a nurse for the children would be entirely too 
 great. 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses is found in Table 44. 
 
 TABLE 44— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 2,920 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS: 
 DO YOU THINK ANY ADDITIONAL RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ARE 
 NEEDED BY THE YOUTH OF YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? IF SO, WHAT IS 
 THE ONE THING MOST NEEDED? 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 2,920 100.00 
 
 Recreational facilities adequate; no additions 
 necessary 
 
 Parks, playgrounds, or athletic fields 
 
 Swimming pools, riding academies 
 
 Recreation centers, club houses 
 
 Skating rinks, amusement parks 
 
 Clubs, organizations 
 
 Dance halls, better dances, more dances 
 
 Movies 
 
 Cultural and educational: libraries, concerts, dra- 
 matics, art & craft classes 
 
 Facility needed, but do not know what 
 
 Other facility needed 
 
 * Of the white youth, 702 members of this group made no response or had 
 no opinion and are not included in this Table. 
 
 480 
 
 50.68 
 
 491 
 
 16.81 
 
 151 
 
 5.17 
 
 244 
 
 8.35 
 
 49 
 
 1.67 
 
 83 
 
 2.84 
 
 73 
 
 2.50 
 
 20 
 
 .68 
 
 50 
 
 1.71 
 
 189 
 
 6.47 
 
 90 
 
 3.08 
 
• 142- 
 
 Club Participation 
 
 Further light on the recreational habits of youth is shown in the ex- 
 tent of their participation in the groups and clubs of the city, only 22.3.7/? 
 of the white group having had any consistent participation in clubs during 
 the three months prior to the interview. The extent of participation was 
 consistently low in Areas of low economic status and ranged from 9.03% par- 
 ticipating in Area 16 to 33.24$ participating in Area 1. THE SO-CALLED 
 "CHARACTER-BUILDING" CLUBS WERE SHOWN TO BE REACHING APPROXIMATELY H OF THE 
 TOTAL GROUP and any special efforts they may have made to reach those most in 
 need of group association are to be seen only in Areas 4 and 10 in which the 
 percentages reached are slightly above the median. Membership in fraternities 
 and sororities shows definite Area characteristics, being highest in Areas 1 
 and 3 where the economic status is relatively high and almost unknown in 
 Areas 4, 9, 11, and 16 where the economic status is relatively low. 
 
 The high schools have placed a more or less effective ban on 
 fraternities and sororities among the students, and much comment 
 was heard on this, the arguments for fraternities being chiefly 
 that they provided places to dance (school dances were condemned 
 because of the poor music), and that they provided an opportunity 
 for girls to invite boys to dances where they otherwise had no op- 
 portunity to be popular. Others reported that the fraternities 
 and sororities were as strong as ever and that many students would 
 stop school if not permitted to belong. 
 
 Those who are coded as participating in some other types of clubs were 
 for the most part members of city-wide social groups or members of National 
 Guard or Naval Reserve units which provide social and recreational outlet. 
 One rather unusual organisation was that of the group of women on whom a 20- 
 year-old member reported: 
 
 "Vie are studying fourth grade on up through high school. We 
 use school books and have home work and meet once a week in 
 different homes." 
 

-143-' 
 
 Complete tabulation of responses if found in Table 45. 
 
 TABLE 45 NUMBERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,620* WHITE YOUTH . 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PARTICIPATION IN MORE THAN * 
 HALF THE MEETINGS of ANY SOCIAL or RECREATIONAL CLUBS, DURING . 
 THE THREE MONTHS PRIOR to INTEWIEW - by TYPES OF CLUBS V 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 Total 3, 620 100 .00 
 
 "Character building" clubs 252 6.95 
 
 College or high school fraternities or sororities 128 3.53 
 
 Neighborhood social or recreational clubs 137 3.78 
 
 Hobby or interest clubs 79 2 « 18 
 
 Dramatic, art, or musical clubs 42 1.15 
 
 Other women's clubs 48 1.32 
 
 Fraternal orders 52 i* 43 
 Athletic, sport, or hiking clubs 
 Business or professional clubs, sororities, or 
 
 fraternities 
 Other 
 
 Did not participate 2,812 77.63 
 
 50 1.38 
 
 59 1.62 
 96 2.65 
 
 * 2 members of this group (i.e., total -white youth) made no response to 
 
 this question and are not included in this Table, 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 Both single males and single females participated in clubs to a con- 
 siderably greater extent than did married males and females, 40$ of single 
 males and 23$ of single females having participated, while 13$ of married 
 ma les and 12.5$ of married females participated. 
 
 The groups from the higher educational levels contained a higher pro- 
 portion of club members than did those from lower ranges. 
 
 Also, those in school were participating in eluba in greater 
 numbers than were those out of school. Participation among the 
 employed group was somewhat higher than among the unemployed. 
 
Reasons Given for Not Atte nding Social or Re creational Clubs 
 
 From the group -who had not participated in clubs, we sought their chief 
 reason for not having done so. Forty pi rcent of these were not interested 
 in clubs, a percentage which varies only slightly when Areas are studied 
 separately. It would seem that somewhere between 50^' and 60$ of those not 
 participating are potential members, provided such handicaps as cost, long 
 working hours, and lack of association with those in clubs, could be overcome. 
 It seems particularly significant that over 20$ of the group felt that they 
 were not members because they had no associations with those in clubs. We 
 might logically interpret this as evidence that club members tend to become 
 clannish and those not in clubs have no way of making the associations essen- 
 tial to membership. Here again was brought out the isolation which the new- 
 comer to the city feels, for many reported that they knew of no one who be- 
 longed to clubs, although they had been active in similar organizations in 
 the towns of their former residence. The Y.M.C.A. and the Y.W.C.A. were fre- 
 quently complained of because of the division along sex lines. "Other reasons' 
 for not having participated include the answers of 87 who said they knew of no 
 clubs to which they could belong in their neighborhoods, 38 whose children 
 required such care that they were unable to participate, and 18 who said that 
 the elimination of fraternities and sororities from the high schools prevented 
 their participating in any social and recreational clubs. 
 
 The tabulation of responses is shown in Table 46. 
 
-145- 
 
 TABLE 46— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 2,758* TNHITE YOUTH 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL REASON GIVEN 
 FOR NOT HAVING ATTENDED MORE THAN HALF of MEETINGS of 
 SOCIAL or RECREATIONAL CLUBS DURING THREE MONTHS PRIOR to 
 INTERVIEW 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 2, 758 100. 00 
 
 Lack of money; can not afford; costs too much 
 
 Do not like the crowd 
 
 Do not like the program of activities 
 
 Do not know how to become a member 
 
 Family objection 
 
 Not interested; no need; do not like clubs 
 
 Too far to go to meetings; late hours 
 
 Lack of time; have to work 
 
 Lack of association with club members 
 
 Other reasons 
 
 550 
 
 12.69 
 
 28 
 
 1.01 
 
 33 
 
 1.19 
 
 39 
 
 1.41 
 
 16 
 
 .58 
 
 ,095 
 
 39.70 
 
 9 
 
 .32 
 
 439 
 
 15.91 
 
 553 
 
 20.05 
 
 196 
 
 7.10 
 
 Of this group, (i.e., total white youth) 56 made no response to this 
 question and 808 had participated in one or more clubs; these figures 
 are not included in this Table, 
 
 Attitude on Use of Neighborhoo d Schoo l as a Co mmun ity Center 
 
 One of the most pertinent questions in the whole field of public recrea- 
 tion is whether public schools should be used as community centers. Experi- 
 ments of this sort have been carried on in various parts of the United States 
 and many of the newer schools are designed to include possibilities of such 
 recreational useage. In Dallas a vigorous campaign was carried on by one of 
 the local newspapers to bring about such use. At the present time school 
 auditoriums may be used by certain groups on application and on the payment 
 of a fee ranging from §15.00 to 550,00, and gymnasiums may be obtained for 
 $1.00 or more per hour. Such use, however, can hardly be said to be encourage 
 
 Our question was designed to measure, first, the attitude toward such 
 possible useage and, second, the type of program in which youth would partici- 
 
-146- 
 
 pate if opportunity were offered through the public schools. Of the total 
 
 group, 81,14$ believed that responsible people should be permitted use of 
 
 the neighborhood school for social and recreational purposes. 
 
 Among those who were opposed to such use, we found expressions such as 
 
 the following: 
 
 "My experience as a teacher is that 'responsible' people do 
 not always prove to be responsible," 
 
 "The buildings are there for children^ not for adults." 
 
 Another teacher said, 
 
 "Our schools are far too nice to have the risk of having them 
 marred by people who might be thought responsible," 
 
 The attitude of many of the youth who favored such use was summed 
 up: 
 
 "People pay the taxes. Why not?" 
 
 A desire to participate in one or more of the activities which might be 
 sponsored was expressed by 55.53^. Activity in the field of music or 
 drama was that in which most felt they would participate, this being 
 32.09$ of the total group. At least 20'.' of the total group said they 
 would participate in one of the other suggested activities which are 
 presented in Table 47. 
 
 TABLE 47— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,458 WHITE YOUTH* 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS: DO 
 YOU FEEL THAT RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE SHOULD BE PERMITTED TITE USE 
 of THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL, AFTER REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS, FOR 
 SOCIAL and RECREATIONAL PURPOSES? IF SO, IN WHICH, IF ANY, OF 
 THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES WOULD YOU PARTICIPATE? 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 5, 458 10 0,00 
 
 Schools should not be so used 
 Yes, but would not participate 
 Dances 
 Parties 
 
 Athletic activities — spectator 
 Athletic activities — participant 
 Club meetings 
 
 Musical or dramatic activities 
 Lectures or forums 
 Movies 
 Other uses 
 
 * Of the white youth, 164 made~no "response tcTthis question and are not" 
 included in this Table. 
 
 998 
 
 28,86 
 
 540 
 
 15.61 
 
 1,000 
 
 28,91 
 
 837 
 
 24,20 
 
 936 
 
 27.06 
 
 922 
 
 26.66 
 
 752 
 
 21.74 
 
 1,110 
 
 32.09 
 
 822 
 
 23.77 
 
 798 
 
 23.07 
 
 38 
 
 1.09 
 
-147. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 The percentage of each sex who signified opposition to the 
 use of schools as community centers was approximately the same, as 
 was that of each sex indicating a desire to participate in each of 
 the suggested activities. 
 
 Educational background, on the other hand, seemed to have a 
 definite correlation to the responses to this question, for 45$ of 
 those who finished only the seventh grade or less were opposed to 
 such use, while only 11$ of those who had graduated from college 
 were opposed. However, 11$ of those who had not finished more than 
 the seventh grade believed that the schools should be used for this 
 purpose, but felt no desire to participate, while this percentage 
 rose with each educational level to 27% of those who had graduated 
 from college. 
 
 In spite of the fact that a much larger percentage from the higher 
 
 educational levels would participate in community uses of the public schools, 
 
 those from the lower levels who would participate showed a desire to take 
 
 part in a wider variety of activities. 
 
 Use of the Public Li brary 
 
 To measure the extent to which the public library was being used, we 
 asked each youth to tell us the number of public library books he had read 
 during the four weeks prior to the interview. We disoovered that for this 
 period 77.85$ of the total group had not used the library at all. Among the 
 users, fiction was by far more popular than non-fiction, for 16.43^' had read 
 one or more books of this category, while 11.28$ of the group had road one or 
 more books of non-fiction. 
 
 The tabulation of responses is shown in Table 48. 
 
-148- 
 
 TABLE 48— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,6;!2 WHITS YOUTH 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO USE of PUBLIC (NON-SCHOOL) 
 LIBRARY DURING THE FOUR WEEKS PRIOR to INTERVIEW 
 
 TOTAL 
 
 Did not use 
 
 Fiction: read 1, 2, or 3 public library books 
 Fiction: read 4, 5, or 6 public library books 
 Fiction: read 7 or more public library books 
 Non-fiction: read 1 or 2 public library books 
 Non-fiction: read 3 or 4 public library books 
 Non-fiction: read 5 or more public library books 
 Newspaper, magazine reading: 1 to 4 hours 
 Newspaper, magazine reading: 5 or more hours 
 Other types of service 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 Number 
 
 Gf 
 
 /o 
 
 3,622 
 
 100.00 
 
 2,820 
 
 77.85 
 
 367 
 
 10.13 
 
 130 
 
 3.58 
 
 98 
 
 2.72 
 
 198 
 
 5.46 
 
 103 
 
 2.84 
 
 108 
 
 2.9G 
 
 20 
 
 .55 
 
 19 
 
 .52 
 
 23 
 
 .63 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 In regard to the use of the library, no differences are to be noted be- 
 tween the sexes in either the extent or character of use. The percentage 
 making use of the library, however, rose steadily with the educational level: 
 
 Highest Grade Success- 
 fully Passed 
 
 7th or less 
 
 8th, 9th, or 10th 
 
 High school graduate 
 
 1, 2 or 3 years in college 
 
 4 or more years in college 
 
 Percentage Making Use 
 of Library during 4 
 Weeks Prior to Inter- 
 view 
 
 4.43 
 20.42 
 27.45 
 29.21 
 27.02 
 
 Percentage Percentage 
 Reading Reading 
 Fiction Non-Fiction 
 
 3.31 
 
 .60 
 
 15.90 
 
 9.30 
 
 21.50 
 
 13.19 
 
 19.56 
 
 21.18 
 
 21.01 
 
 28.57 
 
 A comparison of occupational status with use of the public library re- 
 veals that school students used the library 10$ to lb% more than did the em- 
 ployed or unemployed groups or the housewives. 
 
•149- 
 
 Re as ons GiTen f or Hot Using the Libra ry 
 
 The great majority who failed to use the library during the month pre- 
 ceding the interview explained this lack of use as being due to one of two 
 reasons: either a lack of interest in reading, given by 32.065b, or the 
 availability of other sources of reading, such as magazines, home libraries, 
 etc., given by 44.9$. An attitude that seemed to have some prevalence was 
 expressed by a 20-year-old boy who had had a year of college. 
 
 "Most library books don't get interesting until you have read 
 half through them. I like books full of action." 
 
 Others said that they no longer had need to use the library because they 
 
 were no longer in school. 
 
 Of all those who did not use the library, 302 or 10.77$, gave some 
 reason which in the Tables is shown under "Other". Of these, 247 
 failed to use the library because of a lack of time for reading, due 
 to working conditions or household duties. We also found 3 who ad- 
 mitted they could not read and 8 who claimed to be unaware of the 
 existence of the public library. Among those who were ardent mem- 
 bers of the Full Gospel Church, it was not at all unusual to find 
 statements similar to this of a 21-year-old housewife: 
 
 "The Bible is enough to read for any good Christian who wants 
 to be resurrected." 
 
 The proportions giving as their reason that they were not inter- 
 ested in reading varied considerably among the Areas, being around 
 40$ in the four Areas lowest on tho economic scale and from 20$ to 
 30$ in the four highest in the economic scale. 
 
 Tabulation of responses is found in Table 49. 
 
TABLE 49— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 2,304 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL REASON GIVEN 
 FOR NOT HAVING USED PUBLIC ( TOT-SCHOOL) LIBRARY DURING THE 
 FOUR WEEprS PRIOR to INTERVIEW 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 2,804 100.00 
 
 Not interested in reading; does not know 899 
 
 Library books inadequate 16 
 
 Branch libraries inadequate 3 
 
 Dislike way library is run; cannot pay fines 13 
 Has other sources of reading: home library, magazines, 
 
 etc. . 1,259 
 
 Too difficult to get to library: distance, hours, etc. 262 
 
 Poor eyes, poor health 45 
 
 Family objections 5 
 
 Other reasons 302 
 
 32.06 
 
 .57 
 
 .10 
 
 .46 
 
 44.90 
 
 9.34 
 
 1.60 
 
 .17 
 
 10.77 
 
 * Of the white youth, 21 made no response to this question and 797 used 
 the p\.iblic library; these figures are not included 
 in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 As would be expected, the number who gave as their reason for not having 
 used the public library that they were not interested in reading was much 
 larger proportionately for the lower educational levels than for the upper 
 ones, ranging from 49% of those who completed the seventh grade or less to 
 only $% of the college graduates. It seems rather astonishing, however, to 
 find even this percentage of college graduates and over 26% of the high 
 school graduates saying they were not interested in reading. 
 
 Summary 
 
 We may conclude from the information presented in this Section that: 
 
-151- 
 
 1) 20?£ of the single males, 50$ of the married males, 62$ of 
 the single females, and 7 S; i of the married females lack 
 regular physical recreation. 
 
 2) 7752 of the total group lack group association. 
 
 3) Not more than half the group have any sort of reading or 
 cultural recreation. 
 
 4) A great many suffer because of isolation and lack of re- 
 creational opportunity. 
 
 If secondary schools aro sincerely concerned with carrying out the 
 objective listed as one of the seven cardinal principles, namely, teaching 
 the worthy use of leisure time, then it is evident from the present pattern 
 of recreational habits that attention should be given: 
 
 1) To the development of the type of physical activity which 
 is not only healthful, but may be continued in post-school 
 days. 
 
 2) To developing habits of reading for pleasure as well as for 
 instruction. 
 
 3) To ways in which to foster group associations that continue 
 beyond school. 
 
 4) To fostering by actual experience associations with cultural 
 activities and hobbies. 
 
 For the group work agencies, there is much of significance in the re- 
 creational habits of these youth: 
 
 1) Activities that include both sexes need to be stimulated. 
 
 2) ! ^eans should be found to develop associations betweennem- 
 bers and non-members so that the individual desiring to 
 join a group will not feel strange or that he is pushing 
 himself forward. 
 
 Lastly, for both school and social agency there should be some means 
 devised of helping the youth discover and evaluate the given types of recre- 
 ation with which he is unfamiliar, but which might provide satisfactions. It 
 
-152- 
 also appears that if recreational programs are to reach the young mother, 
 there must be provision for very economical care of her children during the 
 periods of her participation. 
 
 Section 7. Pa rticipati on in Relirious__Activities 
 
 Obviously, the extent to which youth were, at the time of the interview, 
 participating in church activities is not a perfect measure of the influence 
 which the church is having in their lives. Nevertheless, it serves as some 
 objective evidence of the extent to which church activities were directly af- 
 fecting them. 
 
 We discovered that of the total group of white youth, 47.58$ had 
 participated in no church activities during the month preceding 
 the interview, while 48.1$ had attended worship or devotional ser- 
 vices at least once during that period. Thirty and thirteen nun- 
 dredths percent had attended Sunday School at least once and 14.3$ 
 had attended some recreational or social activity. Checking the 
 extent of duplication in these percentages, we find that of our 
 samples 
 
 1) 1,897 had had some religious participation. 
 
 2) Of this group 1,741, or 91.68$, had attended devotional 
 services and for 674, or 35.5$ of the observers, this was 
 the only form of church participation. 
 
 3) 1,091, or 57,55? of the observers, had attended some form 
 
 of the educational work (Sunday School, young people's meet- 
 ings, etc.) and of these, 276, or 14.5$, had not attended- 
 devotional services. 
 
 4) 518 of the observers, or 27.3?,', had attended some form of 
 the social activities, but for only 30, or 1.5$, w a s this 
 the only form of observance. 
 
 In other words, 51.5$ of all those attesiding religious services were 
 
 participating in only one type of church activity. 
 
 Table 50 shows distribution of all responses to this question. 
 
-153- 
 
 TABLE 50— NUMERICAL and PERCE1TTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,619 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PARTICIPATION in CHURCH 
 ACTIVITIES DURING THE FOUR WEEKS PRIOR to INTERVIEW 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 1,722 
 
 47.58 
 
 686 
 
 18.95 
 
 827 
 
 22.85 
 
 228 
 
 6.30 
 
 340 
 
 S.39 
 
 153 
 
 4.22 
 
 25 
 
 .69 
 
 340 
 
 9.39 
 
 537 
 
 16.21 
 
 164 
 
 4.53 
 
 21 
 
 .58 
 
 TOTAL V>H. JL°2. # °9_ 
 
 No participation 
 
 Devotional activities 1 or 2 times 
 Devotional activities 3 or 4 times 
 Devotional activities 5 or more times 
 Recreational or social activities 1 or 2 times 
 Recreational or social activities 3 or 4 times 
 Recreational or social activities 5 or more times 
 Educational activities 1 or 2 times 
 Educational activities 3 or 4 times 
 Educational activities 5 or more times 
 Other church aativities 
 
 T Of "the white youth" 3 made - no 'response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 The relationship between sex and marital status, and attendance at 
 
 church is brought out i» the following figures: 
 
 Percentage Yflio Did Not Attend 
 Church During 4 Weeks Prior to 
 Sex and Marital Status I ntervi ew 
 
 Single Males 46.84 
 
 Married Males 61.20 
 
 Single Females 36.67 
 
 Married Females 60,02 
 
 The percentage attending church from the lowest educational levels is 
 eomparatively very low, but only slight differences occur in the participa- 
 tion of those from other educational levels, as the following reveals: 
 
• 
 
■154- 
 
 Kale 
 
 Female 
 
 
 
 
 
 66.28 
 
 68.11 
 
 47.23 
 
 46.42 
 
 43.21 
 
 39.88 
 
 44.57 
 
 39.40 
 
 47.06 
 
 47.06 
 
 Highest Grade Success- Percentage Not Participating in 
 ~ fully Passed An y Church Activity in Past ,4_ Weeks 
 
 7th or less 
 
 8th, 9th, or 10th 
 
 High' school graduate 
 
 1, 2, or 3 years in college 
 
 4 or more years in college 
 
 Comparing the youth by employment status, we find that those in school 
 were attending church in much higher proportions than those of any other group. 
 76.35?? of the school students having participated and only 46.8^ of those not 
 in school having done so. 
 
 Reasons for Not Having Participated in the Educational or Recrea- 
 stional Activities of Any Church 
 
 We felt that if we could discover why youth had not participated in 
 greater numbers or to a greater extent in the educational or recreational 
 activities of the church, much light would be thrown upon why the church 
 was failing to fill a larger role in the lives of the youth today. We found 
 that the two reasons which appeared with greatest frequency differed in de- 
 gree rather than in kind. These were, first, "Not interested in (such) church 
 or religious organizations" given by 29.39^, and, second, "Neglect; do not 
 know why", given by 28.05^. This second reason showed in most cases that the 
 drive of interest was not strong enough to overcome the general apathy. The 
 third reason which accounted for 10. 18$ of the replies was "Occupied with home 
 or other personal duties". 
 
 Under the miscellaneous classification we found 3 responses 
 which appeared with significant frequency. These were that hours 
 of work were so long, irregular, or exhaustive that it was im- 
 
■155- 
 
 possible to attend; that the youth wanted to go but lacked asso- 
 ciations and felt strange or timid about attending without an in- 
 vitation; and that Sunday was the only day in which to be with 
 husbands, wives, and families. 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses is found in Table 51. 
 
 TABLE 51— NUMERICAL and FERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 2,385* WHITE YOUTH 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL REASON GIVEN FOR 
 NOT HAVING PARTICIPATED in THE EDUCATIONAL or RECREATIONAL 
 ACTIVITIES of ANY CHURCH DURING THE FOUR YffiEKS PRIOR to 
 
 INTERVIEW 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 2,585 100.00 
 
 Lack of funds, clothing, carfare, etc. 88 3.68 
 
 Not interested in church or religious organiza- 
 tions; not a church member 701 29.39 
 
 Other activities and clubs are more interesting 
 or valuable 
 
 Too much supervision; too much restriction 
 
 Do not like the program of activities 
 
 Do not like the crowd 
 
 Family objection 
 
 Neglect; do not know why 
 
 Occupied with home or other personal duties 
 
 Other reasons 
 
 92 
 
 3.85 
 
 6 
 
 .25 
 
 32 
 
 1.34 
 
 41 
 
 1.71 
 
 7 
 
 .29 
 
 669 
 
 28.05 
 
 243 
 
 10.18 
 
 506 
 
 21.21 
 
 * Of this group, (i.e., total w ite youth) 17 members made no response to 
 
 this question; 1,220 had participated during the past four 
 Comparisons weeks; these figures are not included in this Table, 
 
 We find that 35.3^ of the males gave as their reason for not having taker- 
 part in the educational or recreational activities of any church a lack of 
 interest, while 2.5.14^ of the females gave this reason. Other reasons were 
 given in approximately the same percentages by both sexes, although married 
 females said with more frequency than single females that occupation with home 
 duties prevented their attendance. 
 
-156- 
 
 These same reasons appear in approximately the same proportions when 
 the youth are divided on the basis of employment status or on a basis of 
 educational attainment. 
 
 Summary 
 
 The fact that 67^ of those with education of the seventh 
 grade or less are not participating in any form of church 
 activity reveals how few of those to whom the church could be 
 of greatest educational benefit are being reached. In con- 
 trast, only 23.65$ of those in school are not participating. 
 
 That marriage tends to break off church attendance might 
 be interpreted in a variety of ways. That which seems most 
 logical is that many youth feel a conscious or unconscious de- 
 sire for companionship, which for married youth is filled by 
 the new family relationship. If this be true, then it might 
 be put in another way by saying that whatever values the content 
 and form of religious observance may have, these are in many 
 instances secondary to such extraneous values as companionship, 
 and when these latter are satisfied by other means, then religious 
 values do not prove strong enough to continue to attract youth. 
 
 Touching 52.42$ of the youth through at least one form of 
 religious observance and half of this number in more than one 
 way, the church must be recognized as having a greater number of 
 contacts with the youth group during this age period than 
 either the school or any of the other social agencies. 
 
 Section 8. Attit udes o n S ocia l Q uestions 
 
 General Level of Wag es 
 
 The first of our series of social questions, by which it was hoped to 
 measure net only the leading opinions of youth but also to determine the ex- 
 tent to which they were aware of these social problems, was that vihich asked: 
 
 "ARE WAGES of WORKERS GENERALLY HIGH ENOUGH? IF NOT, 
 BY y.HAT AGENCY COULD TEEI BEST BE RAISED?" 
 
Although almost all of these youth are dependent for their support on 
 
 their own or their father's wages, 13.22% had no opinion on the general level 
 
 of wages. Even more indicative was the response of 36.42% who said that 
 
 wages were too low, but did not know how they could be raised, for we interpret 
 
 this as a graphic example of the inability of so many youth to realise any 
 
 course of individual, group, or social action to meet a situation, even 
 
 though they are convinced it should be remedied. As one youth said, 
 
 "The last job I had I worked thirteen and a half hours a day, 
 seven days a \veek and got $2.50 a week. I don't know how to 
 get them (wages) higher, but sure think they're too low." 
 
 Of the possible measures for correcting this situation, 19.11% felt 
 that Government regulation was the best means; 4.44% felt that labor action 
 was the means to be employed; while 7.45% would leave the regulation to em- 
 ployers. Two responses illustrate the general conservatism of the youth group 
 for 14.36% believed that wages were not too low, while only .57% believed that 
 they were too low and should be raised by changing the economic order. 
 
 Large corporations and chain stores were blamed in some instances for 
 
 wage conditions, responses such as these being heard: 
 
 "Independent men will pay their employees more when business 
 picks up. The chain stores won't; they keep everybody down. 
 My wages are the same as they were four years ago, but it costs 
 twice as much to stock my pantry." 
 
 "Every corporation will work for its own interests and get 
 labor as cheap as it can." 
 
 "There's not anyway of gcttingvages higher because the big 
 man has got the little man sewed up." 
 
 The competition for jobs and the controls which companies use to prevent 
 
 labor organization or demand for raises were said by many to make the workers 
 
 helpless as individuals. A 16-year-old girl, working in a cotton mill, re- 
 
 oorted the situation: 
 
-158- 
 
 "We don't dare to say a thing about low wages at the mills as 
 there are so many wanting to get jobs there. If you kiok, 
 you're fired." 
 
 A laborer in a refining company said: 
 
 "There are men at our place who've worked years and years and 
 never got more than 60£f an hour, but they're afraid because 
 if they have a meeting, one of the bosses will call you in and 
 say, 'I seen you at that meeting last night. Here's your card, 
 get out'." 
 
 Another youth felt that the labor unions, while the best means of 
 raising wages, often had crooked leaders or charged so much for dues 
 that workers could not afford to belong. Almost every comment made 
 about the NRA was a favorable one, many workers reporting that at 
 the end of the NPA their hours had increased 60% (from 8 to 12 per 
 day), with no change in pay. 
 
 Table 52 shows complete tabulation of responses. 
 
 TABLE 52 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,621 WHITE YOUTH* 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES to QUESTIONS: 
 ARE WAGES of WORKERS GENERALLY HIGH ENOUGH? IF NOT, BY 
 WHAT AGENCY COULD THEY ^EST RE RAISED? 
 
 Total ToTal 
 Numbe r % 
 
 T0TA L 3,621 100.00 
 
 Wages are not too low 
 
 Wages are too low, but do not know how to raise them 
 
 Too low: greater individual effort 
 
 Too low: labor unions — workers' organizations, col- 
 lective bargaining, strikes 
 
 Too low: Government regulation — NRA, other govern- 
 ment measures 
 
 Too low: employer — company unions, bonuses, pro- 
 fit sharing, piece rates 
 
 Too low: new economic system— co-operatives, govt, 
 ownership of industry 
 
 Too low: other agencies 
 
 Some wages' are too low, and some are not 
 
 No opinion, do not know 
 
 520 
 
 14.36 
 
 1,319 
 
 36.42 
 
 64 
 
 1.76 
 
 161 
 
 4.44 
 
 692 
 
 IS. 11 
 
 270 
 
 7.45 
 
 21 
 
 .57 
 
 5 
 
 .13 
 
 90 
 
 2.48 
 
 479 
 
 13,22 
 
 Of the white youth, 1 made no response to this question and is not 
 included in this Table. 
 
Compar isons 
 
 When one compares educational level with the responses received to the 
 question, it is disappointing to discover how little influence education 
 appears to have had in helping to develop a body of information on which res- 
 ponses could be made. As the following figures reveal, we find a very con- 
 siderable proportion from every educational level who were unable to give an 
 opinion on one or the other phase of the question, and an interesting increase 
 in the number who do not believe wages are too low: 
 
 Wages Too Low, but 
 Level of Educa- Do Not know if Do Not Know How to Wages Are Not 
 tion Attained Wages Are too Low Raise Them Too Low 
 
 7th' grade or less 
 
 13.27 ■ 
 
 49.91$ 
 
 9.20$ 
 
 8th, 9th, or lOfch 
 
 
 
 
 grade 
 
 14.03 
 
 35.11 
 
 14.71 
 
 High school grad- 
 
 
 
 
 uate 
 
 11.54 
 
 34.35 
 
 15.38 
 
 1, 2, or 3 years 
 
 
 
 
 in college 
 
 13.21 
 
 32.12 
 
 16.17 
 
 4 or more years in 
 
 
 
 
 college 
 
 10.08 
 
 22.69 
 
 18.49 
 
 Neither the youth's own occupation, his present employment status, 
 nor the occupation of his father appears to furnish a basis of ex- 
 perience which in and of itself was sufficient to produce an opinion 
 either one way or the other in answer to this question. 
 
 Attitude o n Child Lab or 
 
 On no question was there a unanimity of opinion comparable to that asking 
 
 "SHOULD GOVERNMENT PROHIBIT BY LAW THE GAINFUL LABOR of 
 CHILDREN 14 or 15 YEARS OLD? IF SO, WHAT EXCEPTIONS, 
 IF ANY, WOULD YOU MAKE IN THIS LAW?" 
 
 Over 89$ of tho group were in favor of such a law. Over 53$ believed the 
 
 law should be all-inclusive, while the two principal exceptions were those of 
 
 tho family's needing help, or the child's dependence. 
 
-160- 
 
 Among those who were most emphatic in the necessity for such a law was 
 a teacher in one of the schools in a poorer district who reported that those 
 who worked after school were unable to keep abreast in their studies and that 
 many were taken out of school by their parents to supplement family incomes. 
 
 From a housewife came this report: 
 
 "There's a man who peddles vegetables around here. He 
 sends three or four little girls from about seven to 
 eleven from door to door, while he sits in the car. 
 Things like that ought to be stopped. Children ought 
 to be in school. 1 ' 
 
 A boy, working as a newsboy, reported: 
 
 "The newspaper sent out statements to all of the newsboys 
 saying that if the State or Government regulated child 
 labor, the law would prevent us from even washing the 
 family car or mowing the lawn. This was just to get 
 people against child labor law because that would make 
 them (the newspaper owners) have to pay more to get their 
 newspaper delivered." 
 
 Complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 53. 
 
 TABLE 53— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,617 TWITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES to QUESTIONS: 
 SHOULD GOVERNMENT PROHIBIT by LAV/ THE GAINFUL LABOR of CHILDREN 
 14 or 15 YEARS OLD? IF SO, TOHAT EXCEPTIONS, IF ANY, WOULD YOU 
 TAKE IN THIS LAW? 
 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 
 Number 
 
 c? 
 
 TOTAL 
 
 5,617 
 
 100.00 
 
 Should not prohibit gainful child la'^or by law 
 
 294 
 
 8.12 
 
 Should prohibit all gainful child labor 
 
 1,952 
 
 53.S6 
 
 Should prohibit except when family needs help 
 
 880 
 
 24.32 
 
 Should prohibit except when youth wants own money 
 
 53 
 
 1.4-6 
 
 Should prohibit until youth attains a certain grade** 
 
 11 
 
 .30 
 
 Should prohibit except when further school progress is 
 
 
 
 impossible 
 
 59 
 
 1.63 
 
 Should prohibit except when parents are dead, invalid, 
 
 
 
 or child dependent 
 
 566 
 
 15.64 
 
 Should prohibit: other exceptions 
 
 51 
 
 1.41 
 
 Other responses 
 
 3 
 
 .08 
 
 No opinion, do not know 
 
 75 
 
 2.07 
 
 * Of the white youth, 5 made no response to this question 
 
 . and are not included 
 
 in this Table. 
 
 
 
 ** Where respondents suggested High School graduation as 
 
 minimum gi 
 
 ^ade attain- 
 
C omp arisons 
 
 No significant differences in the responses of males and fe- 
 males appear, nor can formal education processes be given more than 
 slight credit for the formulation of opinions, for youth of each 
 educational level gave positive and negative answers in approximate- 
 ly the same proportion. Those now in school suggested proportion- 
 ately a greater number of exceptions that should be made in the law 
 than did those out of school. 
 
 Community Measures for Preve ntion of De linquency 
 
 With the mounting attention being given to juvenile delinquency and 
 crime, the questions intended to elicit from youth what they felt to be the 
 most effective means of preventing these conflicts with the law seemed per- 
 tinent. We actually phrased the questions: 
 
 "DO YOU THINK THERE IS ANYTHING YOUR COMMUNITY CAN DO TO KEEP 
 YOUNG PEOPLE OUT of TROUBLE? IF SO, WHAT IS THE PRINCIPAL 
 THING?" 
 
 Our results showed that 32.33%, or almost one-third, of the youth believe 
 that difficulties of this sort were so much a product of family training or 
 individual will that any community measure was likely to be ineffective. Amor 
 those who believed that it was largely a family matter many assigned the dif- 
 ficulty to stringent regulation on the part of the parents which suddenly re- 
 laxed. From all ages came responses like this: 
 
 "When families are too strict, the children run wild the 
 first chance they get. Parents should be more lenient. 
 If you have a pleasant home, you're not so quick to jump 
 up and leave." 
 
 Almost the same percentage, however, 31.98$, believed that a scheme of 
 recreation would do much to alleviate these conflicts and 2 out of 3 suggest- 
 ing recreation said that it should include supervision. Three of our coded 
 responses were so similar that the interviewer often had difficulty in assign- 
 ing the response to the proper category. These were, "Give them (youth) 
 
employment", "Keep them occupied", and "Fetter economic conditions". One of 
 
 these three answers was given by 13. 7f. 
 
 Personal experiences or observations seem to account for most of these 
 
 replies. A 17-year-old boy who had served a term in the State Reform School 
 
 said: 
 
 "They (youth) only get in trouble when they can't get something 
 to do. I know I never got in trouble when I had work." 
 
 A 20-year-old girl said: 
 
 "Children steal because they don't have food and clothing. We 
 have a drug store down in 'Little Mexico 1 and conditions there 
 are pitiful. They're sick and spread disease. The families 
 need help to feed the children. These children are going to 
 grow up here and live in the community and they need help. 
 I've seen them looking in garbage cans for food. What else 
 can you expect under such circumstances? They're bound to 
 start stealing." 
 
 Experiences which the youth had had with the Police Department brought much 
 
 criticism on the methods of handling youth, especially for picking up and 
 
 taking to jail young boys who had committed no other offense than being out 
 
 after nine o'clock. 
 
 L ? w enforcement of one sort or another was felt to be the most effective 
 by 6«9?5, while the provision of more or hotter education for both youth and 
 parents was felt to be the best means by only 4.14$. However, this last per- 
 centage does not include those who believed that the enforcement of the com- 
 pulsory education law would prove the most effective means, a response given 
 by about 1 out of every 100. 
 
 Complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 54. 
 
TABLE 54— -NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,235 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO PRINCIPAL METHOD SUGGESTED 
 BY WHICH COMMUNITY COULD KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE OUT OF TROUBLE 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 3,235 100.00 
 
 Provide employment 87 2.63 
 Provide recreation: sports, athletics, clubs, 
 
 recreation centers 292 9.02 
 
 Provide recreation (as in 2), but with supervision 743 22.96 
 
 Stricter control of liquor and saloons, gambling 102 3.15 
 Improve law enforcement, juvenile courts, police; 
 
 provide curfew 123 5.80 
 
 Improve economic conditions including relief 118 5.64 
 
 Keep them busy, occupied, give them something to do 239 7.38 
 Provide more or better education for youth or parents; 
 
 sex education 134 4.14 
 
 Do not know; or other 351 10.85 
 
 Individual or family matter only 1,046 32.33 
 
 * Of the white youth, 387 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 The responses to this quest on were approximately the same for 
 both sexes, but advances in educational level tended to decrease 
 the number who believed there was nothing the community could do 
 and to increase the number who believed that recreation would do 
 much to solve the problem. When answers are compared on the basis 
 of employment status of youth, few differences are found and these 
 are small. 
 
 Attit ud e toward Drinking 
 
 In order to determine what attitude the youth held toward drinking, we 
 presented a list of circumstances and asked them to choose that one which 
 scorned to express their own feeling. We find that 35$ were opposed to all 
 drinking, 16.88$ felt it was not permissible for themselves to drink but would 
 permit others to do so, and 44.26$ believed that they themselves should be 
 permitted to drink. 
 
•164- 
 
 Opposition to drinking was almost the same in all Areas except 1, 
 2, and 3 where it fell from 6 to 17 points below average. It 
 should be remembered that these three Areas rank relatively high on 
 the economic and educational sorties. 
 
 Tabulation of responses is shown in Table 55. 
 
 TABLE 55 PERCENTAGE and NUMERICAL DISTRIBUTION of 3,603 WHITE YOUTH* 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO EXPRESSED OPINIONS AS TO 
 CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER TOUCH DRINKING IS PERTISSIBLE 
 
 Total ToTaT 
 Number % 
 
 263 
 
 35.05 
 
 263 
 
 7.29 
 
 515 
 
 14.29 
 
 T0TAL 5,60 5 100^00, 
 
 Oppose all drinking 
 
 Permissible only for others in homes 
 
 Permissible for others and self in homes 
 
 Permissible for others in public places, excepting 
 
 public dances, games, etc. 194 5.38 
 
 Permissible for others and self in public places, 
 
 with above exceptions 
 Permissible anywhere, but only for others 
 Permissible anywhere for others and self 
 Other 
 No opinion 
 
 381 
 
 10.57 
 
 152 
 
 4.21 
 
 699 
 
 19.40 
 
 35 
 
 .97 
 
 101 
 
 2.80 
 
 Of the white youth, 19 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 We found that females were slightly more (39.4$) opposed to 
 drinking t u an were males (29.57$). Advances in educational level 
 decreased the proportion who were opposed to drinking and increased 
 the percentage who believed it was permissible under any circumstan- 
 ces. No differences of any significance were apparent on the basis 
 of employment status. 
 
 At titude on War 
 
 Those who believe that youth have been educated beyond the point where 
 they would participate in another war will find disappointment in the results 
 of our measurement of this attitude. Our method of presentation was this: 
 
-165- 
 
 we asked all youth to consider themselves as potential soldiers and then 
 asked what action they would take in case the United States declared war in 
 the immediate future, allowing them to see, before making a response, a list 
 of possible courses of action. 
 
 We found that 35.43/2 would volunteer immediately, 6.57$ would volunteer 
 to avoid the draft, an additional 23.72$ would await the draft, and 7.3 
 felt they would delay until invasion seemed at hand. Only 5.1$ would refuse 
 to go and only 5.09$ would seek exemption or perform non-combative service. 
 The responses to this question, then, seem to divide the youth into three 
 groups : 
 
 1) At least one-third would volunteer without question. 
 
 2) A larger number would accept what seemed to be the in- 
 evitable and respond to the potential or actual draft. 
 
 3) A very small number would actively r esist. 
 
 That this willingness to go to war must not be interpreted as an approval 
 
 of war is shown by the 172 who, although they said they would respond by 
 
 either volunteering or answering the draf£, gave some expression condemning 
 
 war, such as "I hate war". For example, a 24-year-old unemployed youth who 
 
 had graduated from college expressed himself in this way: 
 
 "I'd volunteer immediately, but this doesn't say I'm for war. 
 Everyone says that they won't fight for 'Big Business', but 
 I doubt if I'd know what I was fighting for and I don't be- 
 lieve I have the moral courage to refuse to go." 
 
 Another boy, 23 years of age, said he would go if drafted, but, 
 
 "I don't want to die and I don't think it's courageous to fight. 
 You're not fighting for our country, but for some big oil or 
 munitions company. They don't give you a job when you ask for it." 
 
 Many of the expressions from unemployed youth were the same as that of 
 
 the 20-yoar-old high school graduate: 
 
"I'd volunteer immediately. Getting into a war would beat 
 sitting around doing nothing like I am now." 
 
 The tabulation of responses is shown in Table 56. 
 
 TABLE 56 NULTSRICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,587 WHITE YOUTH* 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES TO QUESTION: 
 "."AT WOULD YOU DO IN CASE THE UNITED STATES DECLARED WAR?** 
 
 Total Total ' 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 
 
 3,587 
 
 100.00 
 
 1,271 
 
 35.45 
 
 238 
 
 6.57 
 
 851 
 
 23.72 
 
 264 
 
 7.35 
 
 190 
 
 5.29 
 
 110 
 
 3.0G 
 
 103 
 
 5.10 
 
 73 
 
 2.03 
 
 8 
 
 .22 
 
 399 
 
 11.12 
 
 Volunteer immediately 
 
 Volunteer — "they ' d get me anyway" 
 
 Go if drafted 
 
 Go if invasion threatened 
 
 Go if drafted or invasion threatened 
 
 Seek official exemption 
 
 Refuse to go 
 
 Perform only non-combative service 
 
 Other 
 
 No opinion, do not know 
 
 * Of the white youth, 35 made no response to this question and are not 
 
 included in this Table. 
 ** Girls were asked to answer this question as if they were men. 
 
 C ompa risons 
 
 Responses to this question, which was hypothetical for girls, 
 showed a slightly larger percentage of females who had no opinion, 
 but no other differences of any marked degree are found. 
 
 If we compare the groups on the basis of their educational 
 attainment, we discover that the percentage who say they would vol- 
 unteer immediately decreases with advances, while the number who 
 say they would refuse to go mounts steadily from o% of those who 
 did not finish the seventh grade up to 10^ who graduated from col- 
 lege. 
 
 A slightly larger percentage of school students and of the 
 unemployed would volunteer immediately than would those from other 
 occupational groups, when the youth are classified on the basis 
 of their employment status. 
 
Racial Att itudes 
 
 Positive and negative answers to five questions involving race relations 
 
 constituted our measure of the attitude of each racial group toward the 
 
 others in the community. Tho first of these was: 
 
 "SHOULD MEMBERS of DIFFERENT RACES RECEIVE THE 
 SAJ.SE PAY FOR THE SAME JOB IF THEY HAVE EQUAL 
 SKILL and TRAINING?" 
 
 Of the white youth, 5.32% had no opinion on this question, while in 
 almost every Area the percentage of those who believed they should was the 
 same as for the total group, 64.13/6. Over 30% believed that race was a 
 justifiable basis for discrimination in pay. 
 
 An expression which sometimes appeared in connection with this question 
 seems worthy of comment, not because of its frequency, but because of the 
 peculiar reasoning which lies behind it. This expression was that there 
 should be a differential in pay because "Other races have a lower standard 
 of living or do not need as much to live on". Since no instances arc noted 
 in Dallas where a different set of price levels is offered for those of a 
 darker skin, it may be assumed that this response implies that other races 
 are superior to the white in home management or tho more vicious thought 
 that because such races have been forced to live in a lower plane, they 
 should be forced to so continue. 
 
 The complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 57. 
 
-168- 
 
 TABLE 57— -NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,609 WHITE YOUTE* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES TO QuESTinT<: 
 SHOULD MEMBERS of DIFFERENT RACES RECEIVE THE SAME PAv FOR 
 THE SAME JOB IF THEY HAVE EQUAL SKILL AND TRAINING 
 
 TOTAL 
 
 Should 
 Should not 
 No opinion 
 
 Total 
 Number 
 
 Total 
 % 
 
 3,609 
 
 100.00 
 
 2,321 
 
 1,096 
 
 192 
 
 64.31 
 
 30.36 
 
 5.32 
 
 Of the white youth, 13 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 Our second question was of the same nature and was stated: 
 
 "SHOULD PUBLIC SCHOOLS SPEND PROPORTIONATE AMOUNTS of 
 MONEY ON ALL RACES?" 
 
 Opposition was less strong in this instance, but was again considerable, 
 for 21.52^ : believed all races were not entitled to the same educational op- 
 portunities. 
 
 Tabulation of responses is given in Table 58. 
 
 TABLE 58— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,609 WHITE ^OITTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES TO QUESTION: 
 SHOULD PUBLIC SCHOOLS SPEND PROPORTIONATE MOUNTS of MONEY 
 on ALL RACES 
 
 ____ t^-^j 
 
 Number % 
 
 ,609 100.00 
 
 2,577 71.40 
 777 21.52 
 255 7.06 
 
 Of the white youth, 13 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
The third question really involved the desirability of segregation, for 
 
 we asked: 
 
 "SHOULD PERSONS of ALL RACES BE ALLOWED TO USE ALL TAX-SUPPORTED 
 FACILITIES (SUCH AS PARKS, LIBRARIES, AUDITORIUMS, ETC.)?" 
 
 and interpreted this to our interviewees as meaning at the same time. 
 
 An overwhelming percentage, 78.77/i of the total group, were opposed to 
 such use without segregation, while only 15.985° gave a positive answer. That 
 the 2,221 who believed that tax-supported facilities should not be used by 
 persons of all races at the same time does not necessarily imply that other 
 races should not be provided such facilities, is shown by the 631 who volunte* 
 ered the suggestion that segregation should be enforced, but that comparable 
 facilities should be provided for other racial groups. 
 
 Complete tabulation of responses is found in Table 59. 
 
 TABLE 59— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,609 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES TO QUESTION: 
 SHOULD PERSONS of ALL RACES BE ALLOYED TO USE ALL TAX-SUP- 
 PORTED FACILITIES (SUCH AS PARKS, LIBRARIES, AUDITORIUMS, ETC.) 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 3 ,609 10 0.00 
 
 Should 577 15.98 
 
 Should not 2,843 78.77 
 
 No opinion 189 5.23 
 
 Of the white youth, 13 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 Our next question involved an issue in municipal government vihich had 
 arisen in the past and was due to be re-opened not long after our interview- 
 ing period was over. This was: 
 
 "SHOULD ALL RACES BE REPRESENTED ON THE CITY POLICE FORCE?" 
 
-170- 
 
 In presenting this question we stressed the fact that such police would 
 be used only in areas where persons of their own race live. Cnl^ 31fS be- 
 lieved that policemen should be so user:, while over 61% were opposed, and 
 6.78^ had no opinion. 
 
 Complete tabulation of responses is found in Table 60. 
 
 TABLE 60— NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,609 WHITE YOUTH* 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSE? TO QUESTION! 
 SHOULD ALL RACES BE REPRESENTED on THE CITY POLICE FORCE 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL 5 ,609 100.00 
 
 Should 1,143 31.67 
 
 Should not 2,221 61.54 
 
 No opinion 245 6.78 
 
 Of the white youth, 13 made no response to this question and are not in- 
 cluded in this Table. 
 
 The last question was derived from a situation which has been much dis- 
 cussed in recent years and which involves almost all of the so-called "Solid 
 South". Before presenting the results, it should be pointed out that in 
 Texas a majority of votes secured in the D mocratic Primary have in almost 
 every instance been tantamount to election. The Democratic Party has, how- 
 ever, reserved the right to exclude Negroes from these elections. The 
 question was then: 
 
 "SHOULD PRIMARY ELECTIONS BE OPEN TO ALL QUALIFIED VOTERS 
 REGARDLESS OF RACE?" 
 
 We found many who were unaware of this situation and even an explanation 
 
 failed to draw from them an opinion (l5.87'o had none). T hose who approved 
 
 of this measure considerably outnumbered those who were opposed, the ratio 
 
 being slightly less than 3 to 2 and the percentages 49,68^ for and 34.44;'o 
 
 against. 
 
•171- 
 
 Complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 61. 
 
 TABLE 61 WTMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,609 WRITE YOUTH* 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES TO QUESTION: 
 SHOULD PRIMARY ELECTIONS BE OPEN to ALL QUALIFIED VOTERS 
 REGARDLESS of RACE 
 
 TOTAL 
 
 Should 
 Should not 
 No opinion 
 
 Total 
 
 Number 
 
 Total 
 % 
 
 3,609 
 
 100.00 
 
 1,793 
 
 1,243 
 
 573 
 
 34.4-4 
 15.87 
 
 Of the white youth, 13 made no response to this question and are not 
 included in this Table. 
 
 Believing that the questions regarding equal pay, funds for schools, 
 representation on the police force, and the opening of primary elections to 
 persons of all races constituted a basis on which an index of race prejudice 
 could be built, we combined all positive answers to these questions and all 
 negative answers to determine the percentage of racial antagonism. This 
 average for each of the Areas of Investigation is presented in Map 8. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 Differences in the responses of each sex to these questions were very 
 slight. Educational level failed to affect the responses to the question 
 regarding equal pay for all races and that concerning public schools, 
 but increased the proportions who answered positively the questions re- 
 garding tax-supported facilities, representation on the city police 
 force, and those eligible to vote. 
 
 Employment status does not appear to affect the responses. In order 
 to determine, in so far as we could, the truth of the often-made state- 
 ment that it is competition for jobs which produces racial animosity, 
 we checked the attitudes expressed by the youth against their own oc- 
 cupations and those of their fathers, and found that in those occupa- 
 tions 'in which there ivcas liely to be competition between the youth' z 
 father and members of other races (the laboring and farming 
 
groups in particular) , in 4 out of the 5 instances there was a def- 
 initely higher opposition to measures of equality than had been ex- 
 pressed by the sons and daughters of persons in the "white-collar" 
 occupations. In case of the youth's own occupation, however, this 
 could not be demonstrated. 
 
 Attitude toward Government Assistance to Youth 
 
 Answers to our questions: 
 
 "SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT HELP YOUTH 16 to 24 YEARS OF AGE? 
 IF IT SHOULD, IN WHAT WAYS?" 
 
 revealed very little opposition among youth to government assistance in at 
 
 least one or more ways, only 5.73^ believing government should not help 
 
 youth; but showed much difference of opinion as to the types of assistance. 
 
 Over 605', however, endorsed the following measures : 
 
 1) Help youth to get jobs 
 
 2) Regulate wages so youth can earn a decent living 
 
 3) Help youth to get vocational training 
 
 4) Help needy parents so youth can continue in school. 
 
 It is interesting to note that almost twice as many believed that 
 government should help youth to get jobs as believed government should pro- 
 vide jobs for youth, and that only two-thirds as many believed that youth 
 who desire academic education should be financed as believed that youth who 
 desire vocational training should receive.'assistance. Part of this may be 
 accounted for by feelings similar to that of the 20-year-old housewife who 
 said: 
 
 "I don't care much for education since two of my brothers, one 
 who studied medicine and the other law, went on relief. My 
 third brother learned a trade and has always made a good living." 
 
-173- 
 
 Financing those who were seeking a start in business was endorsed by 
 one-fifth of the group, provision of additional recreational facilities by 
 one-seventh, and financial aid to youth who wish to marry by only one-four- 
 teenth. Responses endorsing aid to youth who wish to marry frequently came 
 from married women who had been forced to work, or from single girls facing 
 marriage whose prospective husbands were not making enough to support them. 
 
 The wide diversion between the responses of youth living in the dif- 
 ferent Areas seems worthy of comment, for Areas 4 and 16, both of which 
 are low on the economic scale and relatively unurbanized, stand out for 
 the overwhelming endorsement which they gave to the first eight measures 
 of government aid suggested. 
 
 In connection with this question, interviewers often noted some expres- 
 sion of favor given to one or more of the current attempts on tho part of the 
 Federal Government to assist in meeting youth problems. For example, 28 
 volunteered the information that they especially approved of the Civilian 
 Conservation Corps and 79 stated their approval of the NRA. Among other 
 ways in which government could help youth which are not coded, vocational 
 guidance was suggested most often. 
 
 Complete tabulation of responses is shown in Table 62. 
 
 TABLE 62 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,524 Y/HITE YOUTH* (ex- 
 cluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES to the QUESTIONS: SHOULD 
 THE GOVERNMENT HELP YO TH 16 to 24 YEARS OF AGE? IF IT SHOULD, 
 IN WHAT WAYS? 
 
 Total" Total 
 Number % 
 
 TOTAL SjJl 24 ' 10 2jl 
 
 Government should not help youth at all 195 5.' 
 
 Provide jobs for youth 1,132 32.! 
 
 Help youth to get jobs 2,121 60.! 
 
 Regulate wages so youth can earn a decent living 2,153 60. ( 
 
 Finance youth who wish to get started in business '790 20, i 
 
 Help youth to get vocational training 2,173 60. ( 
 
 Finance youth who desire further education 1,536 43.; 
 
 Help needy parents so youth can continue in school 2,148 60.! 
 
 Provide more recreation facilities for youth 1,243 15.1 
 
 Help youth who wish to marry 275 7.' 
 
 Other ways 32 .i 
 
 * Of the white youth, 98 made no response to this question and are not in- 
 cluded in this Table. 
 
•174- 
 
 Compari sons 
 
 No significant differences appear in the responses of the two sexes 
 to this question. In most instances, those from the lower educational 
 levels endorsed in greater numbers the various methods by which govern- 
 ment might help youth, but youth from higher educational levels en- 
 dorsed in greater numbers aid towards further vocational training and 
 the provision of more recreational facilities. 
 
 Attitude toward the Future 
 
 The final question in the interview was intended to discover how the 
 youth looked on his future prospects. We presented a list of possible res- 
 ponses and our immediate discovery was that no matter how dark the present, 
 the great majority of youth believed that they should look with optimism on 
 the future, 66.4% declaring they were optimistic or enthusiastic about their 
 own futures. The remaining 33.6/J expressed themselves somewhere between the 
 extremes of bewilderment and embitterment. 
 
 This tendency to claim optimism was exemplified by a 24-year-old college 
 
 graduate now employed as a clerk. Our interviewer described her attitude in 
 
 this way: 
 
 B. circles "Optimistic", yet a later conversation revealed that 
 she is uncertain and doubtful about her own future. She lacks 
 association with men which she desires. She is dissatisfied 
 with her job. She feels her friends are dissatisfied and unhappy. 
 She says that this generation is different from all others and 
 certainly needs attention. She does not understand the feeling 
 of uncertainty that pervades all young people. She feels some- 
 thing is wrong. She wants to work, but she doesn't know what 
 kind of work she wants to do. She is saving money for a trip 
 somewhere where she can get a different outlook on life. She has 
 lived in Dallas all her life. 
 
 As one would expect, there was a higher proportion of those who chose 
 
 "Enthusiastic" or "Optimistic" in the better economic Areas, such as 1, 2, 3, 
 
 5, and 6, and more concern in those Areas ranking lower on the economic scale, 
 
•175- 
 
 Coirrolete tabulations are found in Table 63. 
 
 TABLE 63 NUMERICAL and PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION of 3,456 WHITE YOUTH* 
 
 (excluding Mexicans) ACCORDING TO RESPONSES TO QUESTION: 
 WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE FUTURE? 
 
 TOTAL 
 
 Enthusiastic 
 
 Optimistic 
 
 Indifferent 
 
 Resigned 
 
 Embittered, disgusted 
 
 Discouraged 
 
 Worried 
 
 Frightened or afraid 
 
 Pessimistic 
 
 Bewildered, doubtful, 
 
 Other 
 
 confused, lost 
 
 Total Total 
 Number % 
 
 456 
 
 100.00 
 
 Of the white youth, 166 had no opinion and are not included 
 Table. 
 
 Comparisons 
 
 As the figures below show, males expressed themselves as being'more 
 enthusiastic or optimistic about the future than did the females, and 
 those from higher educational levels tended to give one of these res- 
 ponses more frequently than did those from lower levels: 
 
 Highest Grade Success 
 fully Passed 
 
 Percentage Signifying Optimism 
 or Enthusiasm 
 
 
 Male 
 
 Female 
 
 Total 
 
 74.62 
 
 67.66 
 
 7th' grade or less 
 
 44.94 
 
 42.34 
 
 8th, 9th, or 10th grade 
 
 59.78 
 
 66.77 
 
 High school graduate 
 
 74.72 
 
 73.90 
 
 1 to 3 years in college 
 
 77.33 
 
 85.93 
 
 4 or more years in college 
 
 82.98 
 
 84.62 
 
Summary 
 
 The general conclusion to be drawn from the answers received on 
 social questions must be that few youth have ever actually devoted 
 any portion of their time to a consideration of these questions. 
 Still fewer have any feeling that they might be active in bringing 
 about some solution to the problems of low wages, child labor, de- 
 linquency, war, race relations, and government functioning which 
 were involved. Nor does it appear that education prepares or in- 
 spires more than a few youth to work for an understanding or solution 
 of these issues. 
 
 The wide-spread feeling of helplessness in meeting their own pro- 
 blems and the general approval riven to government assistance are 
 coupled with a very evident feeling of detachment from government. 
 The youth seem to possess no concept that they might or should in 
 any way influence the conduct of government. 
 
 Specifically, the majority believe 
 
 1) That wages are too low 
 
 2) That child labor should be prohibited 
 
 3) That the community could, chiefly by providing recreation, 
 keep young people out of trouble 
 
 4) That drinking is generally permissible 
 
 5) That, should war be declared, they would go, some reluctantly, 
 but without resistance 
 
 6) That racial groups should not be granted equality 
 
 7) That government should assist youth 16 to 24 years of age. 
 
 Secti on 9. Special Groups 
 
 Before concluding this section which deals with white youth, we wish to 
 present some facts concerning a few special groups of these youth: 
 
•177- 
 
 Youth Whose Families Received Relief 
 
 We find that of the youth from relief families, 
 
 1) 44.66% had completed only the seventh grade or less 
 as compared with 15.59% of the total white group. 
 
 2) Only 10.7% had graduated from high school as compared 
 with 46.99% of the total group. 
 
 3) 32.4% had never received a full-time permanent job, 
 as compared to 13.64$ of the total group. 
 
 4) 52.64% of the fathers of this group had been laborers, 
 
 5) Although only 18.7% of the homes of all white youth 
 fell in the minimum comfort level or below, 50.8% of 
 the homes of relief youth fell in this category. 
 
 Youth Who Studv Part-Time 
 
 Of those who took part-time courses, 
 
 1) Over 88$ came from homes on the upper comfort or 
 luxury levels. 
 
 2) 60. 9% of the fathers of this group were "white-collar 1 ' 
 or professional workers, as compared with 37% of the 
 total group. 
 
 3) Over 75% of these students were high school graduates 
 or above, as compared to 46.99$ for the total group. 
 
 Youth Desirin g to Leave Home 
 
 The single youth living at home but desiring to leave proved an 
 interesting group because of the similarity of their responses to 
 those of the total group. In respect to education, number receiv- 
 ing relief, character of homes, occupations of fathers, attendance 
 at church, and recreational habits, their responses are of the same 
 distribution as those of the total group. Of the group, however, 
 98$ were 20 years of age or over. 
 
 Youth of Foreign-Born Parents 
 
 The white youth of foreign-born parents also seem to have problems 
 in no different proportions from those of the white youth of native 
 parentage. 
 
Conclusions 
 
 In the preceding Sections we have attempted to present in. sufficient 
 detail the extent, character, and feeling that surround each of the problems 
 of youth touched upon, that it would be possible to plan effectively for their 
 solution. 
 
 When we put together the facts that 16$ of the girls leave school in 
 order to marry, that marriage in the majority of cases is considered as a 
 justifiable basis for withdrawal from group recreation, from further educa- 
 tion, as a block to other educational interests, and that 10§£ of the marriages 
 have already been broken, we see that here is an intricate and far-reaching 
 problem. It is evident that continued stimulation is needed to prevent 
 married life from becoming so barren that many are willing to abandon it. 
 To do this requires that we show clearly to those about to marry their res- 
 ponsibility to maintain and develop a richness of association and activity 
 and, at the same time, that we remove the barriers to continued participation 
 in education, in recreation, and in group action. 
 
 Today when we are faced with social and economic problems more intricate 
 than those of any previous time, we find that even should all those now in 
 school complete the eleventh grade, which many are unlikely to do, vre have 
 not yet made it possible for 7.28^ to finish grade school and 40.19^ to 
 finish high school, although with less than this amount of education they 
 are hardly equipped to understand even the simplest of those problems. Among 
 those who have enjoye-' the fullest benefits of our educational system and 
 are now taking positions in business, teaching, and other professions, which 
 make them potential leaders in the community, we find many who have no per- 
 ception of the nature of social problems or feel any responsibility in bring- 
 
■179- 
 
 ing about their solution. Intelligent, functioning citizenship, which is 
 possible only when critical judgment and knowledge are the attributes of 
 the citizen, is a role for which education is apparently preparing few youth. 
 We must not only remove the economic necessity which now forces so many 
 youth out of school, vre must prepare a curriculum which holds their interest 
 and which gives them a concept of their social responsibilities to so under- 
 stand and act that in the future these economic forces will not continue to 
 defeat our intention to cultivate through public education a functioning 
 and intelligent citizenship. 
 
 For those who have already terminated their formal schooling and whom 
 revisions in curriculum would not benefit, a different approach is necessary. 
 
 That the general apathy and lack of knowledge of social affairs should 
 be overcome if Democracy is to function, everyone knows, but with a group 
 whose chief interest in continued education is based upon the contribution 
 that education can make to economic livelihood, interest can be aroused only 
 by a special technique. Vocational interests should be satisfied both in 
 school and out of school, but in that vocational process there should be 
 brought home to the youth the relationship between their jobs and all other 
 jobs, between their wages and all other wages, and between their social res- 
 ponsibility and the functioning of the entire economic order. 
 
 The very obvious failure of many of the youth to find the recreation 
 which is most satisfying and to evaluate critically the whole pattern of their 
 lives seems more responsible than anything else for dissatisfaction and help- 
 lessness. This feeling of frustration which reaches its height among those 
 (23.33^) who find themselves able and willing to work but unwanted in the 
 
-180- 
 
 economic scheme, can be overcome only if the youth, under expert guidance, 
 are taught to evaluate the economic system in which they must seek a liveli- 
 hood, their own preparation, and are shown the way they, alone or with others 
 who have similar problems, may take steps to control those factors before 
 which they now feel themselves helpless. 
 
 With new emphases in education which teach social responsibility, give 
 the youth criteria for self-evaluation, and lay the groundwork for function- 
 ing groups of youth to meet some of their own problems, there must come work 
 opportunities which are not only sufficient in number to employ the 23.33/* 
 partially or totally idle, but which reward the youth for increases in know- 
 ledge and skill and give them both job satisfaction and security. 
 
 In summation, then, we must have work, but it must be suitable work; we 
 must have social knowledge; we must have vocational education, recreation, 
 and guidance. All of these are needed, but in everyone of them we must en- 
 list the help of the youth by giving them responsibilities and demonstrating 
 that by unity of purpose, with sound knowledge, and with critical judgment, 
 they can direct the energies within themselves now being lost, and can control 
 those external forces which are responsible for their helplessness, apathy, 
 idleness, and paucity of living. 
 

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