Huntsville gazette., 1891-08-29
proving in efficiency?


as the younger generation has &C
quired on them as loborers?
5. Does it add to or detract from a
negroes efficiency as a laborer, in
your opinion, to educate him?
This is an enlargement of the '89
circular. the last three questions be-
ing added. Replies were received
from 1876 persons residing in all the
Southern States, and employing
1866 colored workers. of whom 978
are reported to be skilled laborers.
The highest wages reported as pait
to skilled laborer is SO 90 per day,
the lowest $1.10, and the average
OF skilled laborers $1.65 per day.
The highest wages received by un-
skilled laborers as shown by these re
plies is S1.50 per day, the lowest go
cents per day, and the average $1.10
per day.
The replies to the fourth question,
"what degree of efficiency do you
find in common and skilled negro la
Dor as compared to white labor in
ike work." are not SO general as are
the answers to some of the other
queries. Briefly stated twenty seven
employers of l 379 colored workers
see no difference as to their capacity
as compared with white laborers;
thirty>fve employers Of 1,441 col
ored men prefer white labor, and
forty. nine employers Of 1914 me-
groes prefer them to white men in
the same capacity.
To the inquiry, "Does it add to
the Negroes efficiency to educate him, :"
the answers are very interesting. To
questions 7 and s, concerning this
topic, there were received 139 an
swers, most Of which were quite
brief. Employers thirty in number
having 1850 coiored employees say
that the amount of education which
the younger negro have received has
been a benefit to them, and that it
"adds to the efficiency Of negro to
educate him" The doubters and
those who's replies showed that they
had no definite opinions, numbered
thirteen, and give work to 1872 COL
ored men. And ninety-six employ
ers, having $500 employees of the ne
gro race are Of the opinion that such
education as the younger Of the col
oled race have received, has not been
of been Of benefit to them, and that,
generally speaking, sit detracts from
a Negroes efficiency to educate him. j.
Thrsu condensaUiOns are taken
from the Tradesman's admirable sum-
mary Of the numerous and varied re-
plies; and they present the whole
question of the negro labor and the
relation of education to such labor,
in an entirely new and practical
form. That they are conclusive Of
the general efficiency of the negro as
a laborer in the South, Will scarcely
be questioned. A majority of those
answering question four prefer ne
gro to wi lite labor in the same capac-
ity. No serious fault is found by
anything like representative mum !,
Der of employers with their negro
workmen. Employers of 2,860, COW
ering more than a third Of the ne
gro laborers reported on, are con-
vined that education has benefited
the negro, made him more efficient
laborer, while employers OF $500.
nearly half the number reported on,
take the CONTRARY view, and believe
that education detracts from the
value of negro labor.
| Altoge her the showing is one
that should give renewed strength
and fresh hope to the advocates of
negro education, as a matter of both
Justice and the soundest social and
political policy. The answers Of
many who seem to prefer stolidly ig-
norant to intelligent negro labor must
be set down to the inspiration of pre- :
iudice and mere whim, while the EN-