The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-12
SPECIAL NOTICE,

acreage of improved land has increased
in Georgia from s,O62,75S to 3o971,5ls acres.
and with 1t the value of farm land has
increased. This increase is due largely
to the. increase of the productive, ett1-
cheney of free labor. Any one who con-
siders the circumstances under which the
coored Georgian has come in possession
Of 1075O73 acres of farm land, and mas
gained over $14,0OO,000 worth of taxable
property, substantially in less than a
generation, must experience some ulIh-
Guilty in subscribing to the truth OF the
nroposition that the colored farm labor
err will not work as well under the incite-
ment of ambition and self-interest as ne
did under fear of punishment, ana as ne
will now when under control
1.-THE wages upon the farm are so small,
, however, and the conveniences are usual
ly SO meager, that there can be little won
der that there is a general disposition
among the colored farm laborer either to
rent or buy land. The colored laborer
feels that he can scarcely make less TO
live upon and he knows that he will not
have to work so hard when he is renter.
some of the planters write me thai
when the colored laborer is properly
treated, and he is not subjected to extor-
! ton and undue hardships, that there Is
| no more reliable labor to be found any
where, considering its degree OF inteill-
| sence. Poor wages and bad treatment are
| calculated to either drive the most Ell
| d.cient labor from the country to the city
| or to render such labor practically worth
| less But the fact that there are so many
| fairly prosperous colored farmers IN the
| wire grass region is the best evidence Oh
| the truth of the statement that the best
| colored people and the best white people
| are there working together to better their
| condition.
1.-THE criminal population of this section
| is NOT large. According to the report OF
| the principal keeper of the penitentiary
| there are tout of a negro population OF
more than 1855, 40, only 673 negro state
| prisoners and these are engaged in work
| ing at the turpentine industry, ON Farms
in getting out crossties. on public roads
| and streets / am satisfied that the en-
| nioyment of these prisoners in this class
of work tends not only to lower the stand
| ard of living, to lessen the desiraoleness
and profitahleness of such work by free
labor, but greatly lower the morals ana
| efficiency of labor in the neighborhood-
| This cheap convict labor keeps down the
price of labor so low that very few free
| cciored laborers can do more than exc
| out a miserable living. the 10"
J state of morals and OF sus-
tenance superinduced by this condition
tends to render hopeless any effort OF the
ordinary coIored laborers to improve theli
| condition. They are thus content &c
exc out a miserable living from 'patcn-
es, instead OF farms, and of getting
niitanca from odd Jobs and such work as
that in which convicts are largely en-
polyed, If they can but get little casf
for II. Everybody must admit that TINS
Is a very undesirable state OF analrs'
condition that is contrary to the best IN
terests.
"But II is hardly fair, think to asser
that the wire grass negro Is puroeh y
the white man. There are 2o'OVo hesr'
polls in this region from which one doi
lar poll tax is collected, and they owl
property valued at 50 .0S3,S96. This prop
erty Is taxed at the rate so mills anS
Yields S15 %. In consideration
which they receive police protection an'
an expenditure of en- educational fund
sl2s2s.16. Their schools run from thre
10 Ave months and have been OF immens
value to the negro, for they are admins
tered by one Of the best state schoos com
uissloners In the country. Yet 40 no
shink that they have had the greatest 81
feet in rendering the labor more eniclen
. and productive The colored man mas ma
no teaching along the lines OF agncul
ture. and horticulture, and the needs o
common tools and agricultural machinery
NevertheIess comparative viel
lof the slave labor an
the free labor Is decidedly In favor q
The freed negro. IN the past thirty year
the freed negr0 has Increased hls pfop eg
. live mower NJ least two-fold. He ~ twle
49, efirieni ~ free man ~ he was p
4 daVs. 49, produces twice ~ much ie
. aav - bs did Then. contrary ~ re ri
MAR belief. tho Oh slafe negro iAn1f'
haa proged a Nat failure % Nefl1n
| Thsre are very few cases ~ success
| smgmlnR reported among fbe egiofea me
. hseors if7A Ihere are rnfe instances