The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-05-18

ton in business and in maintaining or
CARNATIONS. The work has been con-
Quoted by Mr.. A. F. Hilyer, with the
following assistants: DR.. J. G. Clay
ton, H. J. Davis, G.. w. Ellis, A. S.
Gray, L. G. Fletcher, Jr., DR.. r. T.
Hamilton, L. M. Hershaw, w. L. Hous-
ton, DR.. John c.. Norwood, Robert
Pelham, Jr., Edgar M. Kicks, Edward
W: Turner and DR.. Frank J. Webb.
The district was divided into sections
and each canvasser assigned to a sec
ton. The report was compiled and
edited by Mr.. Hilyer and published I'M
der the. auspices of the local Union
League in a pamphlet of liza pages. 1t
is claimed by the compiler that this is
the most comprehensive effort on the
part of Afro Americans to study their
own condition yet made.
Among the conclusions reached is
that "Afro-American people are not dis
posed to patronize each other in those
classes of business in which the whites
seriously compete for their trade. It
is the almost universal testimony of
Afro-Americans in those classes of
business in which they must compete
with white merchants that, as a rule,
the people of their own race shun them,
and that their patronage comes almost
entirely from the white race"
This, Mr.. Hilyer says, is due partly
to a lack of confidence which the mass
es feel for the Afro-American business
man, and partly to envy and jealousy
conditions which must be overcome, in
a large measure, before the Afro
American can hope to take his proper
place in the business world Yet, with
all these drawbacks, he says, a COM
mendable progress has been made in
business. The business movement has
not yet gained much volume, but is
widespread and popular, embracing all
sections of the district, over eighty
three different classes of business and
all classes of the Afro-American popu-
lation. -
The statistical analysis of the bust
ness movement was prepared by Mr.
George w. Ellis, a graduate of the Gun
ton Institute of Economics, New York
city. It shows that there are in the
District of Columbia 1902 Afro Ameri-
can proprietors, of whom only LOGO
furnished sufficient data about theil
business to enable him to include them
in his tabular statements. Of these
seventy-two have been in business less
than one year, 258 from one to three
years, 1879 from three to five years, FL
from five to ten years, 249 from ten tc
twenty years and 125 more than twenty
years, indicating considerable perma-
hence in business. They give employ
ment to $3.50 persons, have 1854, 761 in
vested n TO
business Of more than one and three
quarter millions of dollars. r- ~ -.
| Among the more common kinds Of
business may be mentioned the follow
ing: Barber shops, 142; blacksmith
shops, 13; boot and shoe repairers, 81
caterers, Is; confectionery and eating
places, S., contractors, II; dining
rooms, 20; dressmakers, 81; dyers and
clothes cleaners, Il; cook shops where
meals are furnished, So; expressmen
1913; fish and oyster dealers, rs; gro
GERS, etc.A 1870; hackmen, 81; hotel
keepers, "A; market stands, 40; pool
rooms, II; saloons, g. There are fifty
three physicians, twelve trained nurses
twenty-three lawyers and ten dentists,
REPORT ON ORGANIZATION.
No less interesting, as social study
is the report on the organizations
maintained by the Afro Americans
There are one bank. one building asso-
citation and four life insurance com
panies on the plan Of small weekly pre-
mlums. In addition to these there are
over sixty non-secret and fifteen secret
orders, whose chief object is to care for
the sick and bury the dead. In the
year 1900 these societies had mem
bership in the District alone above o.
600, with accumulated property and
cash Of $235, 900, and expended for ben
efits and charity over 100000.
The Afro-Americans own and main
tain three cemeteries one Of them,
Harmony, = organized in 1925. There
are eight charity organizations, the