The new age. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1902-190?, 1902-07-04
INTERESTING STATISTICS AZ.
eARoINe THE NEGRO.

nual Negro Conferences ss-,o. :,
S INTO certain aspects of the Ne
sFo problems. The results o, ,h...
conferences put into pamphlet form
and distributed at a pom,ns, ,-,.a
nave been widely used and quoted
ne nrst investigation in 1896 took nm
the Morality of Negroes in Cities {.
The following years the studies were.
lSs'-social and Physical Condition
VI negroes in Cities. 1SsS-some En-.
iorts OF Negroes for Social Bettermant
i0SS-rhe Negro in Business. 1900
Inc college-bred Negro. 1sO1-rhe
negro Common School.
Graduates of Atlanta, Fisk and How.
ara Universities, Hampton and TINS.
kegee Institutes and of many other
schools have co-operated in this move.
ment.
inis year the Seventh Atlanta Ne.
gro Conference met May 81 at Allan.
Ia and took up the interesting sub
Ject OF the Negro Artisan. There bas
Deen much discussion lately as TO the
Negro in mechanical industries I'm,
lie" tangible facts. The census of
1880 gave 1890 Negroes in the
manufacturing industries throughout
the United States. but this includes
many unskilled laborers and omits
many artisans like miners and BARRIERS.
In detail there were the following
skilled Negro laborers reported in
1890:
Negro artisans in the United States.
census of 1890: Carpenters, 22,31S;
BARRIERS, l7,4SO; saw mill operatives,
1880; miners, 15.SO9; tobacco fac.
tory employees, 1904; blacksmiths,
lo'f62; brickmakers. 1851; masons.
s,547; engineers and flremen. 1862:
dressmakers, 7,479; iron and steel
workers, $3.50; shoemakers, 5.O65;
mill and factory operatives, $3.50;
painters. 1896; plasterers. 4,OO6;
quarrymen, 3.19S; coopers, 2,64s;
butchers, $50; wood workers, 1875:
tailors. 1880; stone cutters, 1879;
leather curriers', 1,099.
The figures for 1900 are not vet
available. but they will show a great
increasein all kinds.
The investigation OF the Atlanta
Conference includes a personal can.
vass of some 1000 Negro artisans. a
study of general conditions in three
hundred different cities and towns
a casvass of all the international
trades unions and local assemblies
and study of the opinions Of employ
ers, and tabulated returns from In
dustrial schools.
Probably this will prove the mos
thorough investigation of the kind
ever undertaken. Especially will ligh
be thrown on the attitude of trades
unions. There are in the United
States ninety-eight national unions
In thirty-four of these there are Ne
gro members; but in most cases very
few. Only ten unions have any con
siderable number, viz: BARRIERS, 500;
brick workers, 200; carpenters and
joiners, 1000; carriage builders. 500:
coopers. 200; stationary firemen. 2,
700; painters, 1863.
The cigar makers, iron and stel
workers, and miners also have con
siderable numbers. So that wehave:
Usions with no Negro members, Ga
unions with Negro members, "a;
unions with a considerable number OF
Negro members, 10.
Nearly all the unions with no Negro
members refuse to receive Negroes
some by open discrimination, as In
the case of the locomotive engineers
locomotive fremen, electrical workers
and boiler makers. while others ex'
clude them silently. In some cases
like the curtain operatives and jewel,
ry workers, no Negro workmen have
applied, so that question is unsettled.
In nearly all cases any local union has
a right to refuse an applicant, so that
single Negro workman would stand
small chance OF admission. On the
other hand. the Omerican Federation
Of Labor, with which most Of these
organizations are affiliated has taken
strong ground for fair play toward
Negroes and the union movement has
greatly extended among them In the
last ten years.
Among the speakers Of the Seventh
Atlanta Conference where this ques-
ton was thoroughly discussed, we're
Booker T. Washington OF Tuskegee.
President J. G. Merrill OF Fisk Univer-
sity. Major R. r. Motion Of Hampton
Institute. Mr.. William Benson OF the
Dixie Industrial Company. President
Bumstead and DR.. w. E. B. Dubois OF
Atlanta. and a representative OF the
American Federation OF Labor.
A ProyidentisI Porter.