The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-14
REFRIGERATION avn THE NEGRO.


What effect on the future of the ne
gro is the vast immigration to this
country going to have? That is a
question that is we'll worth consider
ing. The number of immigrants that
arrived in American ports during the
year that closed on June 80 was almost
!, zoo, 600 While the majority of them
perhaps found homes in the cities of
the East. tens Of thousands of them
went West and settled on vacant lands
or bought farms. Thousands of others
that found temporary homes in the
East will ultimately find their way to
the West.
1t is a fact that Western farmers
are emigra ting in large numbers. They
are selling their farms at good prices
and going to Canada or coming South.
In every Southern state there are to
be found thrifty farmers from the
West. The number of these farmers
in the South is steadily increasing.
More came South this year probably
than last year, and more will come
next year than came this year. They
find the land is very much cheaper
than in the West and that 1t is easier
to make a living in the South. Every
farmer that comes from the West is
followed by others, and thus the stream
of Western Immigration to the South
is becoming greater from year to year.
In practically all parts of this state
these Western farmers are to be found
Some Of them perhaps are descendants
of European immigrants not more than
one generation removed. While, there
fore, the South is getting but few i'm
migrants direct from Europe, partfc-
ularly immigrants that settle upon
farms, she is getting a much better
class of immigrants from the West
and this is due to some extent, as al
ready pointed out. to the vast immi-
grafton from Europe that is finding
its way to the West
But how is this movement from the
West to the South going to affect the
negro? How much of a factor will it
be in the settlement of the so-called
which are deserving of attention.
1t is evident that the negro is MAX
ing but little, if any, progress towards
becoming a land owner. Thousands
of them are tenants, but they do noe
seem to be able to get beyond that
position. They do not appear to want
to. They are satisfied to make a living
of the very poorest kind. They do not
seem to have the ability and ambition
to take advantage of the opportunity
to become property owners-to improve
their material condition.
VIII not the coming of immigrants
from the West gradually deprive them
of the advantage they now have to
better their material condition? Will
not the lands increase in value and thus
pass beyond their reach? 1t looks that
way. And as the land is divided up
into small farms the demand for negro
labor will not be as great as 1t is now.
The result will be that the negroes will
be crowded more and more into the
lowlands of the Mississippi and in the
section along the Gulf And even there
he will be hard pressed by the white
man as the value of land increases In
other parts of the country. What his
fate will be ultimately 1t is impossible
to predict with any degree of certainty.
There can be no doubt. however, that
the steady stream of humanity that is
flowing hither from Europe is having
a - nRf
stined to have a still greater effect.