Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-08-28
Communicated
SCARCITY OF LABOR.
Editor Of Evrning Capifai :

Reference to the want column of your
valuable paper every day discloses the
startling fact that nearly every farmer in
this county, and presumably throughout
the entire state, as well as the vast
majority of householders in Annapolis,
are confronted with the problem of secur-
ing labor necessary to the proper conduct
of their respective business.
Laboring work on the State buildings
and at the Naval Academy is, no doubt,
largely responsible for the detection from
the farms adjacent to Annapolis. but these
public works do not, by any means,
absorb the entire masculine labor. and,
of course, not one of the female help,
now so much in demand-as cooks, house
maids, etc, and the question is how is
this evil to be remedied? Tothe observant
citizen a casual glance in every section
of our city will show numbers of idle
negroes of both sexes and all ages, ,loafing
about the streets whom no inducement
will persuade to goto work permanently.
Occasionally the alluring p. aspect of
earning a quarter of dollar, TO be ex
pended in the delights of an approaching
excursion or picnic, will have stimulate
ing influence for short time, but with
the attainment of the present need the
inevitable relapse follows. Now, how are
these people supportedf They toll not.
neither do they spin, yet they must eat
and be clothed, and the physical appear
ance Of 90 per cent. of them indicates
that they are we'll fed. Bountiful provi-
dence does not, in these days, drop
mamma from the heavens. and if it did,
they would be too lazy or indifferent to
gather it. No, it must be presumed that
these people are fed from the kitchen of
white housekeepers by food surrepti-
tiously conveyed to them by the few
who are employed. and the suffering
housekeeper contributes, unwillingly to
idleness and viciousnessS
The State of Georgia, it seems to me,
struck blow at the root Of this Upas
tree in the enactment of a law against
vagrancy, law which might readily and
with splendid effect, be adopted and put
in force in Maryland. | append portion
of special dispatch from Atlanta, Ga ,
to the Baltimore Sun
"More than two thousand arrests have
been made in Georgia during the past
two weeks for vagrancy. All white per-
sons and all negroes who cannot TIL the
police exactly their occupations are arres-
ted and sent Immediately to the chain
gangs. Many negro women are getting
married to escape the law, as married
women are not arrested if they can show
that their husbands are working for them.
The campaign against vagrancy was be-
gun in the smali towns, and bands Of the
oilers focked to Atlanta, thinking they
would escape arrest. Last night the police
force here began to make arrests. and
over fifty negroes and white persons were
loo ked up in two hours on the charge of
vagrancy. The law is considered great
success. and negroes who have been
loaiing for the whole year have gone to
work. Reports from Macon are to the
effect that since the arrests tor vagrancy
began, there has been less lawlessness
than ever before. Farmers report that
THEY can now come to the cities and
secure all the labor they want. while
a month ago negroes would not work foi
them for any amount.
If similar law to that Of our remodeled
sister state would be put in force in Mary
land, idleness would soon be an excep
tional thing
HOuSEHOIDER