The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-22
DIFFICULTIES OF THE LABOR
PROBLEM.


turer's Record several pages are de-
voted to a consideration of Difficult
ties of the Labor Problem in Southern
Industries" 1t embodiesi more than two
score of letters from leaders in every
industry in the South. The letters
are in answer to questions as to
whether negro labor is improving or
retrograding, whether there is scar
city of labor and the remedy the need
of increasing the supply of white
workmen through immigration, and
chow do you regard projects for sup.
plementing negroes with Italians IN
Southern manufacturing, mining and
farming?" The only letter from
North Carolina is from Mr.. j. 3.
Blades, of New Bern, treasurer of the
Blades Lumber Company. He has had
exceptional opportunity to judge and
writes a brief and sensible letter as
follows:
Our experience with the negro Ia
borer is that he is depreciating very
much in quality; that a very small
percentage of them are steady work
ers, which gives great difficulty in run
nlng plants, While for the past several
years there has been shortage of
labor, making them very independent
and even more worthless.
There is a shortage of labor, and
we are obliged to take about all that
offer themselves giving no chance to
weed out the sorry ones nor discipline
those who need it. We cannot sug-
geSt any method for improving the
negro labor where there is surplus
of work and he can apply at any place
and get job.
I'VE are doubtful of the advantage
to the South of introducing Italian la
Dor. l, personally, had rather see
less manufacturing and slower
growth of the country than having
them introduced. What we desire are
the people from Northern Europe,
who can assimilate with our people
and become part of them.
Il think it a curse to any country
to have class of people who are to
be considered strictly a laboring class
| desire that the laboring class shall
be the same as those that are conSld-
cred the employing class, and to be OF
such material as to be able to become
employers of labor"
The Record sums up the answers In
which it says that: /. The negro rs
a class is tending to become less ef-
ficient as a laborer"; 2. "lnetfclency
adds to the acuteness of the shortage
of supplv,'' with the remedy to be
found in immigration, preferably oil
individuals from other parts of the
country or from the North of Europe,
with growing inclination for
Chinese or japanese" The Record
summarizes the letters more fully
from which the following extracts are
taken:
."rhe most reliable of the negroes
are those who came out Oh slavery
and who have little if any schooling
while the younger generation prouu
ces the poorest laborers and in every
respect unreliable The good negro IS
the hest laborer in the world, 1t is
pointed out especially in the cotton
field, but he is a scarce. article ana
though best suited for manual lapor
under iron discipline in the South, ne
is regarded by some as the greatest
drag on progress there, as the new
generation takes no interest IN dutles'
but seems to be inspired solely with
purpose to beat employers out of all
the most sipshod manner that may be
permitted. Some employers have. TO
carry 200 names on the payroll to get
the average work of 100 men. Some,
while paying higher wages, do not get
more than half the work for when
they pay, and many cannot depend
upon their employees from day to day,
as the latter drift from place to place
as it pleaSeS them, and many DO not
care to work after payday until the
weeks earnings have been spent.
Where they work they do fairly we'll
what they are accustomed to, but are
slow to take advantage of new condl-
tons except such as decrease the
amount of effort necessary, and they
have no appreciation of an emergency.
ct is recognized by men who make
these criticisms that the negro is eSpe-
cially we'll adapted to the less skilled
branches of labor, but that growing
shiftlessness and inefficiency may
prove a serious menace to the indus
trial welfare of the South. The RENE
dies or preventives named by employ
ers of negro labor throw considerable
light upon the negro character There
is a general demand for stringent va
grancy laws and strict enforcement
of them, for an elimination OF the
white" dive keepers and saloon men,
for q breaking up of negro secret So
cieties and excursions, for "a special
code of laws adapted to the negro
alone and viewing him as an imma-
ture child instead of man. for
prevention of his being fed by women
servants, from gambling and from OPP
portunities to work only long enough
to get money to travel from city to
city A full stomach often means
no-account man, and more money per
day means fewer days of work in or
der to get the money necessary for
drinking, gambling and other dissipa-
ton, the natural inclination of the
negro being to trifie, to loaf and frollc.
In one town difficulties were overcome
by all the plants there refusing to
hire men who left employment in any
plant and also by prohibiting ldlers
from staying in any company houses,
and it has been found practicable al
so to retain hands by hiring some good
white man who can control from three
to ten negro laborers.
4 i X
$50 immigration is looked to as the
ultimate remedy. Men from other
parts of the country are, of course
preferred, but it has been found diff
cult to obtain and hold those who