The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-11-01
NEGROES SEEKING
EVERY POSITION
Their Labor Reported
Unreliable.
STATISTICS OF STATE
Most Counties Report an Increase IL
the Cost ''ot Living. Eighty-Iwo
Counties Favor Compulsory
Education. Average Wages
OF Men and Women.

The statistics prepared by the De-
partment of Labor contain many in
teresting expressions of the economical
condition of the State, but perhaps
the more vital to both farmer and
manufactures is the statement of the
condition of labor throughout the
counties. 1t is boldly declared that the
negroes as laborers are unreliable, and
this comes from every county except
two, one of which reports no negro
labor. and the other is contented with
it. The cause of the unreliability OF
negro labor is presumed to be the ten
dency among the negroes to leave the
country for the towns and cities. seek
ing easy life.
Mr.. NJ. L. Shipman, Assistant Labor
Commissioner has prepared a brief
summary of the more important sta
tistics containing the most salient
facts. which is as follows:
An increase in the value of land in
ninety counties; decrease in one; no
change in six. Fertility of land is re-
ported as having been maintained III
eighty-two counties; fifteen counties
report that it is not. Eight counties
report a tendency to have larger
farms; eighty-nine. smaller. Ninety
seven counties report labor scarce; in
fifty-four employment is regular and
i'm forty-three. irregular. One county
reports negro labor reliable; ninety
five. unreliable, and one, no negro
labor" Every county reports labor
scarce, and complains of tendency
of the colored population to congregate
i'm the towns seeking easy employment.
Cost of Living.
Ninety-five counties report an in
crease in cost of living; two reports
yaS.
paid men. $19.S4, an increase of nine
ty-eight cents per month over last
year; lowest paid men $12.19, an in
crease of $1.12. Highest average
wages paid women, $12.42, an average
of eighty-'ight cents per month in
crease over last year; lowest wages
for women, $S.2S, an increase of S2.19
over last year. Average wages of
children, S7.45, an increase of $1.S5
over last year
Grain Crop Reports.
Sixty-six counties produce cotton at
$3O63 per bale of 500 pounds; twenty
one do not rNpoIa. Eighty-three coun-
ties produce wheat at a cost of "A
cents per pushed: fourteen counties
do not report wheat. Ninety-seVen
counties produce corn at 40 cents per
bushdI Ninety-three produce oats at
33 cents per bushel; four counties do
not report oats Sixty-five counties
produce tobacco at Sal per 100
pounds The information at hand in
dicates a substantial profit on wheat,
corn, cotton. oats and tobacco.
Education and Finances.
Ten counties report the educational
conditions good; thirty-four, fair;
forty-eight, poor. and five, bad; ninety
three report improvements; five, no
improvement. Forty-one counties re-
port moral conditions good; forty
seven. fair; eight poor and one bad.
Ninety-two report Improvement; five
no Improvement Thirtyfour coun-
ties report financial conditions good;
forty. fair; nineteen, poor and four
bad; lightweight report improvement;
nine report no Improvement. Eighty
two counties favor compulsory educa-
ton fifteen are opposed to it.