Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-24
What the Negro is Doing.


the annual meeting of the National
Negro Business league which has just
teen held in New York and which has
attracted a good deal of deserved at
tention. This is the league Booker T.
Washington was instrumental in or
ganizing for the purpose of emphasiz-
ing the importance of the business and
Industrial life of his race, and Of which
he is president. President Roosevelt
addressed a letter TO the league which
has been widely commented upon. the
president complimented the league OH
the work il is doing and spoke iE hope
full terms of the future of the negro
along lines of self-development. The
negroes future is with the negro. 1t i3
for him to find and to develop rhe op-
rortunities that ere open.
An astonishing showing was made of
the progress of the race. In the city
of New York alone the negro is en-
ctged in Il distinct employments aside
from the professions. Many of their
business ventures have gotten beyond
the day of small things and have be-
come entitled TO recognition among the
important enterprises of the city. An
Illustration is the Afro-Anerican Real
~ company, with a paid up capital of
c mr. Lf,I -
flats and has leases on fourteen others
located in the most desirable portions
ored occupants. The following CLASH
fed list of negro enterprises in New
York was submitted to the league. and
it certainly is n remarkable showing
for a race which has done everything
IN one generation.
Grocery stores %, drug stores Z.
cafes and restaurants where food and
liquors are sold 25, house cleaning 2,
printing 10. furniture stores 3, liquor
stores 20, employment agencies 10.
harness manufacturers l, wheelwrights
4, blacksmiths 5, painters. stone ma
sons, bricklaycrs, chimney cleaners,
carpenters, news stands I, bOotblack
stands %, hat cleaning l, newspaper
publishing 2. ornamental pcdestals l.,
hotels 90. draymen and truckers T.,
restaurants 40, caterers !, undcrtakers
10, manufacturers of specialties. such
as tool handles !. carpet cleaning
works 9, interior decorators 6, hair
dressing and wigmaking 10, dressmak
ing 100. millinery stores 2. musicians
and bands 2, coal and wood dealers IA.
tailors 2, shoemakers 5, barber shops
25. bushelers and cleaners ., typewrit-
ing and stcnography IA, insurance
agencies and real estate agencies II,
contractor general, !, laundry "a. au
tomObla builder, garage, and repaircr,
packer and shipper l. publications, The
New York Age, the oldest Of the race
journals.
What the negro of the North is do
ing the negro of the South viii be COM
PEELED 10 do in the near future; that is,
take care Of himself in open COMPETE
ton. Tn" rush of foreign settlement
is to he diverted more and more to the
South and the competition in the labor
field to become more intense The ne
gro cannot escape it. The only thing
he can do is to prepare to meet it.
This is what Booker Washington has
foreseen and has tried to ward against
by insisting OF industrial training.
The good effects of his great work will
be recognized more and more as per-
lnanent labor conditions come in the
South. Every great gathering of ne
Sroes convinces Il wider circle Of peo-
pie that the negro has a future in the
United States. As the awful effects o.:
slavery begin to disappear there are
more and more members of the race
who are able to take their stand be-
side the members of other races or
even terms. The negro is not lacking
in any essential qualification of good
lcitizenhip, nor is he untitled for dis
| tinguished service in many walks of
| life. AS lie continues to make good
the unreasoning prejudice against de-
will be measured. as the members of
other races are, by individual merit.