The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-11

promised The last class succeeds II glN- l ing satisfaction and in receiving high l wages As a race, we want 10 eet the reputation all through the country of be- | ing so progressive in our work tlat we | will not be content to merely follow or | ders like dumb animal but will put so much thought and energy into OUT work | that we will be making suggestions con- | stantly to our employers 10 the best | manner of improving whatever we are en- gagged in.
 Much Complaint.
 q will not withhold from you tle state ment of the fact that there is widespread complaint in many parts of Alabama where our people are employed to the effect that they cannot be relied upon for constant and effective service for the reason that if they receive thelr pay on Saturday night the employer is never sure that the laborer will return to his place of work on Monday morning. The em- ployer is not sure that his 'aborer Will return until the money received the pre- vious week has been expended In such case of course the employer loses money, the race loses its reputation for reliable service and the result Is poor pay instead of high wage. Ne must prove to the world by our actions that Tn the matter of labor we can be just as prompt in keeping our promises and our contracts as most any other race, and
  a given hour at a given place. We should see that our promise is kept Many men and women will work well for few days until an excursion comes through the neighborhood, and then 1t Is impossible to bring any influence to bear to prevent large numbers from going or on me eX- cursion, even If they have to borrow the money and go in debt to pay their pass age Such a reputation will injure any race of people, and wherever such repu- tation has been gained we should see 10 1t that we get rid of it. It Is largely lh the hands of ministers. teachers and oth- CT leaders to help our people to cure th's weakness.
 Urges Good Work.
 q always say to our students at Tuske- gee and | repeat 1t here that when they enter into the service of any person, of whatever character the service may be, they should be at their places earlier than the stipulated time and remain longer ln the evening than the time agreed upon, and that they should be constantly seek ing methods of rendering the best esrvice by taking just as much interest In the work as if it belonged to them. Just in proportion as one enters heart and soul into work, tries to perform It in the very best manner, tries to put just as much ef- fort and thought and conscience into 1t, just in the same degree one gets real pleasure out of work. The person who renders poor service Is never happy. The per. on who renders good service gets real satisfaction out of his work; he makes his employer happy and he himself is satis- fled.
 Whenever we are employed in work of any character we should make it a rule and teach our people to observe that same rule that we should never leave employ ment without sufficient notice being given to the person for whom we are working, and we should leave with such reputa- tion behind us that we could go back to the same place and secure work at any time.
 Too Many Loafers.
 "In connection with the subject of labor, in many of the large cities there is en- tirely too large class of loafers, men and women, who are to be found by the scores around street corners and low dlrty dives. Our leaders in every one of these cities in Alabama should try to bring such an influence upon these people as will make them go to work either on the farm or at some other service. These are the characters that disgrace our race and bring about trouble in many cases De- tween the black man and the white man: 'sJnst in the same degree in which the rank and file of our people are taught to render satisfactory work and receive high | nav tilst in the same degree will our pro- I fessional men, our churches and scnoois | and colleges prosper because these men and these institutions will have back or tbem thIs successful producing class which is the backbone and mainstay Of all races and all nations.
 White Mans Duty.
 q have spoken plainly thus far about some of the weaknesses and some of the dnties of the black race to itself and it's duty and obligation toward the white man I believe that the white people in Alabama can help very much to rem edv the present situation. In the first place. | think all colored people are too often condemned as being poor laDorers Only a few days ago l read an arucle in a newspaper with head line some thing like this-The Negro Race Is Failure as a Laborer. The man who wrote that article evidently meant to say that some portion of the race was failure, not all. I mean to say that those Who
 are faithful and efficient In their la bor should be praised, and the inefficient should be condemned. It Is rather dis couraging to those who try to do their hest to be classed with those who do not try to render faithful service. There is no white man in Alabama who has had large experience in employing negro la bor who will not testify that there Is always to be found large number who can be depended upon for just as good service as is true of any other race of people. These good ones should be held out before the poor ones as examples to be copied.
 q find again, too, that the employer who has faith in his laborers usually gets good service out of them. Wherever I have found a man who praises the good qualities in the race. there with few exceptions I have found man who had no trouble in getting all the labor he wanted On the other hand. the individ- ual who is always condemning the la bor, finding no good in 1t, has to seek labor in vain and even then gets the very poorest quality.
 the most interest in his laborers, who their comfort and protection is the one who in most cases is rewarded with the best labor, while the one who takes no interest in the education or comfort of those who work for him gets little satis- faction and makes little profit out of those who perform the labor.
 "I believe again. that our white friends can help especially In the matter of domestic service by instituting rule not to employ persons unless they bring proper letters of recommends tion. As 1t is, it is easy for persons who have rem dered inferior service In one family to secure employment without a word of recommendation in another family Hope For Future.
 "As the years go on, I believe that