The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-11
NEGROES AND LABOR
EARNEST ADDRESS BY BOoBEH T.
 WASHINGTON.
Tuskesee Educator Appeals to Biack Race to Make Itself More Worthy
 of Confidence of Em- DIOyern

| Booker T. Washington, of Tuskegee, yesterday afternoon addressed an au- dience composed almost entirely of ne- groes at the Dexter Avenue Baptist l Church. Every seat in the auditorium was taken and dozens were standing. The audience listened attentiyely to l the earnest appeal of the negro educa-
 tor that the race take hold of its oppor- | tunity and solve the labor problem of the South. A number of prominent white men occupied seats reserved Tor | them near the pulpit.
 | The speaker who was introduced by | Rev. R. c. Judkins, pastor of the church | said in part:
 | There is no one subject that Is be- ing more discussed just now than that | of the scarcity of labor in the South. | Naturally very largo proportion of
 this discussion centers around the ne- 1 gro race.
 | Negro labor divides itself, so far as | the rank and file of our people are
 concerned. into three classes; farm la Dor, mechanical labor and labor con-
 nected with housekeeping. In all three
 of these directions there is persistent and constant demand for more labor | and better labor. My own belief is that much of this discussion has come about
 
 operations of the South have increased in some cases five and ten fold during the last twenty five years, and the South unlike the North and West, has not been favored with immigration to
 man these increased industrial opera tions. The South has depended, for the most part upon its native popula- tion to, man those multiplied indus tries. In a word, the industries have increased than the nnnulatiOn. The result is, we find, three jobs seek ing one man instead of three men seek ing one job as is true in many parts
 of the world But whether have stat ed the case correctly in this respect or not, the hard, stubborn fact remains which we as a race must frankly face, that we are responsible for a very large proportion of the labor to be perform cd in the three directions that l have mentioned.
 Opportunity and Responsibility. This fact brings home to us as a people q great opportunity, 1t also im- poses upon us a tremendous responst- bility. The question which l want to put plainly and directly to every col ored man Is. are we making the very l best of our opportunities in the world of labor? In this respect we have squatted upon very large nest; we shall have to hatch the eggs or even tually get off the nest. No race of people, whatever their color, cal very 1 long hold on to work of any character unless they can prove that they can get as much out of that work as the people of any other race. The very moment it is shown that there are oth- CT peoples who can get more put Of given line of service than the black 1 man, that moment we will begin to l lose our hold upon the important in dustries which in so large degree we have in our hands today.
 "The time has come when the peo- pie of the country are demanding eVi- denees that will convince them beyond the shadow of doubt that the educa- tion of the negro Is making him more useful to the community in which he lives. I do not attempt to say what each member of the race. is going to be engaged in in the future, but do
 know that nine-tenths of our people, and almost the same ratio holds good
 of any race. are at present engaged In | farming, in mechanical work, or in | domestic labor. Since we are performing this kind of service, the question which each | one should put to himself and to ms children is, shall we perform this ser vice In the very best manner and l therefore get out of it the very highest
 wage, or shall we be content to per form it in the worst manner and there- fore get out of 1t the very lowest wage? There are thousands of manufacturers | in Alabama who would be willing to | pay double what they are now paying 1 for work If they could get hold of ef- | ficient men. It is always cheaper to pay high wage to good workman | than a low wage to a poor workman. l The average employer Is always seek ! Il s-Iz knows that the high priced man Is cheaper in the long run.
 6 Must Be Progressive.
 More and more. as race, or peo- ple, we have got to become progressive | in our labor. The kind of work that would give satisfaction on the farm in the shop or factory or in the home forty years ago Is not satisfactory to- day. The world Is moving forward at la tremendous rate, and unless we can put as much brains and skill into any kind of labor as anybody else ana keep up with the latest and best meth ods of performing that service, the time will soon come when we snail be out of a job.
 'In some parts of the country all ready we have lost much ground Tn the occupation of barbering. in cook ing. hotel service, in mechanical work, because the methods by which we per from the service were sloven, unclean and anticipated. Right here. In my opinion, is the place where industrfal
 education in the future more than
 in the past, is going to prove Of value to the race Many have expressed dls- appointment over the results Of in- dustrial education, but those who are thus disappointed forget the tremen-
 dous task that had to be performed. First. it took years to educate the race 10 the point where it would feel and see that there was dignity in la
 bor, and at present the few schools that are giving education of this char
 acter are mere drop in the bucket
 compared with the tremendous need.
 'T wish to see the time come, and l
 believe 1t will come when in every
 large center like Montgomery. Bir-
 mfngban, Selma and Mobile there will
 be a first class training school. for example, supported by the community, that will train women and glrls Tn the very latest and best methods or cooking, table service, laundering and household work. The race is now to the point where such an enterprise would be patronized and would prove of service Twenty-Five years ago I do not believe that such an enterprise would have succeeded
 There are two classes of laborers. | One is always seeking to find how lit | tie service it can render for the pay | promised: another is always seeking I 1, fe