The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-03-01
THE LABO RPROBLEM.
AS Seen By a Colored Man-Some
Sensible Remarks On The Cues
tion,

10 the Editor of The Herald and
News: There has been no little COM
plaint Of late in Newberry county
particularly concerning the great
scarcity Of laborers among the color
ed people, and the reliability of such
laborers, in the minds of some of the
more conservative white people has
become an open question. Great diff
ficulty has been experienced i'll pro-
curing washerwomen, cooks, and
nurses rs well as farm laborers.
This scarcity of laborers has been
explained in this way: that wages
paid now are very much better than
III former years, and as the average
colored person must have so much
money each week, if he can get it by
working four (4) days in the week, he
Is sure to loaf around for the remain
ing two CIV days. Now, 1 cannot con-
vince myself that such workers are
representatives Of the average negro
laborer. 1t appears to me that these
represent the little withcrcd crop Of
dudes, and not the average negro la
borer.
Regarding their reliability as to
how long time they may stay with
their employer, it does seem to
me that there is some truth in many
cases, but not in the majority of them.
1t is claimed that colored man when
he has agreed to work for his employ
er, and has really worked for some
days, will leave without giving any
proper notice of his intention to do
so, and without assigning any reason
and if he give any reasons for leaving
his employer, he will almost always
give some other than the real cause.
He will say he is sick, or something
Of that sort and keep back the real
cause. The real cause may be and
sometimes is that he finds he cannot
support himself and family upon
what his employer is giving him as
wages.
Now the plain duty of such man
who finds honestly and by careful
scrutiny that he cannot support his
family upon the wages paid him-his
plain duty in such ease is, on find
ing this, to go at once to his employ
er, and tell him calmly and deliber-
ately that he has family, and that
his labor is his capital to give them
and himself honest support and that
by strict economy and careful inves-
tigaton he cannot do this with his
present wages. For this reason, he
asks that he be given an increase Of
wages that he may honorably live as
any other honest and honorable man.
If the employer is man of consid-
GRAFTON and sane Judgment, he will
surely appreciate such course on the
part Of his employe and in nine eases
out Of ten, if the employc has proved
himself to be honest, industrious, and
worthy of trust he will in most eases,
[ think. get an increase in his earn
ines. have in my mind now ease
in point. 1t is this: A colored man
decided to leave his employer, not
for any cause of complaint on his
part, nor on the part of his employer
about his work or about his pay. He
simply decided to leave for other
causes that entirely justified him. Hc
went to his employer and gave him
several days notice beforehand. On the
day before he intended leaving, his
employer told him that although he
had not asked increase in his earn
ings he would give it to him if he
would stay on with him. This IN
crease amounted to more than he
would receive from his new employer.
But he would not stay as he had Civ
en- his word to his new employer that
he would serve him. Today, with two
minutes notice this man can Get work
with his former employer.
This man certainly pursued the
proper course. No man should leave
his employer without giving him
proper notice, and assigning the real
reasons for it and this should be done
sufficiently long beforehand to give
time to think the matter over or get
some other: one to take his place. He
should not leave before similar
course is taken even if his new en-
ploycr should give him twice as much