The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-06-18
WHITES APPLY
Financial Affairs Of Greensboro Found
10 Be in Bad Shape-Fioating
Debt OF One Hundred Thou
sand Dollars to Worry
New Board.
Nv ANDREW JOINER.

pers. All these papers contain inter
views with the commissioner. express
! ing surprise that so few u South
ern white men are in the employment
of the government under the civil ser
vice and urging them to p 70
enter it. As an apparent stimulus -
the whites ne is reported as having
stated that at a recent examination 40
per cent of the applicants were ne
groes. An idea which perhaps even
the Commissioner had not hougnt or
was presented this morning by a gen
Ileman who is in the service. tie was
present when the subject was being
discussed and his statement was such
an ~eye-opener that upon promise or
treating what he said in the strictest
confidence he permitted its publication.
lie said: "As one acquainted with
conditions as they now exist, / cannot
remain silent and see our bright young
men led into positions which after
they realized their condition. would
regret, and who. when asked what
business they were engaged in. would
apologetically reply. The Civil Ser
vice
you say in a recent examination rs
per cent of the applicants were ne
groes. Why did not the Commission
er state what per CEN of these passed
and what per cent Of them were ap-
pointed to positions along with White
men /! t(lSTI mere is the cause OF the
deficiency. The Civil Service Commits
sion or nc other earthly body can en-
force equality betWeen the Southern
hit man n the negro and as a
result of their efforts in this direction.
it becomes necessary to send out a So
~licitor, and he one boasting his
southern blood. The Commission is
only beginning to reap the harvest
soWn since its inception, and the
longer it permits conditions as they
now exist. just SO long will its eff
cheney remain as at present. It is a
we'll knoWn fact that no white en-
ployee of the Civil Service in the South
will advise a friend or relative to en-
ter the service. but on the contrary
will advise him to shun 1t as any ether
pestilenCe.
Gives Negro the Big Head.
The average negro with a limited
education and a few months Northern
association, gets it into his head that
he is the equal to the white man. and
to enter the Civil Service establishes
this fact in his own estimation. and
in this belief he is ~substantiated by the
Commission in appointing him to pO-
sition along with white men
and in many instances over positions
2ete t white men. Why
does The Commission not separate the
whites from the negroes as it does in
the Army and Navy, and in all other
places n the South?
"Onlv in the Civil Service is q white
man forced to associate on an equal
ity with the negro, and no self-res-
pectinE white man in the possession
of these facts will enter the Civil Ser
vice, no matter hat the salary.
Among the employees of the Civil
Service it is generally understood thai
they must not reDrimand or correct
n of these negroes to the extent
which they would do were he a White
man, and they must often stand for
their imDudence and insolence or be
charged with race discrimination
and this charge nc ~enn"'aye will per
nit to go to the off: : if he ear
avoid it. WHY don't t white men
resign then? Nearly every one of
them intends to do this very thing
at the first opportunity, but the train
ing and knowledge required in 80 per
cent. of the positions in the Civil
Service is worthless to a man in any
other calling in the country and it is
usually the case that after a man Sc
lects and qualities for his life work
he is too old to begin anything anew
make a success.
"Tf Crmmissioner M~cIlheny will sep
arate the races as is lone in the other
branches Of the government there will
be aDri"ants q plenty in the South,
good white men too"
L , VI IIlc
tee of the old Board of City Alder
men, composed of Messrs. J. A. OdeIl
and 7. c.. Hunter, was slow coming.
but when it came yesterday afternoon
it raised a breeze. Fortunately, the
present board is in no way RESPONSE
BILE for the financial showing and loose
business methods pointed out so a
motion to allow publication of the
report, after strenuous opposition OH
the part of the minority prevailed and
tax payers had an opportunity his
morning of seeing exactly how things
stand. The report shows a floating in
debtedness Of over 100000. That re-
ceiptS last year were $202,259.61
While expenditures ran up to $685.
961.0O. To show for this are great i'm
proverlent in streets, water works
and other public utilities. The com
mittee sharply criticises water and
light commission and the Library
Board for their methods of doing bus
mess, and states that the system Of
collection of water rents needs a rad
ical Improvement. After m
ing that all disbursement of funds nv
these commissions be through the
city treasurer, it calls for the crea-
ton of an accounting department un-
der the direction of an auditor or
comptroller, whose sole duty should
be to look after the collection of the
various funds and the proper dis
bursement of all the city revenue.
The following other practical rec
concentrations were made:
/. There is pressing need of more
clerical help in the Office of the Wa
ter and Light Commission, and a
good collector should be put in the
field.
2. The immediate execution of an
adequate bond or bonds by all officers
handling the funds of the commits
sion, as provided in section 81 of the
the City charter, letting the commits
sion bear the burden of the premium.
3. That funds of the commission be
deposited with the city treasurer ofn-
clally, not merely with h Greensboro
National Bank, carrying out the intent
OF section so of the City charter.
4. That all warrants of the COM
mission for expenditures be drawn
by the City Treasurer, upon a
blank similar to the one used by the
city, said war ann to be returned
quarterly. as provided for in section
so, referred to.
5. That some method be adopted
to test annually the accuracy of the
list Of on the books, a card