The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-03-26
WILMINGTON, N. C..
TUESDAY, MARCH 20. 1907.
THE sOrTH.s LABOR PROBLEM.

The efforts the south is making 70
improve labor conditions is attracting
attention all over. the north and have
the sympathy of leading northern
napers. The people of that section OF
tho country begin to understand the
true situation and they endorse the
movement TO secure foreign lmm.gfa-
tion TO take up the work that the
negroes have abandoned. There are
only two classes at the north WHO are
trying to prevent the success or the I'M
migration schemes. These are the rev
England mill owners and certain labor
organizations.
We find in the Washington City Star,
a republican paper, an editorial on
The tSouth's Labor PROBLEM, which
quotes the following dispatch ftom
New Dreams: j.' -"5 s.
After q quarrel between negroes and
Italians at Monroe, Louisiana, iaSt
night, a mob of three hundred negroes
marched through the part Of the toWn
inhabited mainly 10y negroes, shooting
att italians. two of Whom were shot
1HrA0ugh the abdomen and fatally
..,. ,eNelal Italian fruit stands
were raided. .t
The feeling against h negroes is.
hfGhIi Instructions have been Issued 10
the police to arrest all strange ana
suspicious negroes. ".
JNIrn 70 liza n g q Tp excited ana threaten
vengeance. There has long been III
feeling. betWeen the races, due 10 the
Italians crOWding the negroes out OF
many small trades.
The Star then goes on to give the
labor conditions at the south and 70
predict an increase of labor, but for a
time accompanied with such occur
ences as the one detailed IN the New
Orleans dispatch; but, as it says, the
worthy and Industrious negroes are
in no danger. That is true; they need
fear nothing, from the competition Of
white labor nor hat any effort will be
made to prevent them making an hon
est living and accommodating property.
There is occupation in the south for
all the negroes who will work and for
all the white laborers who can be
brought in. White laborers from other
states and countries need not and will
not deprive a single negro of h op-
portunity to make a living by his labor.
s-f'. .rr--- H
The object in bringing in white labor
is to take the place OF the idle negro
who will not work and to keep up
with the rapidly increasing demand tor
labor which cannot be supplied in
any other way. Of the south's labor
problem The Star says.
Everybody familiar. With the c0ndi-
lions SynlpathiZes With the SOuth'S
movement for importing a good grade
of white labor. If all the negroes ne
siding there. We're competent and in
dustriOuS there would still be room
'fOr 4 large ntnnber of Workmen both
farms and in the towns. But
unfortunately Tor the general welfare
there are man incompetent negroes
and many idle and thriftless ones, and
this makes the labor needslot tina sec
tiQn large and pressing. The land Is
rich, prices for the SOuth'S products
are high, and every effort is made to
Li~hIprove the opportunities. Not i'm
.~pfoDably. therefore, the Outh' labor
supply Will be largely increased within
the next few years from foreign
sources. - ,.-,- ~ ...fE-1
But the problem is not as simple as
ii looks, and certainly not without
grave risks which this Louisiana
= anlSO1p SlIoopSfC XShpJ1 fhP shoe" he
gins TO pinch, the. more reckless and
least deserving of the negroes are sure
to grow ugly in their bearing toward
the newcomers. Collisions will AXE
place, and the peace of communities
will be disturbed. The burden of prop
erty holders win be increased, because
it will lie with them to protect the i'm
ported white labor and the govern
4 ment itself may become involved, be-
cause thu newcomers. for q time at
least. win bear allegiance to foreign
u pc @t J'H. Es.' g:tlf ~
The worthy and industrious negroes
. are in no peril on this account. No
foreign laborers can dfsptace them:
They are we'll appreciated Where they
live, and their opportunities will in.
:. crease Nth the growth of the country.
They. have always made good, and the
relations between themselves and their.
white enlpl0Yers or, white neighbors
J-have never been better than they are
today. ti- @
oItrR ct AND SIGNATURES. -