The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-08
NEED OF SOUTH IS
DEPENDABLE LABOR
Edmonds Discusses Question
immigration
of immigration
Negro Labor Has Proved That 1t VIII
Not Bring the Most Satisfac-
tory Results to the
Manufn cturer

about southern conditions from his point
of view, Mr.. Edmonds said:
I'm some respects. the most important
matter concerning the business welfare
of the south is that of increased popula-
ton by immigration. Without very
large influx of immigrants within the
next few years it will be very difficult,
If not almost impossible, to very greatly
increase the railroad and industrial de-
velopment of the south without having to
do 1t at the expense of the agricultural
interests.
THE demand for labor on southern
farms already exceeds the supply, and In
many sections it is practically impossible
to secure satisfactory farm labor even at
the higher prices prevailing of late years.
The cost of cotton growing as we'll as of
all other farm work has been very great
w increased within the last few years by
the higher wages paid. On the whole,
this is a decided advantage to the south,
provided the price of agricultural prod
ucts continues high enough to justify the
increase in the rate of wages.
ut would, however, be a very serious
matter to the whole south If the supply
of farm labor should be lessened. 1t
needs to be increased, but unless we have
heavy immigration, the growth of indus
trial interests will result in forcing man
ufacturers, railroad builders and contrac-
tors generally to pay much higher wages
than farmers can pay. This would drain
the supply of farm labor and seriously
hamper every agricultural interest OF the
south. This condition, however, will be
inevitable unless we can find some way in
which to increase our labor supply. 1t is
true there is large movement of popu-
lation of the very best class of people
from the west and northwest to Texas,
Louisiana and Florida and gradual
movement from the west into other south
ern states This, however, does not help
the labor situation in the slightest, for
these settlers are mainly well-to-do peo-
pie who are selling high-priced property
in the west and moving south because of
the advantages of this section for farm
ing. Their coming will tend to increase
the demand for labor on the farms. The
growth of the cities of the south, the In
crease In the number of hotels. the de-
velopment of the automobile business, all
tend to absorb a large amount OF labor
that would otherwise continue on the
farm or be engaged in manufacturing or
railroad work.
Every man who is familiar with the
situation recognizes the fact that the
growth of the industrial interests of the
south Is now being seriously retarded by
the inability to secure labor | am quite
sure that In this immediate Birmingham
district 5000 or 10000 laborers could find
immediate employment to the great ex-
pansion of all the Industrial interests of
the state If they could be had; but they
are not available.
Unwise Movements
while It is true that good many
unwise moves have been made gen
orally by New York interests to unload
on the south the class OF immigrants
that has congested in that city large
ly from southern Italy it is nevertheless
true that while avoiding the danger of
encoura ging movements Of that char
acter emanating generally from New
York and intended not for the south's
good but for the good of New York, this
section must. on its own initiative, and
through It's own individual efforts OF
state officials and large employers OF
labor, undertake a broad campaign OF
bringing into the south many thousands
of laborers from portions of Europe
which can supply good, faithful, hard
working men. This is especially true
as to the Slave. They have proved to
be among the best laborers which have
come to this country. Upon their work
has very largely depended the growth
of the iron and steel industry in Penn
sylvania and the west. 1t is not pos
sible to find American laborers In SUI
ficient numbers to do the rough work
necessary to industrial development nor
is it desirable, for the native Ameri-
can can always do something better
and earn larger pay than the rough
unskilled foreigner.
THE south cannot possibly depend
upon the negro as sole basis for its la
Dor supply for unskilled work, nor is
the negro fitted to develop into a skilled
laborer in the higher forms of manu-
facture, such as the various branches
of the steel industry and machinery
making. The failings of the negro. as
a race, are such that he. cannot De de-
pended upon for regularity of service
and thoroughness of work. The In
creasing pay instead Of making him
more efficient makes him less efficient.
When, by three days work, he can
make enough to exist on for seven days
he is very generally going to loaf the
other four days. 1t Is impossible, I'M
der such conditions, to get the best re-
suits in manufacturing operations of
any kind In fact, this inefficiency of
the negro and his disposition to loaf
as soon as his pay is increased, Is a
burden on southern development, the
extent of which Is not realized by the
general public nor scarcely compre-
hended by any manufa cturer himself
who has not made a broad, personal
study of the matter. 1t is true that a
small percentage OF the negroes are
faithful, Intelligent workers and they
are to be commended, but the proper
ton Is too small to materially affect
the whole situation. Even however in
efficient the negro is as a class or a
race, the increasing demand for his
work in Industrial pursuits and railroad
operations will compel manufacturers
and contractors to steadily advance the
rate of wages. thus drawing more and
more of them from the farms, unless
this labor vacuum can be filled by
an inflow from abroad.
Rough Work
at Is absolutely necessary to have some