The Colorado statesman., 1912-02-24
THE WORKERS CONVENTION
CONFERENCE AT TUSKEGEE IN
STITUTE ATTENDED BY FIVE
HUNDRED PERSONS

Tuskegee, Ala.-The Workers Con-
ference followed the annual Tuskegee
Negro Conference.
About 500 persons were present at
the Workers Conference, which open
ed with singing What a Friend We
Have in Jesus" after scripture read
ing and prayer by President M. w.
Gilbert of Selma university.
Dr. Washington at this point deliv-
cred an address Enthusiastically
strong and interesting.
Mr.. NJ. N Work stated the follow
ing:
"On yesterday the subject for the
Farmers Conference was, How l
Have Improved My Farming The
farmers told about the better houses
they are now living in The improved
methods of eultivating the soil they
are using, etc. We saw from this
that the farmers are making money.
We are making a great deal of mon
ey. The question naturally arises.
How Can We Save Money! We are
earning something like $500,O00,OOO
year. We ought to save out Of that
amount $15,000,000 or $20,OO0,0O0."
Mr.. Hines, Crenshaw, Ala. said:
"This is my third visit to Tuske-
gee in eleven years. / may deviate
from my subject a little bit because |
have very little education. / believe
that the best way to invest money
is to put 1t in land" He told Of how
he had bought three years ago 100
acre farm on which he now owes but
very little. He told of the difficulties
they had had in securing good
schoolhouse and a good teacher. but
they are trying to get together in that
community and improve matters.
Prof. w. T. B. Williams, field
agent of Jeanes and Slater Funds;
81 had hoped to hear from the other
folks on this subject. The only way
that ! am concerned in the investing
of the peoples money is as they in
vest it in the schools. l have been
travelling around through Alabama
trying to see what the people are
doing. can tell about my school
work. I will tell about couple of
schoolhouses in Morgan county that
the people of the community have
supervisor got the people together
and now they have a new schoolhouse
costing $500 or $500. The colored
people of the community had, of
course. raised this money"
E. w. Chenault of Lexington, KY
said: The one thing that all the
people are interested in at the pres
ent time in my city is mining bust
ness. The colored people of the
state of Kentucky recently bought
mine of coal and iron ore in the most
prosperous portion of the coal region
of Kentucky. They bought 1,400 acres
of the best coal land in eastern Ken
lucky. This is being operated entire
ly by colored men. The mine is as
close to the railroad as I am to the
platform. We are now preparing to
operate the mine and we hope to
make it the biggest enterprise among
our people in the United States with
the exception of Tuskegee Institute.
George H. Mays, Mound Bayou. Mis-
sissippi. said: 81 am not a banker
myself but have been for long while
associated with a gentleman Mr..
Charles Banks, who has been asso-
ciated with DR.. Washington and sup
ports everything for the uplift Of
Tuskegee and its work. / am engag
ed in a special campaign at this time
in trying to interest people in some
work we are doing at Mound Bayou,
namely, our oil mill
DR.. NJ. w. Gilbert, Selma Univers-
ity: 4 wish to say just at this point
that we have a negro bank in Selma
of which we are very proud. Before
I speak about the bank, however,
wish to tell of two surprises I had in
coming to Alabama. One of these is
the large number of young people who
are trying to get an education in this
state. The situation is very hopeful.
I don't know how the preachers are
in other states, but in Alabama they
have stopped making apologies for
ignorance"
w. T. B. Williams said that these
little schols that Dr. Gilbert objected
to sprang up out OF the necessity for
better schools in local communities.
DR.. Washington asked DR.. Gilbert
how much the colored people of Ala
bama contribute toward the support
of Selma University. DR.. Gilbert said
about $1,000, mostly from the ordi-
nary people of the state of Alabama
Mr. P. C. Parks, Georgia, said.
There is one way that the teacher
and the preacher can help our people
in saving. l was talking to farmer
the other day who once owned
farm worth $4,000 He educated five
boys and in educating those boys lost
his farm. One boys education cost
between $1,000 and $2,500; $3.50 OF
this was spent on the railroads going
to a college that was $50 miles away