Evening journal., 1912-10-21
NEGRnEs ANn sELr.nELp.

VAT have received from Booker r. Washington,
w principal Of the Tuskegee Normal and Indus
trial Institute perhaps the greatest institution in the
world for tho educational and industrial aid of the
negro, copy Of his annual report to the board Of
trustees, OF which Seth Low a former Mayor of New
York, is chairman. The most interesting portion
OF that report is the showing to what
tent the negroes are beginning to help themselves 1t
says, in part:
Beginning with the organization Of the Annual
Negro Conference in 1891 the Tuskegee Institute
has systematically attempted to change and improve
conditions in the South The effort has been made to
induce the people to buy land to get rid of the one
room cabin, TO improve their farming methods, to
secure better teachers and better ministers and to give
more attention to improving health conditions The
good results Of this work now apparent
One Of the great needs of the South is agricultural
education for it's large rural population In proper
tlon farming methods are improved they Will be
better able to support their schools To meet this
need the Tuskegee Institute has carried it's Annual
Negro Conference stated has established local con-
promoted county and state fairs and through
the agricultural demonstration work. has carried in
structiOn to the farmers the soil
Il is gratifying to the increased interest that
some of the white farmers of the South are taking in
the subject OF agricultural education for the Negro
AT our last Farmers Conference $3.50 in prizes was
distributed to Negro farmers in Macon County. This
money given by the white planters and merchants
and bankers of the county in order to encourage better
The large increase in the amount of property owned
by Negroes is, am sure due in no small part to the
teaching that has gone from the Annual Tuskegoe
Negro Conference and similar agencies. find that
the value of the domestic animals which the Negro
ten years from SS5oOoo00 to si710o0000 or lQS per
cents poultry from S4O0O000 to S50O0O00 or % per
cent; Implements and machinery from SlS,000O0O to
SS60OOOOO or 100 per cent; land and buildings from
S69OO0O0O TO s27300O0o0 293 per cent From 1900
TO the total value of farm property owned by the
Coorod farmers of the South Increased from SlNOOO-
600 to Sl9300O000 III per cent
One indication of the effect of our extension work
Is the Improvement of the personnel of the Annual
Tuskegoe Negro Conference meetings Whereas. i'm
former years il made up for tho most part of
ignorant, uncouth renters and croppers, and a few
owners now ii rs composed largely of well-dressed,
intelligent progressive and wide-awake owners who
are always eager to discuss farming methods. AZ
our last Conference OF the farmers brought
photographs of the five and sNroom up-todate houses
iu which they live, aud discussed iuelhgenty tho
of the improved farm tools and machinery which
they are now using Ono dealer In farm machinery
stated recently that the amount OF improved farm
machinery his county used by the colorod farmers
has Increased within the last few years at least 100
per cont.
That is a splendid showing for the work that is be-
ing prosecuted by the institute Industry, education
self-reliance. thrift and fair measure OF financial
independence are the great needs of the negroes in
America when they get them they will so far to-
ward removing the prejudice which exists to the
disadvantage of both the whites and the negroes.