The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-10-24
An Open Letter to
The Negro Bus
mess League
BY Charles A. starke.

If there is anything in a name, then
the National Negro Business League
means a great national body of Negro
business men leagued together, mind
you, to promote the general order of
business among Negroes. This is dou-
bly, true in local organizations, as the
national affairs are fraught with the
convention spirit, it is to our local
league that we must look for an eff
fective work toward uplifting bust
ness standards and the promotion of
trade among ourselves. To do this
we will find it necessary to follow
the well established rules Of COM
merce which has always for it's basis
honesty, full value for the money and
fair dealing. Other peculiarities
should be dealt with with strong and
unusual methods of race loyalty and
common sense.
The business outlook for the negro
is great. To the wide awake the light
of truth sheds it's rays over the hori-
o of the business world and opens
to him possibilities never discovered
before, but across this favorable sky
emblazoned in bold and stern read
ing is this one commandments.
Unless o invest your money in a
business of some kind and work and
feel the hopes and setbacks, follow
the daily routine with added vigor,
improve and wrestle with the thou
sand phases that bob up for consid-
Grafton, you can not lay claim to real
membership in the local league if that
league NEAR business. Then the
Negro Business League is for bust
people, and business people
should only be admitted to the ranks
in order that nothing but business
might be transacted or promoted. If
you wanted to organize a carpenters
union you would not go to bricklay-
ers, iron workers or common laborers
to secure members, would you? No.
But you would naturally go to al
penters, and carpenters only.
Here we have a quite a contrast
from this. We have the business
league going to churches, women's
clubs and to every place but to the
highways of business life to get tim
Der for its use, so that today we have
a list of names that really near moth
ing and stand for nothing in the bust
ness community. What the Negro
Business League wants now is Gus
toners and patrons Of the businesses
the individual members and associa-
ton of a roomful of vociferous per-
sons arguing points of order, berat-
ing each other about their knowledge
of parliamentary usages" and debat-
ing whether preachers shall be ad-
mitted with special honor, and that
gratis.
Resolve" said Booker T. Washing
ton, rolling up his sleeves in imita-
ton of the mysterious individual
whose activity consists in making
resolutions that reach no farther than
us get out of this habit of resolving
and do a little active work in bring
ing about better conditions among our
people and institute a sounder bust
ness policy among business people.
The Way.
There are some $4,000 Negroes in
Greater Kansas City to be fed, clothed
and housed. Ab~stractly, this meal
much, how to feed, clothe and house
these people through Negro enter
prises and with capital controlled by
Negroes is the practical problem Of
our business men. We have had great
orations in abundance telling us how
far the Negro has come, but little or
nothing about how to really solve the
eternal now problems which are
confronting the business person of
the hour. We believe that the Bust
ness League started wrong, and there
fore can not end right.
The thing to do is to halt and cor
rect ourselves and put this organiza-
tion which really has a latent pow
er for great good upon a better work
ing basis. To do this we are giving
(what appears in u opinion) some
practical suggestions to advance the
cause of business.
First-Cleaner and better appointed
business places, neat and attractive,
| polite and prompt service, not a mere
| sign hanging on the wall, but a real
active and sincere effort to please and
satisfy. Satisfaction they say makes
regular customers.
Second - Honest advertisements,
with persistency, not the hating or
sporific kind, but steady, practical ad-
vertising that brings business and
keeps alive business consciousness of
the people who would otherwise for
get. Back up everything we say and
pay for advertising as s~crupulously
as we do u gas bills.
Advertising is a science. If you do
not know the game secure the serv-
ices of an expert and pay him for
his labor. Advertising is what keeps
the wheel of industry "a going" "So
the people may know" is a good slo
gan in advertising,
Third-A concerted action on the
part of all members to his own PEG
pie, and make it a crime for any mem
Der of the business league to trade
with a people who despises his very
presence but who will take his money
and hate him more. Any member o.
the Business League found guilty Of
buying an article from a white con
Germ when he could easily secure the