Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-02
BUILDING IN TIKI: SOUTH
AND THE LABOR PROBLEM
Views of Contractors From Several
SsSoutllcrn StatcS-Plcnty OF Work
That Makes Things Lively.
NEGRO AS uNsllI.LED LABoRER
difference Of Opinion as To Sambo's
Value and Rcliability-Somc Con-
y tractors In North Are Trying Him.
Labor Scarce in Parts OF South.

~ In the current Issue OF the Manu-
4 Sacturers' Record lending contractors
and builders from all parts Of the
& South discuss the present gencrif con-
Stations OF contract work OF nil kinds.
The supply OF labor and other subjects
pertaining thereto. An interesting foa-
iss&ure of the discussion. for such Ii Is.
81 comes with the expression OF The views
of the writer's as TO the relative ad-
ISiyantnge for rough contract work OF
ssnegroes and whites. Many " the con-
stractors. employing IN the aggregate
fImany thousands OF negro hands, with
N5experience running over many years
fTegard the negro rs ono OF the great
5labor assets of the South. and some
claim that for rough contract work
5fhe negro is the best laborcr in the
sworld and far superior, and therefore
sSpreferable, to foreigners
III This discussion was brought about
sIby the following questions presented by
sfthe Record TO many large contractors
sithroughout The South ana Southwest
n Us the supply OF labor ample for all
@Scontract work in sight. or IS ii possible
that there will b. a shortage or labor.
sswith q probability of higher wages,
sssas now seen in the NORTH"
sc ITO what extent arc YOU depending
ssnpon white labor ana 20 what extent
.Fnpon negro labor in your work and
i how efficient relatively do YOU find
them in the kind OF work in which
Hgyou are engaged
sf1ARIED VIEWS ON MUCH
DISCUSSED LABOR SUBJECT
s. The letters in reply TO these Gues-
sItions are very interesting. and bring
Tout very clearly tiiat there is some
sthing doing In Dixie: that contract
8swork all over the South from Viz
Ssginia to Florida and Texas is much
,o-n tt..n E .-.1 ,.r.H
slthnt there is tendency TO a higher rate
siof wages, and here anu there m 'ndi-
astcation OF q scarcity OF labor. The
sSma3ority Of the contractors who ex-
5spressed their opinion as to the rcla-
sstive value OF white and negro labor
53eSpreSsed n preference for negroes for
irough labor. while others are strong
St1n their communication OF whites for
1.-THE higher class OF mechanical work.
In view Of these conditions, one con-
tractor suggests the great need of in
Industrial schools FOR white boys
s4throughout the South 10 enable thcn
ITO thoroughly learn trades unhampercd
I by conditions which now exist in some
places, whore At rresen; they would
Nionly be able TO learn under negro
sshelp.
Il So great is the demand for labor.
,asi1iled and unsklled. throughout tho
RNorth Atlantic and Middle States and
sin the Lake region that efforts are
5 being made in many cases 20 draw
S1abor from the South. one New Eng
gland concern having a branch in North
Carolina has been sending a large
Snumber Of negroes TO its New England
,Eplant to help to meet the demand
3sllMany other letters call attention 20
f. this tendency to seek to fill up the
Avacuum in other sections by drawing
& labor from the South.
81 SOMETHING IN BUILDING
az DOING ALL OVER DIME
at is to be hoped that the develop
sment of the South Will he sufficiently
Sfapid to enable all OF its own people
sto~ find employment AZ home. and that
instead OF the rough labor OF this
Ssection going North and West because
&of the demand there Viii be such =
demand in the South as to cQuali2c the
%situation and, indeed. draw laboring
b people from other sections"
Il These letters indicate a Widespread
Y construction activity in The South They
5 SHOW that the movement already under
sway, though not as active MS I, was
8prior TO the panic of 1907 lis sum so
#much broader than NJ any time since
8that year that the laborinE people of
h the South are likely 10 bc employed
Smore fully than they have been in
& profitable work AZ some years CON
tract work p.4t