The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-04-08

A few days before he died Booker
T. Washington wrote to the editor of
the Forum magazine suggesting the
printing of an article dealing with
the definite, indisputable facts relat-
ing to the Negroes progress as a race.
He inclosed what he called a rough
outline of such an article, which, of
course, was never completed. What
he wrote is presented in it's unfinished
state in the current issue of the mag
azine.
irst he presented striking figures
to show Negro progress toward lit
eracy. On emerging from slavery, he
wrote, the Negro was not more tnan
) per cent literate. The census of
1910 shows that the Negro has re.
duced his illiteracy from 95 per cent
to 30.4. Contrasting the percentage
Of illiteracy among Negroes with that
of other people, Mr.. Washington wrote
that If the Negro had done no more
good than lead Greece and Italy in the
matter of literacy his showing would
have been profoundly significant" His
figures show the comparative per
centage of illiteracy as follows: Ne
groes, 30.4; Bulgaria, 65.5; Greece,
57.2; Hungary, 40.9; Italy, 4S.2; Po-
land, 1913; Portugal, 1874; Russia, 20;
Serbia, 7S.9; Spain, 5S.7; Chile, 1919;
Cuba, SOS; Mexico. 1853: Porto Rico,
1915; India, 92.5; Philippine islands,
55.5; Cape Of Good Hope. 65.S; Egypt,
,2.7.
Figures were not available for all
of the Negroes wealth, but the census
bureau gave the value of the Negroes
farm property alone as SLAP, 600, 900,
or $116.20 for each Negro in the Unit
ed States. Comparing this with the
statistics of the wealth of nations, Mr..
Washington said that, with the excep-
ton of Argentina, whose money
wealth is S135 per capita, the Negroes
per capita wealth is more han twice
that of any nation on earth. Negroes,
he wrote, operated S93,37O farms in
1910, having an acreage of 42,279,51O,
and the value of these farms increased
1884 per cent during the period of
19OO-1910 alone.
As against an estimated value of
about 100000 of the $50 Negro
churches owned in 1863 he set the
value of S56,636, 159 of buildings alone
OF the 56.421 churches and halls owned
in 1906. This, he held, indicated not
only economic progress but a continu.
ing and increasing devotion to reli
giOus life. Starting in 1863 with about
1000 business enterprises, the Negro
has developed in some fifty years
over $4,000 business concerns with an
annual volume of business of about
$1,000, 0 10000, Fifty-seven banks are
operated by colored people with a cap
italiZation Of 81. 500. 900, and an annual
usiness of about $4,000, 900. Among
Indications Of progress in the stand
srd Of living Mr.. Washington cited the
increase in the southern states alone
of the percentage Of homes owned free
from incumbrance from 20 per cent
in 1900 to 22.4 per cent in 1910. An,
other indication Of the rising standard
of living cited is the recent widespread
legislation to prevent Negroes from
buying property in desirable localities
Progress in health is indicated in &
death rate of 3.9 per cent in ten years
in a registration area embracing 49,
per cent of the Negro population. Mr.
Washington also quoted census figures
to show IN increased percentage o.
Negroes entering skilled industries
In general, he argued that when i
was considered that the progress
made in the last fifty years by tn,
American Negro had been largely il
the face of obstacles, it was grea'
progress.