Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-01-05

TIE Great on of new Negro quarters
and the dispersion Of Negroes
throughout the city. but also tlc ut
most utilization Of every place i'll the
Negro sections capable of being trans
formed into habitat ON. Attics and
cellars. StorGro0mS and easements,
churches. sheds and Warehouses; had
to he employed for the accommodate
zion OF these newcomers. Whenever
Negro had space which he could
rosS bly, siIare, it was converted into
Il sleeping place; as many beds as
lC%Sjhlc were crowded into it. and
the maximum number Of men per bed
were lodged Either because their
own rents were high. or because they
were unable to Withstand the tcmpta-
I on OF the sudden. and, for all they
knew. temporary harvest. or. perhaps
EcrauS" OF the altruiStir de ire to as
SiSt their race fellows. Il majority of
the Negroes in Pittsburgh convcrtca
t~rir homes into lodging houses
The lack CT improvements in the
Negro quarters North is in line with
the lack Of improvements in Negro
quarters South. In the latter section,
though. there is enough vacant land
to enable the thrifty colored folks to
build their own homes and to live in
peace and contcntmcnt Colorcd min
:Stcrs have gone from the Southland
in large numbers. following their
congregations rather than having
their congregations following them
But what inducemcnt is there for a
colorcd family to go to the northern
cline in the light OF these disclosures?
All else Beng equal, any colorcd per-
son would prefer to live among the
scenes of his childhood. lie continues:
because rooms were hard to come
Ivy, the dodgers were not disposed TO
complain about the living conditions
or the prices charged. They we're
only too glad to secure Il pl CO VIII re
they conld share a nalf or at least Il
part Of an unclaimed bed. 1t was no
easy task to find room for family,
as most boarding houses would accept
only single men, and refused to adj
NIT women and children. Many
man who with his family occupied
only one or two rooms, made place
for friend or former townsman and
his family. In many instances this
was done from unselfsh motives and
III humane spirit.
A realization of the need for accu-
rate information concerning the Ne
gro migration. and the belief that in
an intelligent treatment Of tie prob
lem lay the welfare of the entire COM
munity as we'll as that of the local
Negro group, prompted the attempt at
Il scientific study OF the situation.
the primary purpose OF the study was
TO learn the facts. but there was also
nope that the data obtained might
lead to the amclioration of certain
existing evils and the prevention of
threatening ones.
In order to ascertain as many of
the facts as possible concerning hous-,
.ng conditions, rooming and boarding
houses. three or four family tenement
houses. single family residences,
camps, churches and other lodging
PAGES were investigated. A compar-
atlVe study of health and crime
among Negroes of Allegheny County
before and after the period of the
Northern migration was also at
tempted.
"A QUESTIONABLE concerning kinds
81 labor in watch Negro migrants en-
gagged, and wages paid them both i'll
iltiSnurSh and IN their native South
was prepared; and answers to it
from over five hundred individuals
were obtained during the months OF
July and August 1917. Information
Relating to housing, rents ncallh and
social conditions was elected in il
similar manner. An effort was made
TO visit and study every Negro quar-
ter i'll Pittsburgh. Data was secured
rom the Negro sector sin the liill
District ana upper Wylie and Bed
ioru Avenues; me LawrcnceNillc dis
tr.ct. about Penn Avenue, between
Ihlrty-iourLh and Twcnty-e & Ii / Ii
Streets; t..e Northside Negro quarter
around Beaver Avenue and Fulton
Street; the Last Liberty section in
the vicinity OF Mignonctte and Shakes
pcarc Streets, and the new downtown
Negro section on Second Avenue,
Ross and Water Streets.
Labor agents picture a glowing pic
lure OF conditions North We have
been there. We have found that the
wages were all right, but the high
cost OF living tended to nullify the
benefits obtained thcrefrom. The eli
mate agrees with some colored folks
and it disagrees with many others.
The cry OF equal rights and privileges
in the North is as misleading as any
thing can possibly be- Race preju-
dice t.cre $ more irritating than it
is in the South. In the one place it
is expected and in the other it is not
understood and not Welcomed But
we did not intend to discuss this
pHa5c OF Il most important subject.
Mr.. Epstein continues:
Nincty-thrcc per cent of those who