Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-03-02
THE RI0HMoNp PLANET, R1oHMoNp. yIRaIN1A

lA-Il IbAO1Iu
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portance for the community as a
! whole. than for Tho few individuals
AFFECTED. The fact cannot be over-cm
phasized that the community ulti-
mately pays the price for its stupid
ity. Indifference to ttris problem at
| Presenb when 1t still can be coped
win and adjusted will result in an
uhcontrolablo situation lptcr. We
: have seen above some of the costly
! results OF our housing and wage con
; ditions. We have also learned in this
war that we can no longer afford to
. breed and fomcnt discomfort and an
tasonlsm among our own people. We
must not only see that the STRANGERS
among Us are adjusted. but that they
also do not become menace to the
| woll-beng Of the community.
! 1t Is not sufficient That we bring
these rcoplc here. give them a bunk
mousse or basement to sleep in, and
job In our mill for twelve hours n
cay. ''nce these people are in our
hhdS' theS become a part of ourselv--
cs, ana IL we desire them to work in
harmony with our own interests and
not Become anal .-SoGiHl nalcontents
sc must &C further than that. We
must see that they become part an,
parcel Of our community, tluat they
arc educated and made familiar with
tho problems that we are facing loca,
ly. The man who is hero for several
days and stays up all night because
no can find no place to sleep cannot
DC expected to remain for long
social being. Pittsburgh's progress
Will be greatly handicapped If a Ger
tain element Of our community has
10 take advantage Of the saloon and
vice resorts FOR relaxation. Neither
can we afford to let a considerable
part OF our voting population remain
because Of lack of intel lgencc. tho
prey and spoil OF politicians who may
+ jeopardize the whole life of the city
for their own selfish interest, Wo
cannot permit sickness and high NOR
tally rates among the dark.sk,nncd
people. One Of our big steel mills had
TO have its whole office and plant
forces vaccinatcd. and was oven in
danger OF being guaranteed, when n
humbcr OF Negroes working in tho
plant scattered over The city after n
case OF smallpox Was discovered in
the rooming house where these men
stopped. Tho Department. Of Health
mad big task hunting these mo-,
ana the danger to which tho whole
Guy popu.ation was exposed was oh.
E1ous. No more can we afford TO let
INC Negroes become the victims of
all sorts Of anti-social elements and
feel complacent after we send them
Tor n period Of time to the Jail or
WorhhOuse. They are a heavy burden
upon tho taxpayer while they are in
these Institutions and Often become
oven greater menace when they are
released. Our utmost attetion is
therefore essential to meet tho malad
justments before they have become
acute; and we do not base this claim
upon sentimental grounds but upon
the benefits OF economic and social
far-sightedness.
Many Negroes in the North seem
TO understand the situation. and arc
striving to do their best to help adj
just conditions. Some of the Negro
churches iii this city for Instance
tried TO ameliorate the housing con
ditions by converting their churches
into lodging places for the ncw--com-
crs until rooms could be found for
tlem. Besides the Providcnt Rescue
Mission on Fullerton Stree, which
accommodated thirty to forty mtn
Mt time during the entire winter
at least one other church converted
the entire building into quarters for
migrant families. The latter church
accommodated a number of families
until the committee in charge could
secure homes FOR fhe newcomers. But
tho responsibility of The white, people
is just rs great, and it is indeed in
very opportune time that prophetic
warning is sounded by colored writ
cr i'll Cleveland paper rs follows:
"Let them alonc-permit them to
gropo blindly through the mazcs Of
startling new environments and in a
few years a social problem will be
created that will require a half cen
tury and millions of dollars to solve"
Let them alone now, permit and
enforce them to live in unsnnitary dis
tricts and homes, relieved OF Chris
!; tian and moral influence, and what
is perhaps n 10000 responsibility to
day. will be come n $4,000 heavy,
crime---brcoding burden tomorrow"
Let them alone today, permit them
to become THE flotsman and jctsnm OF
neglect, or pernicious discrimination
such as they were in the South-.
and tomorrow. having inhaled a bit
of Northern freedom, they may be
come a dark, sinister shadow fail
ing athwart the white mans door"
"Let them alone today, permit them
to be retired to overcrowdcd' shacks
and shanties where sanitation is an
unuttcrcd word. and tomorrow, con
tagions. arising from ahcse congestcd
unaani;ary shanties and shacks, will
fly. like the black bat OF night, over
our fair city, and in it's wake will
stalk the gaunt form of Death, claim
ing thousands OF our best white and
Colored citizens as a debt paid for
inaction."
But enough for this week Are con-
dition in other northern industrial
centres like those described in Pitts
burgh? II they are not, who can de-