The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-06-05
Something About Our
New ENTERPRISE

With the happy consent and
proffered. support of the leading col
ored citizens, AMIR. J. H. Kraft, on
Nov. 81, 1917, opened in our town
enterprise known as the Maryland
Shirt Co., solely for the benefit of our
colored constituency We hailed the
project with exceeding delight and
the most sentimental among US saw
III it the panaceu for all our many
economical ills. Tentative pledges
were made for limited financial
backing, and then our leaders pre-
pared Ions and varied lists contain
ing most OF the available prospec-
tives for positions and presented
them forthwith to Mr.. Kraft for his
careful consideration OF course,
this was a brand new industrial baby
just born, and the first of its kind in
our town, and certainly we hardly
knew just what to expect. Conse-
quently, our imaginations just ran
riot In our minds, everybody would
Immediately receive positions and
set to work at the foremost places
In this we have been very sadly
disappointed. The proprietor, from
past experience in the business, rea-
lized that there could be but one
forelady, and used his own discre-
ton in securing Mrs. Jennie Griffen,
a former school teacher, for that po
sition. This accomplished, the whole
matter of securing operators was at
once turned over TO her. Anxiety
and curiosity ran high as to whom
she would employ. AS wisely and as
impartially as was possible, she set
about to secure her help. She en-
countered the extreme difficulty OF
securing the required ten cut of
number many times that size, which
task could rarely be accomplished
without serious criticism, except she
was possessed with infinite wisdom.
Sad TO relate, that our enterprise has
been up for bitter criticism ever
since those ten were secured. AL
most every imaginable thing has
been resorted to in order to kill our
baby. The wisdom of filling our
pledge to help finance it has been
severely questioned, unkind thrusts,
such as select crowd" and" choice
set" have been repeatedly hurled, and
the great wonder about it all is, how
under heaven has this new born in
dustrial infant ever survived during
these six months amid such an I'M
wholesome and sitting atmosphere?
l suppose it's because it's a black
baby And what's more remarkable
still about this baby, it has not only
lived, but has managed somehow to
grow.
At first there were positions only
for ten, since then twenty-five have
received employment, and larger pro-
visions are in process now, for devel-
opments. And the present outlook is.
if a more congenial attitude is mani
tested in our infants behalf, it will
live 10 maturity and be an untold
blessing to our colored constituency.
There are just two dangers threat
ening us at this juncture, which we
must for our own welfare avoid.
First, if we continue our criticism
and bitterness of spirit we will kill
this present enterprise for our peo-
pie here and send Mr.. Kraft to OPP
crate for our folks in some other
town. Second, we will convert the
present enterprise into a Lilly
White" plant and We'll be jim Crow
ed right here.
But | see a third possibility which
can emerge from this small begin
ming. this feeble start, and under
God this is what We'll do. We can
thru unified effort and concentrated
thru unified effort and concerted ac-
ton, so foster and support this en-
terprize, so that in the near future
our own Cambridge will lead the
whole Eastern Shore in this kind of
an industry for our people.
AN OBSERVER.