Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-07

| be restricted to blind alleys. Industrial skill
| must have fair opportunity. Fairness
! quireS this, whatever the color of the laborer
may be.
Just what sympathetic cooperation may
bring about is shown in the work done by
thc Armstrong Association Almost 100 sta
| lonary engineers have found Il demand for
| their skill through the efforts of this organi-
| @ation. Skilled worimen have been happily
! placed repeatedly through the enlistment of
| employers on the side of fair play through
| It's instrumentalty. Women and girls have
| been supplied for factories In this recon.
struction period this organization is re-
| doubling its efforts and is asking consider
| atlon Tor negro workmen to prevent indis-
| criminate and thoughtless discharge of them
| from places of employment and urging wider
| opportunities for their services, with special
| consideration for their skilled groups and
fairness to employers well.
| lNtiE housing problem is one of much diff
u Guilty The congestion Of the negro popu.
| Iation is source of great concern. The
poorer groups of negroes are aill in many
cases occupying insanitary houses, which
should properly be subject TO municipal cor
roction or condemnation. These housing con-
dtions cause occasional racial friction which
Is as significant in its Informing of cond-
tons as II is unavoidable, unless we can
bring about a sympathetic attitude toward
the problem on the part of tenants, property
owners, real estate men and the general
public.
In every ono of the large centcrs Of negro
populations throughout the city there are
one or more public schools, with teachers of
the negro race, who make up a group of
intelligent people by reason of their position
who are naturally leaders for uplift and
Improvement among their own people There
are number of mixed schools, but there are
NJ nrl hf,. tt1 t,i,l,
Cllsivcly by over 100 ColOrcd teachers If we
add to these the considerable number of
negro busin,S S. and professional men and
women we can sense the leavcn at work
which lustiiicS our confidence in the future of
the negro. Numerous negro churches with
eloquent and influential pastors, and three
able and widely circulated weekly newspa-
pers are potential in forwarding the great
forward movement that is astir in the negro
communities.
TNHROUGHOUT the country we find a race
l. which has offered it's all upon the altar
Of our common country. which upon battle
field, in the workshop and in the home has
met the test of loyalty and devotion, proving
itself genune in its Americanism. 1t conf
IDENTIFY hopes from the country and the world
the reward Of devotion. We shall be glad to
realize that there is an invisible, silent per-
suasive force felt throughout the world
making men amenable to truth, justice and
mercy. We invoke this mighty force on
behalf of our race.
In our city of most splendid traditions
toward the negro race, a city which gave IL
chance to acquire property, 10 operate aud
MAINTAIN Seagoing vessels. to amaSs PROPERTY
in the dark period before emancipation, which
was the very center of the activities of the
underground railroad during the later slave
period the negro expects an example OF fair
ard generous dealing which shall blaze the
trail of racial cooperation for the rest of the
nation
With malice toward none, with liberty for
all, with equal chance for every man TO make
an honest living according to his skill ana
ability, TO establish homes free from sur
rounding vice and the encroachments of dis
ease, TO educate his children TO the point of
frution of their highest capabilities to find
wholesome recreation, our people may lonls
forward to the future, hopeful and uuafrnid
In recognition of the new era which marks
the progress of the world today fifty youny
colored men and women representing stand
ara types OF negro youth. products of our
high and normal schools and universities
have pledged their united services to con.
structire work in this our great Common.
wealth.
Because we realize the magnitude ana
Importance of our undertaking we have ser
apart February IL, the birthday of Abraham
Lincoln, for the purpose of publicly review
ing our task and of making it clear TO Others
In this undertaking we hope to have tha
encouragement and cooperation of ALI our
citizens who are interested in the upward
and forward movement Of our people