The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-03

| needed, in the farms, lumber camps,
 and mine fields of the south, as was in
 the manufacturing centers of the north, but the north simply offered more
 money. This shifting class of labor is
 always willing to move towards the highest wages and it is a very neces-
 sary element in every country, rich in
 undeveloped resources.
 Tt cannot be denied though that
 after the south raised the wages to compete with the north. many land
 owning negroes sold out and went
 north in search of better educational
 opportunities for their children. But
 they went away with no bitterness in their hearts.
 Whether or not the exodus of desir- able colored labor will continue to such point as to hamper the industrial developments of the south depends upon how far the south will go to satisfy
 the desires of those negroes who want better scools, better sanitation in the colored sections of our cities, larger opportunity for the employment of edu- cated colored men and women, reason able recognition at the polls and bar | rier measure of justice in the courts. The negroes have absolutely no de-
 sire for social equality. They would | only be too glad just to be let alone
 and allowed to grow up black" ! J. R. McWane, employment officer | of the American Cast Iron Pipe com pany told what is being done for the moral and educational improvement of the negro laborers at Aeipco. J. C.. Blackwell. superintendent of the divi- sion of education of the Tennessee Coal and Iron company told of the efforts of this company to elevate it's laborers and their families
 | One thousand and thirty three colored ! teachers registered in the meeting making this one of the largest meet
 ings in the thirty-nine years of the associations existence.
 i C. J. Galloway, of Tuskegee institute was elected president, and E. E..
 Huckabee of Birming ham, vice presi- | dent.
 1 pr. R. R. Moton, president of Tus- ke gee Institute. said
 l There is no group in the state of Alabama upon whom there rests
 greater responsibility than upon the | teachers Of the state, those who are | sry largely responsible for the edu- cation, the training, of over 2o0,00o of the youth of our sta5e. The informa 1 tion and the inspiration. we'll as the 1 as pirations which you give to these young people will determine in large measure not merely their attitude to- wards life. but very largely their oAdtQS. " (. as ltdCuCISy tucI tlOISs | have q great opportunity and an equally great responsibility. This was never more true than at present The world is passing through the most critical period in its history America also is passing through very critical period. The negro race in America. and we here in Alabama, are passing through a period such as we have never before witnessed. It is d problem, not merely of adjustment, but also of readjustment.
 "All of the misunderstandil g. bit terness. hatred and strife that brought about the killing and the maiming for life perhaps of millions of men. to say nothing about the untold misery and suffering of women and children. could not but nave left ar uncertain rela- tion in it's wake.
 We are responsible for the train ing of thousands of youth of our race iii this great state-of keeping their feet on the ground and their heads level, stressing the possibilities and probabilities of achievement of the regro child emphasizing what he can accomplish, rather than what he can not accomplish. I think it was Ca vour who said that while he was in terested in the impossible he had very great enthusiasm for the pos sible.
 FACING QU ESIlONS
 "It is not my intention tonight to undertake to give you any advice, but am simply raising certain questions that I think we should squarely face. ?
 '.The probabilities are that a large majority of the negro race in Amer ica will live south of the Mason and Dixon line. I dare say that the ma Jority wants to live south of the Mason and Dixon line, and a large majority cf the white people who are south of the Mason and Dixon line--and prob ably north of that line-would be glad tc have us remain here, whatever may he said and done to the contrary. IL IS, therefore, incumbent upon every school teacher and negro leader in the south, in recognition of this face. to hring about, by every reasonable means a condition of life among black and white and such wholesome and happy adjustment of our race relations as will make work and life just as harmonious and satisfactory as in any other part of this country. This, in my opinion, we can do by both races here in the south carefully thinking out and frankly talking out and to- gether working out the problems that necessarily affect both races. Neither white nor black can escape the i'll eff fleets of racial misunderstanding and suspicion.
 CONSTRUCTION
 Booker Washington's success was due in large measure to the fact that he loved mankind. He loved black people and white people. Hate breeds destruction love develops construc- ton Let us emphasize, therefore, with our children the idea of love and con- struction, rather than hate and de- struction.
 q know that a great many of you are sometimes discoura ged over con ditions. I also know that you are not fully convinced that there is a growing disposition on the part of the whites to cooperate with the colored and also a growing disposition on their part to see that you get more even handed justice. I appreciate the i'm portance of your being convinced of this fact. This can probably best be done through representative whites in