The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1920-06-18
1886
5,192,5S5

Clerical Occupations NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1885
5ls2,535
The Negro race is not migratory and therein is
much of It's value and reliability. However, the
World War; which disturbed everything else also
disturbed the Negro Immigration from Europe ceased
former immigrants returned and at the close of the
war America was short three million immigrant
laborers
Northern employers were troubled by shortage of
labor and high wage demands, and looked toward the
South for q possible labor supply. They sent rep.
resentatives South to find many Negroes whose
ings were small, due to the pant-destroying boil
weevil and to consequent unemployment of cotton
acreage
These employment agents promised the Negroes
better wages, better housing, better education for
the children, better treatment in the courts, and
free transportation for themselves and their families
if they would North One large railroad
system operating in the South started special trains,
notifying the Negroes at each stop that any who
wanted to come North might do without charge.
As result 100000 migrated to climate to which
they were unaccustomed, and account of bad hous
ing conditions died in large numbers.
The factory doors which had hitherto been closed
to the Negro opened wide and to large extent still
remain open, and large numbers of the migrators who
formerly worked in southern field sare now engaged
IN all sorts of industrial occupations in the North
The plants of seven states numbering 244 plants in
all, into which Negro aborers were introduced during
the war were investigated by the Department of
Labor as to conditions prevailing during 1918 and
1919 and disclosed good feeling between whites
and blacks in all the plants with the blacks showing
equal attendance and supplying an equal quantity and
quality of work.
However, the Northern social organism did not
support the sudden influx. At first the new arrivals
were crowded into certain sections long recognized as
pague-ridden disease infected and yice.ruled. but
when the new arrivals in of Detroit increased
5000 in five years, those sections could not contain
the newcomers, and other sections were necessarily
occupied Declines in real estate values followed and
although these declines were quickly succeeded bv
reeoveries larger than the Declines due to the enorm
Gus rents collected from the arrivals racial pre-.
Judices developed and trouble ensued.
Southern Negro Prosperity
When the Negroes first began to 90 North NOT
much attention was paid to their exodus in the South
But the size of the migration seriously affected the
southern labor market increased the shortage of
farm products, raised the prices of foodstuffs and
ere long the planters and Chambers of Commerce of
the South were urging the Negroes to return South 70
oettered conditions, such larger wages and gifts
OF land suitable for homes and gardens
Meantime, those Negroes who remained in the
more FERTILE parts Of the South had Jared far
better than most of those who went North Vast
numbers OF them work a cropsharing system and
where the farm superintendent and operators are
honest men, the Negroes have made enough out of
them completely out Of poverty.
There are vast sections Of the Mississippi River
delta land in the hands of Negroes who have become
welto-do. Many of these farmers have accumulated
fortunes ranging from $4,000 to $175,OOO and are
permitted the full use of sidewalks, streets and
thoroughfares
These lands have produced as high as 500 lbs
OF tlcent cotton per acre, and under such conditions
the making of money by Industrious and intelligent
man is most natural. One such man, Negro who had
nothing eighteen years ago, now owns 1000 acres of
this land Nine Negroes have recently dubbed together
and bought tract of 1900 acres; and twenty-five
Others have dubbed together and bought 5000 acre
tract for $225OOO intending to cut it up into 1OOcare
farms In one county of Mississippi Negroes possess
more than $5OOOOO worth of property and over 1000
automobiles.
With improved economic conditions the Negro
has improved otherwise has organized an insurance
company doing large business, has employed farm
demonstration agent in important agricultural
CENTER and has organized various kinds of commercial
enterprises in many places. Among these is steam.
ship line.
General Negro Advancement
The percentage of Negroes that own their own
homes has increased from 1870 in 1890 to
$500 in 1910 and varied in 1910 in the different
states as follows: