Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-12-07
a WORD OF WARNING 10
SUMTER COUNTY NEGROES

SUMTER COUNTY NEGROES
Negroes are leaving Georgia
farms in such numbers as to create
the impression that labor agents
are again at work in this COM
munity.
So widespread have the actiVi-
ties of these agents become, they
have attracted attention of Hal NJ.
Stanley, commissioner of COM
merce and labor for Georgia. Mr..
Stanley has sent from his office in
Atlanta a warning note, telling
farmers of the suspected presence
Of these agents throughout the
state.
Of course, any person has the
right to leave Georgia and locate
wherever he pleases, but Stanley
directs attention to the fact that
it is a violation of Georgia law
for labor agents to persuade any
person to emigrate.
Before any labor agent can law
fully solicit business within the
state he must, first, pay the tax
collector in each county in which
he operates a tax of $1,000. He
must also register with the ordin-
airy Of the county, stating the ma
ture of his business, and he must
secure a license from the depart
ment Ct commerce and labor at
Atlanta.
A search Of the records in At
lanta reveals that no license has
Leen issued any labor agent in
Georgia for the current year.
Therefore, any person soliciting
labor in Georgia for any industry
or institution outside the state, is
violating the state labor laws.
1t is misdemeanor to solicit
the emigration of labor from Geor-
gja, except under the conditions
above stated, and any person who
does so is liable to a fine of 81 900,
CT one year on the changing, in
the DISCRETION of the court Not
withstanding all these facts, labor
agents are operating in Georgia.
Negroes are constantly leaving
the state. Already hundreds have
gone from Georgia to Connecticut,
Ohio and other eastern states,
where they are now working in
various industries.
When severe winter weather sets
in, these Southern negroes who
have emigrated northward must
suffer intoierable hardships. Ac-
customed as they are to the mild
climate of the Southern states, ne
groes at the North rapidly fall vic
inns to tuberculosis, influenza,
pneumonia and other seasonal
diseases. And those who persuade
them to emigrate northward not
only violate Georgia's laws, bat
they do the negro himsef a real
injustice.
Many negroes who have here
tofore spent seasons working for
Industrial corporations in the
North have returned home, all of
them glad to get back alive.
Some of these have lost relatives
at the North, and are thus preclud-
ed from even visiting the graves Of
their loved ones whose strength
was not sufficient to carry them
through the rigors of Northern
winter
We would not say or do any
thing to prevent the negro i'm
proving his condition in life. The
Times Recorder feels, however, q
keen interest in the welfare OF
negro residents of this community
Negroes in their sphere have con
tributed much to the prosperity OF
Sumter county and Americas, ano
it is to protect ignorant members
of the race that this articles i;
written.
The slick-tongued stranger who
comes into any community with al
ailuring tale of life at ease with
out work in the North should bt
immediately exposed.
Northern corporations who senc
eheir agents here to hire Southern
negroes have no real interest il
the well-being Of their iaboaers
There exists no bond of sympath.
Eetween them and their worker
such as has characterized the re
lations of the white man and tn
negro in the South during NOR
than hundred years. They al
hard task-masters, and they hay