Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-31
Gotham's Quota Closely Fol-
lowed by Philadelphia and
Chicago as CoIored Labor
ers Seek Higher Wages
BY ROBERT 7. SMALL
Especial Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1929

Copyright. 1929
WASHINGTON, July %. - The
present migration of the negro from
the south TO the north and west,
while greater in extent than any
ever known before, is nevertheless
following the general migratory
trend of the last twenty years or
more.
The northern and' middle western
cities always have had q lure for
the negro, and just as each one of
these cities in the past has drawn
it's colored population from certain
states, so the tide is going today.
New York is drawing its enormous
quota from Virginia. South Carolina,
North Carolina and Georgia. Chi
cago is drawing from Tennessee,
Kentucky, Alabama and Missouri in
the order named.
New York is still the negro me-
tropolis of the world. There has
been a general impression that Chi
cago held that distinction. but Chi
cago, according to the latest authen-
tic figures, still is fourth in the race,
but likely to move UP before the pres
ent migration ends. The ranking of
the first ten negro cities in the coun'
try is as follows:
New York, 152,467; Philadelphia,
1929; Washington, 109,966; Chi
cago, 109,458; Baltimore, 10S, 1922;
New Orleans, 100000; Birmingham,
1920; st. Louis, 1854; Atlanta, g.
1856; Memphis. 61,1S1.
Washington Losing Position
AS Washington is getting COM
paratively a small proportion of the
migration induced by labor agents
from the industrial centers, it is
probable that Chicago today can be
ranked in third place. New York
and Philadelphia are holding their
own IN the race and not likely TO lose
first and second positions. The lat
est census/ figures show enormous
gains in the percentage Of negroes
to whites in New York, Philadelphia
ami Chicago, but a loss in Washing
ton, where the negro population to-
day is but one-fourth of the whole
as against one-third a short while
back.
Among the northern states, Penn
sylvania leads in negro population,
with New York, Ohio, Illinois and
New Jersey following in the order
named. The great mass Of the ne
gro population of the country is to
be found in the South Atlantic states,
from Delaware to Florida Nearly
| one-half of the 100000 negroes
live in these states. The east south
central states of Kentucky, Tennes-
see, Mississippi and Alabama house
about 100000 negroes and the west
south central states 1000, 900 more.
Up to this time the negro problem
has been virtually non-eXistent in
the mountain and Pacific states with
a total of approximately 10000 ne
groes scattered through eleven
states. The last census figures
showed very small gains in negro
population in the South Atlantic and
west south central states, with loss
IN the east south central division. In
the middle Atlantic states. however
there was a gain of So per cent in
negro population, while in the east
north central states Of Ohio. Indiana.
Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin
there was gain of 10 per cent.
The northern states showing the
greatest gains in negro population
are Michigan, 251.O per cent: Wiscon-
sin, 1913; Illinois, GIL; Ohio. 81 /.
New York, 479; Pennsylvania. 46.7:
Connecticut, 1871.
In the present gold rush" Of ne.
groes to the north these same states
are drawing tremendously enlarged
quotas, but the percentages of in.
crease remain relatively the same
The migratory trend has not chang.
ed. Only the size of the exodus ia
, alarming. A study of the migra tion
develops many interesting angles,
MlSratary Trend UNCHANGED
virginia negroes, for instance al.
ways have had a fondness for Penn.
sylvania, Philadelphia in particular.
Their next choice has been New
York, with West Virginia. the Dis.
trict of Columbia, Maryland and New
Jersey following.
Georgia negroes also have had the
Penn SylVania habit quite badly in
the past. but their second chorce has
been Ohio rather than New York.
Illinois stands third with the Geor-