The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-25

I01O Negro 1 edrDOOK. Inc
Negro worker in the factories
us, to a large extent, doing the
rougher, cruder and semi
skilled work.
Between 1900 and 1910
there was an increase of 173
per cent in the number of these
factory workers. Negroes do
ing mental jobs in the textile
industries increased 283 per
cent in the same time"
A Race Of Laborers.
Of the total Negro population in
the United States, 87.4 per cent Of all
the males and SAT- per cent Of all the
females are engaged in gainful occu-
pations. These figures include large
number of Negro children, working in
violation of child labor laws. OF the
working males, 1,099,715 are engaged
IN domestic service (servants), $685.
o14 are farm help, and close to a mil
non are employed as factory laborers.
These figures mean that the Negro
Race as whole is employed at un-
skilled labor. Economically the Negro
Race is Race of servants and labor
ers.
Over half the total female popula-
ton of the Negro Race is working at
galnful occupations. Out of the two
and one quarter million Negro women
employed, over one million are en-
ployed as servants, factory laborers,
charwomen and cleaners, maids, seam
stresses, mattresses, and chamber
maids. Another million are employed
as farm laborers, laundresses (taking
in washing at home), cooks, and cigar
makers. Practically all of the SAT-
percent of the total females of the
Negro Race, including many children,
work at unskilled and mental labor.
Home Life Destroyed.
We have seen that in all the large
Northern cities, the Negro, living in
segregated areas, in wretched houses,
and paying higher rents than any
other group, are working for low
wages at unskilled labor. The Negro
has less home life than any other
group; for over half the total females
are forced to labor as well as raise
their families, because the low wages
of the Negroes are combined with the
high rents. Not only are the women
and children forced to go into fact
cries, but in order to make both ends
meet nine out of every ten Negro
families are forced to take in at least
one ledger, in many cases destroying
the private family life, irritating the
women of the house, and having a
bad effect on the children.
And yet the leaders of the Race,
both individually and in their business
and welfare organizations, instead Of
squarely facing these appalling facts,
by trying to organize the Negroes in
their unions to demand higher pay,
instead of taking a determined stand
on the housing and segregation evils,
instead Of putting the true conditions
of the Race before their people, not
only ignore these issues, but are un-
derhandedly, nevertheless directly
traitors to their Race.
League Dodges Issues.
at is impossible, says L. Holling-
worth Wood, President of the Nation
al Urban League, sTo adopt definite
program and enforce it in all its
branches, the theory of our organiza-
ton being that general principles are
suggested by the National body, and
the local groups of white and colored
men and women forming the branch
organizations in each locality are
charged with the working out of these
principles in the way best suited to,
the locality in which they have set
up their organization"
In stating these general principles,
Wood goes on to say Negroes and
whites are admitted to membership.
Racial cooperation is the slogan. We
have branches in Al cities. Large
numbers are visualizing the Race
question in terms of world peace and
good feeling" We will readily admit
that the Urban League talks general
tiles.
League Bought by Bosses.
At the last national convention Of
the Urban League it was decided that
"The Negro housing problem cannot
be left to agents or private interests
working for profit. 1t can best be
handled by corporations employing
Negroes, under direction Of welfare
or by building and loan
societies.
No mention is made of organizing
the Negroes into a militant party in
order to gain the power to enforce
their demands for better housing and
A.. W." A