Evening star., 1925-09-10
SUPPORT OF RACE
BY NEGROES URGED
Success of Members Depends
on Backing, CoIored AS
Sociation Is Told.

Todays session of the tenth an
niversary meeting OF the Association
for the Study of Negro Life and His
tory. which convened yesterday at the
John Wesley 4. NJ. L. Zion Church.
was featured by addresses from men
prominent in negro tina ncial circles
and in the history of the organization.
Carter c.. Woodson of this city. dl-
rector of research ana editor Of the
association. VINO presided today. gave
a short introductory talk on the lack
Of knowledge of business details
among the negroes and on the d1I-
fculty Of securing information as to
the financial standing of the negro
business men.
Better Training Urged
s. ". Rutherford Of Washington.
president of the National Benefit Life
Insurance Company and secretary
treasurer of the association, who was
to have presided. was unable 10 alp
pear He sent in his place John Pin
kett, also of Washington, who spoke
an Business conditions a they af-
te 4 the Negro" Mr.. Pinkett adVocat-
- better individual and general con
:. .oi or business organizations run by
negroes He stressed the superior
need of trained men to conduct re
search rork which would facilitate
som kind Of business control.
In explaining the need Of better or
ganizatiou he said: 1T has not been 50
long since ii man starting out for him-
self in any dcld Of cndeavor would
have had a fair chance of succeeding
by following the hit-or-miss system.
However the day is at hand when
competition is SO keen that only those
trained in their work will have any
hope of success.
W. G.. Pearson Of Durham. y. C..
president of the Bankers Fire Insur-
ance Co. and closely connected with
educational work in his native State.
spoke on why the Negro Business
Man Often Fails He attributes
their frequent failure to four main
causes. First. ineXperiencc: second,
lack of support: third. lack Of capital
and misdirecued capital: fourth.
fraudulent methods employed by some,
He feels that ineNperience is far the
most important. as it handtCaps the
colored business man in his struggle
with his white competitors.
Support of Race Needed
While he said the last two causes
are not so prevalent. mnay failures are
due-to lack of support of colored bust
ness organizations by the Colored peo-
pie Themselves. He cites the case of
one ycolored banker who frequently
overdreW his account in the bank of
which he was q director: while he had
n large savings account in a white
bank in another section Of the town.
Mrs Rutherford urges a financial mag
azipe dealing with colOred business
conItitions TO aid the young men who
are. starting out in the business world
W. Gomez of Durham, y. c.. secre-
tary and treasurer of tho Bankers
Fire Insurance Co. spoke on The
Necessity of Il Survey OF Negro Busi-
ueSS.' He feels that such a survey
would bring into contact theories and
experiences in the regro's methods of
handling business. He said: Many
young colored men start out on career
without any knowledge as to whether
or not they are fitted for that particu-
lar work. If a competent survey was
made these men could from studying
the.results. decide with more accuracy
on the career for which they are best
ntted''
Nter a luncheon at the Whitelaw
Hotel the members will meet this aft
ernopn to hear discussions on The
Negro Press. Past and Present" by
Robert :. Abbott OF the Chicago De
tender. l.. f. King of the New Or
leans Southwestern Christian Advo-
cdtc and Robert l.. Eann of the Pitts
burEh Courier.
Yesterdays session was taken up
with. talks on The African Back
ground Of the Negro. The Negro of
To-day" and The Negro Before the
Civil War"
Tho convention will close tonight
with "A final session at the church. 1t
viii he devoted to discussions of THE
Negro Church and Its Effect on the
Race
The Minneapolis Business Women's
Club is 10 build a $3.50 900 clubhouse.