The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-17
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDwELL DENNY

w AS HIN G TON, Sept IT,
w Whatever may be the state of
general prosperity and welfare in
the United States, inadequate ed
ucational, health and economic OPP
portunities for one-tenth of the
population is creating a serious sit
uation.
This is the conclusion drawn from
an official survey of Negro educa-
tional institutions by the Bureau of
Education, Department of the IN
terror.
Coming so soon after a similar
Interior Department survey last May
revealing des perate conditions
among American Indians, the Negro
report is expected to produce sharp
reaction when Congress meets.
Politicians here are especially in
terested because Of efforts of both
parties in the presidential cam
paign to hook Negro voters who may
determine the election in close
northern cities and in doubtful bor-
der States.
National social and economic life
demands the training of many more
Negro professional and technical
leaders" according to an Interior
Department summary of the sur
vey.
TO safeguard the health of the
colored people and of their neigh
bors, to instruct them in hygiene,
sanitation and in the measures
necessary to ward off disease, care
for those that fall i'll, are as es-
sential as intellectual and economic
development"
In stating that "the lack of
teachers is serious" the study re-
vealS that there are only $4,000 Ne
gro teachers in the country in
schools OF all types. Upon this
small number rests the impossible
task of instructing 100000 Negro
children.
DUT conditions are even more dis
ID turbing than these figures in
dictate, because the shortage of
teachers is not only one of numbers
but of quality.
"A considerable portion of the
teachers in Negro schools are also
reported as being deficient in proper
training. Many have not received
more than elementary school pre-
paration, while the training of a
large number of others has been
limited to one or two years work in
or graduation from high school,"
In addition to the obvious disad-
vantages from the standpoint of an
intelligent and healty citizenry, the
report stresses economics factors in
volved.
"The economic salvation 'of the
Negro is dependent 10 a great de-
gree upon his training in the fields
of agriculture, mechanical arts and
crafts" the survey points out
while 100000 Negroes own or
operate farms, 1,178,000 of the race
are engaged in ordinary farm labor
"The lack of training in mechan-
ical arts and crafts is indicated by
the fact that only $4,000 are skilled
craftsmen as compared with 1871
900 pursuing unskilled occupations
or employed as day laborers."
n II
yVHIS disparity of trained race
4 leaders is of course more
marked in the professions. For in
stance, there are only $500 Negro
physicians and surgeons in the
United States, or approximately one
medical man to every 3,343 Negroes
Yet public health officials are
alarmed because the ratio of white
physicians to the white population
of the country is only one to $50
persons.
"a serious lack of Negro dentists
prevails. There is only one to every
10,540 Negro inhabitants"
In the entire country there are
only fifty Negro architects, 1874 en-
gineers, 145 designers, craftsmen
and inventors, and 207 chemists.
Negro theological schools are turn
ing out only ten graduates a year.
While presenting the exceptional
progress accomplished in Negro
higher education during the last
decade, the report states that "the
immediate need of the race is more
education and better education.
Negro institutions offering college
work increased from thirty-one in
1917 to seventy-seven in 1929. In
that period the college enrolment
mounted from 2,132 to 1850. an
increase of $50 per cent. Income of
these institutions rose from 1929
600 to $8,560O00, an increase of 275
per cent, while the value of their
plants appreciate 146 per cent to
$36 100000.
The survey was made under DR.,
Arthur j. Klein Of the Interior De-
partment by a committee including:
President William B. Bizzell, Okla
homa University; DR.. G. G. Nc
Cracker. Ohio State University, and