The monitor., 1928-03-23
The NEGRO FACES
DIRE PROBLEM m
CROWDED CITIES
Survey Reveals Alarming Conditions
as Result of Drift of Negroes
from Country to PoPulous
Cities
HIGH RENTS, LOW STANDARDS
AbnormaIiy Advanced Death r I c
from Tuberculosis, Pneumonia
and Infants Diseases Result
of Housing Conditions

Atlanta, Ga.-From 1900 to 1925
there was a shift of 100000 Ne
groes from the country to the cities,
more than doubling the urban Negro
population, according to an exhaust
i've study of Negro life and conditions
just completed by the Institute of So
eial and Religious Research. Made
under the direction of DR.. I. j. Woof-
ter, jr., of the University of North
Carolina, this study covers 16 typical
American cities, north and south, and
is the first scientific investigation of
Negro conditions ever made on any
thing like a national scale. The re-
port of the investigation has just been
issued in book entitled NEGRO Prob
lens in Cities" which treats of the
cityward drift of Negro population
and the resulting problems of fric
ton, congestion, segregation, exploit
alton, schools, recreation and delin-
quency.
Congestion in Cities
Contrary to the general impression,
the report reveals that little more
than half the 100000 Negro mi
grants stopped in southern cities,
though the percentage of gain was
very much heavier north than south.
In consequence of this rapid shift,
overcrowding and congestion in Ne
gro districts were found to be very
general In New York City, for ex-
ample, Negro population showed a
density of 1886 per acre, as against
20 in Winston-Salem. In II tene-
ment houses in Philadelphia IT'S fam
lilies were found living in 354 rooms.
High Death Rate
Along with this crowding has gone
an abnormally high death rate, par
ticularly from tuberculosis, pneu
monia and the diseases of infants.
Rents, it was found, were very much
higher north than south, with week
ly average of $7.18 per dwelling in
the north as against $3.74 in the
south. Lynchburg showed the mini
mum of so cents room per week,
and Gary the maximum of $1.78. In
the case of TAT families living in
Harlem, New York, it was found that
rents took more than % per cent of
the total family income.
Recreation Facilities Few
The investigators discovered a gen
eral lack of public recreation facili-
ties in Negro neighborhoods and in
consequence, high rate of juvenile
delinquency. The conditions of com
mercialized recreation, such as pool
rooms and dance halls, were found to
be deplorable.
School Provisions Poor
''School funds are not adequate to
meet the needs, either north or
SOUTH" says the report. where
there are separate Negro schools they
are usually a secondary considera-
ton, with fewer seats in proportion
than the white schools, more pupils
per teacher, more double sessions,
poorer salaries, fewer and smaller
Fairgrounds, less adequate provisions
for the health and comfort of pupils
and few, If any, extras such as Ii
braries, gymnasiums, etc"
Home Ownership Grows
One of the encouraging signs re-
vealed by the survey is the tendency
among Negroes toward home owner
ship. In every city studied except
New Orleans the number of Negro
home owners had increased material
ly, and in northern cities quite rapid
ly. In most cases the slum sections
have remained relatively constant in
population, while the population of
the home owning sections have been
increasing.
Mr.. William Parks of Denver,
Colo, was the weekend guest of Mr..