Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-02-08
Negro Orsanozatien Societh

The Negro Organization Society is
now ready to make labor study in
Virginia cities where there is no
branch of the Urban League.
1t is a recognized fact that the
labor conditions of the Negro is in
a state of coma. If you want to
find out waht the situation is and
how the people are feeling it, just
talk with the man who must by his
hands make a living. Schuyler, of
the Pittsburgh Courier, is right when
he says the upper and professional
classes are optimistic, but we must
all agree that the working class is
suffering. 1t means that not long
hence the upper classes-profession-
als-will feel it.
Hancock in his between the lines
predicts that within the next quar-
ter century the Negro is going to
suffer industrially. We go step
further and say that the pinch is on
now.
In our cities in Virginia, and they
are no different from cities in other
States, the most mental jobs are
being denied the Negro. We look
out from our back doors in the
morning and see white men hauling
away the. garbage, then we come to
our office in the morning and see
white men laying car tracks, setting
telephone poles and the like, while
Negroes hold up the corners and are
as happy as if they were fixed finan-
cially for life.
We stood a few mornings ago
gazing from the window of our ex-
ecutive offices and watched twenty
men digging cobblestones and laying
sewer pipes. All were white, only
one Negro got anything out of the
Job, and he was an old man who
lifted an offering among the work
ers in order to buy breakfast and a
nip"
No on seems to be alarmed. Few
ministers stress efficiency on the job
and few of, them seem concerned
about the crisis that our group is
facing.
1t is said to be a fact that in one
of our cities that there is an un-
written law with regards to jobs held
by Negroes.
Whenever a Negro is discharged
from a JOB as janitor or the like
he is not to be succeeded by an
other Negro.
(2) No Negro is to hold job
given by white man if white man
wants it.
Few of us are alarmed over this
condition. We are told that one man
said in one of these meetings: "The
law will not let us segregate Ne
groes, but it cannot make us give
them jobs. These 'niggers' make our
money, come in our neighbors, buy
our property and run US out" In
whatever manner you look at it
somebody needs to be concerned.
The Negro should be taught to
become so indispensable on his job
that the other fellow cannot do with
out him. 1t should be taught from
the class room, it should be preached
from the pulpit, and should be the
most popular subject of our open
forums. We pride in the fact that
the young Negro is seeking livelihood
in the fields of medicine, law and
the like, but we also trust that he
will not lose sight of the works and
teachings of Booker T. Washington.
We want the young Negro to feel
that when he is able to erect the
best building, dig the best ditch, or
what not that he is as important to
the community as the best doctor
or the best minister.
Some say that the Negro is losing
out because he is inefficient, others
say that he is lazy, and others say
that it is purely racial. We wish
to know the facts and are going
after them. We are soliciting the
cooperation of those persons inter-
csted in advancing this program. We
wish to know the Negroes shortcom-
ings and just where he needs to
check up so that we might in some
way help him to adjust.