The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1931-04-23
Buying Power Of
COlOred People
CONTINUED from Page u


Twenty-Five per cent of the Rich
mond, Va, population which is Ne
gro, makes purchases amounting to
$4,000, 900, or 81 per cent of the
city's total trade.
st. Louis, Mo-, has Negro popu-
lation that is per cent of the whole.
The group spends $10,500,000, or
per cent.
Negroes of Pittsburgh, Pa, from
8 per cent of the population. They
buy $S,000,000 of commodities, or
31s per cent of the city's whole
trade.
Several agencies concur in esti-
mating that some 100000 Negroes
(there are more) in New York City
have an annual expenditures for the
necessaries of life and Injuries of
$3.50, 100000.
Consumers in the United States
have been divided into seven groups
by no less an authority than DR.. Paul
S. Mystrom, professor of marketing
at Columbia university. These buy
ers range from the "bare subsistence
levep' to the liberal standard" The
tendency has been to class the Negro
in the aforementioned category.
Some years ago David G. Evans
wrote an article concerning adver-
Using in which little appreciation
was given for the buying power OF
'illiterate whites and Negroes"
A. L. Holsey. secretary of the Ma
tional Negro Business League, chal-
lenged the correctness of this evalua-
ton so far as relating to his group.
He cites the following statistics:
The races annual expenditures for
standard commodities are: For gro
ceries, $2,200,000; for clothes, ST.
100000; for shoes, $550,000.
Says Mr.. Holsey: "For food, cloth
ing, shoes, medical attention and
drugs, farm implements and luxu-
ries, the Negro spends yearly in ex-
cess of $2,000,000,000. Seventy
per cent goes to white business
houses.
eff all the national associations
among our people would jointly raise
an annual fund of 100000 and plan
an active campaign to study the
whole question of the Negroes buy.
ing powers l believe it would dc
much to place us in more favor.
able position as consumers. Here Is
field for scientific research anc
study"
Other data compiled by the Unit.
ed States department of commerce
are:
That the National Negro Insurance
company has membership of 80
Negro conducted insurance con.
Germs. Their combined assets are
$11,170,191, with more than $780,.
100000 in force and $8,824, 00C
surplus reserve. These companies
employ 9100 and have an annua
disbursement of more than thar
$12,000,000. About 40 other com.
panies do not hold membership in
the organization.
% First Grade Negro Colleges
While the race is generally credit.
ed with so banks and financial insti.
buttons, the United States depart.
ment of commerce has definite infor-
nation concerning 81 banks and II
bond and mortgage or loan and fl
nance companies.
There are % recognized first grade
Negro colleges and universities and
Ids other schools of junior grade,
secondary or institutional character
There are 200 technical Negro en-
gineers, 400 manufacturers, 1900
real estate dealers, 1900 under
takers, 5000 physicians and surgeons,
$500 hotel owners and restaurant
keepers, $4,000 retailers and 10000
BARRIERS and hairdressers.
Chicago Negroes are said to own
half billion dollars worth of real
estate. The race owns $45, 157, 900
in property holdings in the Tidewater
District of Virginia. and has 1,500,-
900 on deposit in Oklahoma banks.
In Montgomery. Ala, the Colored
Merchants Association of IA mem
bers meets every Tuesday evening,
constituting a board of strategy and
pooling money for buying. H. C.
Ball, president, makes the purchases;
D. F. Love is secretary. The associ-
alton spends from $4,000 to $4,000
Nuaak1v