Twin-City herald. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1927-1940, 1933-02-25
This World
HARD.TlMEs IN MINNESOTA
ceai Z NewnM

"How are Twin City Negroes faring
in the current depression" is the
question often propounded by inter-
ested citizens who reside elsewhere.
One New York reader, an ex-Minne-
sotan writes, "You never say any
thing about unemployment and sui
fering among the people out there in
the Gopher state"
It Is our contention that since no
remedy for depressing economic con-
ditions here, are at our command, we
should refrain from mentioning con-
ditions as much as possible in print.
Daily newspapers, the streets, parlors'
cubs and public gatherings have been
full of "'hardtime" talk. So our week
" has said as little as possible about
how hard the Twin City Aframerican
has been Inland he has been heavily
hit.
Railroads Chief Employers.
In normal times, for the past thirty
years, the largest employers OF Ne
gro labor in Minnesota have been the
railroads and the Pullman SLEEPING
car company. The eleven railroads
operating into Minneapolis and st.
Paul aside from the packing plants
in South st. Paul have been the CHEZ
means by which Negro bread-winners
have taken care of their families and
homes. Before Prohibition, hotel din
ing rooms employed many as walters.
volsteadism, drug stores, quick
lunches, hamburger joints, white
mattresses and walters cut the. Negro
waiter out of most of the dining room
jobs. A goodly number were en-
ployed as bell hops and porters years
ago. There are still a number of no
tel porters. Barber shops usually
have men working almost solely for
tips. Three large Twin City club,
use colored bell hops. There is 9
noticeable lack of Negroes in domes,
tic service.
Few Employed as Domestics..
In either of the two cite
there have never been many women
domestics. st. Paul, where most
pioneer Negroes settled in the early
days, had good jobs open to men,
heads of families frowned on sending
their wives out into domestic service.
The German and Irish domestics
sewed up the house-employe field
Scandinavian domestics, who work
long hours for less pay even in boom
times in Minneapolis, furnished too
much competition for colored women
who came to Minnesota from southern
parts, where the servant is usually
queen and work may be performed in
leisurely fashion The story is often
told, seldom denied, that no job used
to be important enough to hold a 10
cal brother on Union picnic day!
Girls Were Theatre Ushers.
The first theatre ushers were col
ored women, who by the way, usul-
" refused to seat colored patrons!
Constant absence without leave was
finally the cause of the change to
white girls, who were found more
dependable.
Jobs the Negro himself did not lose
by his undependability during pros
porous times, were taken from him
by a campaign of white womens or
ganization, who interested themselves
in replacing, when ever they could,
INegro by white labor,
II When the Crash Came.
4 So. when the crash came the Twin
City Negro, his community built large
ly on the success and continuance of
railroads, found himself in bad shape.
Just as in other communities he has
suffered Homes have been lost, bust
nesses have failed, life's savings swept
away, families broken up and the little
community spirit barely noticeable
before, hasif almost vanished. Men
who have worked for one railroad for
35 years find themselves jobless.
How People Are Earring.
lContinued on Page 81