INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
120 INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS EMPLOYING 24,286 NEGROES
On the basis of the returns reported in the preliminary questionnaires certain establishments and industries were selected for more intensive study through personal interviews with employers, conferences participated in by employers and members of the Commission, and interviews with employees. The basis on which the selection was made was either the number of Negroes employed or the length of time during which Negroes had been employed, special attention being given to those industries and establishments which had employed Negro labor for the first time since the war. The industries employing large numbers of Negro workers which were selected for further study were: slaughtering, meat packing, and other food products; iron foundries and iron and steel products; laundries; needle trades; hotels; railroads; Pullman and dining-car services; tanneries; taxicab upkeep and repair; mail order.
An investigator for the Commission visited 101 establishments of the 137 reporting five or more Negro employees (ten establishments employing less than five Negroes each were also visited). Four industrial conferences or informal hearings were held by the Commission, large employers of Negro labor being invited to co-operate with the Commission by giving it the benefit of their experience with Negro labor. Among those who reported were general superintendents, assistant superintendents, employment managers, and other representatives of the large employers of Negro labor in Chicago as shown in Table XXI:
| No. of Negroes Employed in 1920 | |
|---|---|
| Pullman Car Shops | 450 |
| Armour & Co., Stock Yards | 2,084 |
| Morris & Co., Stock Yards | 1,400 |
| Swift & Co., Stock Yards | 2,278 |
| Wilson & Co., Stock Yards | 818 |
| Corn Products Refining Co., food products | 500 |
| International Harvester Co., agricultural machinery | 1,551 |
| Yellow Cab Co., taxicab | 250 |
| American Car and Foundry Co.[57] | 20 |
| American Brake Shoe and Foundry Co. | 265 |
| Brady Foundry Co. | 125 |
| National Malleable Castings Co. | 427 |
| Western Foundry Co. | 200 |
| Sears, Roebuck & Co., mail order | 1,423 |
| Montgomery Ward & Co., mail order | 350 |
| Gage Bros. Wholesale Millinery | 73 |
| Spring-filled Products Co., automobile cushions | 250 |
| Total | 12,464 |
2. NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF NEGRO EMPLOYEES
The number and percentage of Negro employees to the total employees in 136 establishments reporting five or more Negroes are shown in Table XXII.
| Industry | Number of Establishments | Total Employees | Negro Employees | Negro Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing: | ||||
| Box manufacturing (paper) | 3 | 995 | 143 | 14 |
| Clothing | 9 | 1,405 | 203 | 14 |
| Cooperage | 2 | 327 | 106 | 32 |
| Food products | 8 | 35,278 | 7,597 | 22 |
| Iron and steel products (iron foundries) | 27 | 37,773 | 3,879 | 10 |
| Tanneries | 7 | 2,230 | 462 | 21 |
| Miscellaneous: | ||||
| Lamp-shade manufacturing | 1 | 275 | 75 | 27 |
| Auto-cushion manufacturing | 2 | 500 | 250 | 50 |
| Other industries (manufacturing) | 10 | 2,571 | 139 | 5 |
| Totals | 69 | 79,354 | 12,854 | 16 |
| Non-manufacturing: | ||||
| Hotels | 9 | 1,714 | 923 | 53 |
| Laundries | 20 | 1,736 | 764 | 44 |
| Mail order[58] | 1 | 17,450 | 1,423 | 8 |
| Railroads, dining- and Pullman-car service | 16 | 7,816 | 5,408 | 68 |
| Miscellaneous industries[59] | 21 | 10,028 | 615 | 6 |
| Totals | 67 | 38,744 | 9,133 | 23 |