| Wages. | Males. | Females. | ||
| Before. | After. | Before. | After. | |
| Less than $3.00 | — | — | 9 | — |
| $3.00-$3.99 | 8 | — | 3 | 3 |
| $4.00-$4.99 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 |
| $5.00-$5.99 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| $6.00-$6.99 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| $7.00-$7.99 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| $8.00-$8.99 | 4 | — | — | 2 |
| $9.00-$9.99 | — | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| $10.00-$10.99 | 3 | 5 | — | — |
| $11.00-$11.99 | 1 | 4 | — | — |
| $12.00-$12.99 | 1 | 2 | — | — |
| $13.00 and over | 4 | 9[A] | — | — |
| Total | 37 | 38 | 26 | 26 |
[A] One individual replied "less than now in New York City."
In the economic movement to the Northern cities, the activity of employment agencies (especially for female domestic help) with drummers and agents in Southern communities has served to spread tales of high wages and to provide transportation for large numbers.[11] Again, many who have been to the urban centers return for visits to their more rural home communities with show of better wages in dress, in cash and in conversation[12].
The conclusion of the matter, therefore, is that the Negro is responding to the call of commerce and industry and is coming to the urban centers under economic influences similar to those that move his fellows.
III. Secondary or Individual Causes of the Negro's Movement Cityward.—It requires only a brief survey of the legislation in several of the Southern states to understand that this has played a part in uprooting the population from the soil and transplanting it in the urban centers.
The trend of legislation everywhere has been to make the city attractive at the expense of the rural districts. First among these measures have been the improved educational facilities provided by municipal authorities. In the South, this has come since 1865. Parks and recreation centers are rapidly being added. General regulation of rights and privileges has been made with the city in the foreground, and many another measure has favored the urban centers.
Labor legislation in the South that affects the Negro population has been of two kinds, aside from the laws to regulate or prohibit the exodus of laborers through the activity of labor agents or runners[13]: (1) that applying to the industrial centers and serving to make conditions of labor on railroads, in mines, and other places where Negroes are employed more attractive and payment of wages more certain and frequent than in the case of labor upon the farm and plantation; (2) that dealing with the relations of landlord and tenant which in practical operation often makes the life of the tenant and farm-hand very hard. Coupled with the ignorance of the usual Negro peasant, these laws are sometimes tools of coercion.[14]
Another line of secondary or individual causes is shown in the reasons for coming to New York City given by wage-earners mentioned above ([p. 27]). The tabulation of answers indicates that the influences drawing individuals to New York City are, on the one hand, family relationships. These cases, 68 or 32.4 per cent of the 210 replies noted above, have been classified as those who came because of parents, because of husband or wife, or because of other relatives. On the other hand, there are the individual inclinations. The latter, 43 or 20.5 per cent of the 210 replies, are grouped under restlessness, attraction of New York City, unattractiveness of former residence, and miscellaneous. These groupings and designations are given as suggestive only to facilitate the understanding of the mental attitude of the Negro wage-earner. Their more or less economic tinge may be seen. The reasons classified as "family" and as "individual" are reported in detail in Table VII, following:
Table VII. Reasons given in 1909 By Wage-earners Showing why they Came to New York City, 1909.
| Family reasons (68 or 32.4 per cent, of 210). | Total. | |||||
| On account of parents. | On account of husband or wife. | On account of other relatives. | ||||
| "Brought here by parents" | 12 | "Relatives of wife here" | 1 | "A son here" | 2 | |
| "With mother" | 6 | "Wife here" | 1 | To visit a brother and remained" | 5 | |
| "Came with mother who was here" | 4 | "To follow husband" | 1 | "Had a sister here" | 9 | |
| "Father was here" | 2 | "Came with husband" | 7 | "My health was bad and came to live with sister" | 1 | |
| "On account of death of father" | 1 | "My husband was working on a ship coming here" | 1 | To live with other relatives on account of death of mother | 4 | |
| "Father transferred in revenue service" | 1 | Through influence of other relatives | 10 | |||
| Total | 26 | Total | 11 | Total | 31 | 68 |