“Wages in the South.
“The Chattanooga Tradesmen has made a statistical examination of the white and colored labor of the Southern States. From the reports received from employers of nearly 100,000 hands, 58 per cent. of the employees are white and 42 are colored. One-third of the whole number are termed skilled laborers, only 10 per cent. of whom are colored.
“A remarkable fact brought out by this investigation is, that over 90 per cent. of these workmen are native born; 61 per cent. of the employers said all their help were natives of the south, and only 19 per cent. reported that they employed as many as half natives and half of northern or foreign birth.
“The Tradesman says the reports show wages paid to skilled workmen average $2.51 to whites and $1.58 to colored. Unskilled whites average $1.14, and colored $1.02 per day. The highest rate per day reported was $4, paid to expert brickmakers. Foundrymen average $2.87 to whites and $1.62 to colored skilled workers. Carriage makers average $3.37; no skilled colored carriage makers are reported. In lumber making, white men average $2.78, and colored $1.62. Coal miners average $2.33 for whites and $1.62 for colored. Stone workers average $2.87 for whites and $1.42 for colored. Returns from a large number of miscellaneous occupations show that skilled white workers average $2.43, and skilled colored men $1.70 per day.
“As compared with northern or foreign labor, 72 per cent. of the employers say their southern labor is as good; and 5 per cent. are in doubt.
“As to the comparative value of white and colored skilled labor, 46 per cent. of the employers say that it is about equal, 43 per cent. say that negro labor is inferior, and 11 per cent. are in doubt. As to common labor, 54 per cent. say the white and black are equal in efficiency, 29 per cent. that the colored labor is the better, and 17 per cent. that the colored men are inferior to whites.
“As to whether white and colored common laborers are improving in skill, 35 per cent. of the employers say that they are, 18 per cent. that they are not, 17 per cent. that the whites are improving more than the colored, and 2 per cent. that the colored are improving more than the whites. Twelve per cent. think that colored laborers are improving, 4 per cent. that the whites are retrograding, and 12 per cent. no improvement in the colored laborers.
“That the white and colored laborers work together harmoniously is asserted by 58 per cent. of the employers, while 9 per cent. declare to the contrary. Twenty-one per cent. reply affirmatively, with qualifications, and 12 per cent. say that harmony exists because whites overrule the colored workers.”