THE NEGRO WOMAN

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12619, 2 December 1926, Page 3

THE NEGRO WOMAN

The negro woman as a worker is a great problem, in America, as in many States .she makes 40 per cent', of the women; employed in factories, or plants as they are called. Tlie .war brought her much to the-fore and gave her new oppprtunities. The race problem tis a great difficulty, 'As the white woman often will not work with the coloured girls, the latter, however gTeat-their attainments. are often kept to the roughest jobs. Some establishments keep only to the latter‘ class, however, and then the coloured women work .on #ll the processes. On the other •hand; however, there an>' places where the colour prejudice seems slight and. in these both dark and white work together amicably. Tn ono 'large steel plant, 'for instance, the two classes started a .friendly rivalry, a negro girl coming out on top. In those establishments, it is usually piecework, and there w#s her -weekly pay envelope with 38 dollars in it: on another occasion it contained 42 dollars, or somethin* like <£ B. ‘As a rule, however, the' negress has the double disadvantage of being «- -woman and .being a 1 negro. She is often'merely a 1 seasonal worker. "the last hired ‘ and ' the first laid off." Her only hope, is to stand by her own race as regards industrial conditions, aiid also -to gain some footing in the women's organisations. .