READING   AND   POOL  ROOM

When  the  Company  realized  that  the  single  man  in  indus-
try is  a  floater,  they  began  to  seek  means  to  encourage  married
men  to  come  or  to  induce  their  own  men  to  marry.  The  big
obstacle  in  the  way  of  accomplishing  this  was  that  the  housing
facilities  in  the  town  were  wholly  inadequate.  The  real  es-
tate companies  felt  that  the  colored  laborers  came  and  went  so
fast  they  could  not  risk  building  for  them.  Finally,  however,
when  the  Company  guaranteed  rentals,  one  firm  started  build-
ing six  neat  houses.     Before  these  houses  were  finished  four


THE  AUDITORIUM


A  SQUARE  DEAL  FOR  NEGROES       213

of  them  had  been  purchased  by  colored  families.  Now,  there
are  nearly  a  hundred  houses  in  the  settlement  and  about  ninety
per  cent  of  them  benig  bought.  They  are  purchased  for  a  total
of  from  $1800  to  $2500,  a  cash  payment  of  $100  being  re-
quired and  the  rest  being  met,  if  desired,  by  installments  of
$25  per  month.
In  this  plan  there  is  an  extremely  valuable  lesson  for  other
employers  of  colored  labor.  Very  often  the  complaint  is
heard  that  colored  common  laborers  will  not  work  regularly
or  that  they  spend  their  money  foolishly.  From  this  many
conclude  that  the  best  thing  to  do  with  this  class  of  labor  is
to  educate  them  to  want  more  and  hence  to  desire  to  earn


TdE    company's   SCHOOLHOUSE

more.  What  better  asset  to  the  community  is  there  than  a
man  who  wants  a  neat  home  and  is  given  the  opportunity
to  pay  for  it  out  of  steady  earnings.  There  are  also  a  host  of
healthy  wants  which  come  with  the  possession  of  a  house.
