The following table shows, by general nativity and race, the percentage of female employees 14 and under 18 years of age earning each specified amount per week:

TABLE 89.-Per cent of female employees 14 and under 18 years of age earning each specified amount per week, by general nativity and race.*

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

*

[This table includes only races with 40 or more females reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdowns or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings allowance is made for time lost during the year.

Of 1,957 female employees 14 and under 18 years of age 87.6 per cent earn $2.50 or over per week, 12.1 per cent earn $5 or over, 1.2 per cent $7.50 or over, and 0.1 per cent $10 or over per week. Female employees of foreign birth show the highest percentage earning $2.50 or over per week, closely followed by the native-born of foreign father and the native whites born of native father, in the order mentioned. The same order is preserved by the female employees earning $5 or over per week, while the native whites born of native father and the native-born of foreign father with the same percentage show a larger proportion earning $7.50 or over per week than the foreign-born. The native-born of foreign father show 0.1 per cent earning $10 or over per week as contrasted with none of the nativeborn of native father or the foreign-born earning this amount. Of employees who are native-born of foreign father, those whose fathers were born in Germany show the highest percentage earning $2.50 or over per week, and those whose fathers were born in Russia the smallest percentage earning this amount. Female employees whose fathers were born in Austria-Hungary show the highest percentage earning $5 or over per week and female employees whose fathers were born in Wales the smallest percentage earning this amount. Female employees whose fathers were born in Germany show the highest percentage earning $7.50 or over per week, while none of the employees of English and Welsh parentage earn this amount. Employees whose fathers were born in Germany show 0.3 per cent earning $10 or over week as contrasted with no employees whose fathers were born in other specified countries earning this amount.

per

HOURS OF WORK PER DAY AND WEEK IN THE INDUSTRY.

Ten hours per day and fifty-five hours per week constitute the regular working hours in the silk mills of this locality.

EFFECT OF IMPROVED MACHINERY UPON INDUSTRY AND EMPLOYEES.

The introduction of improved machinery has had the effect of decreasing the number of employees and at the same time increasing the output of the mill. An excellent illustration of this is the improved bobbin." While its cost is nearly three times that of the old style, it has proved a great labor-saving device, for one girl can operate five of the new, where formerly she could operate but three of the old, style. Again, where certain processes were formerly separate, machines have been introduced where two and sometimes three are done at once.

EMPLOYERS' OPINIONS OF RECENT IMMIGRANTS.

As regards the efficiency, progress, and adaptability the employers, in the order of their preference, place the representatives of the various races employed as follows: Poles, Slovaks, Magyars, and Lithuanians. The Poles are also considered the most industrious, the employers expressing no preference as between the others. As regards tractability, on the other hand, there is little difference noted between the Poles, Slovaks, Magyars, and Lithuanians.

CHAPTER IV.

SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

Literacy-Conjugal condition-Visits abroad-Age classification of employees-[Text Tables 90 to 95 and General Tables 62 to 66].

LITERACY.

The degree of literacy which prevails among employees of the silk goods manufacturing industry in the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania is set forth in the following table. It shows, by sex and general nativity and race, the percentage of employees who were able to read and percentage who were able to read and write.

TABLE 90.-Per cent of employees who read and per cent who read and write, by sex and general nativity and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 80 or more persons reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

Of 4,309 persons reporting 3,743 are females and 566 are males. Of this number 99.3 per cent can read and 98.7 per cent can both read and write. The percentage of males who can read and who can both read and write is slightly higher than that of females. Native whites born of native father and native-born of foreign father show 100 per cent of males who can read and who can both read and write, females in each instance showing slightly smaller proportions. Foreign-born show 99 per cent of males who can read and who can both read and write and 96.1 per cent of females who can read and only 92.3 per cent who can both read and write. Of the native-born of foreign father, those whose fathers were born in England and Wales show that all males and females are able to read and write. Persons whose fathers were born in AustriaHungary, Germany, Ireland, and Russia show 100 per cent of males who can read and write, the proportion of females in each instance being somewhat smaller; those of Russian parentage show the

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smallest percentages, 98.8 per cent of females being able to read and 98.1 per cent being able to both read and write. Of the foreign-born both Germans and Poles show all males able to read and write. The proportion, however, of females is smaller, Germans showing a higher per cent who can read or both read and write than Poles.

CONJUGAL CONDITION.

The following table shows, by sex and general nativity and race, the percentage of employees 20 years of age or over, who were in each conjugal condition.

TABLE 91.-Per cent of employees 20 years of age or over in each conjugal condition, by sex and general nativity and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 80 or more persons reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

The above table shows that 12.3 per cent of 1,148 persons reporting are married and 3 per cent are widowed. Foreign-born show 29 per cent married and 6.3 per cent widowed as contrasted with 15.1 per cent married and 2.7 per cent widowed among the native-born whites of native father, while native-born of foreign father show 5.6 per cent married and 2.2 per cent widowed. Of the native-born of foreign father those whose fathers were born in Germany show a considerably higher percentage married and a slightly higher per cent widowed than persons whose fathers were born in Ireland. The

table further shows the percentage of male employees who are married to be much higher than that of females, 56.9 per cent of the former being married as compared with 4.7 per cent of the latter, the proportion widowed is practically the same for both males and females. Of the males whose fathers were born in Germany only 28.6 per cent are married as contrasted with 42.9 per cent married whose fathers were born in Ireland.

The following table divides the totals of the table immediately preceding and shows, by sex and age groups, and by general nativity and race, the percentage of employees who were in each conjugal condition: TABLE 92.-Per cent of employees in each conjugal condition, by sex, age groups, and general nativity and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 200 or more persons reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

General nativity and

ber

Num-Per cent who Num- Per cent who Num-Per cent who Num-Per cent who