CHAPTER IV.

WORKING CONDITIONS.

The factory system-Hours worked-The effect of the employment of recent immigrants on industries-Employers' opinion of recent immigrants.

THE FACTORY SYSTEM.

The factory system has been applied to the manufacture of clothing in Chicago for thirty-five or forty years. During this period this system of production has developed to such an extent that to-day very little clothing is produced in Chicago by the contract system, such as made use of in New York City. Practically all of the clothing is produced in shops and factories operated by large clothing manufacturing companies.

HOURS WORKED.

On the average, all workmen of all races and all departments of the clothing industry work ten hours per day and five and one-half days per week, with a half holiday Saturday.

THE EFFECT OF THE EMPLOYMENT OF RECENT IMMIGRANTS ON

INDUSTRIES.

In so far as the recent immigrants have furnished a labor supply for the clothing factories and have actively engaged in the management, they have assisted in the development of the form of the clothing industry in Chicago, but further than this the great numbers of recent immigrants have no effect.

As regards the effect of the employment of recent immigrants upon the old employees is the fact that the Bohemians, Poles, and Scandinavians have forced the Germans out of the industry and that the Scandinavians have taken from the Bohemians, Poles, and others the preeminence they formerly had in the making of pants and vests.

EMPLOYERS' OPINION OF RECENT IMMIGRANTS.

The following statements of the preference for different races are practically unanimous among all the managers interviewed. The best all-round workmen are the Bohemians, because they are the most intelligent, thorough, and progressive. The Poles rank next as allround workmen, but are distinctly inferior in this respect to the Bohemians. The Lithuanian is not quite as efficient as the Pole, while the Russian Hebrews furnish some exceptionally good workmen and some exceptionally poor ones. Although the best tailors and managers of shops, the Hebrews rank, perhaps, on an average with the Poles. The best hand sewers are the North and South Italians and the best pants and vest makers are the Scandinavians.

CHAPTER V.

SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

Literacy-Conjugal condition-Visits abroad-Age classification of employees-[Text Tables 153 to 159 and General Tables 94 to 98].

LITERACY.

The degree of general literacy which prevails among the employees in Chicago is set forth in the following table, which shows, by sex and general nativity and race, the per cent of employees who read and per cent who read and write:

Table 153.—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.]

From the foregoing table it will be observea that of 8,398 individuals reporting complete data, 4,424 were females and 3,974 were males. Of the grand total 95.7 per cent can read and 94.8 per cent can read and write, while 97 per cent of males read, 96 per cent both read and write, 94.5 per cent of the females can read, and 93.7 per cent

can both read and write. All those native-born of native father or of father born in Austria-Hungary can read and write. In both sexes and in both literacy groups the native-born of foreign father show a higher degree of efficiency than the foreign-born. A comparatively large proportion of each race except the North and South Italian are able to both read and write. A greater proportion of males than of females in each race are shown to be able to read and to read and write, excepting the German, Polish, and Magyar, the last-named race showing 100 per cent of females who can both read and write.

CONJUGAL CONDITION.

In the following table the per cent of employees 20 years of age or over in each conjugal condition is shown according to sex and general nativity and race:

TABLE 154.—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.]

TABLE 154.—Per cent of employees 20 years of age or over in each conjugal condition, by sex and general nativity and race—Continued.

Of 5,409 persons, 53.1 per cent are single, 42.9 per cent married, and 4 per cent widowed. The foreign-born show 49.1 per cent married as compared with 31.2 per cent of the native-born of native father, white, and 22 per cent of the native-born of foreign father. Consequently the native-born show the greatest proportion of single persons. All groups show a small proportion who are widowed.

Discussing this table by sexes, there are 3,344 males and 2,065 females. The males show 55.9 per cent married as compared with 21.9 per cent of the females. A considerably greater proportion of females than males are widowed, the former showing 8.2 per cent and the latter 1.4 per cent. Practically the same observations as were made regarding the grand total can be applied to the two sexes.