table submitted shows the per cent of households paying each specified rent per month per apartment, by general nativity and race of head of household:

TABLE 294.-Per cent of households paying each specified rent per month per apartment, by general nativity and race of head of household.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more households reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

Of the total number of foreign households 75.8 per cent pay under $12.50 per month per apartment and 37.4 per cent pay under $10. The Slovaks in the greater proportion of cases pay under $10. The remaining specified races, as a rule, have a rent payment under $12.50 per month per apartment.

The following table exhibits the range of rent payments per room by showing the percentage of households paying each specified rent per month per room, by general nativity and race of head of household: TABLE 295.-Per cent of households paying each specified rent per month per room, by general nativity and race of head of household.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more households reporting. The totals, however, are for all

The preceding table indicates that the majority of the households of foreign birth have a rent payment less than $3 per month per room, while a considerable proportion, amounting to almost two-fifths of the total number of households, pay between $3 and $4. Of the several races, the South Italians show the largest proportion paying less than $2 and less than $3 per month per room, the proportion of South Italian households paying under $2 being far in excess of that of any other race. All the Croatian households have a monthly rent payment per room less than $4, while varying proportions of the other races, ranging from 5.6 per cent of the Slovaks to 11.5 per cent of the South Italians, pay more than $4 per month per room. The table next presented shows the percentage of households paying each specified rent per month per person, by general nativity and race of head of household:

TABLE 296.-Per cent of households paying each specified rent per month per person, by general nativity and race of head of household.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

(This table includes only races with 20 or more households reporting. The totals, however, are for all

The foregoing table shows that a majority of households the heads of which are foreign-born are paying a rent less than $2 per month per person, and a considerable proportion, amounting to 13.2 per cent of the total, are paying under $1 per month. The Croatian and Polish households show the greatest tendency toward crowding in order to reduce the rent payments per month per person, 28.6 per cent of the former and 18.4 per cent of the latter showing a monthly rent payment under $1 per person. These two races also show high proportions paying under $2 per month, while all of the Croatian households and 94.7 per cent of the Polish pay less than $3 per month per person. The South Italians and Slovaks have a small proportion paying under $1 per month, and the majority of the households of these two races, together with those of the Magyar, pay less than $2 per month per person. None of the Polish and Croatian households have a monthly rent payment per person of more than $4, but a small proportion of South Italians and Slovaks, and slightly more than one-tenth of the Magyars, pay over $4 per month per person.

BOARDERS AND LODGERS.

Attention has already been called to the congested conditions prevailing in immigrant boarding houses. As a general statement, it may be said that the boarding house operated on the boarding-boss system is the rule among immigrants from southern Europe; the family without boarders, or the family with boarders on the American plan, is the exception. These exceptions are found almost altogether among the Slovaks, Poles, Magyars, and Italians, in the order named. Under the boarding-boss system the usual price paid to the "boss" for lodging, which includes also heat, light, cooking, and washing, is $2.50 per month, although a large number of instances have been found where $3 is the price. The amount spent for food varies considerably according to the individual; a fair average price is between $10 and $11 per month. The total amount paid for food in a house usually includes the cost of food for the "boss" and sometimes one or two children. Under the general plan on which this system is carried out, the "boss," usually the wife of the head of the family or a woman employed as housekeeper, buys all the food needed from day to day for the whole establishment. At the end of each month the total cost is calculated and divided by the number of adult male members of the house, each man paying his share. Variations of this plan are met with, such as the buying of meat or more frequently special dishes by the individuals on their own account, in which case the cost is not figured into the general account. During the industrial depression of 1907-8 the members of an establishment who were able to secure employment usually supported the whole establishment, even in cases where it took all of their earnings. In many instances boarding groups were partly or wholly supported by credit given them by immigrant storekeepers.

The usual price of board paid under the American plan in immigrant boarding houses so operated is $12. This includes lodging, washing, cooking, food, heat, and light. A comparatively large number of houses were found where $15 is the charge.

The boarding houses are, almost without exception, occupied by individuals of the same race. As a general rule they are also of the same religious belief.

The following table shows the number and percentage of households keeping boarders or lodgers, by general nativity and race of head of household:

Table 297.—Number and per cent of households keeping boarders or lodgers, by general nativity and race of head of household.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[Information relating to boarders or lodgers covers only immediate time of taking schedule and not the entire year. Boarders are persons who receive both board and lodging.]

Of the 11 households of the persons native-born of native father only 1 has boarders or lodgers. Of the 287 foreign households 49.8 per cent keep boarders or lodgers. The practice of keeping boarders is most common among the Croatians, but the South Italians and Poles also have relatively large proportions of households keeping boarders or lodgers.

The table next presented shows the average number of boarders or lodgers per household, by general nativity and race of head of household:

TABLE 298.-Average number of boarders or lodgers per household, by general nativity and race of head of household.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[Information relating to boarders or lodgers covers only immediate time of taking schedule and not the entire year. Boarders are persons who receive both board and lodging.]

Computed upon the basis of the total number of households the average number of boarders or lodgers was 2.51, to which number the average for foreign families corresponds very closely; but calculated upon the number of households keeping boarders or lodgers, the average for foreign households is 5.22. On this latter basis the averages have been calculated for 6 races, the others not having a sufficient number of boarders or lodgers to be included. Of these 6 races the Croatians have much the largest average number, with the Servians ranking next. The Servians are followed by the Poles, Magyars, South Italians, and Slovaks in descending order.