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Funds are sent home by means of post-office money orders or remittances through New York banks which deal in foreign exchange and which have branches in the community. These branches are usually connected with a steamship agency. The alien does not make remittances home every month, but sends two or three times during the year, in amounts of $30 to $50. The alien who has a wife and family abroad, usually sends them about $100 each year, and he claims this amount is ample for their support.

The amount of money sent from this community to the Old World during 1907 amounted to nearly $700,000; during the period January 1 to December 10, 1908, it amounted to only $220,000. This is due to the departure of many aliens and the reduced earnings of those that remain. Of these totals slightly over 90 per cent was sent to AustriaHungary, although in what proportion by races it is impossible to say.

OWNERSHIP OF HOMES.

In addition to the data obtained from the records of the local assessors, the following table shows the number and per cent of families studied who owned their homes. The exhibit is by general nativity and race of head of family.

TABLE 470.-Number and per cent of families owning home, by general nativity and race of head of family.

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Of the 467 families from whom information was obtained in this community, 24.6 per cent own homes. Upon comparing those whose heads are native-born with the foreign-born, it will be noted that the proportions are practically the same, the former reporting 24.2 per cent, as compared with 24.7 per cent of the latter. Comparing persons classed as native-born of foreign father with those classed as native-born of native father, it will be seen that the former show a much larger proportion than the latter owning homes, or 30.6 as compared with 10.3 per cent.

As regards the several foreign races, the Irish, with 47.6 per cent, show the largest proportion owning homes, followed by the Germans, Slovenians, and South Italians, with 37.5, 33.3, and 31.4 per cent, respectively, while the smaller proportions are shown by the Croatians, Magyars, and Servians; the last named, with only 2.6 per cent owning homes, exhibit a smaller proportion than any other race either of foreign or native birth.

Of persons native-born of foreign father, the Germans, with 31.8 per cent owning homes, have a larger proportion than the Irish and a smaller proportion than the foreign-born Germans; while of the families whose heads are native-born of native father, the native white show a smaller proportion, with the exception of that of the Servians, than any other race. The Magyars in the above table report six families as owning their homes, while only one Magyar family appears on the book of the assessor of the community. This seeming disparity is explained by the fact that the Magyars, in the table immediately preceding, are probably acquiring their homes on an installment basis and the property is assessed in the names of other persons.

IMMIGRANTS IN BUSINESS.

The opportunities for the establishment of businesses by immigrants in Community C arise largely from the ordinary demands of the immigrant population for clothing, groceries, meat, milk, and other necessaries and conveniences. The foreign merchant is willing to live in their midst, and as he speaks their language, he offers advantages not found in the more distant American stores on the leading business street. The Russian Hebrew is in a particularly strategic position in these respects. The goods on sale in immigrant stores are usually of domestic manufacture, the clothing, shoes, and notions being of a cheap grade, the vegetables and groceries, however, comparing more favorably with those bought by the native population. The only stores carrying imported stocks are the Servian bookstores and one of the general stores patronized by several of the Austro-Hungarian races. Clerks are, practically without exception, of the same race as their employer. In many of the smaller places the wife conducts the business while the husband is employed elsewhere. Several Hebrews have established two or three small businesses in different sections, all but one of which they leave in charge of a trusted employee, often a relative.

Delivery wagons are used by the dairies and the general stores doing a business of over $200 a month. A great number of small steamship agencies and subagencies are maintained among the foreign population, many of the stores eking out their sales with business of this kind. The foreign merchants seem to stand well in the eyes of the community. Some of them are men of long residence in the country, thoroughly acquainted with American ways, leaders among their own people, and apparently enjoying the respect to which their achievements entitle them. On the other hand there are, included in the list of foreign merchants, men pointed out as parasites by those familiar with the situation.

It is thought that the tables which follow will present the main facts, so far as they are susceptible of numerical treatment. The

figures for capital invested and sales per month must be regarded rather as careful estimates than as exact statements.

TABLE 471.-Number of immigrants in each specified business of Community C, by race.

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Approximate capital invested (premises, fixtures, and merchandise) in immigrant business.

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Some of the property included above is used for tenements, as where the store occupies only a portion of the building in which it is located. Stores are also conducted in the front rooms of dwellings. In such cases the total approximate value of premises can hardly be called business capital. It is believed that the figures, although imperfect, will throw some light upon the part played by the various races in the business carried on among the foreign population.

TABLE 472.-- Value of sales per month and number of business enterprises of Community

C, by race.

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An interesting investment of $500 was made during the past summer by five Macedonians, who formed a partnership, rented 13 acres of land, and engaged in market gardening in a district near Community C. So successful were they that at the end of the season they were in possession of a shanty, tools, two horses, two cows, chickens, and $250 in money. This race of people is fond of the open air and has the reputation of being very skillful gardeners. They also display considerable business ability; several small businesses beside one large general store and a fair-sized butcher shop and a bakery doing a considerable business are maintained among them. They would be much more advantageously located in the environs of a large city, where they could engage in truck gardening, than they are in a steel town.

IMMIGRANTS IN THE PROFESSIONS.

There are no lawyers or physicians among the immigrant population of Community C. One young Croatian has made some study of the law, but has not been admitted to the bar. He practices, however, what amounts to a sort of pseudoprofession wherever recently arrived immigrant communities are found, combining the function of legal adviser with that of interpreter. The effects of this practice have been recorded in the section of "Criminality. Criminality." A Bulgarian who has been about eighteen years in the country and has had some American academic training is a resident of the community. His professional work, that of editing a Bulgarian paper at Granite City, Ill., has given place since coming here to insurance soliciting and other commercial work.

The clerical profession among the immigrants includes three Roman Catholic priests, one Servian Orthodox priest, and the pastor of the German Lutheran Church. The Roman Catholic priests are in charge of churches organized among the Germans, Italians, and Croatian-Slovenians. The Italian priest, although but a short time in the country, has acquired a very good working knowledge of the language. The German Lutheran clergyman speaks English less readily than his own tongue, but is thoroughly assimilated with the native American population, his household resembling those of native clergymen similarly situated. The Servian priest, on the other hand, speaks no English, and consequently is thoroughly isolated from Americanizing influences. The influence of these men is very considerable among their own people, and the German and Slovenian priests, at least, have some standing in the community at large. When the steel company projected a foreign workingmen's park and hotel these men were conferred with as to the advisability of the plan and the method of carrying it out.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

The table next presented shows number and percentage of total pupils in schools in Community C, by general nativity and race of father of pupil.

TABLE 473.—Pupils in school in Community C, by general nativity and race of father of

pupil.

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From the data presented in the above table it appears that 19.1 per cent of the pupils in public schools and 71.2 per cent of the pupils in parochial schools are of foreign parentage, that 76.9 per cent of the pupils in public schools and 26.4 per cent of the pupils in parochial schools are children of native whites, and 4.1 per cent of the pupils in public schools and 2.4 per cent of the pupils in parochial schools are the children of native negroes. Of the foreign-born the Germans, Russian Hebrews, South Italians, North Italians, English, and Irish, in the order mentioned, have the largest representation in public, and the Croatians and Slovenians, in the order mentioned, have the largest representation in the parochial schools.

STATUS OF CHILDREN IN THE HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

The following table shows the number and per cent of children 6 and under 16 years of age at home, at school, and at work, by general nativity and race of father and by birthplace of child:

TABLE 474.-Number and per cent of children 6 and under 16 years of age at home, at school, and at work, by general nativity and race of father and by birthplace of child.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more children born in the United States and also 20 or more born abroad. The native-born are shown for comparative purposes.]

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