Throughout this table the females show a greater percentage married than do the males. Of 224 females between 20 and 29 years of age, 8.5 per cent are single and 1.3 per cent widowed.

Although a large proportion of the iron and steel workers of foreign birth are married, it should be noted that a large proportion have left their wives and families in their native countries. The following table shows, by race of husband, the per cent of foreign-born husbands who report wife in the United States and per cent who report wife abroad:

TABLE 706.-Per cent of foreign-born husbands who report wife in the United States and per cent who report wife abroad, by race of husband.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more husbands reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign. born.]

Of the 586 husbands for whom information was secured, 52 per cent report their wives in the United States and 48 per cent report their wives abroad. Among the races specifically mentioned, it will be noted from the above table that a smaller proportion of each report their wives in the United States than report them abroad. A very much larger proportion of the South Italians than of the Greeks or Bulgarians report their wives in the United States. Of the Bulgarians furnishing information 97.6 per cent have their wives abroad, in contrast with 52.8 per cent of the South Italians.

The tendency on the part of husbands of foreign birth to bring their wives to the United States after designated periods of residence is set forth in the following table, which shows the per cent of foreign-born husbands who report wife abroad by years husband has been in the United States.

TABLE 707.-Per cent of foreign-born husbands who report wife abroad, by race of husband and by years husband has been in the United States.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only races with 100 or more husbands reporting.]

Of the 248 South Italians in the Birmingham district for whom information was obtained 52.8 per cent report their wives abroad. It will be seen from the preceding table that a very small proportion of those who have been in the United States from five to nine years and ten years or over, as compared with those who have been in the United States under five years, report their wives abroad.

VISITS ABROAD.

The fact that such large proportions of southern and eastern European immigrants are single men or married men whose wives are abroad discourages permanent settlement in this country, and enables the immigrant employees to move readily from place to place according to fluctuations in the demand for labor. Considerable proportions also make visits of different periods of duration to their native countries. This fact may be seen from the following table, which shows, by years in the United States and race of individual, the visits abroad made by foreign-born male employees:

TABLE 708.- Visits abroad made by foreign-born male employees, by years in the United States and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only races with 100 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

Of a total of 981 persons included in the above table the total proportion reporting one or more visits abroad is 8.5 per cent. Of those resident in the United States ten years or more, the proportion reporting visits abroad is 29.3 per cent. A very small percentage report visits abroad among those residing in the United States under five years, while among those five to nine years in the country the proportion is 18.5 per cent. The total percentage is greater among the South Italians than among the Greeks, and the South Italians also lead among those residing in the United States under five years. those here five to nine years, and ten years or over, the South Italians report 7.7 per cent and 13.3 per cent, respectively, as having made visits abroad.

Of

AGE CLASSIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES AND MEMBERS OF THEIR HOUSE

HOLDS.

The table next presented shows, by sex and by general nativity and race of head of household, the per cent of persons in the Birmingham district who were within each specified age group:

TABLE 709.—Per cent of persons within each age group, by sex and by general nativity and

race of head of household."

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

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

From the data presented in the preceding table it appears that a much larger proportion of all males than of all females are included in the higher age groups. Only 35.2 per cent of the males for whom information was secured are under 20 years of age, as against 53.7 per cent of the females. Of the females a larger proportion of individuals in foreign-born households than of individuals in the households of the negroes native-born of native father are included in the lower age groups, while the reverse is true in the higher age groups. The proportion of males under 6 and from 20 to 29 years of age is larger in the foreign-born households than in the households of the negroes native-born of native father. In all the other age groups specified the proportion of males in the households of the negroes native-born of native father is larger than the proportion in the households of foreign-born heads. Among the foreign-born a larger proportion of males in Greek and Bulgarian households than of males in the households of any other race are from 20 to 29 years of age. The propor tion of females under 20 years of age is larger in Slovak, Scotch, and South Italian households than in the households of any other race.

The following table shows, by general nativity and race of employee, the percentage of male employees in the households studied who were within each specified age group:

TABLE 710.-Per cent of male employees within each age group, by general nativity and

race. •

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

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

Of the male employees who were native whites born of native father, for whom information was secured in this locality, one-tenth of 1 per cent are under 14 years of age; of all employees reporting per cent are from 14 to 19, 22.9 per cent are from 20 to 24, 22.7 per cent are from 25 to 29, 13.9 per cent are from 30 to 34, 17 per

7.8

cent are from 35 to 44, 12.1 per cent are from 45 to 54, and 3.6 per cent are 55 or over. The proportion of males from 20 to 34 years of age is largest for the foreign-born, slightly larger for the native-born of native father white than for the native-born of native father negro, and smallest for the native-born of foreign father. The proportion of males 35 years of age and over is largest for the native-born of foreign father, the same for the foreign-born as for the negroes -native-born of native father, and smallest for the whites native-born of native father. Among the foreign-born, the Swedes, North Italians, and Greeks, in the order named, have the largest, and the English and Scotch the smallest, proportion of individuals from 20 to 24; the Greeks, Swedes, and Scotch have the largest and the English and South Italians the smallest proportion of individuals from 25 to 29; and the Bulgarians, Scotch, and Greeks have the largest and the North Italians, Swedes, and English the smallest proportion of individuals from 30 to 34. The proportion of individuals from 35 to 44 is largest for the English; that of individuals from 45 to 54 is largest for the Scotch; and that of individuals 55 or over is largest for the English.

CRIMINALITY.

No records of criminality by races were obtainable in this locality. Various local magistrates, however, were asked for expressions of their opinion regarding comparative criminality by races. Owing to the fact that there were so few immigrants in comparison with native races, they were unable to give anything like an estimate of the numerical proportion of crimes as distributed among the races. The only criminal cases before them from among immigrants were those involving Italians, and to a very small extent Greeks. The Italians, it was believed, were in the criminal courts quite frequently in proportion to their numbers. Cutting, shooting, and other forms of affrays constituted the majority of their offenses. In only rare cases did Slovaks appear in the courts. There seems to be an unanimous opinion that the Italian was the most troublesome in proportion to the number of that race in the district.