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the effect of the crisis, and at the present time has practically ceased. The reasons for the heavy English immigration may be assigned, first, to the high tariff which was maintained after the close of the civil war, which made it possible to manufacture in this country broad silks at a large profit; second, to the influence of the English employees who had been employed in the Paterson mills from their establishment in getting their relatives, friends, and fellow-countrymen to come to the United States; and, third, to the installation of power looms in the American mills.

French immigration. The rapid expansion of the silk industry during the late seventies and early eighties induced ambitious Frenchmen to come to Paterson and start several silk mills. They encouraged immigration from the French silk centers and succeeded in inducing from two to three thousand French workers to come to Paterson. The French immigrants were expert silk workers, and were soon employed in every branch of the industry. They were employed in the dyeing departments, in broad silk work, and especially in ribbon weaving. At the present time, however, very few French are employed in Paterson. Those who still remain are employed in positions requiring the greatest skill and expertness. They are now found chiefly in the ribbon-manufacturing establishments. Why the French have left the Paterson silk mills can not be clearly explained beyond the statement that they earned little or no more in Paterson than in the French mills. A few left the community and returned to France in 1888 and 1890, and when the industrial depression of the early nineties closed a large number of the Paterson mills practically all of them returned to France. Those who remained were highly skilled workmen, who were retained and given work by the Paterson firms in order to keep them.

Italian immigration.-Italian immigration to Paterson began when a few families of fruit venders settled in the city shortly after the civil war. The first Italian workmen were brought to Paterson between twenty and twenty-five years ago and given employment on various public works and on the construction work of the street railways. Most of these early immigrants left Paterson after the railway construction was completed, but a few of them secured employment of one kind and another and remained in the community. Of the latter, a few found work in the dyehouses. This was the beginning of the employment of Italians in the silk industry. Between 1888 and 1890 a number of strikes occurred in Paterson among the dye workers. At that time the dyers were almost entirely English or Americans, with a few Germans, Scotch, Irish, and one or two skilled Frenchmen. For the most part the work was hard and dirty, while the dyehouses were wet and full of steam. The men accordingly struck for higher wages. One of the largest dyers secured Italians and used them as strikebreakers. From this time until 1903-4 a large number of the race were annually imported by all plants operating in the city, and to-day Italians are extensively employed in the silk industry. Prior to the "dyers' strike," as it was called, a few Italians, among those who had been employed on the railroad construction work, had entered the silk mills. As these men had worked in the same industry in Italy, they encouraged their friends to come over to this country, and it is freely asserted in Paterson that the manufacturers assisted in the

encouragement. The large increase in the percentage of Italian workmen, however, dates from 1896-97. During the years following this date the industry expanded very rapidly, and Italians were secured to meet the extra labor demands. The English-speaking workmen were displaced in many instances, and, as other lines of work paid them better wages, numbers of them left the silk industry. At the present time it is estimated that over 20,000 Italians are living in Paterson. The great majority of them are dependent on the silk industry, in which between 7,000 and 8,000 are employed. The majority of the Italian silk workers employed are from the northern States of Italy, and among the South Italians there are only a few Sicilians. The immigration of Italians was checked by the financial depression of 1907, but was much less affected than immigration to other localities and other industries. Immigration of Italians to Paterson is, however, since the entrance of the Russian Hebrews, decreasing annually. Hebrew immigration.-The immigration of Russian Hebrews to Paterson commenced about 1902 and is steadily increasing. The beginning of this immigration is not positively known, but it is claimed that it was begun by the Hebrew firms which in the last few years have gone into business in the community, and which immediately proceeded to influence others to come to the city. The Russian Hebrews were willing to work for lower wages and in worse surroundings than the English-speaking people, or even the Italians, and it was not long before they were employed as unskilled laborers in the silk mills. They are inferior to all of the other races now employed in the mills. The estimated number of Russian Hebrews employed at present is between 3,000 and 5,000.

Polish immigration.-At present there are about 350 Polish families residing in Paterson, 90 per cent of which are from Russia. As a race they commenced to enter the community in large numbers about 1898, when several iron manufactories were established. They have been employed in the various branches of the silk industry, but only in the less skilled positions. The iron plants closed down in 1907, and as there was nothing else for the Polish workmen to do they entered the silk mills and dyehouses. It is estimated that 50 per cent of the Polish population returned to Europe in 1907. A large number will return to Paterson, however, when there is opportunity for them to secure work in the iron manufactories and machine shops. Armenian immigration.-In 1901 about 300 Armenians were brought to Paterson as strike-breakers. They were employed for a short time, and then gradually drifted out of the community, until at present the number of the race in the silk industries is insignificant, probably not over 50 being found there. They left Paterson because they preferred to work in places where the Armenian population was larger. This was mentioned as the cause of the movement by officials of the silk mills, who cited neighboring manufacturing towns where the labor supply in certain industries is almost entirely Armenian.

Miscellaneous immigration. In addition to the races mentioned above, which have been employed at various times in the silk industry, a few others have been employed in small numbers. Among these are Germans, Swiss, Irish, and a few Scotch. Of these races there has never been any general or large immigration, but their immigra

tion has been confined to individual cases. Most of them came in the days of the early expansion of the industry in Paterson, and during the late seventies and early eighties.

PERIOD OF RESIDENCE IN THE UNITED STATES OF FOREIGN-BORN EMPLOYEES AND MEMBERS OF THEIR HOUSEHOLDS.

The character of recent and past immigration to the silk mills may also be seen from the following series of tables and charts exhibiting period of residence in the United States of foreign-born employees and members of their households. The tables which follow show, by sex and race, the number and percentage of foreign-born employees in Paterson, N. J., who had been in the United States each specified number of years.

TABLE 11.-Number of foreign-born employees in the United States under 1 year, 1 year, 2 years, etc., by sex and race: Paterson, N. J.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. No deduction is made for time spent abroad.]

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TABLE 11.-Number of foreign-born employees in the United States under 1 year, 1 year,. 2 years, etc., by sex and race: Paterson, N. J.-Continued.

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TABLE 12.-Per cent of foreign-born employees in the United States each specified number of years, by sex and race: Paterson, N. J.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. No deduction is made for time spent abroad. This table includes only races with 80 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

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years or over.

Of the 3,040 foreign-born persons employed in the silk industry in this locality, 35.4 per cent have been in the United States twenty A difference of less than 5 per cent is shown between the proportions having been in the United States each other specified number of years. The Russian Hebrews show the largest and the English the smallest proportion who have been in the United States under five or from five to nine years, while the North Italians report the largest and the Scotch the smallest proportion with a period of residence of from ten to fourteen years, and the Dutch the largest and the Russian Hebrews the smallest proportion with a period of residence of from fifteen to nineteen years. The proportion of each race in the United States twenty years or over ranges from 67.2 per

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