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TABLE 95.-Per cent of foreign-born persons 6 years of age or over who speak English, by years in the United States and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 40 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all nonEnglish-speaking races.]

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Of 1,310 foreign-born persons 6 years of age or over reporting, 42.1 per cent of those who have been in the United States under five years, 71.6 per cent of those with a residence of from five to nine years, and 87.5 per cent of those who have been in this country ten years or over can speak English. Of those who have been in the United States under five years the Hebrews show the greatest proportion, which is 89.7 per cent, and the Poles the smallest proportion, which is 30.9 per cent, who can speak English. In the group including persons who have been in the United States from five to nine years, the Hebrews show 100 per cent, the Germans over 95 per cent, the North Italians over 90 per cent, the French Canadians and Slovaks over 70 per cent, and the Poles 57.7 per cent who can speak English. Of the persons with a residence of ten years or over, the Germans, Hebrews, and North Italians show 100 per cent, the Poles over 85 per cent, and the Slovaks and French Canadians over 80 per cent who can speak English.

48296°-VOL 17-11-9

REPRESENTATIVE COMMUNITY B.

121

REPRESENTATIVE COMMUNITY B.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

Industrial significance of the community-Households studied-Members of households for whom detailed information was secured-Employees for whom information was secured [Text Tables 96 to 100 and General Tables 94 and 95].

INDUSTRIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COMMUNITY.

The industrial development of this community began at the end of the eighteenth century. Cut nails were manufactured by hand machinery as early as 1791, and three years later pewter buttons and britannia ware were produced. The manufacture of britannia teaspoons and tablespoons began in 1808. By 1830 the first manufacturer of goods of this class employed from 10 to 12 men and made. shipments direct to purchasers. The output of his factory was taken in part by peddlers who exchanged britannia ware for cloth, feathers, glass tumblers, and other articles of merchandise. There were four firms making britannia ware by 1837, and in 1852 to reduce competition a single company was formed, through the consolidation of the others. With the formation of this company the work was put on a more businesslike basis. Men were no longer paid in orders but in cash, and wages as high as $2 a day were given. Besides spoons and a few cooking utensils, a number of articles, such as cups, ladles, pitchers, cuspidors, candle stocks, caster frames, lamps, and mugs were made and the trade-mark of a firm which had begun silver plating in Hartford in 1846 was purchased. By 1854 the use of molds was given up and rolled metal was used. In the following year the first nickel silver forks were put on the market. In 1863 a new factory was built. The trade had been greatly enlarged until even the countries of South America were taking britannia ware. Three years later a new process caused the abandonment of britannia manufacture with britannia as a base, and since then white metal or nickel silver has been used as a base for plating.

There were, in 1898, seven companies engaged in the manufacture of silverware in the community studied, and two in a neighboring town. These, with four other companies, were consolidated at this time into a corporation capitalized at $20,000,000 and employing 5,000 men. The headquarters of this company are in the community studied, and over 3,000 men find employment in the seven local factories. Another large local manufacturing company had its origin in 1832, with the establishment of a coffee mill. The owner of the mill was successful, and later turned his attention to the manufacture of plated hollow ware, also making plated spoons and forks. In 1854 he invented a vise and shortly after the civil war began the manufacture of a shotgun. In 1876 the company was incorporated at $500,000. Besides producing the above-mentioned articles, this

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