TABLE 175.-Number of employees of each race in the bituminous coal mines and coke plants, by occupation-Continued.

DAILY EARNINGS.

The industrial condition of the foreign-born mine workers before they came to this country, as well as their status in the mining industry in Pennsylvania at the present time, having been briefly presented, it will be in order to put forward an exhibit of the earnings of the immigrant mining employees in the occupations which they are now following. For comparative purposes, the earnings of the nativeborn of native father and the native-born of foreign father are presented along with the earnings of foreign-born mine workers. In connection with the discussion of earnings, the table which is first submitted shows the per cent of males 18 years of age or over earning each specified amount per day, by general nativity and race of individual. This table follows:

TABLE 176.—Per cent of male employees 18 years of age or over earning each specified amount per day, by general nativity and race.*

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 80 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.] Aver- Per cent earning each specified amount per day.

age

Number

General nativity and race.

reporting earn-
complete

data.

ings per day.

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdowns or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings allowance is made for time lost during the year.

A noteworthy feature of the above table is seen in the fact that very few persons of any race earn less than $1.25 per day. A considerably less proportion of the native-born than of the foreign-born earn this low wage. The Poles, among the foreign-born, with about

1 in 14 in this class, have relatively the greatest number of these small wage-earners. The next group, consisting of those earning $1.50 per day or over, shows but little change from the preceding column. Of the native-born, 95.7 per cent earn $1.50 or over per day, as compared with 97.9 per cent who earn $1.25. Among the foreign-born, the table shows 92 per cent in the $1.50 group, as against 96.5 per cent in the $1.25 group. This small general change in the percentage figures is due to the fact that for nearly all the employees in the industry the general level of daily earnings is above $1.50. In the next group, however, which includes those earning $2 and over per day, this limit has been reached for an appreciable number of workers. Many cokeyard and mine laborers who are paid on a day basis receive less than $2. The less efficient pieceworkers are also affected when the $2-rate of daily wages is reached. Of the native-born, 95.7 per cent earn $1.50 and over per day, while only 70.5 per cent earn $2 and over per day, or, to use another mode of expressing the same comparison, 25.2 per cent earn between $1.50 and $2 per day. Among the foreign-born the falling off is still greater, 92 per cent of the immigrant mine workers being found in the preceding group as compared with 62.9 per cent in the group earning $2 or more per day, showing 29.1 per cent to be earning between $1.50 and $2. If this comparison be restricted to the foreign-born of the races of recent immigration, the proportionate decrease is much greater. The older immigrant races do not show such decreases as do the later and, therefore, raise the general average for the foreign-born. The English drop from 97.1 per cent in the group earning $1.50 or more per day to 84.2 per cent in the group earning $2 or more per day; the Irish, from 93.7 per cent to 65.5 per cent; the Scotch, from 97.9 per cent to 86.6 per cent; the Swedish, from 98.6 per cent to 88 per cent; the Germans, from 91.5 per cent to 68.3 per cent; and the Welsh, from 97.8 per cent to 82 per cent. On the other hand, among the races of recent immigration from southern and eastern Europe, the Croatians drop from 87.5 per cent in the group earning $1.50 or more per day to 48.1 per cent in the group earning $2 or more per day; the South Italians, from 91.9 per cent to 54.8 per cent; the Poles, from 87.8 per cent to 58.4 per cent; the Servians from 95.1 per cent to 48.8 per cent; the Ruthenians, from 86.7 per cent to 49.8 per cent; the Roumanians, from 89.8 per cent to 52 per cent; and the Slovaks, from 92.4 per cent to 55.2 per cent. This is also true of the native-born of foreign father; those of Austro-Hungarian parentage show the greatest falling off in earning capacity in this group. Of the later immigrating races, the North Italian, with 71.2 per cent, the Lithuanian, with 76.4 per cent, the Russian, with 73.3 per cent, the Slovenian, with 76.5 per cent, the Bohemian and Moravian, with 72.9 per cent, and the Magyar, with 64.4 per cent, in the group earning $2 per day or over, show relatively the highest earning capacity. The next group, composed of those earning $2.50 or more than $2.50 per day, shows that 29.5 per cent of the nativeborn and 19.9 per cent of the foreign-born earn this amount. This group also accentuates differences in relative efficiency and position in the industry among the different races. The second generation English, Scotch, and Irish, and the English, Scotch, and Welsh foreign-born, have relatively the largest numbers in this group. Of

the races of recent immigration, the Bohemians and Moravians, North Italians, Lithuanians, Russians, and Slovenians, make the best showing. The next two groups, consisting of mining employees earning $3 and over and those earning $3.50 and over per day, simply serve to bring out further the differences already noted. The leading position is occupied by the English, Scotch, Welsh, German, and Irish immigrants and their children born in this country. This is significant and is of interest in connection with the fact that many of the immigrants of these races have been mine employees abroad, and consequently entered the industry here with valuable experience, while the later immigrants were mostly farmers or farm laborers, and hence inexperienced when entering the industry.

The English, Irish, Welsh, Scotch, and German immigrants also came to the bituminous regions prior to the great expansion of the industry and were ready to advance to positions of responsibility and better pay which the development of the industry made available. The relatively poor showing made by the group of persons native-born of native father is due to the fact that the children in this classification have been steadily leaving the industry for more attractive vocations, and consequently an undue proportion of the less skilled, less ambitious, and less enterprising, are enumerated in this group, and the poorer showing is the result to be expected.

In connection with the earnings of the adult mine employees it is also of importance to consider the earnings of the mine workers who have not reached maturity. The following table therefore is presented, showing, by general nativity and race, the per cent of males 14 but under 18 years of age who are earning specified amounts per day.

TABLE 177.-Per cent of male employees 14 and under 18 years of age earning each specified amount per day, 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.]

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdowns or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings aliowance is made for time lost during the year.

In the foregoing table, as in the case of the preceding tables, the races are presented according to general nativity in three groups: those native-born of native father, those native-born of foreign father, and those foreign-born. In general, there is little difference in earning capacity between the first two, 95.2 per cent of the whites native-born of native father earning $1 or over per day as compared with 95.8 per cent of the persons native-born of foreign father. In the wage class composed of those earning $1.25 or over the percentages are 64.9 for the whites native-born of native father and 61.1 for the persons native-born of foreign father. Fifty and two-tenths per cent of the whites native-born of native father and 49.4 per cent of the second generation earn $1.50 or more per day; and 16.9 per cent of the whites native-born of native father and 22.6 per cent of the persons native-born of foreign father earn $2 or over per day. In the last class, consisting of those earning $2.50 or over per day, between 3 and 4 per cent of both groups of native-born are found.

Compared with the persons native-born of native father and the group native-born of foreign father, the foreign-born youths have a higher percentage in the higher wage classes, the average percentages for the foreign-born by wage classes as compared with the total nativeborn being as follows:

This showing, apparently so unfavorable to the native-born males of these ages, may be readily explained. Almost all of the native-born youths attend school and become Americanized, and the more enterprising and ambitious soon seek employment in other industries than coal mining, where the work is more pleasant or the wages are better. On the other hand, the greater number of foreign-born youths do not know English and do not attend school, but go into the mines as soon as possible and remain there. Consequently, the fact that the numbers of the foreign-born earning larger amounts are relatively greater is a result which would be expected from the existing situation.

From a racial standpoint, the North Italians show the highest earning ability among the foreign-born, followed by the Magyar youths. The lowest earning capacity is found among the Poles. Among the group native-born of foreign father, the English, Germans, and Scotch are the leaders.

RELATION BETWEEN PERIOD OF RESIDENCE AND EARNING ABILITY.

As regards the earning ability of foreign-born mining employees, one of the most interesting points that arises is the question of relation between earnings and period of residence, or, in other words, the question whether a more extended period of residence brings with it a greater industrial efficiency and adaptation among the foreignborn and consequently an increased earning capacity. This inquiry is answered in the tables next submitted, which show, by race, the per cent of foreign-born male employees who earn specified amounts and who have been in the United States a specified number of years.