Some idea may be had of the interest manifested in civic affairs by taking the enrollment of the court of common council, which consists of 10 aldermen and 20 councilmen, and noting the different races represented therein. For this purpose the following statement is herewith submitted:

Report of common council in Community B in 1909, by race.

No great interest in civic affairs is shown by any of the foreignborn races aside from the desire to vote, and men of all races seem anxious, though not always from altruistic motives, to obtain this privilege. Of these, the Irish manifest the greatest interest in local affairs, and as they outnumber all other races but the native American, they are thus able to take a prominent part in the politics of the city and to formulate and carry through legislation which is usually resultant of good.

On questions of government no race, aside from the native American, has any initiative, and unless directly affecting one race measures for good government are furthered by voters of all foreign races. The English-speaking races, the Germans, and the Scandinavians among the foreign-born make the most desirable citizens, for the reason that they are more easily assimilated. The Italians and French Canadians who settle permanently in this community likewise make desirable citizens. However, a number of each of these races return to their native land after accumulating a certain amount of money. This practice, however, is not now followed to such an extent as formerly by the French Canadians.

The Slavic races of all foreign peoples in this community make the least desirable citizens in the opinion of those in authority, chiefly for the reason that they are the most likely to become a burden on the city. Their record for drunkenness is high, and they are a difficult people to assimilate. They are slow to adopt American customs and tend strongly toward segregating themselves from other races. On the other hand, although dull, the Slavic races make fairly good workers. Organizations including foreign races in Community B are generally branches of large orders and are of four classes-religious, beneficial, social, and political. Most of the societies combine two or more of these features and almost all of them offer some form of insurance as the chief inducement for membership.

The Germans have a branch of the Turners, a society devoted to athletics with a beneficial association as one of its features; a singing society, a beneficial society, the Kranken Verein, a shooting society, and a branch of the Harugari, which is partly political in its aims and partly an organization devoted to the advancement of the Ger

mans in America. The Harugari is the strongest of all the societies among the Germans and is affiliated with the German Alliance. The Italian societies number four: Christopher Columbus, Victor Emanuel, the Italian Protection, and the Young Italian American society. All of these societies have beneficial features and are also used as social clubs, but the main purpose of their existence is to furnish some form of insurance to the members. The Polish societies of this community are affiliated with the Polish Alliance of America. The principal Polish society is the St. Stanislaus, which, like the White Eagle, another Polish society, issues life, sick, and accident insurance. The Polish Soldiers and the Turners are two other societies which exist more for the social pleasures which membership brings, although the society of Polish Soldiers has certain beneficial features. French Canadian societies are all of the beneficial order. The largest of these is St. Jean Baptiste, which is purely an insurance society giving sick and death benefits. This society is a member of St. Jean Baptiste Union, the largest of all French Canadian societies, with over 20,000 members. St. Joseph's society is a purely local society organized for the purpose of insurance. St. Anne's society is a local society and has to do only with affairs of the church. The Catholic Woman's Benevolent Legion and the Total Abstinence Brotherhood are other societies of the church with local chapters made up in part of French Canadians. Societies independent of the church with French Canadian chapters are the Foresters of America and the Independent Order of Foresters. Both of these societies have beneficial features. The English society of St. George has a membership of 212 in one lodge, the Charles Dickens, and 78 in the Perseverance. The Daughters of St. George have a membership of 70. This society is beneficial in its aim. The societies of the Episcopal Church, such as the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, also include a number of English members.

Among the principal Irish societies of Community B are the local branches of the Knights of Columbus, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and the Total Abstinence Brotherhood. The Knights of Columbus is purely a church society, the Ancient Order of Hibernians is devoted to the general advancement of the Irish race, while the Young Men's Total Abstinence Brotherhood society is a social club and has for its aim the cause of temperance. The Order of Scottish Clans has a branch in this community, Clan Malcolm, and the object of the order is to bring the Scotch people of the community together and to promote friendship among those of the race. Among the Swedes there are two societies, the Swedish-American club, which is purely political in its aim and is a branch of the Order of Visa, and the Engelbrecht Lodge, with social and beneficial features combined. Among the German societies the Turners have the largest membership, with 175 names on the membership roll, the Kranken Verein, 125 members, and the Harugari, with a membership of approximately 100. Of the Italian societies the Christopher Columbus is the largest as well as the oldest. Organized in 1889 with 25 members, it now has a membership of 79; Victor Emanuel, organized in 1895, has 59 members; the Italian Protection, No. 2, has 25 members, and the Young Italian American society the same number.

The Polish society of St. Stanislaus, organized in 1889 with 45 members, now has a membership of 70; the White Eagle, organized

some years later with an enrollment of 175 names; the Polish Soldiers, 70 members and the Polish Turners 25 to 30. Of the French Canadian societies the local branch of St. Jean Baptiste is the largest with 140 members, both men and women; St. Joseph's society, organized in 1899, 120 members, St. Anne's society dating from 1881, 120 members. The membership of the English society of St. George has already been given. This society is not increasing its membership. The Irish society of the Knights of Columbus has three lodges in Community B, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians has two lodges and a Ladies' Auxiliary. The interest shown in these societies and in the Young Men's Total Abstinence Brotherhood is large and the societies are all in a flourishing condition. The Scotch society of Clan Malcolm has a membership of about 50, but, like the English society of St. George, its members manifest no great interest in its welfare.

Little interest is shown by immigrants in American fraternal organizations. As each race in Community B has its own orders, which are branches of larger organizations, those who desire to join a fraternal organization enter one in which people of their race are members. Some of the larger orders, which are American, have lodges made up entirely of people of one race, as the French Canadian branch of the Foresters. The lodges which are purely American have few immigrants as members, but the children of immigrants, though not to any great extent, do affiliate with such organizations.

ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH.

As regards ability to speak English, the following table shows, by sex and general nativity and race of individual, the percentage of persons in the households studied 6 years of age or over who could speak English:

TABLE 150.-Per cent of persons 6 years of age or over who speak English, by sex and general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 40 or more persons reporting. The totals, however, are for all non-English-speaking races.]

In this locality 94 per cent of the males and 85.3 per cent of the females, for whom information was secured, speak English. The proportion of individuals, both male and female, who speak English is considerably larger for the native-born of foreign father than for the foreign-born. Of the foreign-born the Swedes, Germans, and French Canadians, in the order mentioned, have the largest and the Poles the smallest proportion of males and the Swedes and Germans the largest and the South Italians the smallest proportion of females who speak English.

The following table shows, by age at time of coming to the United States and race of individual, the percentage of foreign-born persons 6 years of age or over, in the households studied, who could speak English:

TABLE 151.-Per cent of foreign-born persons 6 years of age or over who speak English, by age at time of coming to the United States and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 40 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all non-English-speaking races.]

The table following shows that of the individuals who came to the United States when under 14 years of age, for whom information was secured, all of the Germans, Poles, and Swedes and a much larger proportion of the French Canadians than of the South Italians can speak English. The proportion of individuals who came here when 14 or over who speak English is largest for the Swedes and Germans, in the order mentioned, and smallest for the South Italians.

The progress made by persons of non-English-speaking races in acquiring ability to speak English, after designated periods of residence in this country, is set forth in the table following, which shows, by years in the United States and race of individual, the percentage of foreign-born persons, in the households studied, 6 years of age or over, who could speak English.

TABLE 152.-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.]

In this locality the Swedes and French Canadians have the largest proportion of individuals in the United States under 5 years who speak English. All of the Swedes who have been in the United States from five to nine years and ten years or over speak English. With this exception, of the proportion of individuals in the United States from five to nine years who can speak English is largest for the French Canadians and the proportion who have been here ten years or over who can speak English is largest for the Germans and French Canadians, in the order mentioned, and smallest for the South Italians.

CHURCHES.

The large majority of immigrants who have come to Community B have been members of the Roman Catholic Church, and when the membership of one race is sufficiently large a church for that particular race is erected. There are two Irish, one German, one Italian, one French Canadian, and one Polish Catholic Church in this community. Churches of most of the protestant denominations, as the Protestant Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, German and Swedish Lutheran, and Universalist, are found in Community B, and they receive immigrants of their beliefs into membership. In addition to these churches, there is a Jewish synagogue in which Jews of all races attend. The negroes attend the African Methodist Church. Members of the Greek Catholic Church of Russia, composed of Austrians, Russians, and others affiliated with that body, hold services in the parish house of one of the Protestant Episcopal churches. No special work is done by the Catholic church among the immigrants. Of the Protestant churches, the Baptist maintains a preaching service, a Bible class, a sewing school for girls, and a physical training school for boys at a hall in the Italian quarter. An Italian missionary is engaged to work among these people. The Universelist Church does social and religious work through the Connecticut Bible Society, which reaches all aliens in the State. The Congregational Church helps to support a smaller church of that denomination in Community B, and the Congregational Home Missionary Society