TABLE 88.—Per cent of employees within each age group, by sex and general nativity and race-Continued.

Of

Upon reference to the totals for both sexes, it is seen that the greatest proportion, or 59 per cent, of the white wage-earners of native birth and of native father were under 30 years of age. those of native birth but of foreign father, 67.3 per cent were within the same age group, while only 50.8 per cent of the foreign-born were less than 30 years of age. Upon comparing the totals further, however, it is seen that less than five-hundredths of 1 per cent of the foreign-born industrial workers were under 14 years, and only 10.3 per cent between the ages of 14 and 19, as contrasted with 0.2 and 25.1 per cent, respectively, of the total native-born who were within the

On the

same age groups. The situation clearly exhibits the small proportions of younger persons among the foreign-born as contrasted with the native-born employees. This is especially noticeable in the case of individual races from southern and eastern Europe, which exhibit very much smaller percentages of younger employees than do the races of older immigration from Great Britain and northern Europe. The age characteristics of the two nativity groups thus made apparent arise from the fact that the wage-earners of recent immigration as a rule are single men of working age, or married men the greater number of whom are unaccompanied by their families. As a consequence, the supply of recent immigrant labor under 20 years of age, as compared with that of native birth, is very limited. other hand, a further comparison shows that only a relatively small proportion of southern and eastern Europeans are more than 45 years of age, while the native-born industrial workers, both of native and foreign father, as well as those of foreign birth from Great Britain and northern Europe, exhibit considerable proportions above this age limit. To recapitulate briefly, the foreign-born employees, as against the native-born, show a larger proportion of employees between the ages of 20 and 45 years, while the southern and eastern European races exhibit even a higher percentage than that for the total foreign-born within these age limits. A comparison of the percentages for each of the sexes and of the individual races shows the same tendencies already outlined.

OWNERSHIP OF HOMES.

Under favorable conditions the tendencies toward acquiring their own homes exhibited by families the heads of which were of foreign birth and employed in the industries of the United States, may be taken as an indication of progress toward assimilation and of an intention to permanently settle in this country. It may be true that the wage-earner is living and working in a large industrial center where the acquisition of property is beyond his resources. On the other hand, it is also true that in many industrial localities, especially in those connected with the mining industry, the so-called "company house" system prevails, under which the industrial worker is practically not permitted to buy a home, but must live in a house owned by the operating company and rented to him. Under these and similar conditions, therefore, racial inclinations toward the acquisition of property can not have full play, and statistics as to home ownership based on returns from heads of families engaged in different industrial pursuits and in widely separated industrial localities must be accepted with some qualification. As a consequence, some reservations must be made in the case of the figures in the table which immediately follows, and an absolutely accurate treatment can be secured only by reference to the separate industrial studies. The tabulation, however, showing as it does, by general nativity and race of head of family, the number and percentage of families owning their homes, is indicative of racial tendencies within certain limitations. The families the heads of which were nativeborn, whether of native or of foreign father, were studied for purposes of comparison with those the heads of which were foreign-born.

The table, which is based upon an investigation of 17,628 families the heads of which were employed in the principal divisions of mining and manufacturing enterprise, follows:

TABLE 89.-Number and per cent of families owning home, by general nativity and race of head of family.

Upon comparing the general nativity groups in the preceding table, it is seen that slightly more than one-fifth, or to be exact 21.8 per cent, of the families the heads of which were white persons of native birth, and 21.6 per cent of those the heads of which were of foreign birth, own their homes. The families of the second generation, or those whose heads were of native birth but of foreign father, report a slightly larger proportion than the two nativity groups mentioned above, or 25.6 per cent, owning their homes. A very unfavorable showing, by way of further comparison, is made by native-born negro families, with only 4.2 per cent of home ownership. The figures showing this small degree of home ownership among the negro families should, however, be modified by the statement that a large proportion of the families represented were those of bituminous coal mine workers in the southern States who have had little incentive to purchase homes, owing to the system of company houses prevailing in bituminous mining localities.

Upon analyzing the figures for the families the heads of which were foreign-born, it is seen that as a rule the races of older immigration from Great Britain and northern Europe are more extensive home owners than are the members of races of recent immigration. The percentage of home ownership among representative races of the old immigration is as follows:

The principal races of recent immigration from southern and eastern Europe make the following showing as to the acquisition of homes:

The geographical location of the Bohemians and Moravians in Europe would class them among the more recent immigrants, but the period of time during which they have been coming to the United States would place them among the older immigrant races. They show the largest proportion of home-owning families of all races the heads of which were native-born of foreign father or foreignborn. On the other hand, the Finnish families, which show a percentage of home ownership amounting to 56.3, should be geographically classed with the older immigrants from Great Britain and northern Europe, but by period of residence in this country the larger proportion should be termed recent immigrants. Of the families of recent immigration, the North Italians, Slovenians, Croatians, Portuguese, Poles, Lithuanians, Slovaks, South Italians, and Magyars have, in the order named, proportions ranging from 27.8 to 13.7 per cent

owning their homes. An almost negligible proportion of Russians, Greeks, Roumanians, Servians, and Syrians, varying from 1.2 to 4.7 per cent in the order mentioned, have acquired homes.

STATUS OF CHILDREN IN THE HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

The two tables which immediately follow set forth the general status and industrial condition of the children in the households studied. The first table submitted shows, by sex and general nativity and race of individual, the per cent of children 6 and under 16 years of age in the households studied who are at home, at school, and at work:

TABLE 90.-Per cent of children 6 and under 16 years of age at home, at school, and at work, by general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

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