TABLE 235.-Number of pupils in selected public schools, by sex and age, and by general nativity and race of father of pupil-Continued.

It will be observed in the preceding table that of the 3,724 school children covered by this inquiry 1,672 are of native-born parentage, while 2,052 are of foreign parentage. The greatest number of children of foreign parentage come from the Slovak, Polish, North Italian, German, English, and Irish races. This is to be expected, since in the localities selected these are the immigrant races with the most children of school age. The majority of children in school are between the ages of 8 and 10 years. This is generally true irrespective of race. After that age period, the attendarce decreases. This decrease is greater among the children of foreign than among those of native parentage and is more rapid among the Slovaks, Poles, and Italians than among the English, Irish, and German children. With most immigrant races the attendance practically ceases at about the age of 14 or 15 years. This fact may be attributed to three causes: (1) That attendance is compulsory only to the age of 14; (2) that the parents usually desire their children to go to work at as early an age as possible; and (3) that in these schools the course is finished by the average pupil at about the age of 14 years. Although there are high schools in all the larger towns and cities of the coal-mining regions, they are attended by almost no children of immigrant parentage except British and German. The children of the more recently immigrating races, such as the Slovaks, Poles, and Italians, practically finish their schooling when they leave the public or parochial grammar schools. In the foregoing table it will be observed that many children of native parentage continue in attendance after the age of 14 years. In some cases this is due to the presence of backward pupils who are finishing the course, and in other cases to the fact that advanced instruction is being given some pupils by special arrangement.

PAROCHIAL-SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

The mixture of races shown in the attendance at the public schools is significant in its relation to Americanization when compared with the racial classification of the pupils attending the parochial schools of the same region, as shown in the following tables exhibiting the attendance at selected schools:

TABLE 236.-Per cent distribution of children in the parochial schools, by race.

TABLE 237.—Number of pupils of each sex in the parochial schools, by general nutivity and race of father of pupil.

"Other races" comprise: Croatian, 4; Dutch, 5; English, 4; Hebrew (not specified), 9; Lithuanian, 2; Slovenian, 2.

In the parochial schools, as shown in the above table, the per cent of children of native white parentage is but 8.9 as compared with 42.4 in the public schools. The Polish and Slovak races send the greatest number of children to the parochial schools represented in these tables. This is due not to a greater tendency on the part of these races to send their children to school, but to the fact that they are present here in much greater numbers than are those of other immigrant races.

STATUS OF CHILDREN IN THE HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

In connection with the above data from both public and parochial schools the table next presented, compiled from families in this same region, may be taken to show the relative disposition of different races to send their children to school. This table exhibits the number and per cent of children 6 and under 16 years of age at home, at work, and at school, by general nativity and race of father and birthplace of child.

TABLE 238.-Number and per cent of children 6 and under 16 years of age at home, at school, and at work, by general nativity and race of father and by birthplace of child.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races born abroad.

with 20 or more children born in the United States and also 20 or more The native-born are shown for comparative purposes.]

The above table shows that the native families have relatively fewer children of school age at home and at work, and more at school, than have any of the immigrant races. In connection with the foreign born it should be noted that in general a higher proportion of children born abroad than of those born in the United States are at home. This is due to the fact that the children born abroad are older than those born here, and therefore are the first to leave school. The relative proportions at school, at home, or otherwise occupied, of the persons 16 years of age or over in the households studied, are shown by sex in the two tables next submitted.

TABLE 239.-Per cent of males 16 years of age or over at school, at home, and in other occupations, by general nativity and race of individual.

[This table includes only races with 20 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.] (STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

TABLE 240.-Per cent of females 16 years of age or over at school, at home, and in other occupations, by general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more females reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

Of the foreign-born males and females 16 years of age or over, only three-tenths of 1 per cent are at school. The males are lagely at work in the mines or in other occupations, while the females are largely at home. On the other hand, 6.1 per cent of all native-born females and 5.2 per cent of all native-born males, 16 years of age or over, are at school.

CITIZENSHIP.

Another point of general interest is the tendency on the part of the different races of foreign birth to acquire citizenship, and their general interest in public and civic affairs. Employers are a unit in stating that little real or intelligent civic interest is manifested by recent immigrants. They ascribe this lack to the immigrant's ignorance of our political methods, his illiteracy and inability to speak English, the social and political aloofness of these races in the more or less remote mining villages, and their desire to avoid taxation. Those who reside in or near the cities seem to exhibit more interest than do those of the isolated communities. It seems that the Bohemians and Moravians take a much more active part in civic affairs than any other race of recent immigration in the bituminous districts of Pennsylvania. Among the other Slavic races, the Slovaks and Poles lead in this regard, while the Croatians make the poorest showing. It is almost the universal statement that this latter race shows no intelligent civic interest at all, and that very few become naturalized. The Italians, both North and South, are more active than the Slavic races in their efforts to become citizens, and appear to take a more active part in civic affairs. All information of this character is, of necessity, somewhat indefinite, and varies with the locality. It seems true of all the later immigrating races that they take far less interest in