children, as compared with those who come at a later period in life. As regards the different races, it will be noticed that with the exception of one Frenchman one South Italian, and one Croatian, the individuals of all races who were under 14 years of age at the time of coming to the United States are able to speak English. Of those who were 14 years of age or over when they emigrated, about one-half of the South Italians and Poles, and slightly smaller proportions of the Lithuanians and Slovaks, report that they are not able to speak English. The relative representation for each race is too small to admit of any conclusion as to racial tendencies, but the limited showing made furnishes an interesting light upon the general tendencies which are operative. In addition to the figures regarding the relative ability to speak English of the foreign-born of different ages at time of coming to this country, the degree of progress exhibited by the various races according to period of residence in this country may be noted. With this purpose in view, the following table will show the ability to speak English of foreign-born employees by length of residence in the United States:

TABLE 304.-Ability to speak English of foreign-born male employees, by years in the United States and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only non-English-speaking races.]

Of the 354 employees furnishing information for the above table, 115 have been in the United States under five years, 134 from five to nine years, and 105 ten years or over. Upon comparing the number who speak English in each of these groups, it is seen that more than one-fourth of those who have been here under five years, more than one-half of those who have been here from five to nine years, and more than four-fifths of those who have been here ten years or over, can speak English, the proportion increasing with the increase in the number of years of their residence in this country. The races

indicating the greatest tendency to acquire a knowledge of English are the North Italian and Lithuanian, and those showing the least tendency in this direction are the South Italian, Polish, and Slovak

races.

SCHOOL FACILITIES AND ATTENDANCE.

Very few children of recent immigrants are in the public schools of Community B. Within the town itself, of 875 enrolled, there are about 60 foreign-born children, of whom 25 are Italians. Practically all children of recent immigrants are found in the primary grades, few if any being in the grammar or high schools. This is due to the fact that most of the immigrant children are young, and to the fact that parents withdraw their children from the schools before the higher grades are reached. The Slavic races are more desirous of educational advantages for their children than are the Italians, the larger percentage of Italian children in the public school being due to the fact that two-thirds of the Italian population live within the borough, while most of the Slavic people have settled in the semidetached mining communities. The small communities surrounding the town proper are practically without schools and there is great need for additional schools and teachers. In the largest of the detached communities there is a two-room public school maintained by the township. There is also a parochial school of two rooms under the control of the English-speaking Roman Catholic Church, and a one-room Polish school maintained by the Poles. In the latter school English is not taught. Under the laws of Pennsylvania this failure to teach English is illegal, but is permitted by the authorities because they find themselves relieved of the increased expense which would be placed upon their shoulders were they to provide the necessary public-school accommodations.

Neither in the town itself nor in the outlying districts is the Pennsylvania school law enforced. The local superintendent of schools in the borough proper states that the school buildings would be entirely inadequate were the compulsory school law enforced. Instead of attempting to secure the attendance of immigrant children, every effort is made by the borough officials to prevent them from entering the schools. If present conditions continue to prevail, the children of immigrants of both the first and second generations will grow up without even the opportunity of obtaining a rudimentary education.

The borough or town itself is practically supported by the coal industry there. The capital invested in the industry, however, is not fully taxable by the town. The mining rights and properties of the various coal-mining companies extend for miles into the adjacent township or townships, the tipple only in some cases being assessable by the borough. In some mines the actual work is now being carried on some 3 miles from the tipple. But it is upon the town that the principal responsibility of providing school facilities rests. The result is a school tax of 15 mills and an indisposition on the part of the citizens to provide school opportunities for any of the outlying districts or to insist upon the attendance at school of all children of the town. The township, moreover, upon which rests the responsibility of providing school advantages for all

children within its limits and outside the town limits, is not much concerned about the foreign settlements surrounding the coal mines on the outskirts of Community B. It has contented itself with providing the two-room school referred to above, which is entirely inadequate to the needs of the mining communities of the neighborhood. The general situation may be epitomized in the statement that the existing schools are adequate only for the children of English-speaking parents, and, since the admission of immigrant children would either overcrowd the present buildings or necessitate an outlay to cover the erection of a new building, immigrant children are, in effect, practically debarred from the schools and no effort is made to provide additional buildings.

CITIZENSHIP.

One hundred and sixty-nine mine employees in the community who have been in the United States five years or over and who were 21 years of age or over at the time of arrival, furnished information regarding citizenship. Of this number 100 had secured neither first nor second naturalization papers, 46 were fully naturalized, and 23 had signified their intention of becoming citizens. Of the 46 miners who were citizens, more than three-fifths were English, Irish, Scotch, Welsh, and German.

A total of 86 had been in the United States from five to nine years, and of this number 69 were aliens. Of a total of 83 who had been in the country more than ten years, 31 were aliens. The table showing the political condition of the 169 mine employees follows:

TABLE 305.-Present political condition of foreign-born male employees who have been in the United States 5 years or over and who were 21 years of age or over at time of coming, by race and length of residence.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States.]

An examination of the poll books of qualified voters in the town proper revealed a voting status analagous to that which existed with regard to citizenship. Of a total of about 800 qualified voters, the number of foreign-born from southern and eastern Europe, France, and Belgium was as follows:

Since the bulk of the foreign population lives in the semidetached mining communities and not in the town proper, the inferences to be drawn from these figures are limited in value. No records of these camps could be obtained. The recent immigrants living within the town itself, as is shown by the records from which the figures are drawn, are few in number and are usually of a more extended period of residence in the United States than are the immigrants who live without the town limits.

AMERICANIZATION.

In addition to the tendencies discussed under the preceding captions, it may be said in general that progress toward Americanization or assimilation is very slow among the foreign-born population of the community. The factors tending to familiarize the alien with American life and institutions may be briefly summarized as follows: (a) Casual contact with English-speaking people and limited business and working relations; (b) membership and participation in the labor organization of the miners.

The obstacles in the way of assimilation are stronger than in the ordinary mining community where recent immigrants are employed. Presented in summary form, they are as follows: (a) Aloofness and indifference of Americans toward the immigrant population; (b) the almost exclusive character of the foreign settlements; (c) the lack of any public means for assimilation, such as libraries and reading rooms, and most important of all, the absence of school facilities; (d) practical segregation of the recent immigrant while at work.