vania there was a slightly larger number of German employees. While the census classification did no figures for natives of any of the countries of south Europe, it is clear from the returns for "Other count sons from these countries were not employed in this i extent in 1880. The next table presented shows the composition force in 1890. In this table workers are classified by g and by country of birth. TABLE 11.-Number of leather workers in the United States and in general nativity and country of birth, 1890. [Compiled from United States Census Report, 1890, Occupation In the ten years between 1880 and 1890 the total sons employed in the leather tanning and finishing i United States increased by about one-third. There 39,332 employees in the country as a whole-1,008 8,923 in Massachusetts, 7,169 in Pennsylvania, and 1,5 sin. Of the employees reported for the country as a were native whites of native parents, 8,986 were na foreign parents, 18,669 were foreign whites, and 1,138 It will be noted that the proportion of foreign-born not increased considerably since the census of 1880. of foreign-born employees was largest in Wisconsin, se Massachusetts, and smallest in Delaware. Among th persons of Irish and German birth were, as in the pre present in the largest numbers. A very large prop foreign-born employees in Massachusetts were of Iris very large proportion of those in Wisconsin were of In Pennsylvania persons of German birth were at this in much larger number than persons of Irish birth. countries of southern or eastern Europe are included classification, and the proportion of employees reported countries" is very small. The next table presented shows the racial classif employees of the leather tanning and finishing industr n of Irish clude the TABLE 12.-Number of leather workers in the United States and in selected States, by general nativity and country of birth of parents, 1900. 6.22 1.345 6.227 1131 1.982 - of per- colored. ■ and a ì birth. present of the census "Other of the 100. Other countries.. Persons of mixed foreign parentage. In the above table employees are classified by general nativity and by country of birth of parents, instead of by general nativity and country of birth, as in the preceding table. There were, in 1900, 42,684 employees of the industry in the United States, 1,737 in Delaware, 7,327 in Massachusetts, 8,691 in Pennsylvania, and 3,784 in Wisconsin. Of the employees in the country as a whole, 19,909 were foreign-born whites, 11,226 were native whites of foreign parents, 10,435 were native whites of native parents, and 1,114 were colored. It will be noted that the proportion of foreign-born employees was about the same as at the two preceding censuses. The proportion of foreign-born employees was larger in Wisconsin and Massachusetts than in Pennsylvania or Delaware. Among the employees of foreign parentage those having one or both parents born in Ireland had, by far, the largest representation. Persons of Polish, German, British, Austro-Hungarian, Scandinavian, and Canadian parentage were present in considerable numbers. There was also a considerable proportion of employees whose parents were born in Russia, Italy, and in countries not specified. From the above series of tables, it is apparent that immigrants from the countries of southern and eastern Europe did not begin to find employment in the leather tanning and finishing industry until some time in the decade 1890-1900. In 1900 there was a considerable proportion of recent immigrants employed in the industry. The racial movements to the industry may be best presented by setting forth the history of immigration to the more important divisions, of the industry in representative leather-manufacturing localities. This is briefly done in the following pages. The history of immigration to the leather-tann western Pennsylvania may be best understood by re the history of immigration to several representative in the northwestern part of the State, which may be secutively by numbers. Tannery No. 1 began operations in 1867 with a almost entirely of Irish, the remainder being a Swedes, and Swiss. At present 60 men-a normal ployed, distributed among the various races, as foll Swiss 11, Poles 6, Slovaks 5, Irish 3, Italians 2, Engli beginning the Swedes and Swiss increased in num Americans have been entirely displaced and the Iris The Poles and Slovaks were first employed in 1903, little headway in this tannery, as will be noted fr racial composition of the force. The two Italians a man mentioned above have only been employed at t very short time. Tannery No. 2 was established in 1871, and like ta first employees were Irish, Swedes, and Swiss, and a the Irish largely predominating. This tannery em and the per cent of each race represented at preser Italians 40, Swedes 20, Poles 15, Swiss 10, Macedonia Germans, and Irish 5. Twenty years ago the Swe almost the entire force. It was not until 1897 that employed. They were followed in 1901 by the Ita since gained rapidly in numbers. The Belgians were in 1902 and the Macedonians in 1905-6. Tannery No. 3, employing about 130 men, was 1867, and its first employees were Irish, Swedes, a fe Danes, together with a few Americans. At present t posed of 2 Americans, one an engineer, the other Swedes; 20 Poles; and the remainder Slovaks. Th few Germans and Danes have all been displaced. Th this tannery in 1885 and the Slovaks in 1887. Tannery No. 4, employing a force of 80 men, wa Irish and Swede employees in 1897. At the present ing races are represented: Slovaks and Poles (most Swedes 12, French 12, Macedonians 7, and Irish 1. T Poles were first employed in 1890, the French in 1908 donians within the last two years. At this tannery displaced by the Swedes, who, in turn, are being di other races above mentioned. Tannery No. 5, although employing only 60 me operation since 1860, its first employees being Irish, few Swedes. As in other plants, the Irish and Ger placed by the Swedes. In recent years the number gradually decreased, and they have been supplanted Poles, and Italians, mostly Slovaks and Poles, in this nery. The races employed at present are represented vaks 40, Poles 12, Swedes 7, and Italians 1. The Sl ployed here as early as 1885, while the Poles were not 1892. The one representative of the Italian race wa industry in ing, briety, ries located nated cor composed Americans e-are em Swedes 32. From the while the tically so. have made ne present e English nery for a No. 1, its mericans, 240 men, s follows: Belgians onstituted oles were who have mployed lished in ed with e follow aks) 48, aks and e Macesh were by the been in 5, and a ere dis les has lovaks, ar tans: Slo re em d until ved in PHILADELPHIA, PA. The employment of recent immigrants in the glazed kid industry at Philadelphia began not more than twelve or fifteen years ago. Seventeen or eighteen years ago the chrome process of tanning was perfected and rapidly displaced the old sumac process. The new process was much quicker and cheaper than the old, and required but little skilled labor in most of its stages. As a result, large factories were erected and the industry expanded enormously within a few years. Poles, Slovaks, Magyars, South Italians, and a few Armenians, Greeks, and other recent immigrants supplied the additional labor required. At the wages offered not enough other laborers could be secured. Previous to this change the workmen were practically all Americans, Irish, and Germans. The Poles seem to have been about the first of the more recent immigrants to be employed, but they were so quickly followed by the others that there was practically no difference in the time of employment of workers of the various races of recent immigration. At the present time probably 50 per cent of the employees are Irish and Americans, with the other 50 per cent divided among Poles, Magyars, Slovaks, South Italians, and a few representatives of other foreign races. The Poles predominate among the foreigners. Before the chrome tanning process was introduced the Germans were the chief labor supply for the lime-house and beam-house work. To-day this work is done chiefly by the Poles, and there are practically no German laborers in any department of the industry. The Germans went into other lines of work that paid better. In all branches of the industry the Irish and Americans have left the wet, heavy, and dirty occupations, as, for example, those of the beam house, lime house, flushing department, tanning house, coloring house, the staking, perching, and seasoning rooms, and their places have been taken by the recent immigrants. Like the Germans, the Irish and American former employees have found better-paying occupations. Many work as conductors and motormen on the street cars, in machine shops, or are in business for themselves. In the better paid and more agreeable grades of work in the glazed-kid industry the Irish and Americans have not disappeared as yet, but are gradually dropping out. It seems probable that, if present tendencies continue, the industry, within the next few years, will be wholly in the hands of the recent immigrants. WILMINGTON, DEL. The history of immigration to the leather tanning and finishing industry at Wilmington, Del., may be divided, in a general way, into two periods. In the first period, which had its beginning forty or more years ago, the immigrants were chiefly Germans and Scandinavians. Immigration of this class decreased after the introduction of machinery in the industry about fifteen years ago and has now practically ceased. The second period, during which Poles and Italians have been the most numerous immigrants, began about twenty years ago. The line of separation between the two periods ref introduction of machinery, by reason of which skilled and Scandinavian workers were supplanted by cheape and, to a slight extent, by Italian laborers. From secured from the laborers it appears that machinery for the purpose of breaking up Knights of Labor, and labor was thus made possible, immigrants of the ra and eastern Europe gradually took the place of th workers. Briefly summarized, the following are the principal conditions brought about through the use of machine finishers, employed twenty years ago as hand work to $22 per week, were supplanted gradually by ma workers. (2) Hand shavers, formerly employed at per week, were supplanted by machine shavers paid a per week. One machine shaver does the work of fr shavers, and the machines are operated by wome 1902 practically all skilled hand shavers were suppla ing machines were introduced in 1893 and 1894 all hand staking. (4) Glazing machines were in twenty years ago. Men glazers were at first em machines, but when the French side machine was in years later, women largely took the place of men. machinery in the above occupations and in a few ot pations has had the further result of increasing the supply of cheap labor to handle the product. Th taken place chiefly in the occupations of seasonin hanging skins in the lofts, striking out, and in the wor rooms and beam houses. In the days of the hand-working plants the majori men were natives, while the remainder were, for Germans, Scandinavians, and Irish. All the employe workers, and were under a union and apprentice syst introduction of machinery, however, skilled laborers w the unions were broken up, and the apprentice system At present about 50 per cent of the employees ar The majority of the foreign-born workers are Poles. women and, to some extent, girls of this race are e industry. Italians are employed to a less extent than while definite information upon this point is not ava of other foreign races are probably present in smaller Although both Poles and Italians began coming in factories about twenty years ago, the majority of emp races entered the factories a few years later, as tl unskilled labor increased. The proportion of foreign l to the opinion of the superintendents of the factories, to any degree in the last ten years, but the total num has increased with the growth and expansion of the The Poles have entered, to a slight extent, the skill that have survived the introduction of machinery, several instances of Polish foremen in the striking-ou and steam rooms. In general, however, it is not consic to employ immigrant foremen, except for the supervisi |