to was the e. German ish laborers nformation introduced as cheaper -f southern ner skilled es in labor ) Calf-kid from $16 glazed-kil $30 to $50 ate of $11 to 8 hand y 1901 or (3) Stakupplanted ed about d on the red a few The use of nor осси and for a ease has ting out, in steam Polish and Italian girls are employed in seasoning and Polish boys work in the lofts hanging skins. Very few skilled immigrant women are employed in the industry. In one factory, for example, women are employed as glazers, knee stakers, and hand putters-out, but there is only one Polish woman among their number. In the rough work, such as cleaning up, handling and loading the materials and the products, etc., immigrant men, chiefly Italians and Poles, are employed in the place of the native, Irish, and Scandinavian laborers employed in the days of hand plants. It is claimed by the native-born laborers and those of the races of old immigration that the employment of recent immigrants has resulted in the reduction of wages, and the feeling of resentment against the "cheap immigrant" has never died out. On the other hand, it is claimed by the superintendents of the largest plants for which data were secured, that wages have increased in the various occupations, although the high wages paid to several classes of skilled hand workers have been done away with as a result of the introduction of machinery. NEW ENGLAND. A further insight into the racial changes in the operating forces of the East may be obtained from an account of the history of the employment in a representative establishment in New England. These establishments are designated by number. Plant No. 1 has been in operation about twenty-five years. The output, which, at the beginning, was 25 dozen skins daily, has increased to 1,200 skins daily. It is stated that the first employees were Irish and Irish Americans, with a few Swedes and Germans. Workmen of Armenian race entered the establishment about thirteen or fourteen years ago, and were followed, three years later, by Polish and Lithuanian workers. Within the past three or four years some 25 or 30 clerks have been employed. The change in the racial composition of the working force is said to have been due to labor difficulties. At the present time the native-born employees and those of the races of old immigration hold the better paid positions. American workmen will not undertake the lower grades of work except in cases of extreme need. For this reason, there is no friction between the old employees and the immigrants. The displaced employees have, in most cases, gone to work in shoe shops. It is said that the immigrant workers in the establishment, after saving a little money and acquiring some experience, usually leave and secure employment in the shoe shops. Their places are then filled by immigrants of later arrival in the country or in the community. Establishment No. 2 is engaged in tanning hides and manufacturing kid. The total number of employees is between 270 and 280. The first employees at the establishment were either Americans or Irish. Each man performed all the operations connected with the manufacture of the goods and it took three years for a man to learn the business. As the industry grew and machinery came into use, it became possible to replace the American and Irish workers with recent immigrants who would work for much smaller compensation. The old employees gradually left the tannery and went into the shoe shops of the city, while immigrants took all the positions in the tan nery with the exception of those of foremen and inst nians were the first immigrants employed in the es were followed by Lithuanians, Poles, and Hebrews. in the community about five years ago, Greeks have in the industry. It is said that t e employees of in favor with the employers. At all times the char race has been gradual and no friction between the ra The tanning of leather in Milwaukee, Wis., which b years ago, has steadily expanded until at present among the most important of the city's industries. ments to this locality may be considered as largely the situation in the Middle West. Because of the la ulation of Milwaukee the representatives of this race pected, have played a most important part not only ment of the tanning industry but in the developm other industries as well. As the city developed an tries were started, the employment of many additio necessary. In the natural order of things, this tracted to Milwaukee a large number of outsiders, mar from southern and eastern European countries. A ent supply of labor was therefore created, and while the more recent immigrants, in the tanning industry little attention at first, it soon became apparent that racial composition of the force had taken place ment of the more recent immigrants has continued f another until to-day they have become the most imp the operation of the various tanneries in this locality. same percentage of each race will not be found in all situation in Milwaukee, as in all other large cities, large measure to the location of the plant, for the tend recent immigrant is to take up his abode with others This results in the building up of colonies among the and these are almost invariably established near plant. This accounts for the fact that some particul nates in one plant, while in another the representa may not be employed at all. The Germans, Irish, A English and Scotch were the first employees in the t in Milwaukee, with the Germans largely predominatin, 18 different races are represented in this industry at but not one-half have become a factor in the oper the tanneries. The foreign races now a factor ar Poles, Greeks, Slovaks, Croatians, Lithuanians, Mag sians. From one to a dozen persons of each of the fo employed in one of the largest tanneries: Italians, Danes, Bohemians, Finns, Dutch, and Bulgarians. The Poles were the first of the more recent immi employment in this industry. Their employment first occurred in 1870. In 1877-1878 they were stron and have continued so until now, although there has ing off at various times. The Russian Poles (called employers) entered the industry in 1885; Italians in rs. Arme ament and ace are not om race's bout sixty considered cial move-ntative of man pop ht be exe develop its many ous indu -n became Oment at-hom were nd differ oyment of cted very ge in the employ reason of factor in ›urse, es. This in a very >wn race. as, a few industry Il, about nt time, f any of ermans, nd Rus races are Swedes, O secure resented ; by the oatians, Magyars, and Slovaks in 1892; and Lithuanians and Greeks in large numbers in 1903, although a few of the latter were employed in 1898-1899. Representatives of other races have been employed from time to time, but in such small numbers that their employment has attracted little or no attention. PERIOD OF RESIDENCE IN THE UNITED STATES OF FOREIGN-BORN The character of recent and past immigration to the industry may also be seen in the following series of tables showing the period of residence in the United States of foreign-born employees and members of their households. Length of residence in this country and period of employment in the industry are not necessarily identical, but as a rule they approximate each other. The first table submitted, which immediately follows, shows, by sex and race, the percentage of foreign-born employees in the East who had been in the United States each specified number of years: TABLE 13.-Per cent of foreign-born employees in the United States each specified number of years, by sex and race-East. (STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.) [By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. No deduction is made for time spent abroad. This table includes only races with 80 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.] German. Italian, North. Italian, South. Lithuanian. Total.. Magyar. German.. Italian, North. Total. of yea 11 Of the 5,759 persons reporting complete data, 41. been in the United States under five years; 23.9 per here from five to nine years; 17.4 per cent have been or more years, and less than 20 per cent from ten to When compared with the males, the females show a n portion who have been here under fifteen years. O per cent have been in this country under five years a have been here for twenty years or over. Of the G per cent have been here under five years. This is the tion of any race, the next largest being that shown 58.4 per cent. The North and South Italians, Lithuani show proportions between 50 and 52 per cent who ha country under five years. The North Italians show portion of males who have been in this country from fi and the Swedes show the smallest proportion. Slight per cent of the Swedes have been in the United Sta to nineteen years. The Irish and German are the that report as high as 10 per cent of males who this country from fifteen to nineteen years. Nearly the Irish and between 60 and 65 per cent of the Germ have been here for twenty or more years. Each oth proportion less than 10 per cent. None of the German ing have lived in this country for less than ten years sians 95 per cent, and of the Lithuanians 90 per cen this country under five years. The Irish show the lan of females who have lived here for from five to nine y portion is 28.6 per cent and a similar proportion is sh whose residence in this country has been for from None of the Lithuanians or Russians report here for fifteen years or over. The Germans show th portion who have lived here for twenty or more ye show 14.3 per cent and the Poles 1.4 per cent. Ea races reports zero. The following table shows, by sex and race, the percer born employees in the Middle West who had been States each specified number of years. TABLE 14.-Per cent of foreign-born employees in the United States each specified number of years, by sex and race-Middle West. (STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.) [By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. No deduction is made for time spent abroad. This table includes only races with 80 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.] cent have have bee for twenty Leen years larger promales, 404 9 per cent males 90.3 st propor Russian d Magyars en in this rgest pronine years re than 20 >m fifteen her races lived in r cent of d Swedes shows & es report the Rus lived in oportion The pro females fourteen ve lived st pro he Irish he other foreign United Croatian. Magyar. Croatian.. Total.. Of 2,762 employees in this industry for whom information was secured, 50 per cent had been in the United States under five years, 16.3 per cent from five to nine years, 2.6 per cent from ten to fourteen years, 11.3 per cent from 15 to 19 years, and 19.8 per cent have been in this country twenty years or over. The table shows the Croatian employees to be of very recent immigration, 94.6 per cent of those reporting having been in the United States under five years. The Greek employees also show a considerable proportion having this period of residence. The Magyar, Slovenian, and Slovak employees follow in the order named, all showing over 70 per cent who have been in this country under five years. The Poles show over 30 per cent having this period of residence and the German employees only 15.3 per cent. The Slovenian employees show the highest percentage and the Croatians the lowest of employees who have been in the United States from five to nine years. The Poles the highest percentage, as 48296°-VOL 12-11- -3 |