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country and in the city do not necessarily coincide. The first table presented shows by race the per cent of foreign-born male employees in the United States each specified number of years:

TABLE 197.-Per cent of foreign-born male employees in the United States each specified number of years, by race.

(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 40 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

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In the above table a bare majority of the 3,277 males have been less than five years in the United States, fair proportions being here five to nine and twenty years or over. The majority of each of the old immigrant races have been here twenty years or over, but the largest proportion of each of the other races report less than ten years in the United States. A study of the males five years or over in the United States shows that, although very small proportions of the recent immigrant races have been here twenty years or over, the majority of the South Italians and Slovenians, and a large proportion of each of the other races, with the exception of the Greeks and Russians, have been here from five to twenty years. None of the Servians, however, less than 1 per cent of the Greeks, and less than 10 per cent of the Russians and Polish have been here ten years

or over.

The following table shows by race of individual the per cent of foreign-born persons, in the households studied, who had been in the United States each specified number of years.

TABLE 198.-Per cent of foreign-born persons in the United States each specified number of years, by race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[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 20 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

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The total for the preceding table shows that slightly more than ninetenths of the foreign-born persons furnishing information have been in the United States less than twenty years, and that the greatest proportion, or about two-fifths, of the whole have been in this country less than five years. The largest proportions with a residence less than five years are shown by the Croatians and Poles, while the Germans show the highest percentage of persons with a residence between ten and twenty years and over twenty years.

RACIAL CLASSIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES AT THE PRESENT TIME.

The table immediately following, which sets forth the number and per cent of employees according to general nativity and race of individual, for whom information was secured, is considered to be representative of the racial composition of the operating force of the industry at the present time.

TABLE 199.-Male employees for whom information was secured, by general nativity and

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Of the 7,023 males employed in the slaughtering and meat-packing industry, 47.1 per cent are foreign-born; 26 per cent are native-born, white, of native father; 16.1 per cent are native-born negroes, and 10.7 per cent are native-born of foreign father.

Of the foreign-born races, the Croatian and German, with 14.9 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively, are the only ones showing as high as 5 per cent of the total number.

REASONS FOR EMPLOYMENT OF IMMIGRANTS.

Immigrants have been employed in the slaughtering and meatpacking houses solely because the native labor supply was insufficient. It was stated that it would have been absolutely impossible for the companies to continue operations at any time if they had had to depend upon the native labor supply. Very few immigrants have been secured or used as strike-breakers, but negroes have been usually employed for this purpose.

There is, it is claimed, no discrimination as to employment offered. The companies state that native labor, as well as Germans, Swedes, Irish, Scotch, English, and other northern Europeans, would be much

preferred if it could be secured. Certain classes of work in the packing houses are thoroughly distasteful to the average American laborer, and the only employees that they can obtain for this work at present are the recent immigrants. Toward them no fixed labor policy is maintained. They are employed as they come, solely with reference to physical ability and other qualifications as individuals, and without regard for race. As a rule, preference is shown to the English-speaking immigrants when they are applicants.

METHOD OF SECURING IMMIGRANTS.

At the time that a scarcity of labor began to be felt in the industry owing to the desertion of the Germans, Swedes, and Irish, the strike of 1893 occurred. After this strike had been settled, many immigrants were brought in from the Chicago plant. Immigrant labor had been established, as already pointed out, in Chicago as early as 1882, but had not penetrated as far west as Kansas City. About sixteen years ago one company built up what is known as the "Patch" back of its plant (now a veritable labyrinth of narrow, dirty passageways, flanked by the most nondescript sort of shacks), and located many immigrants there. With a foothold thus gained, an immigrant community was gradually built up in the temporary form of shanties and shacks. This company, therefore, employed recent immigrants, Croatians, Poles and Bohemians, six or eight years before any other plant in the locality, with the possible exception of an adjacent plant, which could draw upon the immigrant community for labor. For this period these immigrants worked for these two companies only, and did not or would not come over to the side of the city where the other plants were located. The flood of 1903 partially destroyed the "Patch," and it afterwards did not occupy such a unique position in the local labor situation as formerly. Moreover, the other companies soon found it necessary to induce some of the immigrant labor to work in their plants. The exigencies of the situation were so great that wagons were sent over to the "Patch" and the laborers brought to the plants. After a start had been made in working them in in this way, they gradually began to come of their own accord. This process began seven or ten years ago, and with the increasing demand for labor other immigrants arrived, and the immigrant communities assumed permanent form.

Five years ago (1904), when the extensive strike occurred among the packing-house employees, men were brought in from all parts of the country by the various companies. No particular race was thus imported, although there were many immigrants among those brought in. Save for occasional strikes such as this, it has never been found necessary to bring in laborers of any kind. Although the local supply may be a little short at times, sufficient numbers may usually be picked up at the gate of the packing houses. Once or twice, during temporary shortages, immigrants have been secured through labor agencies, but as a rule each man is employed separately, at the gate. Employment through bosses or padrones applies only to Greeks. All men are employed at the gates of the companies through special employment officers. The foremen of the different departments of the various companies send down word every morning as to how many men they need. The employment officers then attempt to pick from those waiting the best qualified, without any discrimination as to race.

CHAPTER III.

ECONOMIC STATUS.

Industrial condition abroad of members of immigrant households studied-Principal occupation of immigrant employees before coming to the United States-General occupation of women at the present time in the households studied-General occupation of males at the present time in the households studied Occupations entered by immigrants in the slaughtering and meat-packing establishments-Daily earnings-Relation between period of residence and earning ability-Annual earnings of male heads of families studied-Annual earnings of males 18 years of age or over in the households studied-Annual family income-Wives at work-Annual earnings of females 18 years of age or over in the households studied-Relation between the earnings of husbands and the practice of wives of keeping boarders or lodgersSources of family income-Relative importance of different sources of family income [Text Tables 200 to 221 and General Tables 115 to 129].

INDUSTRIAL CONDITION ABROAD OF MEMBERS OF IMMIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

In order that a comparison may be made of the present economic status of immigrant employees and members of their households with their condition before immigration, a series of tables have been prepared showing their general industrial condition and principal occupations while abroad. The first table submitted shows by race of individual the industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born females, in the households studied, who were 16 years. of age or over at time of coming:

TABLE 200.-Industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born females who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more females reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign

born.]

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The significant feature of the above table is the fact that of the total number of females reporting a very large proportion were without occupation in their native countries. Thirty-seven and eighttenths per cent were working without wages. Only a small proportion of the total were working for wages or for profit. A large proportion of German and Croatian women were working without

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