OCCUPATIONS ENTERED BY IMMIGRANTS IN THE SLAUGHTERING AND MEAT-PACKING ESTABLISHMENTS.

Immigrants will be found doing all classes of labor, both skilled or unskilled in the slaughtering and meat-packing establishments. As a matter of fact, the larger per cent of the skilled butchers and cutters are Poles and Croatians. Only in the mechanical departments are they debarred by their limitations and ignorance of mechanical appliances. In one establishment, of the 150 men comprising the mechanical and machinists gangs, all were native American whites. The Greeks and Italians alone are confined to the common labor gangs. The other recent immigrants are generally engaged in the higher classes of labor. They make considerable progress, but have not become foremen. Foremen are usually native-born, many being second generation Germans, Irish, and Swedes. With the exceptions already noted the races are not segregated at work nor confined to any one department or gang.

In the slaughtering and meat-packing industry efficiency is usually a question of only a few days' experience. Not much skill is required in the great bulk of the operations, which are largely automatic. A new employee after being shown what to do can ordinarily reach the highest point of efficiency within a few days. In the event a man drops out in any of the departments the work is not seriously affected, for a new man can be taught to fill his place in a very short time. With these facts in mind, based on their experience, the employers said that it did not seem to require the men of one race any longer to reach a point of efficiency than those of another.

Although nationality makes very little difference in the lowest common labor, for all classes of work the native American, German, and Swede is superior. Of the more recent immigrants, the Russians are regarded as much more efficient than the Poles, and Greeks are considered more efficient than Italians, but not as good as the Croatians, Slovaks, and Lithuanians. All of the officials of the packing companies agree in the statement that the Greeks and Italians are unsatisfactory. Some employers like the Japanese on account of their quickness and quietness while at work. Little trouble has ever been experienced in handling any of the races. The negro laborer seems to take naturally to the packing-house work, especially in the occupations where the hours are irregular. Some of the best and most skilled butchers are negroes, and in one establishment 48 per cent of the cutting gangs were negroes.

DAILY EARNINGS.

The average and range of daily earnings of employees is set forth in the following table, which shows, by general nativity and race, the per cent of male employees 18 years of age or over who earn each specified amount per day:

TABLE 207.—Per cent of male employees 18 years of age or over earning each specified amount per day, by general nativity and race.*

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 80 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdows or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings allowance is made for time lost during the year.

Of the total number of male employees 18 years of age or over 73 per cent earn $1.75 per day or over; 45.5 per cent earn $2 a day or over. The highest level of earnings is among the native-born of foreign father, that class having the largest proportion earning each specified rate or over per day, excepting those earning $1.50 or over. The earnings per day usual among the native whites of native father are $2 or more. The lowest level of earnings is among the foreign-born, of whom only 32.9 per cent earn at least $2 a day. There is, however, considerable variation in the earnings per day of the specified races. The Swedes, Germans, and Irish are the most highly paid, the greater proportion of each earning at least $2 per day. The Greeks, on the other hand, are the lowest paid employees; only 9.1 per cent earn $2 a day or over and only 29.5 per cent $1.75 a day or over.

In the following table the earning ability of male employees 14 and under 18 years of age is shown according to general nativity and race of individual:

TABLE 208.-Per cent of male employees 14 and under 18 years of age earning each specified amount per day, by general nativity and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

*

[This table includes only races with 40 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdowns or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings allowance is made for time lost during the year.

Of 351 males reporting, 93.2 per cent are earning $1 or over per day, 74.1 per cent $1.25 or over, 56.1 per cent $1.50 or over, 22.8 per cent $1.75 or over, and 12.5 per cent $2 or over per day. No remarkable contrast can be drawn between the various groups, but the nativeborn of foreign father appear to have a somewhat greater proportion earning $1.50, $1.75, and $2 or over per day than is shown for either the native-born of native father, white, or the foreign-born. However, it will be observed that the native-born of native father, negro, seem to show a slightly higher earning capacity than the native-born of native father, excepting in the case of those earning $2 or over, where the proportion is about equal.

RELATION BETWEEN PERIOD OF RESIDENCE AND EARNING ABILITY.

The tendency on the part of foreign-born employees to increase their earning ability and industrial efficiency after specified periods of residence is exhibited by the table next presented which, by grouping the residence periods under the several races, makes possible a study of the progress in earning ability of each race.

TABLE 209.-Per cent of foreign-born male employees 18 years of age or over earning each specified amount per day, by race and length of residence in the United States.*

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only races with 200 or more males reporting.]

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdowns or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings allowance is made for time lost during the year.

The above table shows the proportion of Croatian employees earning each amount per day specified in the table, with the exception of the lowest amount, to be largest with individuals who have been in the United States ten years or over, second largest in the case of those who have been here from five to nine years, and smallest with those who have been here under five years. Among the Germans a larger proportion of individuals who have been in this country ten years or over than of those who have been here five to nine years; and a larger proportion of persons who have been here from five to nine years. than of those who have been here under five years, are reported as earning each of the amounts per day specified in the table, with the exception of the lowest amount. The proportion of Polish employees earning each of the amounts per day specified in the table, with the exception of the lowest amount, is largest in the case of those who have been in the United States ten years or over and smallest in the case of the individuals who have been here under five years.

The following table presents the same data as the one immediately preceding, but shows by race and length of residence in the United States the comparative earnings per day of foreign-born male employees who were 18 years of age or over.

TABLE 210.-Comparative earnings per day of foreign-born male employees 18 years of age or over, by race and length of residence in the United States.*

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only races with 200 or more males reporting.]

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdowns or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings allowance is made for time lost during the year.

From the foregoing table it will be observed that of the three races studied-Croatian, German, and Polish-as the period of residence in the United States is extended there is a corresponding increase in the wages earned by the members of the individual races. Thus, of the Germans who have been in the United States less than five years, there are only 2.1 per cent earning $3 per day or over, but with the Germans who have been here from five to nine years, 7.1 per cent have such earning capacity, and of those whose period of residence covers ten years or over there are over 17 per cent earning $3 or over per day. This same observation may be made regarding the other two races, but the ratio of increase is slightly less.