TABLE 265.-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.]

The above table shows a total of 782 persons, a larger proportion of whom have been in the United States twenty years or over than under five years, 29.8 per cent of the former period as against 27.2 per cent of the latter, while a smaller proportion, or 24 per cent, have been in this country from five to ten years.

With regard to the proportions of the various races who have been in the United States under five years, the Roumanian and Japanese show the largest and the German and Irish the smallest, while of those with a period of residence under ten years the Roumanian show their entire number, followed by the Japanese and Lithuanian, while the German and Irish again show smaller proportions than any other race. The German and Irish each shows a smaller proportion with a period of residence under twenty years than any other race. All of the Japanese and Roumanians have been in the United States under twenty years.

THE PRESENT POPULATION OF THE COMMUNITY.

The census enumeration of 1900 placed the population of South Omaha at 26,001, as follows, according to country of birth:

20, 394

267

1, 113

252

280

179

29 1,228

17

1,073

62

323

127

81

469

37

23

47

26,001

The estimated population of the community at the present time (1909), by race, is as follows:

RACIAL CLASSIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES AT THE PRESENT TIME.

The following table shows the number and per cent of male employees of each race for whom information was secured:

TABLE 266.-Male employees for whom information was secured, by general nativity and

This table shows that out of 4,660 male employees 65.5 per cent are foreign-born, 16.8 per cent native-born of foreign father, 13 per cent native-born of native father, white, and 4.7 per cent are nativeborn of native father, negro.

Of the foreign-born races, the Bohemians and Moravians, with over 13 per cent, and the Polish, with over 11 per cent, have a much greater representation in this table than any of the other races.

METHODS OF SECURING IMMIGRANT LABOR.

When the packing industry in South Omaha was established in 1887, the large mass of working people came from other cities in which packing houses were already established and in which the new arrivals had been lately employed. These people were given almost instant employment, due to their experience in the packing business, and for several years no outside agencies were used. During the strike period of 1894, 1898, and 1904 the employers, by means of advertising and general employment agencies in different parts of the United States, secured immigrant laborers in large numbers. During the past ten years the packing houses adopted the practice of having one general employment agent resident at the plant, who secures all labor required.

Large numbers of immigrants have come into the community from New York and other ports of entry, direct from their native land, but this condition had occurred only within the past eight or ten years. This class of immigrants was attracted to the community principally through the presence there of relatives or friends.

48296°-VOL 13-11-23

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 of immigrant employees in the slaughtering and meat-packing industry-Daily earnings-Relation between period of residence and earning ability-Annual earnings of male heads of families-Annual earnings of males 18 years of age or over, in the households studied-Annual family income-Wives at work-Annual earnings of all 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 lodgers-Sources of family income-Relative importance of different sources of family income [Text Tables 267 to 288 and General Tables 167 to 180].

INDUSTRIAL CONDITION ABROAD OF MEMBERS OF IMMIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

Before entering into the discussion of the existing status of the immigrant employees and members of their families studied in South Omaha it will be instructive to consider the general industrial condition of the same people before they came to the United States. In this connection the following tables are first submitted, which show, by race of individual, the general industrial condition and principal occupation before coming to the United States of foreign-born females who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming.

TABLE 267.-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.]