The following table sets forth, by general nativity and race of head of household, the sex of persons for whom detailed information was secured:

TABLE 98.-Sex of persons for whom detailed information was secured, by general nativity and race of head of household.

More than 50 per cent of all persons for whom detailed information was secured are males; 47.5 per cent are females. A larger proportion of females are found in the households the heads of which are native-born of foreign father than in the households the heads of which are foreign-born. Of the native whites born of native father, 53.2 per cent are males and 46.8 per cent are females. Among the households native-born of foreign father, those whose fathers were Canadian other than French show the largest proportion of males and those whose fathers were French Canadian show the smallest proportion of males. Of the foreign-born North Italians, slightly more than 61 per cent are males. The next largest proportion of males is shown by the Poles. Each race shows that more than 50 per cent of all persons for whom detailed information was secured are males.

The table which immediately follows exhibits, by sex and general nativity and race of individual, the persons for whom detailed information was secured in the household investigation.

TABLE 99.-Persons for whom detailed information was secured, by sex and general nativity

Of the persons in this locality for whom detailed information was secured, 9.1 per cent of the males and 10.4 per cent of the females are native-born of native father, 50.9 per cent of the males and 51.4 per cent of the females are native-born of foreign father, and 39.9 per cent of the males and 38.2 per cent of the females are foreign-born. The French Canadians, Germans, South Italians, Poles, and Swedes, both male and female, have the largest representation among the foreignborn.

EMPLOYEES FOR WHOM INFORMATION WAS SECURED.

The following table shows the number and percentage of employees of each race for whom information was secured, by sex:

TABLE 100.-Employees for whom information was secured, by sex and general nativity

and race.

CHAPTER II.

RACIAL DISPLACEMENTS.

History of immigration-Reasons for the immigration of the several races-Period of residence in the United States of foreign-born employees and members of their households-Racial classification of employees at the present time-Racial composition of the present population-Probable future immigration-[Text Tables 101 to 103 and General Table 96].

HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION.

The first immigrants to the community were the people of Englishspeaking races. Irish immigration began in 1832, when one Peter Larkins settled in the town. From 1835 to 1860 many Irish arrived. After the civil war there was a rapid increase in the Irish population until, in 1868, probably 3,000 people of Irish birth were included in the population. During the next twenty-two years the influx of Irish immigrants to Meriden still continued, but to a less extent, and immigration during the latter part of the period was much lighter than at an earlier date. By 1900, or even a little earlier, the immigration had ceased, and it has not been revived. The present population of the Irish race is slightly over 6,000.

As early as 1845 there were some English in the community, and men of this race continued to arrive in large numbers up to the time of the civil war. After the war there was a limited amount of English immigration until about 1880, when the movement slackened considerably. By 1890 it had almost ceased. At present there are some 2,000 English in the city, together with about 100 Scotch. and 15 Welsh. The French Canadian immigration to this locality began as early as 1850, and has continued steadily since that time. In 1880 the French Canadians in the community numbered 1,150, and in 1908 the population of French Canadian race was about 1,950. Since 1890, or even earlier, many of the French Canadians who have settled in the community have not come directly from Canada, but from other towns of New England. While the French Canadian population has grown by emigration, as well as by its own natural increase, it would have been still further augmented had there not been persons of French Canadian race who moved from Meriden to other cities. The panic of 1907 caused a slight increase of French Canadian immigration, for the reason that the silverware industry, which gave employment to a large proportion of the French Canadian population, was one of the last to be affected by the panic, although it afterwards suffered as severely as any other industry in the community.

There were, in 1909, almost as many German as Irish immigrants in the community. German immigration began as early as 1852. In 1868 there were about 100 families of Germans, numbering some 400 persons, residing in the community, and by 1876 the entire German population was about 500. At about that time there was an