TABLE 113.-Per cent of foreign-born employees who speak English, by sex, years in the United States, and race-Continued.

Of a total of 3,555 persons included in the preceding table 74.7 per cent speak English. Generally speaking the ability of foreignborn persons to speak English increases proportionately with the length of residence in the United States. The Russian Hebrew is the only race showing its entire number with a given period of residence as having ability to speak English. The Slovaks show the smallest proportion in each division. Little difference is shown between the male and female members of the several races as regards ability to speak English.

REPRESENTATIVE COMMUNITY A.

CHAPTER VI.

INTRODUCTION.

Industrial significance of the community-Households studied-Members of households for whom detailed information was secured-Employees for whom information was secured-[Text Tables 114 to 118 and General Tables 70 to 72].

INDUSTRIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COMMUNITY.

For many years Community A has been one of the principal boot and shoe manufacturing cities of the United States.

NOTE. In order that a more detailed exhibit may be had of the industrial as well as the general effects of recent immigration upon American life and institutions, two representative boot and shoe manufacturing communities in which immigrants of recent and past years have found extensive employment have been selected for intensive study. These communities, owing to the confidential character of some of the data received, are designated as Communities A and B. A household study furnishes the statistical basis for the study of Community B, and both households and employees for Community A.

Not only is Community A one of the principal boot and shoe manufacturing cities in the United States, but the manufacture of boots and shoes is, by all odds, the most important industry of the city. In 1905 the value of boots and shoes manufactured equaled 47.2 per cent of the total value of all manufactures reported for the city. In 1900 the proportion was 42.8 per cent. These figures supply an indication of the relative importance of the industry.

There were in the city, in 1905, 127 boot and shoe manufacturing establishments, with a total capital of $8,815,739. Of the 11,402 wage-earners employed in these establishments, 6,917 were men 16 years of age or over, 4,412 were women 16 years of age or over, and 73 were children under 16 years of age. The men received during the year $4,476,774, the women $1,741,797, the children $18,650, and all employees combined $6,237,221 in wages. The materials used in the industry cost $14,718,508.

HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

A total of 463 households in Community A, the heads of which were engaged in the boot and shoe manufacturing industry, were studied in detail. The table next presented shows the households studied, by general nativity and race of head of household.

TABLE 114.-Households studied, by general nativity and race of head of household.

The preceding table shows that 74.7 per cent of the heads of the total number of households studied were of foreign birth, 15.3 per cent of the heads were native-born whites of native father, and 9.9 per cent of the heads were native-born of foreign father. Among households the heads of which were native-born of foreign father, those the heads of which are Irish show a higher percentage than households the heads of which are French Canadians. Among households the heads of which are of foreign birth, those whose heads are Hebrews, South Italians, and French Canadians show over 10 per cent, while households the heads of which are Armenians, Lithuanians, Poles, English, Irish, and Greeks show between 5.8 per cent and 7.6 per cent, while households the heads of which are Syrians show only 3.9 per cent of the total number of households studied.

MEMBERS OF HOUSEHOLDS FOR WHOM DETAILED INFORMATION WAS

SECURED.

The table which follows shows, by general nativity and race of head of household, persons in the households studied and persons for whom detailed information was secured:

TABLE 115.-Persons in households studied and persons for whom detailed information was secured, by general nativity and race of head of household.

TABLE 115.-Persons in households studied and persons for whom detailed information was secured, by general nativity and race of head of household-Continued.

Of the 2,337 persons in the 463 households studied, 79.2 per cent are foreign-born, 11 per cent native-born of native father, and 9.8 per cent native-born of foreign father. Of the total number of persons, the largest proportion, or 12.4 per cent, are Hebrews, and the smallest proportion, or 2.2 per cent, are the native-born of French Canadian father. Detailed information was secured for 2,284 of the 2,337 persons. Of those for whom detailed information was secured, 78.9 per cent are foreign-born, 11.1 per cent native-born of native father, white, and 10 per cent native-born of foreign father. The Hebrews constitute the largest and the second generation of French Canadians the smallest proportion of the total number of persons for whom information was secured.

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

TABLE 116.-Sex of persons for whom detailed information was secured, by general nativity and race of head of household.

Detailed information was secured for a total of 2,284 persons in this locality. Of this number 52.6 per cent are males and 47.4 per cent are females. The foreign-born shows a larger proportion of males than the native-born of foreign father, which in turn shows a larger proportion than the native-born of native father. The position of the nativity groups is naturally reversed as regards the proportion of females. Considering the foreign-born by race it is seen that the Lithuanians show the largest and the Irish the smallest proportion of males, the same races reversed showing the largest and smallest proportion of females.

The table next presented exhibits, by sex and by general nativity and race of individual, the number and percentage of persons in the households studied for whom detailed information was secured.

TABLE 117.-Persons for whom detailed information was secured, by sex, by general nativity and race of individual.

Detailed information was secured for a total of 2,284 persons in this locality. Of this number 1,202 are males and 1,082 females. Of the males, 57.8 per cent are foreign-born; 27.4 per cent nativeborn of foreign father, and 14.8 per cent native-born of native father. Of the females, 49.8 per cent are foreign-born, 31.5 per cent native