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until the number of that race in the western part of the United States is probably somewhat more than 90,000, more than half of whom are in California and one-sixth of them, perhaps, in the State of Washington. The number of Chinese on the Pacific Coast is rapidly diminishing, the decline being due in part to the exclusion law, and in part to a tendency among the Chinese to move to Eastern cities. During the past ten years a rapid incoming of Mexicans has continued until their numbers in the Western States have increased many times over. The number of English, Scandinavian, and other North Europeans, continued' to increase in part by direct immigration from these countries of Europe, and in part by a westward movement of the workers from the East, as the increasing number of South and East Europeans in the East made the working conditions harder; partly, also, this was a westward movement of families to locate in better conditions on farms. There has been, also, an influx of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, the smaller part of them coming direct from their native land, except perhaps in the case of the North Italians, the Portuguese and one or two other races of less importance numerically, the larger number coming from the Eastern States to engage in common, unskilled, and partly-skilled labor in the mines, smelters and other industries where unskilled labor is required in large numbers.

Doubtless, beyond the figures recorded by the Immigration Bureau, a considerable number of Chinese and Japanese have been smuggled in, but as compared with the entire number, this number is probably so small that we need take no special account of it, especially as during late years the effectiveness of the Im

migration Bureau in thwarting smugglers has doubtless increased.

DISPLACEMENT OF AMERICANS BY EUROPEAN

WORKMEN

Tho much less frequently than in the East, there have been found also in the West, a few instances of race displacement by Europeans working at a lower wage than the Americans. Generally speaking, the immigrants, introduced for railroad section work, have received the same wages as those previously paid. In certain cases they have secured even more than the laborers previously employed, the latter being insufficient in number to meet the increasing demand.

On several occasions East European races have been introduced as strike-breakers; for example, in the coal mines of Colorado, New Mexico, and Washington, and in the metalliferous mines of Colorado. In these instances the retention of the old scale of wages was only possible because of the failure of the strikes. In this way the immigrants, as in the coal regions of Pennsylvania, discouraged the efforts of the trade-unions. There have been, however, few

such instances.

The availability of a comparatively large supply of the South and East European races, including the Greeks, has at times assisted to a considerable extent in the expansion of industry. On the other hand, there can be no doubt that it has seriously retarded the advance of wages in those occupations where such labor could be used to advantage. A specific example is found in the case of section hands on the railroads, where the wages have varied little during the last fifteen years, altho the wages in other lines of indus

try have advanced materially. Moreover, the wages of the South and East Europeans and Mexicans have in many cases increased only slightly, if at all, while the wages of Japanese, even when in the same line of work, have been materially advanced. Again, in certain fields of work where, in certain localities, the Europeans from the North and East of Europe are employed, and in other places those from southeastern Europe and from Mexico, it has been found that among the latter wages have advanced only slightly, whereas among the earlier classes they have been materially higher. For example, in the State of Washington, where natives and North Europeans constitute the majority of those employed, wages for those employed as laborers on street railways have varied from $2.25 to $2.50 per day. In another community not far away, where the Greeks and Italians were largely employed, similar labor received wages varying from $1.75 to $2.25 per day. Other instances in the State of California have been found where among the gangs made up mostly of southern and eastern Europeans, the prevailing wages were less by some 25 to 75 cents per day than those where the North Europeans were chiefly employed.

UNSKILLED IMMIGRANTS

The immigrants from South and East Europe have been mainly unskilled laborers, and, on the whole, have not shown the same readiness to join trade unions and to insist upon American working conditions as have those of the older immigration from the North and West of Europe. Again, there is clearly a tendency on the part of some employers to segregate their unskilled workmen into colonies under the leader

ship of a man of their own race.

In this way, by keeping the gangs separated one from the other, they are able to simplify supervision and to avoid any display of race antipathy.

KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH

There seems to be, also, a material difference between these classes of immigrants as regards their tendency to assimilation, so far as this may be indicated by their knowledge of English. Approximately four-fifths of the number of the non-English-speaking North European races, who have resided in this country less than five years, speak English, while less than half of most of the races from southern and eastern Europe speak English. Even among the South and East Europeans, however, there is quite a material difference, the Finns, Dalmatians and Croatians showing greater progress than the Russians, Slovaks and Italians.

The difference between the North and the South and East Europeans tends, of course, to disappear with the length of residence. As years go by, the immigrants from southern and eastern Europe are showing inclinations much more like those found in the races from northern Europe.

In the case of seasonal labor, such as the maintenance of way on railroads, lumbering, fishing, certain parts of the coal and ore mining industries, are found chiefly the recent immigrants, who are either unmarried, or whose wives have not been brought with them. These immigrants, living more freely than others in bunk-houses in race groups, are largely drawn from South and East European races. Those, however, who remain in the United States for a com

paratively long period, show a much greater proportion of married men. As time goes by, they bring their wives and children from Europe; especially is this to be noted among the Italians and Slovaks, Slovenians and Finns. These families usually get into the more settled kinds of unskilled labor, such as is found in the coal and ore mines and the smelters.

In the larger cities, where the races have remained for a considerable length of time, they have often become much more strongly Americanized. Much larger numbers speak English, and those who are better-todo show a tendency to leave the colonies of their own people, and to go into the better resident districts. Their children differ much less from those of the American-born, unless they are brought up throughout their childhood in the race colonies, than do their parents. Various races have organized benevolent societies for the care of those of their own people who are unfortunate. These societies, beyond any question, tend somewhat to prevent the race from being Americanized, or perhaps they are rather an evidence that they are not fully Americanized. At the same time, such plans can hardly be regretted since, altho they may somewhat retard the process of assimilation, these societies encourage thrift, and show an independence of State aid, which is extremely commendable.

ITALIAN COLONIES, PORTUGUESE, ETC.

With the exception of a few California communities, the Italian farmers are generally closely colonized. In most cases they are engaged in market gardening, in other cases in grape culture and wine making. The Italians are good farmers; they have

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