allotted times, providing its own fuel. There are now a number of cooperative ovens located at convenient places in the colony.

At the time the Commission's inquiry was made a cooperative general store was in operation and subsequently another was established. The settlement is situated in the woods near no market of any kind, and at first the Italians were obliged to go to Burgaw, 3 miles distant, for store supplies. Shortly before the spring of 1908, the idea of establishing a cooperative store in St. Helena took definite form. Forty-two men each subscribed $10 to form a stock company. A president, a storekeeper, and a small company of trustees or directors were elected and a stock of goods put in, the Trucking Company furnishing the building. Goods are sold at a slight increase over cost to all of the colonists on the Rochdale plan, the profits being divided at intervals among the stockholders pro rata on the basis of purchases. Felice Ferrero, who investigated the colony in 1909, states in the previously quoted article published in the Survey that the cooperative store has been successful, that its credit is good among wholesale merchants, and that it has a reputation for conservative management.

Subsequent to the Commission's investigation there has been organized a farmers' cooperative association for the purpose of buying seed, fertilizer, crates, and the like at wholesale for the members of the organization. They also purpose to market their products through this society. It is founded on good business principles, after the pattern of Italian cooperative organizations.

PROPERTY AND EMPLOYMENT.

The Italians in 1908 owned very little live stock except chickens. a mule, and perhaps a cow; half of them owned neither mules nor cows. On 10 farms visited but 2 pigs and no goats were reported. After one year on the land, nearly all had paid back most of the transportation advanced and something on the land; but the improvements made had increased the value of the properties, which, with the rising values of land near St. Helena, made their equities worth from $400 to $1,000 each.

Twenty acres seems likely to be the normal size of holding for an Italian family engaged in truck growing. After 10 acres have been put in cultivation the family will be kept entirely occupied on the land the year round. The 10 acres of timbered land will furnish wood for fuel until the owner has put all his acres into cultivable shape. Of course, uncleared land some little distance from railroads or in tracts of a hundred or more acres could be bought for $7 to $10 an acre in 1905, but considering the location and the almost invaluable aid given the Italians, it is doubtful whether $30 an acre was exorbitant. At any rate, desirable lots are now valued at much higher prices and are constantly appreciating, not only on account of clearing, ditching, and other improvements, but because truck farms in proximity to markets are desirable because of location.

The houses are cheap, but fairly satisfactory. There are very few outbuildings of any value, since the colonist has very little live stock to shelter and not much store room is necessary. The entire colony is surrounded by a heavy wire fence, built by the Development Company, and some of the Italians have built brush or pole

their gardens. Rows of grape vines hey are grown will make attractive and Some of the farms have been drained ne Italian owners. It may be said that is has increased their value more than any rainage is necessary both for agriculture

a

mplements for clearing land and for truck ue and the household furniture is worth ...ated valuations placed on the entire proper08 by men who were in a position to know to $2,000 as shown by the typical family table It is recalled that nearly all came with just enough ..e immigration officers, the amount of property .ars is creditable, if not remarkable. The ambie property has been a large factor in the successful is colony. It is of great significance that whaty the majority of these Italians own has been acquired he investment of a cent of capital other than their accumuf savings from earnings on the land since their arrival. In ords, the land and improvements sold them were secured the personal thrift, industry, and integrity.

only opportunities afforded for unskilled outside es on the lands of the Development Company, cutting ewing railroad ties or improving the uncleared land. sens of Burgaw, 3 miles distant, are beginning to hire to hear gardening and care for their fruit trees and berry Vages are almost uniformly $1.25 for a ten-hour day

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One or more skilled carpenters, Italians, are company and they in turn hire Italian helpers. ons and occasional opportunities on American farms abundance of employment to the men who desire it. pportunity for the women to labor, except on the here are no industries in the immediate vicinity that

either to men or to women. The absence of prises stands out in marked contrast to the policy Agricultural and Industrial Aid Society and allied we establishing Jewish colonies on the land; in the i southern New Jersey, at least, subsidized indusSer struggling to get on his financial feet.

• NG CONDITIONS AND SOCIAL LIFE.

not be observed that many of the Italians had er European manner of living. They seem to high standard of life, their homes are rather rnished, and if housing conditions are less. native Americans they are better than those household in the vicinity. The yards are 2. vines and occasionally flowers and fruit

very prosperous farm had but $1 when he landed, and wat he did not become a public charge he would have

trees have been planted in them, and the surroundings are not unattractive.

The clothing worn has few distinctive Italian marks and as a rule the colonists are well clad. On Sundays they dress very much like native Americans, the men in ready-made suits and "store" shirts, collars, and ties, the women in factory-made wrappers and Italian shawls and head dresses. They seem to take great pride in their Sunday attire and the entire family looks clean and neat. The Italians eat more bread and less meat than the natives. They consume quantities of milk, much of it obtained from American dairymen in the neighborhood. In fact, the Italian colony has made a local market for the milk of some dairymen. Spaghetti was a food unknown to the locality before the Italians arrived; now large quantities of spaghetti, macaroni, and Italian cheese are sold. The colonists consume a variety of vegetables and are particularly fond of potatoes, both sweet and Irish; they are endeavoring to introduce some distinctively Italian vegetablesItalian celery, peppers, beans, and a sort of pumpkin or melon. These seem to be the only attempts to introduce new edible vegetables, and the outcome of the experiments is yet (1908) in doubt. In 1908 they were unable, on account of the local prohibition laws, to obtain any Italian wine, a fact that worked some hardship for a time after arrival. But the Italians very soon planted vines and it will be but a short time until each colonist has sufficient wine of home manufacture for table use. On the whole, the food is both varied and abundant and their tables seem to compare well with those of Americans, at least in quantity of food.

The women, of course, work in the fields and engage in nearly all the tasks of the farm, even to digging and clearing land. Not many women are satisfactory choppers, ditchers, or plow hands, however, but in the cultivation and care of the vegetables and fruit they are fully the equals of the men. Children are soon pressed into service and in weeding, hoeing, and picking berries or vegetables they work very acceptably indeed. Men, women, and children work together on the home farm, but women are seldom, if ever, employed as farm laborers for wages on American farms.

The sanitary arrangements of the colony-water supply, sewerage, cesspools, and the like-as well as the general health of the community, are supervised by the promoters. Some incipient cases of typhoid fever during the first summer were traced to the use of water from the drainage ditches, against which the colonists had been warned. The severest case, an adult male, was sent to the Wilmington Hospital where he soon recovered. Up to 1908 very little illness was reported and but one death, that of an infant. Typhoid fever is almost inevitable in this swampy district unless great care is exercised until new comers have become acclimated, but the colonists have been urged and taught to take all possible precautions. In case of illness the promoters see to it that medical aid is promptly furnished; sanitary arrangements are periodically inspected.

The compactness of the settlement, with the central store, affords. good opportunity for the development of social life. The foreigners seem to enjoy this companionship of kind very much, and the partial transposition of the Italian rural village life to North Carolina has helped to bring them into harmony with their new environment.

They have frequent home entertainments-parties, dances, and celebrations. They have a very fair brass band, organized soon after the first settlement, which gives several/rehearsals each week, and incidentally earns a few dollars by playing at various gatherings outside of the colony. The erection of an entertainment hall in which dances, parties, and entertainments of various kinds can be given is under contemplation.

While organized social enterprises are comparatively few, the active social life of the colony is to the neighboring Americans a matter of surprise, and the happy fellowship of the foreigners is frequently commented upon. The gratifying consideration is that the colony is socially self-sufficing. They do not go out to find recreation nor import recreative enterprises.

LITERACY, MORALITY, RELIGION.

Practically all of the colonists who are old enough are able to read or write Italian; a few are very well educated, intelligent men, but in 1908 very few except the children who had attended public school could read or write English. Most of the adult males who had been in America two years could understand English and speak it rather brokenly. Progress in English speech has been more rapid than in many segregated colonies. Public-school facilities were somewhat inadequate in 1908. The nearest public school was at Burgaw, 2 or 3 miles from St. Helena. It is a good graded school, but the distance. is a disadvantage. A little Italian school is situated in the village, where the children are taught Italian and some elementary branches. Arrangements are under way for the erection of an English graded school in St. Helena. At present about 20 Italian children attend the public school. The Italians show unusual interest in education, and the children attend school with regularity.

The moral tone of the colony is high. The colonists are temperate, industrious, and thrifty. Very little disturbance of any sort arises, and natives comment favorably on the good order, contentment, and evident happiness that prevails in the community. No crimes or misdemeanors were reported.

The Italians have already acquired a reputation for reliability as laborers and for business honesty and integrity. In part the prosperity of the colony and the good feeling that seems to prevail has lessened suspicion and made for healthful business morality. But in the large the colonists seem to be people of good character, with commendable ideals of thrift, industry, and self-respect. The promoters believe that all the obligations of the Italians will be promptly met, and that once they become independent owners and citizens they will be in every way a desirable addition to the population.

The settlement has a small Roman Catholic Church built on donated land near the railway station. The priest, or curé, from Tuscany, has no settled home or manse, but lives in the colony, "boarding round" from house to house. At the time the colony was investigated the matter of establishing a parochial school in connection with the church was being considered, and the Commission is informed that such a school was inaugurated in 1910.

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The company has invested a large amount of capital in the venture. but reasonable financial returns both direct and indirect sem cr tain, if slow. The difference between, perhaps, $7 and $50 an acre for land is partly direct profit-surplus over cost. But the company will reap large returns in the increment in surrounding lands becaus of the improvements made by Italians in this section. Immigration will be stimulated and great material benefit should accrue to the entire region. Provided the promoters deal fairly with the foreigners this method of colonization would seem to possess many advantages both from the point of view of the colonizer and the colonized.

There can be little doubt of the value to the State and country of improving the wild lands and making them productive. The 420 acres purchased and the 300 wholly or partly cleared in 1908 is but a mere fragment of the immense area of unimproved land in the South awaiting development. Nevertheless other landowners are becoming interested in this method of land improvement, and at least one other company is said to be in process of organization. The St. Helena plan, wherever it is known, has created great interest among holders of large areas of undeveloped land and has enlisted the attention of State immigration officials in the Southern States. The outcome should be awaited with interest."

STATISTICAL DATA FOR SELECTED FAMILIES.

The table next presented shows the development of 110 typical families in regard to the amount of land first purchased, now owned, and the value of crops produced and sold.

The approximate value of all products raised and sold by the colony in 1909 was $15,000. A little less than 500 acres were in cultivation. (Statistics furnished by the Trucking Development Company.)

48296°-VOL 21-11-18