CHAPTER III.

ECONOMIC STATUS.

Industrial condition abroad of members of immigrant households studied-General occupation of males at the present time in the households studied-General occupation of women at the present time in the households studied-Occupations entered in the industry-The wage scale-Annual earnings of male heads of families studied-Annual earnings of males 18 years of age or over in the households studied-Annual earnings of females 18 years of age or over in the households studied-Annual family income-Wives at work-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 8 to 25 and General Tables 4 to 13].

INDUSTRIAL CONDITION ABROAD OF MEMBERS OF IMMIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

Preliminary to the discussion of economic status in this country of the persons in the households studied in this community, the industrial condition and principal occupations of immigrant workers and members of their households while abroad are set forth. The first table presented in this connection shows, by race of individual, the industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreignborn males in the households studied who were 16 years of age or over at the time of coming to this country:

TABLE 8.-Industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born males 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 males reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

The above table shows that 49.9 per cent of males reporting complete data were working without wages before coming to the United States, 30.3 per cent were working for wages, 16.6 per cent were working for profit, and 3.2 per cent were without occupation. Lithu

anians show the highest percentage of persons who were working for wages before coming to this country, Poles, South Italians, Ruthenians, and Slovaks showing between 20 and 30 per cent thus engaged. Slovaks and Ruthenians show between 50 and 60 per cent, Lithuanians and Poles between 40 and 50 per cent, and South Italians slightly over 20 per cent who were working without wages. South Italians report a very much higher proportion who worked for profit than any of the other races, while Slovaks and Poles show the highest percentage who were without occupation before coming to the United States.

The following table shows, by race of individual, the occupation before coming to the United States of foreign-born males in the households studied who were 16 years of age or over at time of arrival:

TABLE 9.-Occupation before coming to the United States of foreign-born males 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 males reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

The foregoing table shows that the greatest proportion of males who were 16 years of age or over at the time of coming to the United States and who were working for wages were farm laborers before coming to this country. Only small proportions were in other specified occupations and none had any previous experience in coal mining. All of those working without wages were farm laborers, and practically all of those working for profit were farmers. Lithuanians show the highest percentage who were farm laborers for wages, while Slovaks show the highest percentage who were farm laborers working without wages. Slovaks, closely followed by Poles, show the highest percentage who were without occupation before coming to the United States.

The table next presented shows, by race of individual, the industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born females in the households studied who were 16 years of age or over at the time of their arrival.

TABLE 10.-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.]

The above table shows that 49.9 per cent of all females were without occupation before coming to the United States, 23.7 per cent worked for wages, and 26 per cent worked without wages, while only 0.5 per cent worked for profit. Lithuanians and Poles report a very much higher percentage who were without occupation than Ruthenians and Slovaks, the last named race showing a higher percentage than the other races who were working for wages, while Ruthenians show the highest percentage of females working without wages before coming to this country. No Polish or Slovak females worked for profit before coming to the United States.

The following table shows, by race of individual, the occupation before coming to the United States of foreign-born females, in the households studied, who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming to this country.

TABLE 11.-Occupation 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 foreignborn.]

Of the several races, Lithuanians show the highest percentage of females who were working as farm laborers for wages. Ruthenians show the highest percentage of females who were working without

wages as farm laborers. Ruthenians and Lithuanians show small proportions, and Polish and Slovaks no females who were farmers for profit.

GENERAL OCCUPATION OF MALES AT THE PRESENT TIME IN THE HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

The table next presented shows, by general nativity and race of individual, the general occupation of males 16 years of age or over in the households studied.

TABLE 12.-General occupation of males 16 years of age or over, by general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

The preceding table shows that 97.5 per cent of the total number of males reporting are employed in the anthracite coal industry, 0.8 per cent are otherwise employed, 1.2 per cent are at home, and 0.4 per cent are at school. Foreign-born show the highest percentage employed in the coal industry, followed in the order named by nativeborn of native father and native-born of foreign father. Nativeborn of native father show the highest percentage at home and nativeborn of foreign father the highest percentage at school. Of the native-born of foreign father, Slovaks show a considerably higher proportion employed in the coal industry than Poles, the last-named race showing 12.9 per cent otherwise employed, at home, and at school. All of the foreign-born races, except Ruthenians, show over 98 per cent of males employed in anthracite coal mines.

GENERAL OCCUPATION OF WOMEN AT THE PRESENT TIME IN THE
HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

The present industrial status of the females is next presented. The table which follows shows, by general nativity and race of individual, the general occupation of females 16 years of age and over in the households studied.

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TABLE 13.-General occupation of females 16 years of age or over, by general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more females reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

The preceding table shows that by far the greatest proportion of females are at home, only 1.3 per cent are in domestic service, and an insignificant proportion are in trade, otherwise employed, or at school. Native-born persons of foreign father show greater proportions in domestic service, in trade, and otherwise employed than do the foreign-born, while the native-born as a whole report the highest percentage at school. Among the several races the Ruthenians show 100 per cent at home, and Lithuanians alone show a proportion of females at school.

OCCUPATIONS ENTERED IN THE INDUSTRY.

The occupations entered in the industry by the members of the different immigrant races employed are set forth in the series of tables next presented. Each table represents a tabulation of a representative colliery or washery and each company is designated by a number.