Lapas attēli
PDF
ePub

are not restricted either to French, Belgians, or socialists. It deals almost exclusively in groceries, and has 318 shareholders. The president, vice-president, secretary, two auditors, and nine directors are all French and Belgians. It is stated, even by competing establishments, that the prices at this store are slightly lower than at other stores dealing in the same kind of commodities. The net profits of the establishment for 1907 were over $2,000, while a gain of 48 per cent over the gross receipts for 1907 was announced in October of 1908. Individual share holdings are limited to $100. As soon as application for membership is filed the member is entitled to dividends on his purchases (6 per cent has been the rate for the last four years), which are made to pay for the stock applied for until fully paid up. Dividends of 6 per cent have also been paid on stock. No credit is allowed to any customer except to members, who are allowed credit not to exceed at any time four-fifths of the total amount of their stock holdings. To sick members, however, the company grants a weekly benefit for thirteen weeks equal to one-half of the average weekly purchases, provided the total individual purchases aggregate $100 a year. The Slovak, Russian, and Italian meat and grocery stores use the store-book method for keeping accounts with their customers. During the depression of 1907 large numbers of these races were sold goods on credit. Many of these accounts were not paid at the time of this investigation, but the storekeepers who were interviewed stated that they anticipated losing very little money. The Slovaks, Italians, and Russians who have become comparatively wealthy have practiced different methods of graft upon their fellowcountrymen through benefit societies, extending credits, and banking. In view of the short time immigrants have been in this locality, and of the fact that the men in question started with very little money, as well as taking into consideration the nature of their businesses, this statement is not hard to understand. While the newness of the town has made it possible for an equality of standing among the immigrant and American business men, in that the former have had an opportunity to engage in enterprises which serve the population in general, the degree of actual business association that might be expected does not exist. In the merchants' association, for instance, there are a very few German members, only two Italian, and no Belgian, French, Slovak, or Russian members. The two Italians never attend the meetings of the association, and joined, it is stated, only with an idea of identifying themselves with Americans in business. The tendency seems to be toward a racial clannishness on the part of all foreign races which even the conditions in a new community are unable to counteract. The Russian Hebrews form an exception to this general rule, and are among the leaders of the merchants' association, associating with native business men on terms of equality.

The lack of association is also seen among the immigrants as customers. Slovaks are the most clannish, according to the testimony of business men of other races, in this respect, patronizing their own stores so far as possible. Italians are less so, while the Belgians and French, although showing a strong tendency to patronize the enterprises of their own countrymen, are large customers of American stores. The Germans are possibly the least clannish in this respect, owing to the fact that they are more closely identified with the community in a number of other ways.

COMMUNITY B.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

The industrial significance of the community-Households studied-Members of households for whom detailed information was received-[Text Tables 146 to 149 and General Tables 95 and 96].

THE INDUSTRIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COMMUNITY.

Community B is located in the Middle West, near a large city of more than 100,000 inhabitants. It is exclusively engaged in the manufacture of plate glass, the plate-glass manufacturing establishment located within its borders being the only industry in the town and covering the entire field of employment. Practically all of the wage-earners in the community are employed at the glass plant, and all the residents of the town are directly or indirectly dependent upon it for support. From a comparative standpoint the most significant feature of Community B as contrasted with Community A is found in the fact that the local plate-glass factory and the town were established after machinery had been invented for the manufacture of plate glass. As a consequence the labor needs of Community B from the beginning were unskilled workmen, and it did not pass through the period of hand shops, as was the case in Community A, and the consequent necessity of securing skilled operatives either from abroad or other sections of the United States.

HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

A total of 180 households in the community the heads of which were employed in the plate-glass plant were studied in detail. In the following table the households studied are shown according to general nativity and race of head of household.

TABLE 146.-Households studied, by general nativity and race of head of household. (STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

!

In this community households whose heads were foreign-born were studied to the extent of 61.1 per cent of the total, and those whose heads were native-born were divided between those whose heads were native-born of native father and native-born of foreign father to the extent of 31.1 per cent and 7.8 per cent, respectively. All of the households of the second generation studied were of German heads. A larger proportion of households whose heads were Poles and of foreign-birth than of foreign-born German or Magyar heads were studied, because of the larger number of Polish households in the community.

MEMBERS OF HOUSEHOLDS FOR WHOM DETAILED INFORMATION WAS RECEIVED.

The table next presented shows, by general nativity and race of head of household, the persons in the households studied and persons for whom detailed information was secured.

TABLE 147.-Persons in households studied and persons for whom detailed information was secured, by general nativity and race of head of household.

[blocks in formation]

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

TABLE 148.-Sex of persons for whom detailed information was secured, by general nativity and race of head of household.

[blocks in formation]

The following table sets forth, by sex and general nativity and race of individual, the persons for whom detailed information was secured in the households studied:

TABLE 149.-Persons for whom detailed information was secured, by sex and general nativity and race of individual.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« iepriekšējāTurpināt »