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must not be made too hurriedly. For example, the percentages show a larger proportion of households having two rooms not used as sleeping rooms in the case of the Mexicans than in the case of any other race, and this showing is due to the practice, general on the part of this race, of hiring an apartment of three or four rooms, and living, cooking, and sleeping entirely in one room, the other rooms being used for the storage of fuel and like purposes. Thus the standard of living is lower, not higher, among the Mexicans than among the other

races.

The three races having a large percentage of households in which the number of rooms not used as sleeping rooms is greater than two are the Welsh, the American white, and the Irish. The figure for the Welsh is about 52 per cent, that for the American white and the Irish about 20 per cent. Of the negro households 11.1 per cent report more than two rooms not used as sleeping rooms. The percentages for the other races are very small.

CHAPTER VI.

SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

Literacy-Conjugal condition-Visits abroad-Criminality of recent immigrantsDiseases of recent immigrants-Age classification of employees and members of their households [Text Tables 434 to 444 and General Tables 181 to 190].

LITERACY.

One of the points of greatest interest and importance in connection with the immigrant labor supply is found in the inquiry as to their literacy. From a purely industrial standpoint the literacy of the immigrant mine worker has no significance beyond the bearing of his ability to read and write upon industrial progress and efficiency. The following table shows the literacy of 6,785 employees in the mines of the Southwest, of whom 2,745 are native-born, 753 nativeborn of foreign father, and 4,040 are foreign-born.

TABLE 434.-Per cent of male employees who read and per cent who read and write, by general nativity and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

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Upon examining the relative showing of the nativity groups in the table above, it is seen that a slightly higher degree of literacy exists among the native-born of foreign father, and that 6.4 per cent

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of those who have been in the United States ten or more years, 96.7 per cent can read and 93.4 per cent can read and write.

A total of 280 North Italians furnish information, and of this number 86 per cent of those who have been in the United States under five years can read and write; of those who have been in the United States from five to nine years, 82.6 per cent can read, while 78 per cent can read and write; and of those who have been in the United States ten or more years, 78 per cent can read and 76 per cent can read and write.

Due largely to geographical location, a large number of Mexicans are employed in the bituminous coal-mining industry in the Southwest. Of the 102 reporting, 44.4 per cent of those who have been in the United States under five years can read and write; of those who have been in the United States from five to nine years, 59.1 per cent can read and write; and of those who have been in the United States ten or more years, 49.3 per cent can read and 47.9 per cent can read and write.

Of the Lithuanians, 79.3 per cent of those who have been in the United States under five years can read, while 72.4 per cent can read and write; of those who have been in the United States from five to nine years, 71.4 per cent can read and 61.2 per cent can read and write; and of those who have been in the United States for ten years or more, 67.6 per cent can read and 62.2 per cent can read and write. The table next presented shows literacy at present among the foreign-born members of households in connection with the age of the individuals at the time of coming to the United States.

TABLE 437-Per cent of foreign-born persons 10 years of age or over who read and per cent who read and write, by age at time of coming to the United States and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign

born.]

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The individuals in the above table have been divided into two groups. The first group includes all persons who came to the United States when under 14 years of age, and the second all who came when 14 or over. The percentages of those able to read only, and of those able both to read and to write are given for the two groups.

It is seen that of the total number of individuals who came to this country under 14 years of age, 82 per cent can read. Of those who came here when 14 or over, the percentage is 75.5.

The races having large proportions of persons now able to read who came here under 14 years of age are the Croatian, Irish, Welsh, and North Italian; those having small proportions are the Mexican and South Italian. Of those able to read who came to the United States when 14 or over the races having large percentages are the Irish, Welsh, and North Italian; those having the small percentages are the Mexican, South Italian, and Slovak.

The proportion of individuals able both to read and to write is 79.7 per cent for those who came to this country when under 14 years of age, and 71.8 per cent for those who came when 14 or over. Among the former the high percentages are for the Croatians, Welsh, Irish, and North Italians, and the low percentages are for the Mexicans and South Italians. The races having large proportions of persons who can both read and write among those who came here when 14 years of age or over are the Irish, North Italian, and Welsh in the order mentioned; and those having the small proportions are the Mexican, South Italian, Lithuanian, and Polish.

CONJUGAL CONDITION.

The conjugal condition of the mining employees is of importance in its bearing upon the general character of the immigrant labor supply. The following table shows the proportion of married and unmarried men among the employees 20 years of age or over in the bituminous coal mines of the Southwest. The employees are classified according to race and general nativity.

TABLE 438.-Per cent of male employees 20 years of age or over in each conjugal condition, by general nativity and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

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of those who have been in the United States ten or more years, 96.7 per cent can read and 93.4 per cent can read and write.

A total of 280 North Italians furnish information, and of this number 86 per cent of those who have been in the United States under five years can read and write; of those who have been in the United States from five to nine years, 82.6 per cent can read, while 78 per cent can read and write; and of those who have been in the United States ten or more years, 78 per cent can read and 76 per cent can read and write.

Due largely to geographical location, a large number of Mexicans are employed in the bituminous coal-mining industry in the Southwest. Of the 102 reporting, 44.4 per cent of those who have been in the United States under five years can read and write; of those who have been in the United States from five to nine years, 59.1 per cent can read and write; and of those who have been in the United States ten or more years, 49.3 per cent can read and 47.9 per cent can read and write.

Of the Lithuanians, 79.3 per cent of those who have been in the United States under five years can read, while 72.4 per cent can read and write; of those who have been in the United States from five to nine years, 71.4 per cent can read and 61.2 per cent can read and write; and of those who have been in the United States for ten years or more, 67.6 per cent can read and 62.2 per cent can read and write. The table next presented shows literacy at present among the foreign-born members of households in connection with the age of the individuals at the time of coming to the United States.

per cent

TABLE 437.-Per cent of foreign-born persons 10 years of age or over who read and who read and write, by age at time of coming to the United States and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign

born.]

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The individuals in the above table have been divided into two groups. The first group includes all persons who came to the United States when under 14 years of age, and the second all who came when 14 or over. The percentages of those able to read only, and of those able both to read and to write are given for the two groups.

It is seen that of the total number of individuals who came to this country under 14 years of age, 82 per cent can read. Of those who came here when 14 or over, the percentage is 75.5.

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