The Washington herald., 1908-02-02
UNSKILLED LABORER
Whence He Came and How
He Exists.
WORK DONE; MONEY EARNED
Italy, Austria, Hungary and Slavic
Countries Furnish Two-thirds OF
Immigration tn United States-New-
comers Go Where Highest Wages
Are Paid-What They Eat.

Italy. Austria Hungary. and the Slavic
countries of Eastern Europe are at the
present time the principal sources Of the
unskiIed abcr supply of the United
States more than two-thirds Of all the
immigrants now entering the country
coming from these countries.
Italy contributes about one-fourth and
Austria-Hngary and the Slavic countries
.of Eastern Europe something over two
hfths of our immigrants This latter
gropp includes the Jews from Eastern
Europe. who while not Slavs. economical
~ and iudustrially represent practically
The distribution. employment and man
ner Of living Of these immigrants, with
special reference to their assimilation into
American industrial life. is the subject Of
= study by Frank J. Sheridan in Bulletin
Y OF the Bureau of Labor
Farmers and Farm I.abOFeFs.
About half the unskilled Iaborers com
ing from these countries had previously
been al work as farmers or farm labor
ers. After their arrival in the United
States. however. they do not seek en-
ployment i'm agriculture partly because
of the difficulties ia the way of securing
il, bat mainly because Of the higher rates
OF wages in other Industries. In trans
portation, manufacturing, mining, and ia
building the demand for common labor
has been very great.
The Italian immigrant shows a marked
preference for railroad construction tun-
mel building, grading. ditching. building
excavation. and work in factory indus
tries. while the Slav and the Hungarian
turn TO those industries where the pay
is somewhat higher and the work some
what ueavieT-where strong men are re-
quired. as in blast furnaces. iron and
steel works, irou-ore handling and coal
mining
Large numbers of the immigrants seek
work and are distrIhuted through en-
piuymeut agencies but the great mass
through information derived from rela-
tiyes and friends 20 directly to the States
where wages are highest and their sery-
ices are in greatest demand Thus. in
1896. ISS2 per cent Of an immigrants enc
tering the United States during the year
and $3.50 per cent of the Italian. Slavic
and Hungarian immigrants went To- seven
States-New York. Pennsylvania. Illinois
New Jersey. Massachusetts. Ohio and
CmneCtfCut-the States where the de-
msnds OF industry were expressed in
terms OF the highest wages.
Employment Agency Records.
Records of New York city employment
agencies. covering "a period Of twenty
seven months ending with July g. 1905
show the distribution 7f i5731 persons
mostly outside of city employment
large part of this was of course redistri-
button. rather than the first distribution
Of immigrants or this number a. per
cent Were Italians and about - per cent
SIays and Huugariaus OF the Italian,
about o.e-sixth went o. Southern States
while the Slays and Huugariaus were
nearly equally divided between Northern
and Southern States.
Objection 20 paving loug-dlstance rail-
way fares, the great demand for labor in
thc North. and "a seeming dissemination
to work in the South. except i'm some
cases for Northern contractors building
railroads in the South. kept the majority
If the italian labOTCrs iu the Northern
States To this may b. added the desire
Of the Italian padroue agency 20 keep the
men wheT, il can again distribute them
20 its own advantage and furnish the
CummssaTy after the temporary employ
meuts cease.
Investigation Of the records Of large
contracting company engaged on railroad
construction and employing many labor
ers of various uati0nalities. as well as
Italians. shows that the actual cost 90 the
company Of groceries. provisions. and
payment for cooks. walters fuel light
&c. at its boarding camps for given
period was - cents % meal, or $3.50 "a week
for each man. The men We're charged SIS
a month for board and lodging.
What Italians Eat.
The Italians at the camps of the COM
pany lived mostly on mac9roni. sausage
cheese sdrdiues. and bread MacaToui
and bread were the staples the sausage.
sardines. and cheese being used very
sparingIy. The average monthly expense
Of the Italian lab0rer was as follows
twenty-five lls-round lcaycs Of bread. at
cents $ ~
Thirty pounds Of macaT1ni. at cauts....-..-. 30
Sauzaze -ariiues, and 50
I3Td -
TIL g. I'd s-oa