The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-24

! Southwest or South. und in all indus
| trial localities which have grown u1
! around such industries as textile, iror
and steol. and glass manufacturing
| Inc Importance Of tho business con-
| Quoted By them may be seen from the
| fact that more than slO0,00o.0oo OF the
| total amount of money sent abroad al.
| nually by aliens working In this coun-
try passes through the hands Of I'M
migrant bankers. More than one half
I, of the so-called banks also receive de.
| posts. and although tho average de-
| post Is less than 800. due to the fact
that they represent the meagre &C
cumulations OF unskilled immigrant
laborers for the purpose OF purchasing
steamship tickets or sending money
abroad. the aggregate amount held
reaches high into the millions. The
significant fact In connection with tho
entire system, however. Is that only
| four States-Ohio, New York. New Jer.
sey, and MISUNDERSTANDING made
any effort to regulate these private
banks conducted BY or through the
recent Immigrant population has been
retarded in it's progress toward as
sanitation and has been subjected to
shameless exploitation.
The Term Immigrant hunk,
aisnomer.
AS matter of fact the term immi-
grant bank is misnomer. The I'M
migrant communities which have af-
f1Sed themselves during recent years
to our industrial towns and cities havo
many nceds which can be satisfied only
by person or company familiar with
the languages spoken. and with the
custom, habits. and manner Of thought
OF the people. There is money to DO
sent to the old country: friends and
relatives are to be communicated with
and brought to the United States;
business affairs must he transacted In
this country and In the native land :
and advice Is to be sought on null
titude of affairs. To meet these needs
the institution. popularity known as tho
immigrant bank. has come into exis-
tence. In many respects. the immi-
grant bank Is merely a bureau OF In
formation and a clearing house for
necessary services to the Immigrant
population. and thrives upon the ignor-
ance and lack OF assimilation OF the
Immigrant people. Its banking func-
tons. however. while limited, involve
a large amount OF money and anect
the welfare of a great number OF peo-
pie.
Another interesting institution often
met with In immigrant communities
is the immigrant coffee-house. which
modelled altar similar Institutions in
Europe. 1t is intended to meet the
tastes and habits OF the Greeks. Mace
DOMAIN, Bulgarian and Turkish races.
who do not patronize the American
saloon or drink intoEicants after the
manner OF the Germans Croatians,
Slovaks. Poles, Magyars. and tho
members of other races. The coffee
houses are usually large, well-lighted
rooms, furnished with small tables
and plain chairs. Tobacco in all its
pipe, Is to be had. as we'll as tea. cor
fee, cider, soft drinks and tce-cream.
Immigrant Newspapers. Churches and
Schools.
In many communities Immigrant
newspapers. usually Issued weekly, arc
published III q foreign language and
appeal for support to a certain race
or races. These papers are often own
ed and controlled by Immigrant mer-
camille or banking houses.
The immigrant. saloon also has GER
tain features different from those OF
the ordinary American institution. Of
ten an immigrant bank. steamship
agency. labor agency, or boarding or
roominS house in operated In connec-
t!on with 1t
largs number Of fraternal and
beneficial organizations also flourish
in immigrant communities. Moreover.
IN each foreign colony, of any impor-
lance, churches have been erected by
the different races. They are usual
ly Roman or Greek Catholic, and are
often costly and imposing edihces.
Usually parochial schools are con-
Quoted in connection with these
churches, and offer religious and seeu-
lar instruction a foreign language
is, as rule, used In the schools, but
in the greater number OF instances In
struction In English Is given.
Housing and Living Conditions.
Unsatisfactory household arrange
ments and crowded living conditions
are even more characteristic OF the
strictly Industrial towns and cities
than Of the principal urban centres Of
population. such as New York, Chi
cago. and other large cities. This con-
dition Of affairs arises In large meas
ure from the less degree OF perman-
ency Of residence among the purely
industrial workers. The constraining
motive among the immigrant wage
earners is to earn ell they can under
the existing conditions OF employment.
live upon the baseness Of minimum
cheapness, and save as much as pos
sihle.
among lnduStrlal workers OF recent
immigration single men or what prncti-
cally amounts to the same thing, mar
ried men who have left their families
abroad, arc predominant The situa-
ton. taken IN connection with the 10"
range Of earnings and the desire 20
save, is responsible for the small eX-
tent TO which an independent form OF
family life exists In the immigrant
colonies of American industrial cities
and towns The heads OF families
ind II necessary to take boarders and
losders into the home in order to sup
rlement their earnings In the mines.
mills, and factories. while the larger
proportion Of males without families
creates a demand Cor n cheap group
method OF living The plan usually
followed In Industrial localities Is
popularly known ms "thc hoarding-boss
system" Under the boarding boss
arrangement married Immigrant or
his wife, or a single man, constitutes