The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-10

significant fact in this connection IS
That the supplementary earnings of the
native American and older Immigrant
families are principally derived from
the contributions of children who have
reached the working age, while the
recent immigrant families, In order TO
secure additional income, take borders
ana dodgers into their homes the prac.
ice leading to bad living arrange
ments and n high degree OF conges-
ton.
AS to Living Conditions.
An independent form of family life
Is rarely found among the Southern
ana EASTERN Europeans. They usually
live under q group method, popularity
called The Boarding Boss system"
ohder this arrangement a married
man rents house and takes as many
iodSers as he can provide accommo-
dhtlons Tor. These dodgers pay fixed
sum per month-usually So for lodx-
ms, washing and cooking. Each man
Guys his own food. and 1t Is cooked
Tor him by the wife of the boarding
poss' VINO also does all tho washing
ana housekeeping work. AS many
dodgers as possible are crowded into
the house in order to reduce the per
capita outlay for rent OFTEN employees
working on might shift use the same
beds which the employees on the day
SHIFT have Just vacated.
By these means the Macedonian iron
ana steel worker in the Birmingham
district has been known to reduce
MS room rent to a cost of rs cen Is
per month. The Slovak only pays %
cents, and the Greek. S1.ol per month
ror each 100 immigrant households IN
the Birmingham district Keeping
poarders or dodgers there are between
SUI and 800 borders and dodgers. The
recent Immigrant households also have
an average OF between three and four
persons for each sleeping room. An
additional insight into living arrange
heHts may also be gathered from the
iact mat more than one-half of the
Immigrant households use all OF their
rooms for sleeping purposes In other
words, they have no room or rooms
which they use independently of their
sleeping rooms for cooking, eating and
general living purposes. Four out OF
hHe Greek households do mot have any
Kitchen. dining or living room. Their
sleeping quarters are used for these
purposes. BY way of contrast all Of
the native white Americans and older
immigrant households. and more than
nine tenths of the negro households.
do not use all the rooms OF their house.
holds for sleeping rooms.
Salient characteristics of IMMIGRANT
Labor Supply.
Less than per cent Of the native
white american employees Of the iron
and steel Industry of tho South are
iHiterate. On the other hand, about
one fourth OF the immigrant employees
and one-third OF the negroes are not
able to read and write. Among GER
tam southern and Eastern European
workers the degree of iIliteracy Is ex-
Nm ho1 -
Italians, one-third OF the Russians and
almost two-fifths OF the North italian
steel workers cannot read or write.
Three- fifths OF the foreign born
wage-earners are married. but that
they have no permanent interest I'm
the country or In the Industry In which
they arc employed iB shown by the
| fact that the greater number of mar
| ried workmcn have left their families
In their native countries. or the Bull
garian Iron and steel workers 81 per
| cent. Of Tho Greeks 85 per cent. and
of the South Italians So per cent. nuvo
| left their wives and children in their
| native countries.
Less than one-tenth OF tho RUSSIANS
less than one-ffth OF the Greeks, and
only about one-fourth OF tho South
Italian employees cam speak the Eng.
lish language. or the total number
VI recent Immigrant iron and steel
| workers in the South, only about tvs
ffths hove acquired tho ability tc
speak English. steady advancement,
In the ability to speak English, how.
ever is shown as tho period OF resi-
dcncc In this country Is extended. LIT.
| tie. II any. political or civic interest Is
manifested by tho Southern OF Eastern
Europeans.
General Tendencies.
In general II may be said that the
Southern and Eastern European has
manifested the Same tendencies in the
iron and steel mills as in the bitumi-
nous coal mines. He has shown no
4, permanent Interest In his employment
/ or In the communities In which he may
BIO working. He occupies the lowest
and most unskilled occupations and
represent the lowest level of Ell
! ciency. with longer residence nc may
progress, but his own attitude at pros.
| emit makes this impossible. His main
! purpose Seems to be TO earn an much
as possible under existing conditions
OF employment, to live as .cheaply of
possible. and to save all no can against
the time when he shall return to his
native land. His labor lie valuable ir
assiating In tho Industrial development,
Of the South, but wage. enrners OF
! higher standards ard preaier CON.