The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-11
M|NE-WORKERS IN
SOUTHERN STATES

employment of unskiiled and !ncXpcri.
cheed labor. has lead 10 the employ
ment OF small number OF re-
cent immigrants. The proportion NJ
oheae employees to the total number Of
nine workers, although smali-about
per CENTS constantly increasing.
the principal races are the North ana
south Italians. Small numbers Of Bul.
sartans, Greeks, I.oumaIans. Mcxicans
ina sErians also appear in the operat.
ns forces. The English. Germans.
rish. and Welsh, Of the older itnmi.
grafton. arc found in tn. executive and
'esponsible positions. The grea. ma.
"ority of the foreign born employees
'are been in the United States less than
I've years, and practically all are OIL
residence under ten years.
Economic status.
Only about ono out of every six
cen of the Immigrant mine workers
lave had any training or experience
n mining before coming 10 this coun.
Try. They wer: mainly farmers ~,
arm laborers in their native lands
me native white American mine work
VS. VINO arc eighteen years Of age ar
oyer. earn moro than the negroes.
FhoSe earnings in turn are consIdcra-
oly more than those fthe immigra Mt
employees. The first named class oil
"aSc-earners receive an average wape
't vi eacn week, hs contrasted with
average weekly earnings of $40 for the
negroes, and sS.sl for the foreign.
morn miners The South Italians arms
isSs than any other race employed
their weekly wages averaging only
Ss.25. II the mine workers be con-
sidered as whole. about two-thit a.
are found to be earning $3.50 or over
each week. and about ono third sto or
more One-tifth of the native white
Americans and one-tcnth of the ne
groes. az contrasted with on.y one
twentieth OF the Immigrants, earn a
weekly wage OF SIS
Salient Charncteristics.
a high degree of illteracy prevails
among all classes OF the iron
orc miners, nine cnt OF every
ioo native white American en-
p!oyes. forty-thrcc out OF cvsrv 100
negroes. and forty out of every 100 I'M
migrants. are unabls 10 read In any
language. The proportion of those " no
cannot read and write is even great
or.
slightly more than one third OF the
hatiVe-born and almost one-half OF tn )
foreign born employees. twenty wears
Oh age or over. are unmarried. The
striking fact, however. in conncction
with the married immigrant woriim IN
IS mat 90 per cent. have left their
wives in their native lands. Conse-
Iuently there Is little Independent fam,
NY life among the Southern and East
ern European employees, ana the pre-.
faiiins method of living Is q boar,I-
ing group system, characterized by low
standards. y high degree of conges
uon also obtains in the majority OF the
immigrant households.
Although the immigrant mine work
eEs nave. rs rule. been in this COM
try only short period of time, and
have not had a full opportunity 10
demonstrate the progress of which
they may be capable, the tendencies
exhibited have not been very ell .ouraC-
no interest In political
or civil life is manifested A negligible
proportion who are elistbla, through
age and residence for citizenship, have
oecn naturalizcd, and only n very few
nave taken the first step towards cit
izenship by securing first papers. Two
nfths OF the Immigrant employees o!
non Elsish- speaking races have failed
TO acquire the ability to use tn, Eng
lish language In any intell!gible way.
Progress In acquiring citizenship ana
the use OF the English language is
SHOWN, however, as period OF residence
Is extended, greater proportion of
immigrants of ten years stay IN this
country. being citizens and ablt TO
speak English. as cohtrasted with tho =,
VINO nave residence of only five
years.
The Tennessee Copper Miner.
me Southern and Eastern European
immigrant has also recently secured :,
place in the operating forces OF The
copper minss and smciters OF Eastern
81 n nd q =.