The following table is based upon the same data as the preceding, but presented in a different form.

TABLE 150.-Comparative earnings per week of foreign-born male employees 18 years of age or over, by race and length of residence in the United States.*

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only races with 200 or more males reporting.]

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdowns or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings allowance is made for time lost during the year.

Less than 1 per cent of the Lithuanians, Hebrews other than Russian, and Poles who have been in this country less than five years earn under $5 per week. Every race included in the above table shows that more than 98 per cent of those who have been here less than five years earn $5 or over per week. The Hebrews other than Russian show the largest proportion earning $12.50 or over, and the Lithuanians show the smallest proportion earning $12.50 or over. The Russian Hebrews are the only ones showing a proportion who earn as much as $25 per week, and in that case the proportion is very small.

All of the persons included in the table who have lived in this country from five to nine years earn $5 per week or over. The Russian Hebrew and Polish are the only races that show less than 100 per cent as earning $7.50 per week. The Bohemians and Moravians show the largest proportion who earn $10 or over. The Poles show the smallest proportion who earn $12.50 or over per week. Slightly more than 50 per cent of the Russian Hebrews earn $15 or over per week. None of the Russian Hebrews, Lithuanians, or Poles earn as much as $25 per week.

Among those who have resided in the United States for ten years or over the Russian Hebrews show the largest proportion earning $10 or over per week. The Poles show the smallest proportion earning $15 or over. The Lithuanians show none earning as much as $25. The proportion for the Russian Hebrews in the latter rate of earnings is 6 per cent and for the Poles it is 0.8 per cent.

The relative earnings of female employees are considered in the tables which follow.

TABLE 151.—Per cent of foreign-born female employees 18 years of age or over earning each specified amount per week, by race and length of residence in the United States.*

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only races with 200 or more females reporting.]

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdowns or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings allowance is made for time lost during the year.

Among the foreign-born females included in the above table who have been in the United States less than five years, the Russian Hebrews show the largest proportion who earn $5 or over per week and the Poles show the smallest proportion who earn $15 per week. The Bohemians and Moravians show the largest proportion of females earning $15 or over per week.

All of the Russian Hebrews who have been in the United States from five to nine years earn $5 or over per week, 75 per cent earn $7.50 or over, and none earn $15 or over. Not less than 95 per cent of the other two races earn $5 or over.

The greatest divergence in proportion is shown between the Russian Hebrews and Poles who have been in the United States for ten years or more and who earn $5 or over. The proportion for the Poles is 100 per cent and for the Russian Hebrews 86.7 per cent. Less than 7 per cent of the Russian Hebrews earn $12.50 or over, and only 4.5 per cent of the Poles earn $15 or over per week, as compared with 14.2 per cent of the Bohemians and Moravians who earn that amount.

TABLE 152.-Comparative earnings per week of foreign-born female employees 18 years of age or over, by race and length of residence in the United States.*

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only races with 200 or more females reporting.]

*This table shows wages or earnings for the period indicated, but no account is taken of voluntary lost time or lost time from shutdowns or other causes. In the various tables in this report showing annual earnings allowance is made for time lost during the year.

48296°-VOL 11-11-29

CHAPTER IV.

WORKING CONDITIONS.

The factory system- Hours worked-The effect of the employment of recent immigrants on industries-Employers' opinion of recent immigrants.

THE FACTORY SYSTEM.

The factory system has been applied to the manufacture of clothing in Chicago for thirty-five or forty years. During this period this system of production has developed to such an extent that to-day very little clothing is produced in Chicago by the contract system, such as made use of in New York City. Practically all of the clothing is produced in shops and factories operated by large clothing manufacturing companies.

HOURS WORKED.

On the average, all workmen of all races and all departments of the clothing industry work ten hours per day and five and one-half days per week, with a half holiday Saturday.

THE EFFECT OF THE EMPLOYMENT OF RECENT IMMIGRANTS ON

INDUSTRIES.

In so far as the recent immigrants have furnished a labor supply for the clothing factories and have actively engaged in the management, they have assisted in the development of the form of the clothing industry in Chicago, but further than this the great numbers of recent immigrants have no effect.

As regards the effect of the employment of recent immigrants upon the old employees is the fact that the Bohemians, Poles, and Scandinavians have forced the Germans out of the industry and that the Scandinavians have taken from the Bohemians, Poles, and others the preeminence they formerly had in the making of pants and vests.

EMPLOYERS' OPINION OF RECENT IMMIGRANTS.

The following statements of the preference for different races are practically unanimous among all the managers interviewed. The best all-round workmen are the Bohemians, because they are the most intelligent, thorough, and progressive. The Poles rank next as allround workmen, but are distinctly inferior in this respect to the Bohemians. The Lithuanian is not quite as efficient as the Pole, while the Russian Hebrews furnish some exceptionally good workmen and some exceptionally poor ones. Although the best tailors and managers of shops, the Hebrews rank, perhaps, on an average with the Poles. The best hand sewers are the North and South Italians and the best pants and vest makers are the Scandinavians.