81 per cent of the native-born, and 75 and 72.6 per cent of the foreignborn, respectively. That the per cent of literate persons among the native-born is largely reduced by the presence of negroes is true, yet a comparison of the native whites with the native-born of foreign father shows a larger per cent of illiterates on the part of the former than of the latter. The native whites report only 4.7 per cent who can not read and 5.4 per cent who are not able to both read and write, as compared with 30.3 per cent and 32.5 per cent, respectively, of the negroes who are so reported.

Of the native-born of foreign father, those whose fathers were born in Scotland report only 1.5 per cent of illiterates. On the other hand, persons native-born of English father report 3 per cent who can not read, and 4.5 per cent who can not both read and write. The percentage of literacy which ranks second is shown by the second generation Irish, who report 96.5 per cent who can read and 94.1 per cent who can both read and write. The employees whose fathers were born in Germany show the largest per cent of illiterates with 6.2 per cent of their number who can neither read nor write.

Of the foreign-born the Germans lead, reporting no illiterates, followed by the Scotch, who report 100 per cent who can read and only 1 per cent who can not both read and write; while the English, who come next to the Scotch, report 3.4 per cent of illiterates. The Irish report 6.8 per cent of illiterates. While only 23.4 per cent of the Russians are unable to read, 31.2 per cent are unable both to read and to write, indicating a wider margin between those who can both read and write and those who can only read than is shown by any other race.

The percentage of illiterates reported by the Magyars, Bulgarians, and Slovaks varies very little, ranging from 11.1 per cent of the Magyars to 13.4 per cent of the Slovaks who can not read, and 11.4 per cent of the Magyars to 14.5 per cent of the Slovaks who can not both read and write. The Poles and Russians, in the order given, follow the above named races, the Poles reporting 80.7 per cent who can read and 78 per cent who can both read and write, as compared with 76.6 and 68.8 per cent, respectively, of the Russians. The Croatians show a larger percentage of literacy than the North Italians; and the percentage of literacy of the Slovenians, while lower than that of the Croatians and North Italians and slightly lower than the Montenegrins, is higher than that of the South Italians. As a matter of fact, the greatest illiteracy is shown by the South Italians, of which race only 58.1 per cent can read and only 54.5 per cent can both read and write.

The following table shows, by general nativity and race of the individual employee, the per cent of 5,745 employees in the West Virginia mines who can read and who can both read and write.:

TABLE 531.-Per cent of male employees in West Virginia who read and per cent who read and write, by general nativity and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more males reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

Of all the employees 82.5 per cent both read and write. The percentage of persons who both read and write among the foreign-born is 70.5 as against 94.5 for all the native-born. Subdividing the native-born according to nativity of father into native-born of native father and native-born of foreign father, it is seen that the literacy of the two groups is almost identical, the percentage being 94.5 for the former and 94.2 per cent for the latter. Among persons native-born of native father, a marked difference is noted between the percentages for whites and those for negroes. Of the former, 95.5 per cent are able to read and to write; of the latter, only 88.1 per cent. As regards the foreign-born employees the highest percentage of literates is found among the Germans, all of whom can read and write. The English are second among the races of any numerical importance with a proportion of literacy amounting to 98 per cent, and Magyars and Slovaks follow. The lowest percentage is that reported for South Italians, only 54 per cent of whom can read and write. The figure for North Italians is 62.4 per cent, that for Croatians 71.9 per cent, and that for Poles 79.2 per cent.

48296°-VOL 7-11-17

If the foreign-born be divided into two groups, the natives of northern and western Europe being included in the first and the natives of southern and eastern Europe in the second group, the following showing is secured:

a Not including 1 Canadian, other than French.

Not including one Hebrew, other than Russian, and 24 Austrians, race not specified.

The percentage of literates is, for the first group, 95.7, and for the second group 68.8.

In addition to the information secured from individual employees in all the southern coal-producing States, data as to literacy were also secured from the members of the households studied in the South. The following table indicates the degree in which they are able to read and write any language:

TABLE 532.-Per cent of persons 10 years of age or over who read and per cent who read and write, by sex and general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes on ly races with 40 or more persons reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

Upon comparing the relative degree of literacy shown by the total number of persons native-born and the total number of persons

native-born of foreign father in the preceding table it is seen that 5.4 per cent of the total males and females of the second generation, as compared with 10.6 per cent of the total number of persons nativeborn are unable to either read or write. On the other hand, 14.2 per cent more of the total native-born males than of the total foreignborn males can read and 15.4 per cent more can both read and write, and 34.6 per cent more native-born females can read and 36.3 per cent more can read and write than of females of foreign birth. Considering the total of both sexes from the standpoint of illiteracy, 10.6 per cent only of the native-born as contrasted with 28.8 per cent of the foreign-born can neither read nor write.

When the illiteracy of the different immigrant races is examined some startling exhibits are presented. Of the total number of Lithuanians 63.3 per cent and 52.2 per cent of the South Italians, together with 27 per cent of the Poles and 22.7 per cent of the Slovaks, can not read and write. Comparatively speaking, a somewhat better showing is made by the Magyars, one-eighth of the total number of this race being unable to read and write. Among all the races above mentioned a greater degree of illiteracy is shown among the females than among the males, 73.8 per cent of the South Italian, 70 per cent of the Lithuanian, 32.4 per cent of the Polish, 23.7 per cent of the Magyar, and 33.3 per cent of the Slovak females being illiterate.

The English and North Italian races stand out prominently in the degree of literacy they show. All the English males and all but 7.1 per cent of the females can read and write, and all except 8.7 per cent of the North Italian males and all except 6.2 per cent of the females are literate. The German is more illiterate than the North Italian, 12.5 per cent of the males and 15.4 per cent of the females being without the ability to read and write."

It is also important to inquire into the effect of the period of residence in this country upon the ability of the immigrant to read and write. In the following table is shown the percentage of 1,311 foreign-born persons in the South 10 years of age or over who can read and write, by years in the United States.

TABLE 533.-Per cent of foreign-born persons 10 years of age or over who read and per cent who read and write, by years in the United States and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only races with 40 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

From a glance at the preceding table it is evident that there is an intimate relation between period of residence and literacy, illiteracy decreasing as period of residence increases. Of all the immigrant races the greatest improvement in literacy growing out of an extended period of residence is found in the case of the South Italians, 75 per cent of the persons of this race who have been in the country ten years or more being able to read and write as compared with 43.9 per cent of the race who had been in the country under five years. All of the Germans of ten years' residence or over can read and write as contrasted with only 83.3 per cent who have been in the country less than five years. The North Italians also exhibit a considerable degree of advancement in the longer residence periods. Instead of improvement, an opposite tendency is noticeable among the Lithuanians, Slovaks, and Magyars. Among these races a smaller percentage of those who have been in the United States ten years or more can read and write than of those of a shorter residence.

In connection with the general subject of literacy it will be of value to compare the relative status of the foreign-born upon the basis of their age at the time of coming to the United States. This comparison is presented in the following table, which shows the literacy of foreign-born persons in the households studied, 10 years of age or over, by age at the time of arrival in the United States:

TABLE 534.-Per cent of foreign-born persons 10 years of age or over who read and per cent who read and write, by age at time of coming to the United States and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreignborn.]

Upon comparing the two groups in the above table, it is seen that of foreign-born persons who were less than 14 years of age when they came to this country 78.4 per cent can now read and 77.5 per cent can both read and write, while of those persons who were over 14 years old when they came to the United States only 72 per cent can now read and 70.7 per cent both read and write. The greater proportion of those under 14 at time of coming to this country who can both read and write is probably due to the greater adaptability of the younger immigrant as well as to the effects of the American public school system.