a common point of view: "I no send daughter to school. When 17 or 18 she marry. I send boy 'til 14 or 15. He get education, make more money, stay with me." They have, therefore, learned to associate greater earning capacity with education. In some cases the mothers are so anxious to start children in school that very little ones are claimed to be 4 years old; and the number of Italian girls and boys in the upper grades is increasing. The difficulties in the way of enforcing the compulsory education law are the scattered country houses, the tendency to keep one child out of school to care for the younger children or to do other work, and the early withdrawals or late entrance to school of children who are berry picking or working on the farms. Little children of 3 or 4 years of age are started in as nurses for the baby until, in the case of some girls, a child of 10 or 12 years of age has never been to school. A strict enforcement of the law can meet this difficulty.

In order to compare the physical development of these Italian children with that of city children the writer in the fall of 1905 examined over 600 Hammonton school children, including the children in four of the suburban schools. In many cases a local physician also examined them, and he found that most of the Italian children were in a good physical condition and that their general health compared favorably with that of American (4) children.

Five hundred and ninety-one children (188 Italian boys and 163 Italian girls, and 110 American boys and 130 American girls), from 4. years to 14 years of age were examined. The number of children for the different ages varied, but a fair average was represented. A comparison of the figures showing the average height and weight of Italian boys and girls with those for American boys and girls of Hammonton indicates, as would be expected, that the Americans are superior in physique, but it is significant that the differences are not very great, especially among the younger children; for example, the Italian girls of 5 years old average 41.4 inches in height, the American girls 42.5 inches; the Italian boys 41.6 inches, and the American boys 41.8 inches; the Italian girls weigh 40.9 pounds, the American girls 42.2 pounds; the Italian boys 41.7 pounds, and the American boys 40.5 pounds. In the matter of weight the Italian boys are superior, and the average height and weight for ages of 6 years and 7 years, respectively, are equally satisfactory. As the children grow older the race tendencies are noticeable, and at 12 to 13 years of age the American children have the advantage of almost 3 inches in height. for girls and 2 inches for boys, and 6 pounds for both sexes in weight.

a "American" is used in a broad sense, and includes all children not Italians, a few being born in Germany or elsewhere. About 10 per cent of the Italian children were born in Italy, and had lived in the United States for periods ranging from six months to eleven years.

The condition of the Italian children is shown to more advantage when their measurements are compared with the measurements of the average American child. The American children of Hammonton are as a rule slightly above the average in height, but slightly below in weight, while the Italian children are about 1 inch inferior in height, the younger children being almost the average in weight, and none of them are far below the average. For example, the average

height of children at 5 years old is 41.5 inches, (a) the Italian boys measured averaging 41.6 inches and the girls 41.4 inches; the average of children at 6 years is 44 inches, the Italian boys averaging 42.9 inches, the girls 43.1 inches; the average of children at 7 years is 16 inches, the Italian boys averaging 45.5 inches, the girls 45.5 inches. In weight, the average weight of children at 5 years is 41 pounds, the Italian boys averaging 41.7 pounds, the girls 40.9 pounds; the average of children at 6 years is 45 pounds, the Italian boys averaging 41.7 pounds, the girls 42.5 pounds; the average of children at 7 years is 49.5 pounds, the Italian boys averaging 47.4 pounds and the girls 48.3 pounds. In a comparison of these figures with measurements of Massachusetts children the Italian children of Hammonton, especially the boys, average well in height, but are slightly inferior in weight.

A comparison of the measurements of the Italian children of Hammonton with those of children of Turin, Italy (), and of New York City (c) show more valuable results. Measurements of children from Turin, a city in northern Italy, will unquestionably exceed the measurements of children from southern Italy; but even the disadvantageous conditions of New York City show the younger children of New York to be slightly superior in height and weight. (4) For example, at 6 years of age the average height of Turin boys is 40.7 inches and of girls 40.2 inches; of New York boys 42.4 inches and of girls 41.4 inches; in weight Turin boys average 36.8 pounds and the girls 36.2 pounds, while in New York City boys average 44.2 pounds and girls 40.9 pounds. For the older children the New York City children average slightly less in weight than the Turin children; however, when the Turin figures are compared with the Hammonton figures, the Hammonton figures are in every case superior to the Turin figures, and the Hammonton figures are also in every case superior to the New York figures, as is shown in the following table:

• The figures of Dr. L. E. Holt, as given in "The Care and Feeding of Children,' are used. The weight also includes clothing. The figures are for boys, but girls usually weigh one pound less than boys and have the same height.

b Official.

Obtained from agent of Prudential Life Insurance Company.

d Also include some northern Italians, while Hammonton Italians are all from southern Italy or Sicily.

AVERAGE HEIGHT AND WEIGHT OF ITALIAN CHILDREN IN TURIN, NEW YORK AND HAMMONTON, BY SEX AND AGE.

5

10

7 10 5 7 10 years. years. years. years. years. years. years. years. years. years. years. years.

5

8

10

5

8

These figures indicate that Italian children tend to improve in physique in the United States, an improvement which is more noticeable in a favorable rural environment.

The physical examination of New York and Hammonton children shows other important differences. The agent of an industrial life insurance company reported that in New York City the complexions of the children were waxy, with dark rings under the eyes, and there were general indications of rickets. Out of 604 children examined 59, or 9.8 per cent, had rickets; many children were anemic; their dentition was imperfect; the expressions on their faces were . unpleasant, and their clothes were also ragged and filthy. In different examinations, out of 100 children 44 were considered undesirable risks; out of 94, 20; and out of 200, 64. The Hammonton children, on the other hand, in the opinion of the examining physician, presented fair risks. Their complexions were good and healthy; in only twenty cases were sores or blemishes mentioned, and these not serious; rickets is an unknown disease in Hammonton, and there were no indications of anemia. While the countenances of many of the children were sober, these children seemed happy and well nourished; some had exceptionally bright faces, and few abnormalities were found. There were three definitely marked cases where the teeth indicated syphilis; there were three cases of tongue-tie, four of flat chests, two of phthisis, one of sore eye, one of sore eyelid, and one of puffy eyes; two boys were feeble-minded, and one was eccentric. Several boys had spreading ears, one a mapped tongue and an angular jaw, and another could not straighten his arm because of a fracture. These were the only defects noted in over 300 children. The dentition was generally good, although decay of the teeth had sometimes set in, from lack of care. The examining physician made use of the stethoscope, measured the childrens' chests, and tested their breathing capacity, which demonstrated normal development. The clothing of the Hammonton children has already been described. It was, however, noticeable in the examination that the unkempt or ragged children were more generally found in the outlying schools; especially was this the case at one school largely frequented by newcomers. Some of these children had strings or strips of calico for

hair ribbons, torn shoes and stockings, and but few buttons on their patched and ill-fitting garments. Many children were noted as "not clean," while others were neatly and even tastefully clothed, noticeably in the higher grades and at the central school.

Unquestionably the physical environment of a rural community like Hammonton makes for the well-being of Italian children, and the good results are soon shown in a better physique.

The recent history of the United States has shown that our cities. have been greatly benefited by the influx of young men and women from the country districts, and that the children of immigrants who enter city life by way of the farm-that is, children whose parents have first settled in rural districts where the children have been subject to good physical conditions and a close contact with Americans--undoubtedly are better fitted to cope with the competition and the wear and tear of urban business. There is some slight proof at hand that this is true of Hammonton young men. The following table shows some of the occupations other than farming into which young people have entered. Among those who have gone to Philadelphia it is noticeable that they are engaged in occupations requiring some degree of skill and intelligence.

OCCUPATIONS OF ITALIAN ADULTS OF SECOND GENERATION.

The work chosen by the Italian young people of Hammonton reveals, however, a tendency of far greater importance for the future of Italian immigrants. A large majority of them are found in the

local factories, which gives them the continued benefit of country life, with the new homes, the good air, the garden products, the simple pleasures, and the contact with Americans. It also insures that their children the third generation-will grow up in similar surroundings. For those who finally go to the city it means a previous industrial training that makes them better able to secure good positions. The solution of the problem of assimilating Italian immigrants probably lies in establishing them in country districts where the climate and products are suited to their constitutions and knowledge of farming, and in providing manufacturing plants with simple processes which will require the labor of young people. In order to accomplish this object it is necessary that the immigrants should not be allowed to stop in New York or other cities, but should be conveyed at once to their destination. The Sicilians are especially wedded to country life, but many of the people from southern Italy would be willing to start their new life on our farms if the way were made clear for them. Within the past ten years there has been a tendency for groups of Italians to settle and buy small farms or truck patches near large cities or where some particular kind of work was carried on. Thus, they have located in West Philadelphia near a stone quarry; in Chester, Pa., where manufacturing plants are located; at Rosetta, Pa., where there are quarries, and where the town government is in the hands of Italians; at Alexandria, Va., and at Bryan, Tex., where Italians were sent to work on the railroad, and finding land cheap they sent for their families and bought farms.

Three things are necessary to bring about a proper distribution of Italian immigrants: (1) Well-organized plans, (2) financial support, and (3) an appreciation of the fact that an Italian is a desirable. acquisition. The industrial departments of the railroads, the immigration bureaus of the Southern States, the State and town leagues and business men's associations for the betterment of their localities, the United States Immigration Bureau, and the philanthropic societies for alleviating the evils arising from immigration and for aiding immigrants need only to cooperate to provide the plan and the money. While the need of labor is felt in the South and in various other localities, the Italian has only recently been considered as a possible substitute for northern Europeans. If this brief study has aided in giving a fairer estimate of the qualities of this people, showing them to be industrious, willing, well behaved, and progressive, its object has been accomplished.

304B-No. 70—07——5