Mr. President. it may be interesting as well as profitable for the Senate to consider how this immigrant class are employed. The investigations showand I am very glad to state the factthat substantially 36 per cent of the present immigration comes from the classes which constitute what we have called the old immigration. those coming from northwestern Europe. who are mostly skilled laborers. and who find their way into the higher grades of manufactures in the United States. But. on the other hand. the improved machinery in our manufactories. the new methods of mining. and the new methods of carrying on other productive industries. are such that a very much larger proportion of common labor can be employed than formerly. The investigation of the commission covered 37 leading industries in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. and in that investigation they came in contact with 619.595 individuals. Of that vast army of workmen. 55.9 per cent. almost 60 per cent. was foreign born. In the iron and steel industry 57.7 per cent were foreign born. and in slaughtering. meat packing. in wool and worsteds. in coal. copper. leather. cotton goods. clothing. and silk goods. all taken together. 65.6 per cent of the employees were foreign born. I will not take the time to go through with the industries and show which nationality predominated or outnumbered the others in each particular one. but will come to some encouraging features in connection with the statement I have just made.
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immigration immigrant foreign born