The division, in directing attention to this matter, strongly recommends that an effort be made by its field officers to bring this matter to the attention of employers generally, with the end in view of abolishing the arbitrary distinctions which have in a few years grown to sinister proportions and now mark a dead line beyond which capable, willing men and women may not go because of having passed a certain age.

The Division of Information believes that an effort should be made to bring the human element into prominence again in the world of labor.

PUBLICITY AGENT

Fully a fourth of the time of the official staff of the Division of Information is devoted to personally answering questions, or preparing written answers to inquiries that come by mail concerning the operations of the employment service. Students, economists, college officials, magazine and newspaper writers come under the head of seekers for information for educational purposes. Another class, having noticed reference to the work in print, actuated by curiosity, drop in to "see how it is done." It takes as much time to attend to the latter class as to the former, and all inquiries should be answered. It is therefore recommended that an additional clerk be added to the staff of the division whose first duty should be to prepare tables, statistics, and such other matter as may be required to answer such inquiries as come to the division concerning its work.

HARVEST-HAND SITUATION

As the time drew near to harvest the grain crop of 1916 the department was notified by the labor commissioners of Oklahoma, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota that 6000, 35,000 to 40,000, 10,000, and 8000 harvesters would be required in those States, respectively.

The experiences of 1914 and 1915 enabled the division to guard against the rushing of a great number of men to the grain fields. Accordingly the inspector in charge of zone No. 2 was directed to proceed to Kansas City, Missouri, where he opened headquarters and established an office with a view of intelligently directing applicants for work to the grain fields.

Since the activities of the official in charge of this work extended beyond the end of the fiscal year, the full report of what was done to afford help to the farmers of the West and Southwest may not be incorporated with this, but will be submitted in a supplementary report later on.

Inasmuch as the inspector in charge submitted a report up to the 30th of June, 1916, and since it contains a fund of valuable information as well as a report of the work done up to that date, a synopsis of it is incorporated with this. It will be found at the end of this report.

ZONE REPORTS ON INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY

As an aid to placing the unemployed in localities where public improvements were contemplated or where private enterprise would be likely to require help, it was decided by the division to conduct an inquiry concerning the starting up or probable starting up of new work, such as the building of railroads, canals, wagon roads, the erection of new factories, or the opening of mines. Accordingly the several zones were notified to obtain such information as they could gather.

This step was decided on so close to the end of the year that no progress of importance was made along the lines indicated. The following is a copy of the instructions issued to the field officers:

In addition to the duties heretofore assigned to you, you are instructed to inquire into, investigate, and report to the division the labor conditions in your zone as indicated in Form Inf. 32, entitled "Monthly Report of Labor Conditions," a supply of which will be sent you under separate cover. All work, whether in progress or under contemplation, of public or private nature should be reported, accompanied by such other information of a general character as may be deemed necessary, the information to be secured through directors of employment in their respective zones or otherwise in your discretion. The purpose of these reports is to enable the division to be in a position to give accurate information as to labor conditions throughout the country and if necessary to issue bulletins from time to time for the benefit of employers as well as employees.

It will be impracticable, except in a general way, to effect an interchange of the information referred to between widely separated districts, in view of which it is hereby directed that one copy of the

monthly report above referred to be forwarded to the division and extra copies furnished to other zones, as hereinafter set forth. On the Atlantic coast, zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 will exchange reports. In the Middle West, zones 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 will effect an interchange of reports. Zone 13 should also be included in this list for opportunities in the State of Nebraska only. On the Pacific coast, zones 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 will comprise the third division for the purpose hereinbefore explained. (Under present conditions it is not believed necessary to exchange reports between the central division and the Atlantic coast division, but it may be that the conditions will change to such an extent later on as to render it advisable to revise the above arrangement.) Officers engaged upon this work should take great pains in obtaining thoroughly reliable data so as to make the reports of interest as well as of value to employers of labor or their associations.

If the blank spaces provided under the heading "General conditions of employment, etc." or under the "Remarks" column are not sufficient, the reverse side of the blank may be used or a supplemental statement submitted on another page. The work of collecting this information will begin on July 1, thus enabling the officers in charge to submit reports promptly at the close of the month.

CONCLUSION

A review of the work done by the Division of Information for the year just ended will show that more was accomplished than in any previous year. Not only were those who secured employment materially benefited, but those depending on them and in large measure many others were aided through the activities of those who were removed from the ranks of the idle to the field where workers secured profitable employment.

The results achieved will prove of lasting benefit to the country at large, for in the main all who were directed by the division found permanent employment and in turn became distributors of the prosperity in which they shared.

The Division of Information deems it a pleasure to extend its thanks to the Secretary of Labor, the Assistant Secretary, and the Commissioner General for the generous aid and sympathetic coöperation accorded to it during the year. Without this aid and coöperation little of lasting good could have been accomplished; with these incentives to increased effort it has been a pleasant duty to all who perform service in the Division of Information.

IX. EDUCATION

EDUCATION OF IMMIGRANTS

BY H. H. WHEATON, SPECIALIST IN IMMIGRANT EDUCATION, BUREAU OF EDUCATION

Ν

I. GENERAL

IN 1914, when the Bureau of Education began a national inves

tigation of facilities for the education of aliens, chaos existed in this important phase of education. Few established and wellapproved standards existed, and practically all methods were in the experimental stage. Policies, except that of Federal noninterference, were known only to cities and States where evening schools for immigrants had been long maintained. Public agencies of various kinds were endeavoring to treat the problem each in its own way, without definite endeavor to coöperate with other agencies, and with no fixed policies. Immigrant education was considered at this time primarily a matter for local attention and jurisdiction. The spectacle of cities working out methods independently and adopting fads in immigrant education without the coördinating influence of even a clearing house of information was so common as hardly to excite comment. State supervision, and especially state aid, had not at this time been seriously considered. Only one State, New Jersey, had specified financial aid for the encouragement of immigrant classes. Only one other State, Massachusetts, had legislative provisions requiring the school attendance of illiterates up to 21 years of age. Federal interest was considered in some quarters both inopportune and improper. Establishment and maintenance of educational facilities had, by established precedent, and constitutional and legislative provisions, been left primarily to State governments and municipal and district school jurisdictions. The same policy was applied to the education of

immigrants. Such Federal interest as existed derived its impetus largely from the national attempt to remove illiteracy, since the foreign-born whites contributed in large numbers to the body of illiterates. The establishment of fundamental principles and policies in the education of immigrants was, so far as the Federal Government was concerned, agitated chiefly by reformers and social workers who came into more direct contact with the problem than governmental officials.

In contrast to State and Federal agencies, numerous private agencies and organizations - city, State, and National; civic, patriotic, and educational - were exploiting the field of immigrant education extensively. Frequently this was due to ulterior motives, among which may be cited the desire to secure financial support. Owing to the general, and, in some cases unintelligent, public interest in the immigrant, appealing instances of his condition were described for the purpose of securing contributions. Again, the creation and maintenance of English and civics classes were utilized as a means of building up the schools of private agencies, many of which, if investigated, would not have received full public sanction. The efforts of some private agencies, furthermore, were well meaning, but directed through the wrong channels. Types of educational facilities and instruction were provided wholly unsuited to the immigrant type, need, and condition, with the result that immigrant men and women were induced to attend classes of no practical value either to them in their life in America or to the country as an Americanizing influence. While the activities of the various private agencies so far mentioned were excusable, their general intentions being good, the exploitation of immigrants by political organizations and fellow countrymen, who maintained classes of instruction either for the purpose of securing excessive fees or for the purpose of making partisans politically of the immigrants who were being trained, was peculiarly harmful and a common occurrence. In several States, particularly California, through the investigation of the Commission of Immigration and Housing, instances were found where immigrants paid from $25 to $50 for a two weeks' course in English and civil government that they might be equipped to pass their naturalization examinations. So-called political clubs were formed in many localities by foreign-born