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Besides the public day and evening schools, the Twentieth Century Club is doing some Americanization work.

For night school we require the same sort of teachers as for day school, and we pay them $1,000 to $1,200.

8. Depew

J. P. Sherrard, Superintendent of Schools, letter, November 20,

1919.

"In reply to your letter of November 14th, inst. it gives me great pleasure in giving you the information you desire, in order to formulate recommendations to the legislature for an increased program of education in Americanization for adult illiterate foreigners.

"I have taught school for the past 15 years, in school districts which ran from 45 to 60 per cent, foreign population. For the past ten years I have conducted evening vocational schools in these communities. In connection therewith I had classes in Americanization or Citizenship. This is, at the beginning we undertook to teach them how to read and write and answer questions whereby the courts would admit them to full citizenship. Later we spent more time in teaching them how to read and write and figure.

"Last year I conducted four classes in Americanization or Citizenship and am doing the same this year. In all my experience I find that the illiterate minor is just the one who absolutely refuses to attend these classes. It seems strange to me to hear so much said about educating the illiterate minor, for I failed to see any minor take advantage of these citizenship classes. My experience is that they always wait until they are 22, 25, 30 sometimes 40 years of age before they realize that it is necessary for them to know any English or be able to read, cipher and write. Last year I had 80 women and men registered in my foreign classes. This year I have about the same number. In this number there was no one under 22 years of age. The average age would be about 28 or 30 years. The nationalities consist of Polish, Hungarian, Austrian, Italian, Sicilian, Greek, Swedish, Spanish, and Russian. As a whole, they do not attend regularly. Once in a while we find a man or woman who will become interested and attend regularly for

the entire term. Most of them come a certain period at a time and then quit, and their places are filled by others entering the class. With these older women and men I find that they work hard all day, and many of them far from their homes, and when they arrive home after their day's work they are too tired to change their clothes and walk some distance to the school building for evening school work.

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The courses that we offer them are as I stated above: Reading, writing, arithmetic, history of our country and some knowledge of our government.

"I believe that the foreign-born minor will never enter an evening school or day school unless by compulsion on the part of the state or nation. I further believe that all illiterate or non-English speaking people should be compelled by the state legislature to attend evening school or parttime day school, and the industries and corporations should be prohibited to hire non-English speaking people unless they show interest enough to attend evening school or parttime day school. Such a law would be very beneficial in stamping out propaganda which is being distributed to the non-English reading people of this country. It would help to control strikes and other seditious activities which we are now threatened with in this country.

"I would suggest that a state law be enacted requiring all non-English speaking people under 35 years of age to attend evening school or part-time school, and that all industries would be prohibited under penalty to engage such people unless they show interest and produce evidence that they are making suitable progress in the English language by attending school. Each man could be furnished with a card by the factory and have it endorsed by the school authorities.

"I shall be very glad to give you any other information on this subject that you may desire. I shall be glad to have your Committee communicate with me at any time."

9. Dunkirk

We have some foreign

Data from F. R. Darling, Superintendent of Schools. The population of Dunkirk is 20,000. population Polish, Italian and German.

The chief industries

ploying these foreigners are the American Locomotive Comny, the Crucible Steel Company and other steel and iron indusies. None of them have classes for their employees. Public night schools are conducted in four buildings 80 nights the year. We have about 85 foreigners in the night schools, attendance is fairly regular, and the average age of the reign pupils is between 30 and 40.

We employ teachers with special training in immigrant educaon as far as possible. We give $2.50 per session of two hours, 1.ich seems to be sufficient at present.

Letter from Mr. F. R. Darling, Superintendent of Schools and Iso Chairman of the Americanization Committee, November 4, 919:

"We have a large, active Americanization Committee which has been engaged since early last spring in furthering the work of Americanization in the city of Dunkirk. Subcommittees were formed among the various nationalities of the city, and proceeded to secure the names of every person not a citizen, to urge all such to become citizens, in case they did not respond, to find out the reason why they did not desire citizenship. As a result of this work, several hundred aliens have made application for citizenship. The committee has given assistance in every possible way to foreigners seeking naturalization.

The second task taken up by the Americanization Committee was in co-operation with the public evening schools. Here again through our sub-committees we urged nonEnglish speaking foreigners to enroll in the night school. As a result, we have about 125 foreigners enrolled in these classes.

"Our third effort was undertaken with the young women of the city for whom a club was formed, open to any young woman, which meets in the high school building each Monday evening. About 200 girls from all parts of the city are enrolled in this club and are divided into sections that give their attention to cooking, sewing, home nursing, etc., for part of each evening, the remainder of the evening being devoted to games and dancing."

10. Elmira

Data received from the Superintendent of Schools.

The population of Elmira is about 45,000. According to the 1910 census, the foreign population was as follows:

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The foundry and knitting mills are the principal industries employing these foreigners. There are no factory classes for them, but we have from fifty to 100 foreign-born students in our evening schools. The average age is 30. The attendance is regular.

For teachers of our foreign-born, we require the qualifications of a regular teacher together with a knowledge of the life and ideals of the foreigner and the best methods of creating enthusiasm for American institutions and American ideals. They receive for a school year not less than $1,000.

Americanization work is done by the Board of Education. Letter from Mr. M. J. Duryea, managing secretary, Elmira Chamber of Commerce, January 13, 1920:

"Up to the present time we have not undertaken any definite program for Americanization in our factories. We do not have a very large foreign population in Elmira and do not have the acute situation that some cities have in this respect. However, I believe that Americanization should be one of the activities of every well-organized chamber of commerce and I hope to see the Elmira Chamber of Commerce line up soon on this work.

"We have been doing some work with the New York State League for Americanism and have had one of their speakers here to talk to our people. There is also under way through some of our organizations, a plan to emphasize the importance of naturalization papers and to make some public demonstration over the admission of some of our men to citizenship.

11. Fredonia

Data furnished by Williams B. Blaisdell, Superintendent of Schools.

The population of Fredonia is about 6,500, 2,500 of whom are Italian.

The chief industries employing our foreign-born are the Locomotive Works, Atlas Crucible Steel Works, U. S. Radiator Works, grape industry, none of which have classes for their employees. As yet we have no night schools, but we contemplate opening such schools. Also we contemplate Americanization work, but nothing has been done as yet.

12. Geneseo

Data furnished by the Superintendent of Schools.

The population of Geneseo is about 2,500, 300 of whom are Italian.

The chief industries employing foreigners are the canning factories and salt mines.

We have about 20 foreigners in our night school and their attendance is fairly regular. They average about 25 years.

We pay our night school teachers $1,000 per year and our day school teachers $1 500.

Americanization work is being done by the State Normal School here.

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