13. Geneva

Data furnished by A. J. Merrill, Superintendent of Schools. The population of Geneva is over 15,000. We have about 3,000, foreigners, mostly Italian.

The principal industries employing foreigners are the Empire Coke Company, American Can Company, U. S. Lens Company, U. S. Radiator Company, General Cutlery Company, General Preserving Company, Lehigh Valley and New York Central. None of them conduct classes for their employees as far as I know. We have night schools, but very few foreigners attend until after the first of December. We have only one now (November 10, 1919).

We employ day school teachers and pay them $2.50 to $4 per night.

The Education Department has recently made a canvass of the city to get information in regard to the foreign-born.

Letter from J. Macques, acting secretary, Geneva Chamber of Commerce, January 20, 1920:

"This office is in receipt of your letter of inquiry of December 22d regarding the work of Americanization in Geneva.

"The work so far has been done through the Civic League which has confined to date its efforts to the following lines:

"It consists mainly in classes in cooking and sewing for the women and children of the Italian settlement and in visits by their workers in the homes with a view to helping the living conditions among the foreigners. In the past the League instituted night classes for the men and, since the city opened a night school, has co-operated by securing attendance at the classes to some extent."

14. Glens Falls

Data furnished by Elbert W. Griffith, Superintendent of Schools.

The population of Glens Falls is about 18,000, with from 500 to 1,000 foreigners.

Paper and cement are the leading industries employing foreigners. They have no classes for their employees as far as I know.

We maintain night schools. We pay the teachers $3 per evening. In our union free school district are few foreigners. Such

illiterate foreigners as there are, live almost entirely in District 18, a territory which is not in union school district or controlled by board of education.

In our evening school we have an interesting class of about 20 adult foreigners who attend fairly regularly, whose average age may be 25. The session is three evenings a week from 7:30 to 9:30. The teacher is superior.

15. Gloversville

Data furnished by James A. Estie, Superintendent of Schools. The population of Gloversville is about 23,000. Italian and Jewish predominate among our foreign population.

The glove factories are the leading industries employing foreigners, but they do not conduct any classes.

We have fifty-six foreigners enrolled in our night schools, they average about 40 years of age and their attendance is fairly regular.

All societies in Gloversville are assisting in Americanization. work, especially the Red Cross. We have two teachers secured from the Immigrant Education Department of the state. also employ other teachers normal school graduates.

16. Herkimer

We

Letter from George M. Elmendorf, Superintendent of Schools, October 23, 1919:

"Herewith is a reply to your questionnaire. The population of Herkimer is about 10,000 possibly more.

"An estimate of the foreign population would be about 3,000. So far as I know none of the industries conduct classes of any kind. Three or four adult students attend our public schools. These are foreign-born men who have served in the United States army. At present there is no movement in our city to Americanize foreigners. The Superintendent of Schools is interested and a night school has been held during the winter months of certain years. One was held last year.

17. Ilion

Data furnished by Superintendent of Schools.

The population of Ilion is about 10,000, with almost no foreigners.

We have no facilities for teaching adult foreigners.

The Library Bureau does some Americanization work.

18. Ithaca

Data furnished by Superintendent of Schools.

The population of Ithaca is over 18,000, plus 6,000 students. Before the war we had about 1,000 Italians and as many more of mixed nationalities.

The industries employing foreigners are shot guns, chairs, signs, salt and cement. None of these conduct classes.

We pay our evening school teachers $2.50 per evening for a session of two hours. Our Americanization work is accomplished through our night schools with the co-operation of the State Department of Education.

The Object. The object of the night school is to furnish instruction to men and women, young and old, whose various duties. in the business of life make it impossible for them to attend the day sessions. For these there is neither age limit nor educational qualifications- just come and we will do the rest.

An enrollment fee of $2 is charged residents of the city, onehalf of which registration fee will be refunded at the close of the session provided pupils have been perfect in attendance and have returned their text books. Otherwise 10 cents for each absence will be deducted from the amount to be returned. Classes for Foreigners. The English work with foreigners will be based upon (a) personal matters., e. g., articles of clothing; (b) household matters, e. g., cooking utensils, furniture, etc.; (c) civic matters, e. g., how to become a citizen, free school, police, fire and health departments; (d) state and national government. Beginners class for those who are unable to speak or read the English language at all first reader grade, 5 credits.

Intermediate class for those who are able to read English equal in difficulty to the first reader easily, 5 credits.

Advanced class for foreigners-same as class number one given under English courses above. Spelling and composition I will also be included. Also work leading to the taking out of citizenship papers, 5 credits.

Letters from F. D. Boynton, Superintendent of Schools, October 21 and November 13, 1919.

"In addition to the night school we are conducting an extension course in the section of the city where there seems to be a large number of foreigners. We find, however, that only a few of the men can be reached, and practically not any of the women. We have made a house to house canvass,

printing our literature and explaining in Italian and Hungarian languages that the night school is entirely free to foreigners.

"In my judgment we will not get the results we wish to secure until we have compulsory attendance. My whole study of this question for the Commission on Emergency in Education representing the N. E. A., goes to show that we have approximately in this state 600,000 non-Englishspeaking, reading and writing foreigners. Plenty of these have been in our state for a long time, and, as you probably know, do what reading they are able to do in the language of Europe, herding together so as to continue in this country the social customs, practices and traditions which they brought to this country with them, educating their children by the thousands in elementary schools where the teachers themselves are unable to read, write or speak English. My own view of the matter is that any topic, secular or religious, civic or social, which cannot be taught in the English language is an unfit subject for the consideration of decent people and should be distinctly barred from public and private schools of all grades.

"I feel that what we need is legislation which will give constituted school authorities power to (a) compel attendance of all foreigners of all ages to attend some kind of organized school which will teach them English and the principles of this government; (b) that after a definite number of years in this country every foreigner who has not learned the language must leave it; (c) that within a given period newspapers may be printed in any foreign language, but after that period in English only, unless printed in English and the foreign language given in parallel columns; (d) that English alone shall be the language used in all public and private elementary schools for the purpose of instruction. Personally, I believe that anything religious or secularwhich cannot be taught in the English language is unfit to be taught in any language, especially in America."

19. Lancaster

Letter from P. J. Zeilman, Superintendent of Schools, November 17, 1919:

"Last year we had a class for adults of foreign birth and we had enrolled three Italians, four Spaniards and one

Austrian. The Austrian attended with exceptional regularity and made good progress. The attendance of the Spaniards was poor and that of the Italians was good. One made exceptional progress. This class was conducted in connection with the evening school. This year we again offered the course, which included reading, writing and citi zenship, and only three presented themselves. I advised them to attend at Depew where there are large classes organized. They took my advice and are now enrolled at Depew. "I am of the opinion that the only way to make America safe for Americans is to make Americans of all who make this land their home. From my observation only a small percentage of those coming from Europe have any desire to become truly American, and it will, therefore, be necessary to compel attendance upon our institutions of learning or upon classes conducted in the shop. With the eight-hour day, it seems to me that no great hardship would be worked if adult illiterate foreigners were required to receive instruction in English and American ideals for at least four hours each week. It matters not whether the instruction is given in shop or school, but it must be under control of the educational authorities of the states.

"The mass of foreigners cannot be reached unless their job depends on it. This is the opinion given me by one of their number."

20. Lockport

Data furnished by Emmet Belknap, Superintendent of Schools. The population of Lockport is approximately 21.000, and the foreign part of it is estimated somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000. Steel, glass, paper, automobile parts, concrete construction are the principal industries employing foreigners. Last year some effort was made to conduct factory classes for foreigners, but it was not successful. The steel plant offered room for classes to be taught by school authorities, but we did not get them organized. The epidemic in October interfered.

We have about forty foreign-born students enrolled in evening classes, and we expect more. Their attendance is regular as far

as hours of employment will permit.

We use the best qualified day school teachers that are available. Men directors receive $3.50 per night; women teachers, $2 and $2.50.