84 RURAL SOCIOLOGY 



One reason for the ill-prepared food and the lack of tidiness is 

 undoubtedly that the women and children must work so much in 

 the fields. The entire family spends all the available time out- 

 doors. Their poverty compels this, consequently these condi- 

 tions are bound to continue until these peoples have accumulated 

 a surplus sufficient to afford them some leisure. 



Another result of this hard work is the neglect of education, a 

 tendency furthered by an inclination to under-estimate its value. 

 In their own countries the educational facilities are very de- 

 ficient, thus accounting for the high percentage of illiteracy 

 among them. Since religion and education -are very closely asso- 

 ciated among them they prefer sending their children to the 

 Catholic parochial schools in which a minimum emphasis is 

 placed on English education. Furthermore they are not accus- 

 tomed to democratic institutions. Therefore it is not surprising 

 that they take little interest in politics. No free public lands 

 act as a spur. Gradually but very slowly they are commencing 

 to take interest in local affairs. Participation in these will un- 

 doubtedly broaden their conception until they extend their at- 

 tention to state and national affairs. Here again lies a danger. 

 Hitherto they have generally acted as a group, following certain 

 leaders. If these leaders should happen to be unscrupulous, the 

 result would be detrimental. The exception is again the Jew. 

 He realized the value of education, and succeeds well in educa- 

 tional lines. In politics he acts independently although gov- 

 erned by a strong race-consciousness. 



On account of their poverty and the absence of free public 

 lands, a large number of these immigrants become tenants and 

 laborers. Practically all the Portuguese labor in the cranberry 

 bogs where they have become almost indispensable. The Slavic 

 laborer is very subservient while the Italian is inclined to shirk 

 if he is not closely supervised. Their type of agriculture differs 

 from that of the earlier immigrant with respect to the average 

 acreage. A large number have five acres or less while very few 

 have eighty which may be considered the minimum holding of 

 the earlier immigrant. On account of the smaller holdings there 

 are also fewer general farmers. The agricultural conditions of 

 their own countries would lead us to expect small scale farming. 

 The products raised depend, of course, on the section in which 



