The important questions to be considered in this review of the housing situation are, who were the people who used these cottages, and what difference did the effort of the relief authorities really make to them?
The proportion of foreign born persons among the occupants of the camp cottages was very large, though not quite so large, as will be seen, as was the proportion of the foreign born among the recipients of bonuses.[179]
[179] See [Table 74], [p. 241].
TABLE 65.—NATIONALITY OF APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER THE COTTAGE PLAN
| Nationality | Native born applicants whose parents were of each specified nationality | Foreign born applicants of each specified nationality |
|---|---|---|
| American | 193 | .. |
| Irish | 16 | 127 |
| Italian | 6 | 73 |
| German | 4 | 55 |
| Mexican | 1 | 52 |
| English | 2 | 34 |
| Porto Rican | 0 | 27 |
| French | 1 | 15 |
| Other nationalities | 8 | 66 |
| Total | 231 | 449 |
The three nationalities which will be found in greatest numbers among the recipients of the bonus likewise appeared most frequently among those who received camp cottages, though the order is different. The Americans among the cottagers outnumbered the Irish, and the Italians were in the third place.
The status of these families with regard to marriage, death, divorce, and desertion was obtained in every case.
TABLE 66.—CONJUGAL CONDITION OF FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE COTTAGE PLAN
| Conjugal condition | Families of each specified conjugal condition |
|---|---|
| Married couples | 402 |
| Widows | 188 |
| Single men or women | 44 |
| Deserted wives | 25 |
| Widowers | 18 |
| Divorced men or women | 3 |
| Total | 680 |
Though the number of families given as intact is 402, in 73 instances either the husband or the wife had, at the time of the investigation, gone from home in search of work, health, or for other reasons. The large excess of women who had lost their husbands, over the number of men who had lost their wives, is striking, and is certainly out of all proportion to the number of widows in the city. No explanation is offered other than to suggest the greater financial necessity of widows, especially of those with children. It is known that some of those included among the 44 single persons were members of a larger family, and possibly in a few instances they supported an aged parent or others. Six of the desertions occurred between April 18, 1906, and the time of the investigation, and four persons were during that time removed from family life to be imprisoned.