the United States of America

Similarly the decrease in illiteracy among women over io years of age from 20.3% in 1890 to 4.3% in 1930 reflects the increasing educational opportunities that have been opened to them. In the decade 1910-20 for the first time their percentage of illiteracy to one, the Roman Catholic church was far ahead of any other single denomination. For membership of each denomination see separate articles on the various denominations. The trend toward fewer organizations in spite of increased membership is noticed in the Disciples of Christ, Congregational, Methodist, Presby terian and other denominations. Nineteen of the denominations reported in 1916 were not included in the 1926 census, having either dropped out of existence or joined other organizations. Thirty-two new denominations were reported for the first time in 1926, some being created by divisions within the old churches, others being original organizations. The immigration from south eastern Europe gave great strength to some sects which had no existence in the religious census of 1890, notably those of the Eastern Orthodox churches (Russian, Serbian, Syrian and Greek).

The Roman Catholic was the leading denomination in member ship in every one of the northern and western States, except in Idaho and Utah where the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) pre dominated by a large margin. In the Southern States the leading denominations were either Baptist or Methodist. The Lutherans are relatively strongest in the North-Central division of the country, their members consisting chiefly of Germans and Scan dinavians. The other important Protestant bodies are widely and fairly evenly distributed over the country. A census taken by the Christian Herald in 1934 gave the Roman Catholics 20,398,509 members, Baptists, 10,027,929 and Methodists, 8,976,492.

At the census of 1926 the total annual expenditure of religious bodies was $817,214,528 as compared with $328,809,999 in 1916. The value of church property was $3,839,500,610 as against $1,676,600,582 in 1916.

Occupations.

Of persons io years or more of age 48,829,92o —nearly two-fifths (39.8%) of the country's total population— were gainfully employed in 1930. In 1900 the percentage was 38.3. In 1920 and 1930 ten main occupational groups were listed (5.9%) was less than that for men (6%). In the total popu lation of voting age women were still behind men in illiteracy, the percentages being 5.4 to 5.2 ; but within the age group 1 o to 24 years the reverse was true. In 1930, 69.9% of the total popu lation 5 to 20 years of age was in attendance at some school, com pared with 64.3% in 1920. In 1930 the percentage of males in

attendance (70.2%) slightly exceeded that of females (69.7%).

Religious Bodie.

According to the census of religious bodies taken by the Federal Census Bureau in 1926 there were in the United States 212 religious denominations, represented by organizations with 54,576,346 members. Compared with the reli gious census of 1916 this represents an increase of 12 denomina tions, 5,436 organizations and 12,649,492 members. This compari son tends to exaggerate the increase during the decade because the figures for membership are not strictly comparable.

While statistics of membership may be used in a very general way for comparison of denominational strength, it must be re membered that membership is counted very differently in different denominations, the membership of children especially differing between Roman Catholic and most Protestant bodies. Though Protestants as a group outnumbered Roman Catholics almost two by the Census Bureau, in which the number of wage-earners, male and female, were as follows : Perhaps the most interesting change occurring during the decade 1910-20 was the advance to first place of manufacturing and mechanical industries over agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry in the number of workers employed. Agriculture, for estry and animal husbandry had previously held the lead ever since 179o. Another exchange which registered the changing social and economic life of the nation was the decrease of workers in domestic and personal service, and the increase in clerical occupations.

The total number of gainfully employed in 193o included 76.2% of the males and 22% of the females over 1 o years of age resi dent in the country. In 190o the corresponding percentages were 8o•o and 18.8; in 188o they were 78.7 and 14.7. The proportion of women workers is greatest in New England, New York and New Jersey, where they are engaged in manufacturing, and in the Southern States where the negro women are engaged in agricul ture. The most important increase of women in any field was in that of clerical occupations. In the manufacturing industries women are employed chiefly in the dress and millinery trades and in the cotton factories. Of the women in professional service 860,278 were school teachers, and 288,737 trained nurses. The number of women in trade increased from 472,703 in 1910 to 671, 983 in 1920 and 962,68o in 1930. Of the latter total 560,720 were saleswomen and store clerks. In 1930 28.9% of the women in industry were married.