----------------+--------+-------------+--------+--------+------------- | |United States| | | Russia and AGES. | Total. | (includes |Ireland.|Germany.| Poland | | colored). | | |(mostly Jews). ----------------+--------+-------------+--------+--------+------------- Total | 26.25 | 45.18 | 36.04 | 22.14 | 16.71 Under 15 years | 41.28 | 62.25 | 40.71 | 30.38 | 32.31 15 to 25 years | 7.55 | 9.43 | 15.15 | 7.14 | 2.53 25 to 65 years | 21.64 | 25.92 | 39.51 | 21.20 | 7.99 65 and under | 104.72 | 105.96 | 120.92 | 88.51 | 84.51 ----------------+--------+-------------+--------+--------+------------- From this table it appears, despite the extreme poverty of the Russian and Polish Jews in the most densely crowded portions of New York; despite the unsanitary tenements, the overcrowding, the long hours in sweat shops; that nevertheless, a viability is manifested which is simply unprecedented. Tailoring is one of the most deadly occupations known; the Jews of New York are principally engaged in this employment; and yet they contrive to live nearly twice as long on the average as their neighbors, even those engaged in the outdoor occupations. Is this tenacity of life despite every possible antagonistic influence, an ethnic trait; or is it a result of peculiar customs and habits of life? There is much which points to the latter conclusion as the correct one. For example, analysis of the causes of mortality shows an abnormally small proportion of deaths from consumption and pneumonia, the dread diseases which, as we know, are responsible for the largest proportion of deaths in our American population. This immunity can best be ascribed to the excellent system of meat inspection prescribed by the Mosaic laws. It is certainly not a result of physical development, as we have just seen. Hoffmann cites authority showing that in London often as much as a third of the meats offered for sale are rejected as unfit for consumption by Jews. Is not this a cogent argument in favor of a more rigid enforcement of our laws providing for the food inspection of the poor?