102 
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM 
of their wants but to whom they also expect to turn 
in times of emergency or necessity. As a conse 
quence, the alien of recent arrival seeks the colonies 
of his own people in our cities and towns. He be 
comes a miner, a steel or glass worker, or a textile 
operative, but does not enter farming. 
There are also other reasons why the southern and 
eastern European does not go to the farm. Chief 
among these is the fact that the average immigrant 
of recent years, unlike his predecessor from Great 
Britain, Ireland and northern Europe, does not intend 
to remain permanently in the United States. After 
a few years of work and privation, he hopes to ac 
cumulate enough money to enable him to return to 
his native land and purchase a farm, remove a mort 
gage from property he already possesses, or to im 
prove his economic status in some other way. He 
is not possest of the pioneering spirit which would 
lead him to create a home upon new or vacant lands 
in this country. He wishes to earn as much as he 
can within a limited time, and by living upon a basis 
of minimum cheapness to save the maximum amount 
possible. The inducement held forth by an industrial 
establishment offers the most available means for the 
gratification of this ambition. The invention of im 
proved machinery renders it possible for the manu 
facturer or mining operator to offer employment to 
the cheap and untrained alien. Furthermore, the 
necessitous conditions of the present-day immigrant 
when he arrives in the United States makes it im 
perative for him to seek work at once under any 
conditions which may be offered. He has no money 
with which to purchase land. In consequence the 
southern and eastern European farmer or farm la