THE CAUSES OF IMMIGRATION 
17 
Speaking broadly, for every dollar sent more than a 
dollar’s worth of productive labor has been expended 
here. The worker has fully earned his dollar. On 
the other hand, if that dollar, instead of being in 
vested in his home country, were invested in the 
United States the benefit would be greater. America 
would have the productive influence not only of the 
labor but also of the capital made from the savings; 
ar >d, furthermore, this country and not the home 
country would be deriving in the years to come the 
benefit of the added experience, improved skill and 
stimulated spirit of enterprise of the immigrant. In 
returning to Europe he raises, if he has been success 
ful, the standard of living of that country. That 
makes his country a better market for us. While, 
therefore, we may not properly oppose the return of 
the immigrant, we may well offer inducements to 
change his mental attitude so that he will prefer to 
make his investments and his permanent residence 
here. Again, if the process of selection is practicable, 
We may well select those immigrants whose intention 
rt is permanently to identify themselves with their 
adopted country, rather than those whose residence 
Is but temporary. 
But the question of the transfer of unskilled labor 
from Europe to America must be considered, not only 
from the point of view of the country of emigration, 
but likewise from that of immigration. Our papers 
frequently discuss the need of a cheap labor sup 
ply to build our railroads, dig our canals, till our 
fields and perform the manifold other kinds of work 
which call for unskilled labor. This demand for a 
large supply of unskilled labor had doubtless justifi 
cation in the days when the first Pacific railroads were