THE CAUSES OF IMMIGRATION 
19 
mg of many laborers with the thought that they could 
furnish these work, temporarily at least, at low wages. 
But we can hardly speak of a proper demand for 
labor unless we mean a demand at wages certainly 
not less than the prevailing rates, with the conditions 
of labor not less favorable than those now obtaining. 
In very many instances the labor supply in any local 
ly would be found to be elastic, provided the em 
ployer were willing to increase his wages but slightly 
or to improve the conditions under which his la 
borers work. 
The attitude of the American wage-earner is dif 
ferent, not only from that of the employer, but from 
that of the immigrant as well. The employer wishes 
to secure efficient help at low cost. The more in 
telligent of the wage-earners naturally prefer a de 
mand for labor, which means a demand at something 
more than existing rates, or under conditions better 
than those prevailing. The immigrant unfamiliar 
with American conditions, often not even under 
standing the language in which he must make his 
contract, and confronted with working methods which 
are new to him, while naturally preferring the best 
he can get, is often willing to work under conditions 
and at wages which would not appeal to American 
Working men, but which to him seem satisfactory, 
even liberal, because they are so much better than 
any he has ever known before. Moreover, when the 
wage-earner is one unfamiliar, as are most immi 
grants, with American conditions, he is likely to be 
eager, perhaps too eager, to secure work at almost 
any wage above that affording a mere subsistence. 
Usually he is not in touch with the American working 
man or with trade-unions, and does not know what