CHAPTER VIII 
THE INFLUENCE OF ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN THE 
COUNTRIES OF EMIGRATION 
To be comprehensive, an analysis of the cyclical aspects of mi- 
gration should throw light on the relative influence of economic 
conditions in the countries of emigration and of immigration. Are 
fluctuations in the tide of migration due primarily to conditions at 
home or in the country of destination? Does the emigrant leave at a 
particular time because his status at home becomes intolerable or 
because the prospects in the “promised land’ are unusually attrac- 
tive? 
If we had no better method of reaching a decision on this point, 
we should judge from a priori reasoning that the dominant cause of 
an unusual volume of emigration is most probably the attraction of 
unusual opportunities in the prospective home of the emigrant rather 
than the expelling force of unusually bad conditions in his former 
home. Particularly is this true of a common increase in emigration 
from several sources to a particular host country, especially if there 
is no similar increase in emigration from these same sources to 
other host countries. 
An important consideration is that the passage money for many 
immigrants is furnished by relatives and friends in the United States 
and hence we should expect that increases in the immigration of 
this group would be particularly apt to show a close correspondence 
with prosperity in the United States. 
On the other hand, we should expect that the time of arrival of 
immigrants who finance their own passage would be less influenced 
by conditions here. However, to the extent that business depres- 
sions in Europe and America occur at the same time—and we shall 
presently see that they are to a large degree concurrent—distress in 
the country of emigration will be accompanied by unemployment 
and low wages in the country of intended residence. Not only will 
it be difficult for both assisted and self-financed immigrants to 
obtain funds for their passage, but also the news from abroad will 
be depressing and little calculated to encourage the would-be im- 
migrants to tear loose from their moorings. 
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