Evening journal., 1892-12-28
MOVEMENTS OF POPULATION.

OF the highest Importance are the
economic questions involved in the
movements of population. The key to
much of economic history is found in the
progressive desires of mankind. The
amount which can be consumed by any
individual is limited, but there is no
limit to its variety This constant effort
to attain to a greater and greater variety
of objects of consumption has produced
extraordinary effects on the world. 1t is
the motive power, so TO speak. which has
brought into existence the division of
labor. The savage being comparatively
Indifferent tc variety, is supplied with all
be needs by his own labor and that of
his family. The moment that the passion
for variety seizes him, he becomes de.
pendent upon others for his supplies. and
civilization begins.
This division of labor is seen on the
largest scale in the international trade
of the present day. 1t is the gradual
spread Of population over the whole
earth which has brought within the
reach of the poorest laborer in England
the great variety of products which he
consumes. The tea which he drinks. the
tobacco which he smokes. the sugar
which he eats in so many forms, the
cotton and the wool which he wears-all
these are the results of the movements
of peoples. Economists have laid it
down that, in the absense of artificial
restraints capital and labor will find the
place in which they can be most pro
ductively employed, and that place will
be determined by the demand of man
kind for the several products of the diff
| ferent parts of the earth's surface
. he t.I. .
commodities takes in a country is de-
termined by the progressive nature of
mans desires, its strength must be pro-
portional to the number of its popula-
tion-the quantity as well as the quality
of desire must be taken into account
Nautilus, in his great treatise. showed
how closely the two are connected TO
| gether. The satisfaction of natural
instinct would increase our numbers to a
fabulous extent, if it were not for an OBJ
stacle which nature interposes. A
limit to the increase of population is
set by the fact that the productive capac-
ity Of the earth is limited The earth.
from which ultimately all our wealth is
derived, ceases after time to give a pro
portionate return to increased labor and
capital employed upon it. From this law
of diminishing returns, it results that at
a given point mankind is no longer able
to raise a supply of food adequate to
maintain the rate of increase.
Granting the assumption that men
multiply as fast as they can tan
assumption which Malthus verified by a
vast mass of classified experience), and
the law Of diminishing returns, and the
conclusion is beyond doubt. A time
must come when population will press
hardly on the means of subsistence, and
its further growth win be prevented by
high rate of infant morality. due to
diseases which spring from insufficient
noprishment. Such a result is otter
postponed by the action of such checks
upon increase as war, pestilence, ant
famine but the growth Of civilization
implies a weakening Of all these, anc
thus hastens the arrival of a period wher
further increase is stopped by want oI
food, and the high death.rate mentioned
above becomes chronic. The only hop,
which Malthus saw of avoiding this cat
astrOphe lay in the growth of desir,
for grsater variety of obiects-in
word, the quantity Of desire would b.
, limited by its quality. .-EdiHburg Review