The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1895-09-13
CURRENT COM MENT.
THE CIrYWARD DRIFT

Among the social and Industrial
movements OF The time the drift Uf
population toward the cities Is r-ck-
Cncd q great evil. Theie Is lit e doubt |
that IL ls. Perhaps Its magnitude is
even greater than IA commonly imag- |
intd. The startling statement is
made op good authoritv that in the
four great agricultural States OF Ohio,
Indiana. Illinois and Iowa half the
townships were less popul0u5 IN 1850
than in 1880. while the large cities had
vastly increased IN size. There was
corresponding dlminuation Of the
number Of productive enterprises car
red on IN rural districts. In New
York State two-thlrds Of the town
ships became less populous, and more
than one-Jhird OF the counties, while
the population RI tho cities increased
enormously. Tha result is abandoned
farms IN tue one hand, and over
crowded trades in the cities on The
other; and also an increase In the cost
of food through diminished produc-
tion and u lowering Of wages through
overcompetition.
The causes of this state OF things
are varied. Some people blame the
railroads and their discriminating
freight rates-perhaps with some JUS
tice. Some say it Is because farming
means harder work and poorer pay
than city businesses. Some think 1t
is because Of the superior social and
educational advantages Of the cities.
Some say, ana most truly Uf all that
the American haste to get rich il re-
spUnslble. The young man is not con-
tent with the modest competence of
his fathers farm. He wants W make
his pile, and to make it quickly. So
he ,ults the fam for the city. This
last-named cause Is inherent IN human
nature, as that nature has been devsl.
oped In our present civilization. 1t
must be overcome, if al all. by truer
culture and higher ideals Of life. The
GrsL-named, nlso, is ditiicu 20 deal
with. But perhaps both can be in a
large measure effected through remov
al OF tue other two, and that these can
he removed. nearly. il not altogether
seems res souable belief.
The social advantages OF the city are
superior to those of the country. and
will probably always remain So. The
disparity between them should not
and need not, however, he 81 great as
1t is. Village imp 0yement socle les
have already in many places mLde
rural life more attractive. The extern
sion 9f their w0Id, the multiplication
OF libraries, lecture courses, etc. the
ing in price and The diffusion OF good
literature IN periodical and other
fUruhs, an makv toward the elevation
and Increased attractiveness OF the
country as a place of residence. Each
village should be made social and
intellectual centre. aud each county
town small edition OF The metropolis:
while ali, by virtue OF the telegraph
and telephone, should be and may be
closely In touch with the whole word
Neither ID there any good reason
why farm work should be so !aboriuus
and brutahzing as 10 repcl men from
engaging III it. To say that there is,
is to impugn the inventive and pro.
gressive genius Of the age. Already
great advances have been made in The
application Of labor saving machin-
cry; and still o hers md greater are
vet TO be made. In none is the work
done mnre independently of xactlng
circumstances, or is the margin OF
leisure greater. And vet we have
scarcely begun 10 leara how TO farm.
Far moro labor IS perform d than
should be necessary, the results are
are too mea9rr, and enough matter is
WA tel every year to fertilize the
whole country. One Of these days we
shall have good roads everywhere;
machi .eiy 10 DO all the hard work;
scientific Tethuds Uf fert iizaiion, cul-
ture and irrigation; and not Ua)y two.
tut two score blades Of grass growing
where only one has grown bcrUe
Then the farmers life will lie attra, t.,
i've, his work easy, his profits great
aud tie o'her two causes Of tie city-
ward drift which we have men Toned
will he 50 far overcome that who G.
som" balance will be secured and pre-
served between the city and the
country New York Tribune.