Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-02
DEVELOPING TROPICS
NECESSITY OF THE WORK DIS
CUSSED BY MR.. AUSTIN.
Topic of a Paper Read Before the As
ISOLATION for the Advancement
of Science.

| The necessity for the development of the
tropics as the next step in the world 8
| progress was discussed before the American
Association for the Advancement of Science
| by o. P. Austin, chief statistician Of the
| Treasury Department, in a manner which
| brought to light many new phases Of eco
| nomics In a most interesting manner.
The population of the world, he said, has
grown from GAO 600 OOO in 1900 to l, 800, OOO,-
| COO in 1900. and a the same rate of growth
would be nearly 1000 100000 at the end Of
the present century. With this enormous
population in prospect it is important that
| the various sections Of the world should be
required to contribute their proper proper
| ton to the requirements of the rapidly in
| creasing population, whose consuming pow
| er also increases in even greater ratio than
| that of population Itself. Between the
| thirtieth parallel of north latitude, which
| guns through New Orleans, in the United
| States, and Cairo, in Egypt, and the thir-
| tieth parallel of south latitude, which cuts
| through northern Argentine and southern
| Australia, is a belt 0O0 miles wide which
may be considered, practically all of it,
| tropical, or at least subtropical.
Practically Half the Land Area.
| This area. between the thirteth north and
land area of the globe and more than half
| it's producing area and productive power.
| Yet it supplies at present only 16 per cent
| Of the exports which form the commerce Of
| the world. The duty of the twentieth CEN
| fury man, in Mr.. Austin's opinion. and
| especially temperate zone man, is to de-
velop or at least aid in the development
| of this greatest productive area of the
world. That the world Is relying in a con-
stantly increasing degree upon the tropics
| for its daily requirements is illustrated by
| the fact that the importation of tropical
and subtropical products into the United
States now average $3.50, 900, 900 a year
| $1,OC0,OO0 a day-having grown from $780,
100000 in 1870 to $3.50, 600, 600 in 1902.
The principal reasons for the non-develop
| 1nent of the tropics in the past have been,
| first, the indispOsition of the natives to la
Dor; second, inability of temperate-zone
man to live with comfort or safety to
| health in the tropics, and third, the lack
| of power for use in transportation and the
| development of plantations, mines and man
| ufacturing interests. So long mere phys
| ical power of man or beast was the only
| available means for this work it could not
| be performed in the tropical climate. But
! now that man can call nature to his aid
and by the utilization of the natural forces
accomplish much of the physical labor of
| transportation and development, it is posi-
| BILE to do in the tropics what has been done
| in the temperate zones. Recent develop
| ments show that it is practicable to utilize
| the power of the waterfall, for example,
which was formerly inaccessible for work
of this character. by turning that power
into electricity, carrying it by wire to the
points where needed and utilizing it for
railroad and other transportation, commu-
ncation by telegraph telephone and wire
less biography and applying it to devel
opment of agriculture, mining and manu-
features Power is now being carried go
miles in California in the form of electric
ity, by wire, and utilized in this manner.
Even the power of the sun is now being
utilized for performing labor in the tropics.
Sun Motor and Ostrich Farm.
A "sun motor" manufactured in Boston
and located in southern California, is
pumping water for an ostrich farm, lifting
1,4OO gallons of water per minute by steam
generated solely from the heat of the sun
concentrated upon the boiler by a series Of
mirrors adjusted that when set in opera
ton in the morning they furnish power
during the entire day without a cent Of
| cost, and similar motors, manufactured in
Boston, have recently been sent to Egypt
and India for practical use in those coun-
tries. Another recent development of sci
ence is that of icemaking in any climate
by the mere of power. The compress
sion of a gas causes it to lose heat and
when it re-eXpandS to reabsorb heat from
surrounding air or liquids. and by the APP
plication of this principle the power of the
waterfall may be utilized to manufacture
ice, cool apartments and otherwise render
life by a temperate-Zone man in the tropics
comparatively comfortable Add to this
the developments of medical science in
cent years, by which man has learned to
avert many of the diseases which rendered
ity of the utilization of temperate-zone ex-
perience and energy in development of the
tropics becomes apparent.
The labor question in the tropics has al
ways been difficult and perhaps the most
difficult one with reference to their develop
ment This. however, Mr.. Austin thought,
could be largely overcome by the utiiza-
ton of oriental labor in those parts Of the
tropics where the native labor is INSULT
cient. The fact that the East Indian and
the Chinaman well as the native of
Japan and lava have shown not only a
willingness but an anxiety and an ability
to labor in the tropics suggests their appli
cability and availability to the development
of those sections where the native labor
supply is insufficient.
Transfer of Population.
The fact that India and southern China
are overpopulated suggests that the trans
fer of a small percentage of their popula-
ton to a similar climate in other sections
of the world would benefit all concerned by
reducing density of population In the one
case and furnishing an available labor sup
ply in the other These suggestions" said
Mr.. Austin, must not be interpreted as an
expression suggestion with reference to
any territory now unuer the control or the
United States, since the per capita popula-
ton Of Australia is but one per square
mile, South America four and Africa ten
per square mile while in the tropical terri
tories controlled by the United States the
population per square mile is: Hawaii, A;
Philippines, SO, and Porto Rico, 225.'
Given these three conditions Mr.. Austin
said-first, great section of unlimited pro-
ducing power; second, another great sec
ton with an unlimited demand for those
products, and third, available requisites
for developing the productivity of this first
section-and nothing is lacking but capital
energy and experience; ard of all these the
| temperate zones now have an unlimited
| supply seeking new fields for operation.
Flynn's Business College, 9th and K.
| Business. shorthand, typewriting, s25 year.
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