The Washington herald., 1906-10-11
What of the Futurc2 ,


James J. HIS prediction that fifty
years hence we viii have a population of
2000CoC00 naturally leads TO some specula-
u!ons quite other than those which have
: arisen in the mind OF the Western hnan-
cisr. His concern IS as 10 the feeding of
this vast population, whether employment
can be found for so many millions,
whether in fact our consumption Of the
necessities of life may not tend TO outruu
production. His advice is that the people
return 10 the soil, for by agriculture
alone, and agriculture of the intensive
kind, can so great a population be sus-
tanned.
The problem Of feeding the multitude,
however, does not nowadays present the
difficulties that were once thought to be-
set it. No civilized and industriaIly eff
Cient people is ever confronted with star
walton Or want Of the COmmOneT needs OF
life. The fears Of Malthus seem absurd
10 the prosperous nations Of this genera
tfOn. His doctrine that the greater the
population the less we would have to eat
{Ippears likely to be revised TO read "the
lnOre workers the more food" For the
resources Of the soil are, as Mr.. Hln says,
practically inexhaustble, and he Is a poor
Hstick Of man who cannot raise his own
food on the land. SO that as long as men
can find a foothold on the soil we may
be sure that they viii find q means OF
livelihood. Our immense public domain
IS hearing exhaustion, but there are still
vast areas Of uncultivated land within our
borders, and the possibilities Of intensive
cultivation are just beginning TO be under
stood by the agricultural population. We
need not fear that with free access to
the land the millions Of the future will
be unable to support themselves.
But the troubles ahead Of us-if we are
rushing into them. and most people think
We are-seem more likely 10 arise out of
the increasing difficulties Of maintaining
just and harmonious human relations
than out of anything else Density OF
population presses hard on individualism
and forces men into the close contact Of
organized and cooperative effort Organi-
zatiOn, direction, control. are the shibbo-
leths Of the day. Politics. industry. CON-
merce. anusemcnts. sports. education. the
ministrations Of religion-how shall these
be organized and made to serve their ends
more efficiently?-this is the question ap-
piled to every variety Of human activity,
which we necessarily hear In the effort
TO deal with mankind in the mass. Much
success has been achieved in the way of
organization. particularly IN the indus
trial fields. but, as many think, at the ex-
pense Of the general public. In politics
the boss is the penalty Of efficient organi-
zation; in industry the trust magnate,
with his tremendous power. arouses ap-
prehension. These leaders control great
fields OF human activity Who shall con-
troll our modern rulers of men, what
agency see that justice is done every
where and always?
Government" is the frequent reply; it
is the constant reply OF the socialist: but
the activities Of masses OF men touch and
clash at so many points ordinarily con
sidered outside the sphere OF government
that we may well hesitate TO turn over
TO governments as now constituted the
task of preserving peace among all the
jangliHg interests of densely aggregated
humans. We see that It is the old ques-
ton Of power. its limits and its agencies.
Humanity willingly or unwiIIipgly falls
under the sway Of strong men. whether
kings or bosses. lords Of the manor or
trust barons. a great many people, per-