Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-11-28

but the population IN the city dur
ing the same per.oi increased thirty
! seven per cent In some OF the Older,
states. important towns and counties
were seriously depelted on account OF
the rush from country TO city.
Most OF US imagine that this move
ment is limited % our own country.
but il Is world phenomenon. Ber-
lin, Paris, st. Petersburg, London and
even such cities as Calcutta are grow
ling about as fast as New York or
> Chicago
Nautilus, the great economist Of
former days, used to say that the
time would come when we could not
supply the people with necessary food
because. he asserted. while the .popu-
iation was growing in geometricai
proportions, food supply could be pro
duced only in arithmetical ratios.
That is, while the population in
creased in ratios Of l. ,, ), 4. 3. l6.
etc. food could be produced only in
ratios OF /, 2. 3. 1. ;. and so forth.
Thereforth, he prophesised starva-
ton for most of the human race and
he welcomed wars and pestilence as
( visitations Of Divine Providence. But
his theory hasn't worked out. Where
| as in former days, II required two
thirds CT the population 10 raise the
farm products necessary to supply
| the country with food. today, on ac-
count Of the use of agricultural ma
! chinery. It requires only one-third
/ But while the Introduction of labor
saving machinery multiplies the effic
iency Of those who remain on the
farm, there has been as yet no ma
chine invented which will increase the
eating capacity of the rest of the
world II is quite evident that with
the decreased demand for manual la
/ Dor on account of the use OF machin-
cry, the farmland it driven to the
, city. where he can find steadier EN-
| ployment than that which is offered
on the farm which requires his SER
vices simply during the very brief
harvest seasons. when extra hands are
needed. But the farm hand, like the
rest of mankind. must work the year
through. At any rate he must live a
fairly normal life He cannot during
the winter when work on the farm
! is slack. Just now on account of his
unusually good health. he can secure
employment more readily than his
neighbor in the city, whose body has
become enanciated on account of the
lack OF proper nourishment.
Whatever may be the condition in
some parts Of the country. and what
ever the temporary demand for man
on the farm during certain seasons.
the fact remains that economic laws
, have decreed that eventually most
men must live in the city and there
work out their salvation. Even before
economic necessity compelled men &c
go TO the city, the glamour and the
life of the town lured the children OF
the farmer away from the homes Of
their childhood The call of the city
could not he hushed. High hope con-
quered hardship and suffering The
country offers no such allurement fol-
the city-bred workingman. To him the
. farm holds nothing of the inspiration
| which comes to him through contact
with real people Stumps and stones
may inspire poets, but they are pooi
! companions for the man who must live
with them always. How can it be ex-
| pected that those VINO have tasted the
life of the city which the country
/ man longs for. could be induced to
| fcrsake it for the loneliness Of the
Field from which the farmer is fee
| ting?
To attempt 10 force the city work
| ingman to 60 to the country would
be contrary to the laws of natural Sc
! lection. and the demand Of human ns-
ture. II is largely a question Of adop-
ton The country bred man seems &c
find Is comparatively easy to adapt
himself TO the life Of the city. but the
city bred man rarely adjusts himself
to the ways OF the country. Those
who do 20 to the country and make
a success OF It. are usually free from
the necessity Of doing so.
! But. il may be said. granted that the
effort to ceIonize be futile. in view OF
the factors which are driving men tc
the city.-what is there TO prevent the
people Of the city from accepting ten
poary work on tae farm during a Pc