Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-01-12
GOVERNOR IN ADDREss DIS.
cueaEa PROBLEMS CONFRONT.
lNo IOWA.
LOSES IN POPULATION
ARE EASILY EXPLAINED
More Factories Needed and Better
School Facilities In Rural communi.
tiss-Must Keep the Boy on the Farm
and Engage Less In Polities-Advsr.
tiss 9tato's Resources.
spec,a, to rimes-Republican.

SpSCl6l 10 xlIUcSs3SSpu0AS0us
Dies Moines. Jan. 12.-In his inaugur-
al address before the legislature this
afternoon Governor Carroll discussed
many problems confronting the people
Of the state. suggesting that other
thinss are needed more than new laws.
After reviewing the growth and de-
velopment Of Iowa during her sixty
four years Of statehood the governor
said In part:
Loss In Population.
I'VE have been hearing a great deal
about the loss Of population. What
signifies tho loss Of 1000 people out
of q total number Of two and one
quarter millions? It takes three deci-
lmal places to find the figure represent
ing the per cent decrease.
Accepting the figures showing the
population as being correct, and yet
there Is a perfectly rational explana-
ton for the decrease which does not
in any manner reflect upon the state or
its material interests. Let me say In
this connection that the national CEN
eus Of 1900 shows the population OF
the state to have been 2,231,S5S. while
the state census Of 1905 shows only O.
210,O50, or a loss Of 21.S0S. The CEN
sus OF 1910 places the figurees represent
ing the total population at 2.224,771.
which shows gain OF 1921 during the
last 1--WE years. During the ten year
period, however, there Is shown to be
a loss Of 7,OS2. The number OF farms
in the state as shown by the 1910 CEN
sus was 22S,622 and by the recent CEN
en7 80 ~ 11S1S IT
certainly can not be said that any land
has actually been lost to the state. but
It must mean that more than 1880
farms have been consolidated With
other farms and it is reasonable to as
sumo that the families previously oc-
cupying the farms thus lost. being
farmers families. have. in general.
sought homes elsewhere than in Iowa.
.'The average number of people to
each farm, as shown by the census OF
1900, was a little more than five and
one-half, which. applied to the decrease
in the number Of farms. would mean
a loss Of more than $4,000 Of the farm
ing population Of the state There are
many things which may have had to
do with this change in population. but
to my mind by far the most potent IN
fluence has been the very rapid adj
vance in the price Of our lands during
recent years, causing many to dispose
Of their high priced farms and go else
where to buy cheaper lands. Then too,
there is little doubt but that the young
ian Just starting for himself and the
man Of small means have taken their
families and gone where quarter or
n half section Of land could be bought
for less than an eighty acre tract can
be bought for here in Iowa.
'eThe same census enumeration which
credits us with a decrease In popu1a-
ton has done rs the kindness to furnish
other figures that present very differ
ent picture ar, tell very different
story. For example, the recent census
shows that the value OF Iowa farm
iards from 1900 to 1910 Increased in
round numbers from 1926. 100000 to
81. 500, 100000 or about 123 per cent.
The value Of buildings alone increased
nearly 80 per cent. The value Of farm
and machinery increased
nearly 65 per cent. The expenditures
for labor increased from $16,376,oO0 to
27,732, 900, or 81 per cent. How can
anyone study these figures and those
that have. heretofore quoted and con-
clude that there is anything seriously
the matter with Iowa.
Loss In School Population.
Il do not feel so deeply concerned
about the loss Of a few tn ousand people
from our general population as do
about the loss In school population.
From 1900 to 1910, as shown by the an
nual school enumeration, the school
poulation Of the state decreased from
731,154 to $1,000, showing loss OF
5A,15o persons OF school age in ten
years, being almost seven and one
half per cent decrease. This would
indicate that in the main our loss IN
population consists of the younger men
and women who are the parents OF
children less than q years Of age. The
result is that the attendance In our
public schools. especially In the country
schools. has been constantly decreasing.
Elm 1908 there were 1852 schools In
the state with an enrolment OF ten
pupils or less, while the report for 1910
shows 2,071 such schools. II this rate
Of decrease in attendance keeps up for
q few years what is to become OF the
rural school? We are confronted with
no more serious problem than that Of
the rural schools. Some people have
attributed our loss in population to our
country schools and their methods. 1t
would seem to me a much more reason
able criticism to attribute the condition
of the country schools to the loss In
population. Restore the old time num-
Der Of pupils to the rural school dis
tricts and the solution to the school
question will be greatly simplified.
During the last ten years the aver
age size Of the farms in Iowa have
Increased from 1912 acres to 1868
acres. or about 3.4 per cent. while the
decrease In general population has been
only about three-tenths Of per cent.
During the same period the de-
crease in school population has been
almost ~ per cert. AS previously
shown much Of the loss in school pop
ulation is confined to the country dis
tricts. which indicates, not only a
movement from the state. but from
the country toward the cities and
towns. This is a condition not pc
culiar to Iowa alone. but has for years
been the experience OF other of the
states.
Keep the Boy on the Farm.
''The slogan Keep the boy on the
farm should be changed to Keep the
boy on the Iowa farm Then, too. 1t Is
important that we keep the girl on the
farm. Proper credit has never been