The Washington herald., 1918-08-25
Making and Unmakinr Towns.

1t is mighty good thing for Chicago that the
Census Bureau isn't out gathering population sta
tistics now, For Chicago, second of American cit
les each day sees its citizens pack their trunks and
stream eastward and southeastward.
Chicago is being depopulatedl" cries the Chi
cago Tribune. 2 And Chicago business are
worrying.
Charles A. Munrow. Illinois director of the U.
S. labor reserve, says more than I25.ooo Chicago
men have quit the big city by the lake to work in
Eastern and Southern war industries, shipyards.
muntion factories, coal mines and other Hun-de-
feating establishments Within three months 5000
men have been sent to the governments high ex-
plosives plant in West Virginia. The employment
service will take at least $4,000 more men out Of
Chicago within the next six weeks.
1t is estimated that Chicago will lose over 7oo-
600 workers, mostly men this year. If they remain
permanently they will send for their families and
thus reduce Chicago's population by a million or
so. Should the drain extend over the next two
years, and it may if the lasts, Chcago's 1870
census figure may entitle her to third place in the
list, Philadelphia doomed by the war; going into
second. " --.
This population loss does not take into consid-
Grafton Chicago boys who have gone into army or
navy, but only workers. who have left the city for
employment elsewhere. ...
In one small section of Chicago survey made
showed $500 vacant flats, 300 unoccupied houses
and $4,000 rooms for rent. Other parts Of the city
have about the same proportion of vacant dwelling
places. This has had the effect of reducing rentals
and now it is possible to get cheaper flats and
houses in Chicago than in any other large city east
of the Mississippi
Chicagos dwindling population is due to Chi
cago's lack Of work Other cities, East and
South, are filled with men and women working on
orders; Chicago has few of these Outside of
the stockyards district little war work is being
done. And too, excepting the meat packers, war
profits are Insignificant Chicago's population has
headed toward the cities where profits are being
cornered and wages high. .
So it is that Chicago is now setting into motion
a somewhat belated program of war effort The
Federal government is to be besieged with pleas,
entreates and pressure to send war factories to
Chicago. Munition plants, and what else the gov
ernment may want in orders, are desired by
the Illinois Manufacturers Association.
That's how war-without war work-can de-
press city's directory.
The other side-how it can initiate it's found
down in a Tennessee corn field and an Alabama
cotton patch.
When this year dawned Jacksonville, Tenn,
was we'll cultivated corn field. Then the govern
ment substituted powder for corn, and instead of
a few hundred bushels of the latter will make
100000 pounds Of the former. Today Jacksonville
has $4,000 homes where three cribs stood, and
over $4,000 men, women and children travel over
paved Streets ride in electric and earn big
wages.
Also, there's Sheffield, Ala. On January I, 1918
that was one mans cotton patch. Two tenant fam
lilies lived on it and dozen people had a hard
time making a living. Now Sheffield has 10000
population street cars miles of paved streets, sub
urbs, and young army Of real estate experts are
selling subdivisions fast that the street naming
bureau can't keep up with them. The government
nitrate plant did all this.
When Chicago's million has gone, maybe therel
be enough good farming land near Michigan boule-
ward to grow quite few bushels of corn and be-
ing grown the feeding pens of the stockyards,
will be worth more than if raised in Tennessee or
Alabama. Chicago may yet become fine little
agricultural center.