The Washington herald., 1920-10-09
PROF. ELY HAS
NOTED CAREER
Authority on Economics
Popularized Study, Says
George Perry Morris.

When you walk into the Depart
ment Of Economies OF the Univer-
sity Of Wisconsin at Madison you
find still active in its mana cement
and IN original investigation. Prof.
r. T. Ely. formerly of Johns Hop
kins University in Baltimore. Many
years have passed since he won
fame as popularizer Of economies
and sociology, and wrote volumin-
OUsly for the best American jour
nails OF late his popular output
has not been as great in volume as
il used to be. He has been conCen-
I tratlng his attention on prepara-
tion OF enduring and comprehensive
studies Of property. taxation and
the economics Of land. BY these his
ultimate place in the ranks Of the
worlds invest gators and thinkers
will be assigned.
II you gazc around his personal
workshop at the university you will
find indications Of his present in
terests. He will not only show you
the rarest Of first editions Of Eng
husbandry. but also = large collec-
tiOn of fourteenth and fifteenth
century deeds showing how the
English land system has been docu-
mented. On the walls Of this de-
partment there arc the finest sort
Of original paintings and litho-
graphs by the best OF contemporary
English and Irish artists They
have to do in many cases with is
sues Of politics and industry in
Great Britain. treated symbolicaIly
of course. They came to the de-
partment through funds raised in
Wisconsin, and were selected by
the best sort Of British critics of
art. The cash paid for them mate
rally aided the artists during the
trying days OF the war. and the pic
lures provide the university with an
aesthetic adornmont not often found
in connection with a school Of eco
nomics.
Prof. EIy's hope is to secure soon
from the right sort Of supporters.
the organization uf an American
Institute Of Land Problems study.
which will carry on independent Of
any other organization. academic or
- r
of problems Of land as it has TO do
with production. distribution and
consumption Of wealth. The use Of
lands Of various types as they af-
feet personal family or national
economies must be studied. The
ethics and economic consequences
of land Speculation need definition
and analysis. Intimately related to
the study must be determination or
ways and means OF land settlement
and its correlated topic Of urban
and rural planning" Tenancy, its
causes, growth, and cure needs TO
be intensively studied.
Just how much of this interest Of
Prof. Ely in the land question and
his determination to create a spe-
cialized body to bring it to the ma
tion's attention, is due to his en-
Vironment. l cannot say, but it
must have had some effect. The
trained economist cannot live along
side Of such a highly organized
school OF agriculture as the univer-
sity has built up. without contacts
which drive him to study Of agrarian
problems. Moreover. Wisconsin's
political radicalism has forced on
her teachers of economical issues
that many institutions economists
have escaped. whatever the incen-
tive to Prof. Ely's quest, the fact
is significant he is more concerned
now with study and solution Of land
problems at home and abroad than
he is with political issues or with
the forms government shall take.
Back to the land" Is his economic
slogan: and this not in the sense
Of expecting city dwellers to reside
once more in county regions. What
he means is this: Settle, purchase.
own. and till the lands Of the ma
tions in the right way, and wealth,
not only will increase but ethical
good likewise.