Evening star., 1923-08-31
BY PAUL ". COILS.


Secretary Wallace Of the Depart
! ment of Agriculture gives out a re-
view OF a speech made by President
Harding in Seattle. soon after his
! return from Alaska. The speech of
the President analysed conditions in
Alaska. proving that that territory
had not deteriorated, and that there
was little justification for complaint
that it was being mismanaged by too
many bureaus having charge OF its
various natural resources.
Alaska has lost in population. but
so have other regions both in the
United States and Canada. The i'm
portant question is as to what kind
of population has left the country.
The President pointed out. as to
Alaska, that it was the floating miners
and transients who have left the
country-not the home-builders.
He said: The processes of devel-
opment and establishment of a perma-
nent and ample civilization lie in the
citizenship with homes in Alaska. not
in investors who are seeking Alaskan
wealth to enrich homes elsewhere"
To illustrate this point. he said:
In 1910 the total female white pop
ulation of Alaska was 6,065; in 1920
IT was 1927. an increase Of 20 per
cent. During the same period there
was decrease of 2.030 in the oriental
and negro population. In 1910 there
were 1852 dwellings in the territory;
in 1920. 1887. In 1910 there were
17.S0s families; in 1920. 1882"
X y 4 4
These statistics are not large. but
they illustrate the principle, which
also applies to other analyses of fig
ures. Too much attention has been
paid to the decrease in farm popula-
ton in the United States, and too lit
tie to the fact that that decrease ap-
plies almost wholly to the floating
farm population-farm laborers, hired
by farmers, and not the farmers
themselves.
There is nothing quite so misleading
as mere statistics without analysis of
what the figures really signify. When a
factory instals modern labor-saving
machinery which enables one man and
the machine to do the work of three, and
the factory management dispenses with
the surplus help. it is not heralded as
retrogression by the factory Yet that
is all that has happened to the farmers
seven acres, where his father cultivated
only fifty. and the fifty-seven acres are
being cultivated with IA per cent
fewer hands than were the fifty acres
formerly. On the whole, therefore, agri-
culture was never sounder than 1t is
today, in spite OF the temporary en-
barrassment of the grain raisers, which
Will be overcome in another season by
raising less grain and turning more to
diversified farming-to meet the actual
a rlyaN
Watch the prices on building material
during October and November, advises
Gen. X. c. Marshall. jr, general man.
ager of the Associated General Con-
tractors of America. The general ex.
poets building activities to slump.
this fall, and prices to drop in pro-
portion. but he is equally confident
that prices will be up again in the
spring.
The index of cost is now 1s5 and
he predicts 1t will drop, this fall, to
about 100. This index Is based on
the costs in 1913. which are taken as
loo for the purposes of comparison.
* X X
1t is estimated that the united
agitation. last spring, against the
high cost of building resulted in post
poning erection to the amount of at
least s750.O00,0O0. That vast volume
of construction may food the market
next spring, for it has been held back
with no tangible benefit and the need
is greatly enhanced.
There is no relief for the pressure
of homes. The increase of homes in
the last five years. since the war,
has barely kept pace with the natural
INCREASE of population and has not at
all eaten in on the shortage caused by
the almost total suspension during the
war.
X y X
The alleged devil dogs" the ma
rines. marching from Quantico to
Fort Defiance, Va, in training for
war, seemed surprised that the rain
was not postponed. Funny soldiers.
not to know that it always rains in