Evening star., 1925-10-11

i cities at such a rate that
America faces the problem of
a food shortage In a few years.
This is the nearest approach to
a prophecy was able to get out of
DR.. Joseph A. Hill. assistant director
Of the census, to whom I had gone
for some figures on what America
would be like when the next census
Is due. DR.. Hill demurred at prophecy.
His business is tabulating existing
facts, not forecasting future ones.
Nevertheless, he could not entirely
resist a little speculation about some
OF the problems which are being
manufactured for US by the sheer
growth Of population. Here are some
OF his speculations:
By the time the next census is due
our population will be more than 119,
600. 900 people.
There is plenty of room for that
number and a great deal more.
The trouble is not room. but food.
People are abandoning the farms sc
fast at the same time that the mum
Der of mouths to be fed is increa sing
that q food shortage will some day
confront us.
The remedy may be in nature-tha-
| is, food will become so dear that peo
pie will be again tempted back to the
| measures as, for instance. birth con
troll.
The doctor is the typical student
with Eandyck beard, of serious eX
preston, yet with eyes that twinkle
with animation and observation. Seat
ed in his large Office in the fire
trap B building. on Sixth street, soutf
| Of Pennsylvania avenue, this city
the doctor was completely surrounded
h1- -
census bulletins. His secretary, while
not playing THE Wedding March.
on her typewriter. was clicking at d
great rate, the while the doctor talked
he couldn't smoke, for the building
| is of wood, erected during the war and
| meant only as a temporary structure
seven years ago.
Plenty of Room Here.
We discussed prophets and the doc
tor was disinclined TO prophecy. So
| renamed it "speculating.'
Q. Win you speculate on the future:
A. We can hll guess. but have ne
assurance that our guesses are worth
more than that Of the next man
| What shall / guess about?
! Q. About our. total population years
| hence.
| A. What can I guess? The popu
! la,ion is increasing by leaps ano
| bounds. I shall say offhand that we
are now a total Of ia 200, 900 human
! beings. We have been and are likely
! to increase at the rate of about l pei
cent year. And this in spite of the
curtailed influx of foreigners.
! Q. Where will it end-I mean, how
soon will the limit Of room and foot
! be reached?
! A. Not in your life or mine or dur
ing that of any one living. You see
there is still plenty of room. It is {
question Of feeding those who are ye
TO come, that will perplex and worry
the future generations.
| Q. Does not that depend TO a grea
| extent upon the farming element?
A. Yes; and the trouble is the drift
away from the farm to the city
much as has been written on the Ques
ton. No one has a solution for Their
Is none, save a natural one.
! Q. What do you mean by that?
A. A natural adjustment Of things
In a comparatively small number O
years, the drift to the cities Will cauS,
a food shortage. which can be me
only in two ways. The first of thes,
is a reaction in food prices due t
scarcity. which will encourage farm
ing, for there will be profit in agri
culture if prices are sufficiently high
Population Control Essential.
| Q. And the second?
A. A forced reduction in the in
crease in population.
/! Q. You mean killing the undesir
ables-the deformed and detectives?
| A. No; birth control. Limit tn,
! newcomers and give those, here {
! chance to live useful lives Overpro