Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-26
WORDPOPULATON
INCREASE is SEEN
Economist Declares Gain Is
More Than Halt Per
Cent a Year.
BIZ JOHN r. sINCLAIR.

Special Dispatch to The star
NEW YORK. June 26.-Robert r.
Kuczynski, distinguished European
economist, estimates that the worlds
population is increasing each year at
the rate of about five-eighths of per
cent. Thus the earth would soon be
overpopulated.
But the present rate, says the econo-
mist. "is largely due to an age COM
position which tends to swell the num-
Der of births and to lower the NUMBER
So If the fecundity and mortality re-
main what they are, the proportlon Oh
old people will increase; TINS means INA, sa
the birth rate will decline further ana
that the death rate will mount. SO the
Immediate danger of general overpopu-
lation is neutraltzed.
T-he Brookings Institution carried on
an Investigation into this matter ano
found that fecundity had already de-
cIined SO much that the number OF
children in all the countries OF western
and Northern europe, North America
a,,d Australia combined is no longer
suficient to replace the reproductive age
THE institution, by its figures, shows
that the Anglo-SaxonS, Germans, scan
dinayians and French no longer repro
fuce themselves. They are doomed 70
die out and their countries sooner OF
later will be occupied by other races.
This is the conclusion OF the Brook
tngs Institution.
saskatchewan buys about $4,000 600
worth of farm machinery every year. IL
will buy more in 1929, much more.
The City of Regina, for years known
as one of the worlds greatest distribute
ing centers for farm machinery. Is now
receiving even more machinery from all
uartS of the globe than ever before.
sales so far this year exceed suDStan-
tially those for the same period OF 1873.
Regina,s strength in this field Is Que
! to the fact that it lies in the very center
Of one of the finest areas In the prov
ince. Thirty thousand square miles OF
territory look to Regina for their daiiy
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS not only in agricultural
roachinery. but in all other lines OF
business Regina, therefore, has become
q railroad center and distributing
uoirt of very great importance IN VEST
ern Canada. Saskatchewan, although
far from a settled capacity. has more
railroad mileage than any other prov
ince In Canada except Ontario.
An American boasting OF the nun
dreds of thousands of miles OF Uniteo
states railroads should rememper Il I3l.
canada possesses the greatest pupacly
owned railroad system in the world
the Canadian Nationals well as the
greatest privately owned railroad cor
noration in the world-the Canadian
Pacific.
Retail trade is beginning to feel the ei-
fects of the usual Summer decline. In
no year in the last decade mas tnsIe
In
fhe Summer. Quite the contrary. a
distinct and marked decline during tnf
summer from the levels reached In the
early Spring has occurred every year.
THE Fail revival begins late IN August.
Recently the Harvard Bureau OF
pusiness Research compiled ngures
which show the increasing costs OF oe-
partment store operation.
n, most chain stores the percentage
~ ernenses to sales Is declining as the
scale ST operation rises. But this Is not
fr.,e with department stores. Large
Economics from increased business are
"a longer possible The increasing cost
~ taking on new business now cuts
sharply into earnings.
RIit to return to Harvard figures.
Thev show that in department. stores
throughout the United States with
sales volume of more than one mhlion
dollars each, 28.4 per cent OF the lo.al
sales went into expenses, leaving pIont
If 3.6 per cent In 1923. Since that
wear expenses have been increasing and
NET profits decreasing. In 1928 the ex-
penses amounted to 3l.T per cent OF the
total sales, while the net profits were
An attempt is being made to meet
this situation through the organization
of chain department stores. But the
fact remains that the buying power
of most department stores Is large
enough, now. so that only small saving
comparatively, can be accomplished
through centralized buying
There is always a point reached where
no cut can be made by purchasing
more. In other words, there are many
articles sold just as cheaply to depart
nlent stores with a sales volume OF $5,-
600 600 yearly as to stores with sales
volume Of 10000 900.
To date the chain department store
has not gained ground as rapidly as
the chain operator In other spheres OF
industry.
The general upward movement o.
prices has been arrested largely By
consultations in the manufacturing
industry, SAYS the National Industrial
Conference Board.
Based upon so lines Of nanufactur.
ing the boards study discloses thai
the general upward trend Of prices from
1900 to 1925 has been much less pro.
nounced in those branches of manu-.
featuring in which industrial consoli.
dations have been a dominant factor
In the market.
The rise in prices In the 26 lines Of
manufacturing so affected was only 28.t
per cent. as against rise of 110.6 pei
cent during the same period in the 81
lines of manufacture which have no
been affected by the merger movement
In the 13 remaining branches of manu-.
featuring, in which consultations hav,
been formed to a limited extent, price:
during the same period rose about TO-
per cent.
The interesting fact. however, brought
out by the study of the board, is tina
the popular impression of the financia
success of consultations generally i
fllusory. These mergers did not prove
exceptionally profitable. Their com
bined record in this regard was fount
to be not much different from that OF
independent business concerns.
The conclusion of the conference
board indicates that up to 1925 indus
trial mergers brought about lower price
TO consumers and steadier employment
for employees.
Copyright, 1929. by North American News
paper Alliance)
Austria has 33 chain store systems