The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-09-26
When We Stop Growing

since colonial days the population Of the United
states has been growing like fattening calf MOI
fnfreouenty has it doubled in couple Of decades NOT
few ezu5erant worshipers Of bgness have predicted
an ultimate population Of hale billion by the end OF
the century
Quite different line is taken by Professor j. ).
spengler in an article on When Population Ceases
TO Grow" in the New Republic. Following the more
recent trends and studies in population theory ne
holds that the population Of the United States Will
become stationary at about 100000 in 196O7o. We
no longer shall grow in numbers by leaps and bounds
These changes in population growth will be accom-
panied by an even more striking alteration in the
age classes Of the country We shall become, as Dr.
Warren Thompson pointed out some time back,
nation of elders" Youths will fall off by 20 per
cent Those of As or older will increase by so per cent
Those Of more than IS will gain by 200 per cent as
compared with 1920.
What will be the social, economic and cultural
consequences of these astonishing transformations?
Dr. Spengler suggests what he believes will follow
The products used by young people will fall on while
those designed to meet the demands Of comfort, Sc
renty and other desires Of the older people will In
crease We shall sell fewer toy balloons and more
golf balls Toys will suffer that footwarmers may
flourish. It will be wiser to manufacture smoking
jackets than bibs
P4O~NSONOt4
The volume Of goods produced will need to be planned
carefully in relation to actual demand instead OF
trusting to God that youths will need to be fed
or more backs clothed Industrial processes will have
to be adjusted to the habits and capacities of older
workers.
The labor supply will be reduced sufficiently so
that factories no longer can be manned wholly by
alert and vigorous youngsters. The evils Of od-age
abandonment will be curtailed. Labor will become
less mobile and less easily shifted. The community
will have to depend more and more on providing and
training it's workers.
The industrial workers will profit most by these
changes of any class because the labor supply will be
cut down sharply. The farmers and real estate men
will suffer most for there will be relatively lessened
demand for farm products and housing facilities
Farmers already produce more than we can consume
at home.
Religion will pick up DR.. Spengler believes since
homo sapiens as he edges toward eternity, still Is
prone to commit a shaman." Christian Science and
other cults which make an especial appeal to the ills
of the aged in the population will grow rapidly Con-
servatism will flourish "The appraised hand Of the
patriarch will stay the rash march of youth"
Prudery and censorship will be likely to increase,
since the aged will rule and will be likely to dtsap-
prove of those things which they no longer can en-
low The only safety valve will be "the revolt of
youth
I'm stationary population. with senity in the
council chambers and virtue in the air. civilized man
will probably find life onerous. STILL there may be
an escape Fascist youth noting and fearing the
DYNAMIC vgor of the Russian Colossus in the east
rise against conservatism boot out the graybeards and
restore vision at the helm"