The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-03-28
REVERSALOF TIDE
WAS REGARDED AS
FREAK MIGRATION
Experts Do Not Believe That
Rural Population Will Con-
tinue to Increase
NET FARM GAIN is 100000
Conditions Lead Observers to
Expect Situation to be
Reversed This Year

Expect SlrudtIon 10 De
Reversed This Year
BY FREDERICK ]. HASKIN
Washington, D. C., March 28.-With
conditions on the farm growing in
creasingly difficult each year, with
starvation haunting the people, OF
some rural sections and with prices
of farm products the lowest In many
years, the tillerS Of the American soil
nevertheless stuck more closely to
their acres in 1880 than in probably
half a century. Fewer people left the
farms during that depressed year
while, reversing q tide which for gen.
erationS has been setting toward the
cities. city jewellers moved into the
country.
In many cases, doubtless, farmers
did not abandon their farmsteads and
try their luck in town because they
lacked the ~wherewithal to make the
move. Firm in tho belief that the
distant scene would prove more en-
chanting. thousands Of city people.
unable to find employment, moved to
the country.
This reversal In the tide OF Inter-
necipe migration Is by all odds the
most extraordinary alteration which
has taken place in the movements OF
the American people since the drift
toward the cities set IN toward the
close Of the last century.
Between 1920 and 1927 there was q
net movement from farms to cities
each year Of approximately 100000
persons. Between 1927 and 1880 this
had slowed down to an annual net
migration to the cities Of 100000.
But, precisely reversing the current,
the year 1880 saw q gain OF 100000 IN
farm population.
These are net figures. The actual
departures from farms for cities was
some 2,000.0 900 in 1922, in 1924. 2.075.-
600: In 1926, 2,l55,000; in 1927. 1873
600; in 1923, 1928, 900; in 1923, 1876
600, and in 1880 only l,543,000. In
1880 there was a sharp drop Of $780,
600 as compared with the previous
year.
Against these figures are set the
number of migrations from the city
to the farm, the difference producing
the net figures quoted above. The
year 1890 saw another net loss to the
farms but a loss Of only Isl 1000 Is
compared with 4OO, 900 q year only q
few years ago. With the natural In
crease in population due to the excess
of births over deaths and with the
largest movement into the country in
years, the tota- OF farm population
shows, the first gain since the trend
toward the cities began.
Year 1910 Shows Contrast
A striking example Is found IN the
fact that a score of years ago, IN 1910,
there were s ,O76, 900 persons living on
farms In the United States. At the
beginning OF 1880 there were but 81
222,0O0O on farms despite the TACT
that, meantime, the population OF the
nation mad increased by some 10000
600. But at the end Of 1880 there
we're 27,430,000, . farm population
gain OF 100000.
Few geographers and economists
believe this to represent anything but
q transient phenomenon. It Is not
believed that the rura. regions Will
continue to gain after the resurgence
of general industrial activity and re-
newal Of employment. Immediate
conditions have forced a state OF A.
fairs running counter to the natural
drift Of reputation to the centers OF
population.
There is every indication that
those compelled to remain on farms
will wish they had made q greater
effort . get away and that those who
fled from the cities will regret their
action by the end Of the summer.
1T the very beginning Of the spring
season the department Of agriculture
finds The farm situation overshad-
owed by three inimical factors.
These are:
First, there remain on hand excess
sive stocks Of wheat and cotton. These
are the crops on which the farmer
in the north and the planter In the
south depend for cash. They are the
great trading staples Of the Ameri-
can husbandman. So long Is the
world Is overstocked with these COM
modities their prices must remain at
low levels.
Second. depression Of industry and
trade retards consumption Of these
staples, postponing the time when
shortage will start an upward swing
in prices.
Third, the world wide price decline
affecting all basic commodities weighs
down everything else. Even where
certain crops show no great over
supply, the general sagging market
acts as a drag on the whole price
structure.
Muca Depends on Weather
Thes. are factors which couSpire ia
make the outlook anything but san
guine from the general economic
point Of view. In addition there u
the dire threat Of weather, the black
est weather threat which hung over
the United States perhaps In It's en-
tire history. The drought this winter
In some sections. has beeu worse than
1t was last summer. Over practically
MI Of tho country It has q Least co.,
tinued its summer intensity.
The department Of agriculture says:
.The small amount Of snow q rain
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