Evening star., 1932-01-10
AMPLE WORK AHEAD
CITY BANK ASSERTS.
New Wants and Methods
Sure to Boost Future De-
mand for Labor.

~ ~ ~ WV Gtbt ~ ~
mand for Labor.
Among current fallacies contributing
to pessimistic psychology, the belief
that the world is slowing down and
that there will be less work to be done
hereafter is important If the lessons
Of history, and of all the examinations
conducted into the characteristics of
the human being, teach anything to
| this generation it is the falsity of this
ancient idea, according to the National
City Banks monthly review.
1T Is often said that recovery from
the depression of the '70s was accom-
plished by the railway building of the
'80s; that recovery after the '90s fol-
lowed expansion of gold production in
| the Rand and Alaska, and that the
revival after 1921-1922 was accounted
for by filling up the deficit in housing
construction, by making up war short
! ages generally, and by the rapid growth
Of the automobile industry, supplying
new want. The implication is that
business has been pulled out of each
depression by some special circum-
stance, and that otherwise It could not
have recovered. The contrast is set up
| that there is now no deficit in con-
struction to make up; that the auto
mobile industry has saturated its mar
ket in this country, and that no new
industry is in sight to replace it, To
cap the charge, the declining rate of
gain Of the population is declared to
evidence general slowing down of
business growth for which every one
should prepare.
New Wants Improve Demand.
"All students of the statistics are
agreed that the rate of population in
crease is slowing down. In the last
census period 100000 were added to
the population, but the expectation
now is that the next increase of this
amount will require three decades, or
until 1860. On the basis Of these es-
Inmates pamphlets have been written
pointing out the business difficulties
entailed.
THE error in the argument is that
while there may be limit to popula-
| ton growth there Is no limit to the
growth Of human wants. 1t is safe
proposition that wants never cease to
expand. Families in four-room apart
, mentS would like to move into six
| room apartments, and those in six
rooms would like to have eight rooms.
with all the additional furnishings and
an automobile in the garage City
dwellers want country houses, however
modest, for Summer use. None of
these wants is near satisfaction" the
bank asserts.
Housing Industry Still Young.
There are peSsimistic prophecies
concerning the construction outlook in
this country. Some say the country
is all built up OF course, there is
enough housing and Office and factory
space to meet the diminished require
ments of depression. But it is safe to
say that the housing industry, in the
longer view, is still in its infancy. New
materials and new methods of using
old materials are being developed.
"In st. Louis, recent survey, re-
typical of many cities, showed that
doubling up in living quarters had re-
suited in two and one-half times as
many extra families living in single
houses as there are vacant houses.
THE difficulty Is not shortage of
wants, but lack Of the equilibrium
which would permit the flow of salts
| factions from one person to another
on an equitable basis of exchange
Costs are too high and incomes too
| low only because the basis of exchange
| is disrupted There is no cause for
despair in this but only for resolution
in attacking the problem" in the
| banks opinion.
Along with the old industries, new
ones constantly appear and grow. No
electrical engineer or chemist, familiar
with the progress that science Is max
| ing. will ever subscribe to the idea
! that there is less work to be done. In
modern times wants are ascerta1ned by
| investigation and inventions made to
order to satisfy them. Industries now
only on the threshold of development
| include aviation, refrigeration and air
conditioning, teleWsion, and the cleo
| trical and chemical industries gen
orally. An official OF the General
Electric Co. stated in 1929 that one
fourth of its total production was made
up of new lines developed since the
war" says the banks economist.
at is said that agriculture must Sut-
fer from the effects of accelerated
growth of population and food needs.
Undoubtedly readjustments will be re-
ouired. But to the research chemist
agricultural products are already more
than food or simple raw materials. Cot
ton is not only cotton, but cellulose,
and corn is rich repository OF cheInl-
cal elements.
Mistaken Prophecies in Past.
I'VE have said that the belief that
there is less work to be done Is an
ancient one. In 1874 the then United
States Commissioner Of Patents, Henry
L. Ellsworth, contemplating the as
founding advances made in the me-
chanical arts during his lifetime and
incumbency of office. and fearing q
cessation Of all endeavors in the field
of invention apprehensively said: The
advancement of the arts, from year to
year, taxes our credulity and seems tc
presage the arrival of that period when
human improvement must end"
"Of course Mr. Ellsworth did not live
long enough to ride In any vehicle
common today, to speak through G
telephone or to read by electric ligh'
a newspaper printed from type set by
machine but even as he wrote Good
;; year was vulcanizing rubber and Ella!
Howe perfecting his sewing machine,
the bank concludes.