Evening star., 1932-02-14
RETURN TO FARMS
). SEEN TEMPORARY
Gain in Rural Population in
, 193O-31 Believed Result
Of Unemployment.
BY JESSE o. IRWIN.


The great 'back-to-the-farm move
ment" OF today has = Joker concealed.
Despite its proportions it hasn't q gen.
uine ring. according to DR.. c. J. Gal
pin, United States Department OF Agri-
culture DR.. Galpin probably IS the
best-ppsted man in the United states
on low and high tides Of American farm
life
The boy who deserted the farm in
the last 10 years for the city Is return
ing with just enough gas IN his hivver
to reach the barn door, DIR. Galpin says.
But he is returning for a bite to eat
and not to till the soil, DR.. Galpin add
ed. He will remain only long enough
for prosperity to resume.
This Is just q relief Journey" DR..
Galpin said. "and should not be asso-
ciated with the grand old 'back-to-the-
farm movement of yesteryear. I only
wish it could be along those lines"
Farms Gained in 1880.
DR.. Galpin soon will release his es-
innate OF American farm population as
of January l. 1882. for the departments
Bureau of Agricultural Economics.
The exodus from the city. he said,
will show a Substantial gain for the
year and the trek farmward IN 1880
was the largest up to then since 1924.
population for the 10 years before
1890" said DR.. Galpin. was that each
wear showed decrease In the total
living on farms It Is likely this held
good for the previous 10 years, 1920 to
1910
IRON 1920 to 1927 there was a
yearly decrease of 40000 persons on
farms, while from 1927 to 1880 there
was a yearly decrease of 100000.
"At this point a marked change
occurred. The farm population from
January l. 1880. to January !. 1881
gained after losing ground for 10 to 20
wears January /. 1881, the farm
population was 27.430,O00. as compared
with 27.222 900 January /, 1890, gain
OF 208 5000.
Departures Decreased.
"A gain of over 100000 in one year
Is worth looking into, to catch a clue
to the reason.
Take first births and deaths. The
birth and death rates have varied little
There has been surplus OF births over
deaths of 350000 to 100000 a year
There is, therefore, nothing in the
number of births or deaths to explain
Try another tack. Take the number
of farm people who left for cities
Fewer persons left for cities last year
than in any year during the previous
10. Notice how the number leaving the
farms runs: In 1922. 2,000.000; 1924
2.o75 900: 1925, 100000: 1926, 2,155,
600: 1927, 1,978,000; 1928, 1;e23000;
1929. 1,876.000: but in 1880, l,543,000
You will note a general though
small yearly decrease in the number
leaving the farms. But in 1880 there
were 330,000 fewer persons leaving the
farms than the year before. Farm
people. for some reason, stopped going
to cities in as large numbers.
May BE Temporary.
"There is another factor. The move
ment from towns and cities back tc
farms last year was the largest for any
year after 1924 In 1924 it was 1896
900. In 1880 it reached l 1892 600. Thus
with fewer people than usual leaving
farms to live In cities. more people
went to the farms from cities.
Whether the increase in farm
population marks a new era. the begin
ming of a climb upward in the number
of people who will live on farms in the
future, who can tell 1t may mari
only temporary unemployment i'm
pulse However, it should be pointed
out for the sake of caution that the
movement away from the farms has
been slowing for the last several years.
(copyrisht. is32. by the North American
- Newspaper Alliance. IncD