Evening star., 1934-04-08
u. of Chicago Professor
Shows Trends Measured
by SoCioIogists Same.
BIRTH AND DEATH RATES
SHOW DOWNWARD MOVE
Divorces, Marriages and Insanity
Increase, Nations Welfare
Charts Reveal.
BY REUBEN FRODIN.


CHICAGO, April 7 (P).-Prof. Will
liam F. Ogburn, Sociologist of the Uni
versity of Chicago, said today the new
deal may be revolution in organized
effort and basic ideology but the in
dicators SO far show no revolution
In the trends they measure.
The issue between state and in
dustry, so dramatically forced in
1888, is the problem Of the future, he
said in his editorial comment on the
Social Change and the New Deal" an
annual study of social conditions un-
dertaken by the American Journal of
Sociology and published today by the
University of Chicago Press.
90 Charts Are Used.
In his discussion of the background
of the new deal, Prof. Ogburn makes
use of 20 charts on selected series of
social trends. These graphs tell the
statistical story of the movement which
led up to the acts of the Roosevelt ad-
miniStration.
In addition, 10 articles by authori-
ties of Columbia, Wisconsin, North
Carolina, New York University and the
Brookings Institute, and one by Miss
Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor,
consider trends not measured by the
statistical series.
The charts reveal the new deal is
confined only to the sphere of eco
nomic and social welfare. Births,
deaths, marriages, divorces, crime, in
sanity and religion continue their re-
spective courses.
The increase of population is less;
emigration exceeds immigration, and
both the death rate and the birth
rate continue downward, the charts
show These reductions are Slow.
Prof Ogburn pointed out, and do not
keep up with unemployment.
Patents Show Increase.
The number of patents issued
reached its high point in 1882 and then
declined last year. Incomes and the
number of millionaires started down
In 1928. Factory production, en-
ployment and pay rolls hit bottom in
1882 and were all up in 1888. The
cost of living was at its lowest points
in 20 years.
The charts-which are termed sta
tistics on the welfare of the Nation
show many social changes other than
political or economic of great human
significance that are not the object
of specific endeavor on the part of
the Federal administration, Prof.
Ogburn observed.
The number Of married women
employed has increased so that now
one in eight or nine is employed.
The size of the average household
has decreased from 4.8 persons in
1924 to persons in 1882. The
number of divorces annually is in
creasing, but the percentage of per-
sons married also has increased.
Book Production Drops.
The number of new books increased
constantly until the depression, and
then slumped to the 1924 level. There
are twice as many high school STU
dents as there were in 1920. Prof.
Ogburn said that there was the i'm
preston that church membership in
creased during the depression, but
that statistics showed it had remained
constant since the war.
The number of first admissions to
State insane asylums has increased
noticeably since 1926, the charts
show. Crime, as indicated by the
number of prisoners received from
State courts, reached a peak in 1881.
One Of the great characteristics
of modern times, Prof. Ogburn said,
has been the increase in communi-
cation and the increase in the mobil-
ity of the population. Two charts.
illustrating this, show that the aver
age number of communications re-
ceived by each person in 1929 was
375 and in 1882 was 300; and the
average number of miles travelled by
each person in 1929 was $3.50 and in
1882 was 1880.
He predicted in his summary that
"closer contacts between business and
Government will be the chief issue
in the coming presidential elections"