Evening star., 1934-10-07

population. In the other five re.
gions the situation is reversed.
The South Atlantic region, for ex-
ample, has 1919 per cent Of the en-
tire population of the country, but
only 7.8 per cent Of the spending for
amusement and service is done there.
Again, it Is found that while the
East South Central region has 81
per cent of the population, only per
cent Of the amusement and service
spending Is done there. In the West
North Central region may be found
l0.8 per cent of the population, but
only 81 per cent Of this type Of
spending. In the West South Central
region dwell 99 per cent Of the pop
ulation, doing 6.2 per cent Of this
spending, and in the mountain region
the per cent Of the poulation living
there do only % per cent Of the
spending for amusement and service.
Thus it appears that four regions
having 55.3 per cent of the total pop
ulation see 7l.7 per cent Of all the
spending for amusement and service,
while the remaining 44.7 per cent Of
the population in the other five re-
gions see only 28.3 per cent. From
the point Of view Of geographical ter
ritory involved, the discrepancy is even
greater.
Reasons for Concentrated Spending.
There are all sorts Of reasons for this
concentration Of spending. The rea-
sons for congregation of people in
large cities are too obvious to require
comment. People are naturally gre
garlouS and one cannot buy drink
unless there are many other CUSTOM
ers nor are theaters open where there
are not crowds to attend. While New
York City undoubtedly leads all other
cities as play place, it must be re-
membered that huge sums are spent
on Summer vacations in the Adiron-
dackS and then there are the honey
moon trips to Niagara Falls. Also. it
must be borne in mind that in that
Middle Atlantic region is to be found
Atlantic City as well as other seaside
resorts.
The fact that the region in which
Florida is located does not show up
with an excess of spending In relation
to population may cause surprise.
Should Florida be considered by itself,
it unquestionably would show excess
amusement and service expenditures,
but one must take into consideration
the large Negro population of Vir-
ginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia,
which lie in the same South Atlantic
region. Palm Beach and Miami can
not possibly spend fast enough for
all of those people who have amuse-
ments at their doors and who require
no service.
The fact that California Is such a
holiday ground accounts in large part
for the excess of amusement and serv-
ice expenditures there and, not only
does Chicago attract in its region as
metropolis, but the Great Lakes are
located in the same geographical re-
gion and they are a popular vacation
ground.
There isn't much to spend money for
on Wyoming ranch; that is, not much
that figures in the amusement and
service statistics. If one could gather
the figures on the sums which pass
over the poker and faro tables in some
cities in the name Of innocent amuse-
ment. some difference in the totals
might appear. And in the Plains
States it costs nothing to watch the
wheat fields wave in the breeze or
the cattle stampede. Nor is it ex-
pensive to watch an alligator In a
Mississippi bayou. Some one has said
that the best things In life are free.
Maybe these are the best things.