Evening star., 1941-08-04
Argues Against
Static Population
Writer Disopproves
Defeotist Philosophy
Of Restrictionists
To the Editor Of The Star.

On July 28 The Star publiShed q
letter on the subject of population
growth written by Guy I. Burch, director
of the Population Reference Bureau, in
which he gave some figures and ex-
pressed some opinions as to its economic
consequences. To subsrantiSte his theory
as to the undesirability of any popula-
ton increase he said that DR.. Harriet
Elliot of the N. D. A. C. reported re-
Gently that there are now As 900 900
people in this country living at a level
below the requirements for health and
efficiency and adds that, even under a
declining birth rate, We will have an
additional 25000,000 people by 1880. He
declared that there is evidence that
the country doesn't need a larger total
population than the present total of
1872 100000 He appeared to take the
position that any increase in population
would only swell the ranks of the un-
employed and underprivileged.
I would like to ask Mr.. Burch what
evidence he has that we do not have
sufficient food, clothing, building ma
terialS and productive facilities to give
these additional people and the present
As 900 900 underprivileged all the things
necessary for a happy and contented
life at level above the one required for
health and efficiency. The farmers and
manufacturers will tell him that they
adequately can provide for them and
can expand their facilities to take care
of a much greater increase than 25 ,000,-
600 in 40 years. I would like to ask Mr..
Burch if the reason we have 45,000,000
underprivileged today is not solely be-
cause we have neither the foresight nor
the fortitude to make the adjustments
in our economic system necessary to
provide them with the things they need.
There is a whole school of defeatist
thought concerning population growth.
immigration, unemployment and other
economic problems. Some persons are
lmbued with the idea that if we could
get rid of a few million of the unem-
ployed everything would be rosy. Sup
pose We did find some country which
did have sense enough to solve its
economic problems and was willing and
eager to get 10000, 900 of our unemployed
and get 100000 new customers for
the things their factories and farms
could produce and get 100000 willing
workers 10 help develop the natural re-
sources of the country and to increase
its wealth. Does Mr.. Burch or any one
else think that that would do anything
to solve our unemployment problem or
to increase the well-being of the 45,000,-
600 underprivileged? We would only
lose 100000 customers, have millions
of vacant dwellings, many more idle
factories, more idle money and would
find that 100000 more would step
down from the ranks Of the employed
gone.
Those who want a lower birth rate
and no immigration so as to cut down
on the unemployed forget that We can
have full employment and prosperity
only when our economic system is eX-
panding rapidly enough to absorb the
goods which the existing factories can
produce They forget that the most
prosperous periods We have had have
been when our population was increas-
ing the fastest.
There is one thing which we must
understand. and that is that our eco
| nomic system can expand safely only
when there is market for the goods
| which the existing factories can pro-
duce, Independent of the expansion 1t
is perfectly possible to expand rapidly
enough so as to absorb all the goods of
the idle factories and all the unem-
ployed, but this would create a top
heavy condition which would be sure
to collapse and leave a much greater
number of idle factories than before.
If we follow the defeatist philosophy
of Mr.. Burch and others who expound
the doctrine of static population and
no change in our economic philosophy
we will find that we will have a society
in which the standard of living will
keep declining, the number of unem-
ployed keep increasing and all progress
come to an end. We can meet these
problems only by recognizing that the
basic trouble with our economic system
Is the failure to recognize that the posi-
ton of saving and of spending for con-
| sumable goods Is reversed in a mature
| economic system from what it is in
one in a youthful stage of development.
We still need savings and will have
| expansion. But the savings must be
| much less and should be more widely
distributed among the population, and
the expansion will have to be at much
slower rate. We must adopt program
aimed at restricting saving, especially
the saving of large amounts of money
and do things to encourage those making
! such savings to spend the money in
stead. Then We can achieve full en-
ployment at high standard of living.
This is not wishful thinking or vision
airy dreaming but concrete, sound and
objective program that easily can be
put into effect But before we can think
of doing anything along these lines we
must rid ourselves of the defeatist .atti-
tude. CLARENCE ARMSTRONG.
Deplores Spending