The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-04-02
HAL
BOYLE
SAYS
By Hal soYLE

NEW YORK R,-Sene pepole
don't have enough worries in their
own lifetime. so they worry about
what kind of world their sons or
grandsons will have to face.
Among these knights of the
wrinkled brow one OF the favorite
frefs is a fear that the earth viii
become overpopulated.
This was phobia in certain cir
cles long before Daniel Boone
moved west because he felt
cramped whenever neighbcs.s
moved within 40 miles Of his cabin.
And today they can summon up
d lot Of statistics to bolster their
contention that the stork ought to
be grounded fer too much overtime
flying.
For example. they say, the big
bird is delivering about 220, 900
squalling little bundles every day
throughout the world. Subtracting
the people who give ND the mortal
struggle for one reason or another
the sun rises every incoming o.
5000 more living human teings
than ii did the day before.
This is true even on cloudy
mornings. The u. S. population Is
growing at the rate of more than
four persons minute, $50 an hour,
G.000 a day.
United Nations officials say the
same situation exists internation-
ally. They say the worlds popula-
tion = some 2,40O, 000, 900 in 1850
IS Increasing % million annually
BY 1875 the U. 5. Census Bureau
figures the American populations,
now over 155 million will exceed
200 million. And that means, says
the u. S. Department CT Agricul-
fure, that in 1915 there will be a
firth dinner plate set at every
table where four people now sit
Yes, for every four pounds Of
meat, four quarts Of milk, and
every four eggs we nov produce,
the American family viii need an.
other pound another quart, and
another egg--so that fifth person
won't have to 90 hungry.
That will require 10 million more
cattle, 20 million more hczs. 3 1-3
million more sheep and lambs, 81
million more laying hens and 6
million more milk cows--slnless the
present hers and cows can be
talked into giving d little more for
posterity.
Can the u S. economy be geared
up to meet that strain? Some
alarmisis say no = that our prec.
ious soil and other natural re-
sources are already being wasted
too fast as II is. Some of these
soothsayers e.s disaster even be.
licse only terrible third world
war or o fat plague win enable
the teeming earth to solve the
pro- lem Of ''oyerpopulation. !
world Is on the threshold Of greater
But many scientists think the
plenty rather than greater hunger.
They feel that the wonders Of
chemical agriculture. new tech
niques Of squirting plan tand ami.
NAL growth, better methods of pre-
serving and storing food will mean
fewer empty bellies rather than
more.
II II the Did battle Of faith and
Of the test tube warriors. who have
already done much TO make the
good earth better.
The globe is shrinking, but
science is justifying the homely
philosophy that guides many large
families There's always enough
10 feed one mere.
In any case, who is going 10
ground that storkg The cynic may
hemoan the population growth. The
wise man goes into the diaper bus
mess.
sss2a
! NEW YORK During the last
war ~smany a weary traveller fir.
uied it~mus, be easier to get the
keys TO Fort Knox than key "a
the average hotel room.
q