The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1957-12-06
The Pains Of Economic Growth
BY ROY e. HUFFMAN.
Department of Agricultural

Department of Agricultural
Economics and Rural Sociology, MISC
This paper has to do with the ap-
parent lack of understanding on the
part of most of our citizens of the
implications of the current rapid ex-
pansion in population and the impact
it will have on resource development,
control and use. Most disturbing of
all, state and community leaders do
not seem to recognize the nature and
scope of the problems facing Mon
tana.
Let us consider first the recent
trends in population numbers and pro-
jections for the future. The popula-
ton of the United States was reported
as ISL, 100000 in the 1850 census
and is now estimated at about 172, Co.,
600. Births have exceeded 100000
for each of the past four years and
the net increase has been 100000
for each of those years. In mid
October of this year, however, we
were told that we had completed the
first twelve-months period in which
the net addition to the nations popu-
lation had exceeded 100000 new
citizens.
POPULATION EXPLOSION
COMING
Population prospects for the flu
ture are even more startling. We are
told that we can expect population
explosion about 1865 when the
young people representing the be-
ginnings of the World War II up
surge in the birthrate begin to marry
Estimate of the nations popu-
lation by 1875 range from 222 to
228 million and the figure for the
year 1000 is commonly set at 300,-
100000.
For the period 1850 to 1856, the
nations population increased IL
per cent During the same time,
Montana's population increased
los per cent. Although the Mon
tana population is growing at a
rate approximately equal to the
national rate of growth, it is less
imam NAN fdte OF CROWN Tor the
western states. The eleven western
states increased 1870 in population
from 1850 to 1856.
Nevada's population increased so
per cent but that state still has the
smallest total population among the
48 states. California had the largest
numerical growth among all the
states. The increase amounted to PIP
per cent. For the 1850 to 1856 period,
New York experienced a population
increase of 81 per cent and remained
the most populous state. Closer to
home, Idaho had population increase
of 81 per cent and Wyoming popula-
ton grew SO per cent from 1850 to
1856 compared with the 10.5 per
cent increase in Montana.
At the same time that we are wit
Messing a rapid increase in the total
population of the nation, farm popu-
lation is decreasing significantly in
absolute numbers and even more {
as percentage of total {
population. Only last month the Blu {
reau of the Census reported the great
est decrease in farm population in
any one year in the nations history
when 100000 people left our farms
n the preceding IL month period. {
Much of this decrease is associated /
With continued enlargement of farms,
| situation with which we are thor {
,ughly familiar in Montana. The num- S
,er of farms and ranches in Montana c
decreased from 47,500 in 1880 to g
$4,000 in 1866 while the average size /
If farms and ranches increased from t
40 acres in 1880 to an average of r
900 acres in 1866. 1t is safe to say 2
We have not seen the end of the d
Increase in size of farms and ranches v
n Montana and corresponding de-
rease in the number of farms and S