268 J. H. LANDMAN 



per cent or 11,013 people, largely in the Middle Atlantic and Pacific states. 

 This increase is the lowest indicated since the 1850 census. 



It is interesting to note that the native-born of mixed parentage increased 

 by 20.8 per cent while the native population of foreign parents increased 

 but 9.5 per cent. It would seem that marriage between the natives and 

 the foreign-born is becoming more popular, a factor helping to make our 

 population more homogeneous. The melting of our people is becoming 

 more complete. 



The percentage of married males in 1890 was 53.9 and the percentage of 

 married females in 1890 was 56.8; in 1920 it was 59.2 for the males and 60.6 

 for the females; and in 1930 it was 60.0 for the males and 61.1 for the fe- 

 males. The percentage of unmarried males, fifteen years old and over has 

 decreased from 35.1 in 1920 to 34.1 in 1930. The percentage of unmarried 

 females, fifteen years old and over, has decreased from 27.3 in 1920 to 26.4 

 in 1930. Contrary to popular opinion, for the last forty years or more, we 

 are becoming more and more a married population. How then can we 

 explain the decline in the rate of growth of our population? Certainly, it 

 is not due to a decline in the number of marriages but due to a decline in 

 the fecundity of our parents. 



Another significant feature of our American life is the certain increase of 

 our urban population at the expense of our rural population. In 1910 

 the urban population constituted 45.8 per cent, and in 1930 it was 56.2 

 per cent. The concentration of population in the cities is fraught with 

 problems in mental hygiene in addition to significant social and economic 

 ones. Since the occurrence of the depression in 1929 the tendency has been 

 for some of the urban population to return to the rural districts. 



Simultaneous with a rapid urbanization of our population, we evidence a 

 constant increase of the unemployed, — a characteristic of the modern mech- 

 anization of industry. The mechanical age requires fewer employees in 

 productive industries. Those ten years of age or over in gainful occu- 

 pations decreased from 53.3 per cent in 1910; to 50.3 in 1920; and to 49.5 

 per cent in 1930. The percentage of males ten years of age and over en- 

 gaged in gainful occupations declined from 81.3 in 1910 to 76.2 in 1930, 

 whereas the females of the same age increased from 18.8 in 1900 to 22.1 in 

 1930. The machine age, the urbanization of our population, the increase 

 of marriages, the decline in the birth rate, the invasions of women in in- 

 dustry are some of the salient features of the new American life. 



The number of socially inadequate people in the United States is appalling. 

 We can no longer view with complaisance the constant growth of this in- 

 competence which is undermining our social fiber. 



