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Show AN UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION, New York World. Because of a ' report that . is true, though uttered in Jest, the marriageable women are scarce and in brisk demand about Tacoma, the postmaster of that city bears a brow deep-lined with care. Letters pour Into his office by bushels from those portions of the Republic which Is "opportunity," according to Garfield, that do not furnish opportunities opportuni-ties matrimonial. In particular, several sev-eral girls in Troy have formed a marriage mar-riage club to compare notes, tastes and needs with the gallant Taeomians. .- This discrepancy of the sexes has been from the beginning a great drawback in our otherwise desirable country. Did not the benign authorities of Canada n early times freight thither cargoes Of girls from France to mate with hardy voyaguers? Are not many proud Virginians Vir-ginians sprung from marriages arranged ar-ranged by equally benevolent authority? Why should a modern Uncle Sam, who lives this side, of the sea be less solhri-tous solhri-tous about the young people's happiness than ancient kings who had never heard of Tacoma? That postmaster should "get busy." The difficulty is a very real one, of which the cold figures of the census convey con-vey little idea. Mrs. Blake says there are 1,500.000 more unmarried men than single women In the country. In Massachusetts Mas-sachusetts are only 70,000 more females than males, but how many of the inferior in-ferior sex are Immigrants who send their earnings where they left their hearts and families, in the Old World? In fact, a girl's chance of matrimony In a- mill town of Massachusetts or New York is scandalously small. As for the West why, in Idaho there are four men and boys for every three members of the gentler se; in Washington Wash-ington the proportions are almost three to two. What is needed is an equitable distribution of marriageables; but whence la coming the great political economist who shall solve the problem of bringing together the manless East and the wifeless West? . 9j |