| Show Tragedy Deserted Towns Editors Editor's note The following follow follow- following ing article was written by Jenkin Lloyd Jones and appeared appeared ap ap- ap in many newspapers around the country Under the spreading chestnut chestnut chestnut chest chest- nut tree the village smithy no longer stands The chestnut blight has taken care of the chestnut tree The automobile has eliminated the smithy And now the village is about to go Americas America's very small towns are in trouble Take the rough figure of 2500 population inthe in inthe inthe the West it might be less andin and andin andin in the East more Below that line dine most communities are going going going go go- ing to fade Above it many towns will grow and prosper The economic reason for the American village has vanished This is a sad fact of modern America sad because of the sentimental legend still strong among us that the toe village presented peace and virtue rand land friendly help as opposed to the coldness and wickedness of the city Our folklore cherishes cherish cherish- es esthe the eyed clear lad with his yellow button shoes and his wicker suitcase who came into the big town and outs licked the city slicker The country town in America America America Amer Amer- Henry Henry Henry Hen Hen- ica has been wrecked by ry Ford the paved highway Hereford bulls and contract harvesting Henry Ford and the paved road made it ft possible possible possible farmer to shop in ble for the L if i the the county seat 11 u if not nui in m. m w U i metropolis The Hereford bull bul took a lot of marginal land Lanc out of crops and into cattle Contract harvesting made possible possible possible pos pos- sible the corpor corporate farm where the empty houses warp in m the sunshine and no man watches the wheat grow It is ironic that it is the city which is the little towns town's best friend if the little town is lucky enough to be close to the city For those prosper best which lie within an hours hour's drive of the skyscrapers They have the best chance for industrial industrial industrial in in- payrolls They are the only ones that can benefit from the commuters commuter's taxes What does docs it take to make a good town It takes stores where there is an adequate selection It takes good schools It takes reasonable medical services And it takes enough opportunity ity for good jobs so that the bright kids wont won't pull out the day after their high school graduation Karl Fox of Iowa State University University Uni Uni- says a large supermarket r- r ket needs a base of 2000 fam fam- flies For a mens men's clothing store to pr produce duce net profit a year it needs 2680 customers A hardware store needs The young doctor of today is not content with an office over the drugstore He wants to work in a clinic Dr James Conant claims a first class high school ought to have students in the graduating class That requires requires re reo quires a population base of persons Towns smaller than this need a consolidated school covering a oa wide land area The tragedy of the smalltown smalltown small smalltown town is that when it starts to slip forces are set in motion motion motion mo mo- tion that cause it to slip fas fas- ter The more kids who leave town tawn the older the population average grows and the less the town is inclined ito to spend on schools or civic improve improve- ments Lack of these things makes it difficult to attract industrial payrolls and this lack causes more kids to leave With fewer people tied to the land the small city cannot count so much on captive cus cus- It must make itself attractive enough to bring in industrial and business payrolls payrolls pay pay- rolls to lure the retired to develop tourist income where the surroundings are favor favor- able It needs public officials who can hit the city hall spittoons spittoons spittoons spit spit- or better yet not require require require re re- re- re quire them It needs schools remarkable for something besides besides be be- sides the bands All this takes devotion And worst of all taxes But the little cities all allover over AmerIca America Amer Amer- ica ka whether they know it or not are in a desperate fight for life For the centripetal forces drawing Americans into urban areas are strong and growing The good little city can buck these forces Its It's great to live in a town where y you u know the mayor and a picnic is not a safari But the small American cities that are going nowhere are just about sure to get there |
