ROUND TABLE ON POPULATION PROBLEMS.

The article presents summary of articles present at a round table conference on population problems. Joseph J. Springler's paper is concerned principally with the effects of the various population movements now in process in the United States upon the level of employment. Population movements now in process probably exercise a greater influence today than formerly upon the amount of absolute and disguised unemployment in the American economy because of the greater specificity of factors of production today as compared with formerly. Otto Nathan, in his paper, stated that in analyzing the relationship between population movements and the economic development a distinction should be made between the secular trend and the business cycle proper. One of the factors constituting the secular or long-term development is the population movement itself. In his paper, Alan R. Sweezy, expressed that once an investment boom in underway, increase in the labor supply does have an important influence on investment. Wages rise more slowly than they would with a constant labor supply and numerous investment opportunities consequently can be exploited which would otherwise be unprofitable. The boom once started may be expected to last longer if the labor supply is increasing.