Page:David Atkins - The Economics of Freedom (1924).pdf/314



, for a moment, in an economic discussion, we are upon firm ground. There is no occasion to refer to index numbers, no need to project, and promptly apologize, and no need to refer to some other apologetic projection.

The problem before us is to ascertain our basic potential wealth in terms of population and acreage. These findings will determine the true per capita wealth—not in fluctuating dollars but in calculable population-density.

The area of the United States was 1,903,215,360 acres in 1918: the population in that year was 104,180,000 and the basic per capita wealth was roughly, therefore, 18 acres, thus giving us our true starting point in whole numbers, namely, the potentiality of one person upon 18 acres in free intercourse with the 104.18 million (minus one) persons, who were, directly or indirectly, involved in 18 acres apiece under a régime of orderly self-government. This was our basic wealth.

We shall have to leave to the Conversion Committee the task of modifying this total by including the area and population of our outlying possessions, and estimating their present wealth in terms of dollars. If we are to avoid economic imperialism they must be included since there is no economic barrier between their effort and ours.