Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-11-12

Increase in mass 1864, 500
in ratio 200 pr. Ct
The increase of four American cities
were as follows:
Increase 10 mass l,o5s,l67
A." In ratio $50 pr. CT
In one sense the growth of American
cities is the greatest, but in another, and
perhaps the most important, it is not Or
cities cannot grow at the same ratio when
they reach half million of inhabitants
each, and we scarcely think they will when
they reach the same magnitude.
The great fact noticeable in these figures
is that the cities of Great Britain and the
United States have both grown much fas-
ter than the rural population. This fact
denotes one of those social revolutions
which are going on under the influence of
modern arts and sciences. 1t is attended
by another result, the reason of which will
he seen from the comparison of the facts.
The result to which we allude, is the
greater demand aud higher prices of all
sorts of food in the greater cities. This is
one of the obvious fats of the day, which
must be seen in all the markets of the
world. Meats and bread of all kinds are
higher than they were ever known.
This is an inevitable result Of the great
Increase of ciric population. What has TAX
en- place in the great cities has taken place
in the smaller towns, and we now have a
far greater proportion Of the nOn-prOduorS
Of food than we have had at any previous
period. 1t is true that the use of dgrieut-
tural machinery has, to some extent, sup
piled the place Of laborers, but not alto
gether. The aonPrOdaoers are rapidly gain
ing ground on the rural or agricultural
population But there arises a most inter
eSting and important question to the peO-
pie of Europe and America, and one which
can only be answered by social, and not
political movements All the governments
on earth are pOwerlesS TO arrest this in
crease of towns (if such thing was desi-
rable, and still more powerless to supply
them with food The question is, can towns
and cities 90 on with this rapid growth
without creating a greater demand for food
than can be supplied at any rate which
working men can afford2 If not, what is
to prevent final catastrophe resulting from
a diminution in the supply Of food! We
have just seen that no government was
able, 10 the least to check, prevent, or
remedy the deficiency in food, producing
such disastrous effects in 1916, al, AS.
Ireland, small country, containing eight
millions Of people, was, at that period,
much like large city. The supply failed,
and it lost, by disease and exile, two mil
lions of peoplel Ireland was over-popula-
ted. But, should the rapid growth of cities
aud towns continue, there must come a
time, when Europe and America will, in
that sense, be oyer-populated, and the dan
ger Of deficiency of grain be evident
We look upon the solution of this pro-
blem with much interest. 1t must be solved
in few years. 1t may be that towns will
cease tn grow so rapidly when food becomes
very high-priced; or, that new improve
ments in agriculture will create proper
tional supply. We think it certain that
population will always be arrested by the
want of subsistence. But where is there
want of subsistence?-C Cincinnati Gazette.