The Portland daily press., 1882-03-24
Europe's Teeming Millions.
The Large Cities of Europe and their Sur
plus Population.
Correspondence Springfield Republican,

Correspondence Springfield Republican,
OF the large cities in Europe, Berlin ranks
third in size to London and Paris-the census
of last year giving it 1 100000 inhabitants. In
1850 it had but 100000 gain of 100000 In 90
years-thus doubling and nearly trebling its
numbers. Nor is Berlin exceptional from other
German cities in its rapid growth. Dresden in
1850 had 9o,0 000inhabitants and now 1t numbers
about 100000; Breslau 80 years ago had 10000
and at present it numbers 2S0, 900; so years ago
Munich had 10000; 30 years ago 10000; and
last year 100000 inhabitants. Not only these
cities, but all the German cities, and also the
towns show the same remarkable growth. And
the growth is not occasioned by emigration
from outside the empires borders, as it is In
America, but from the peoples literally full
filling the scriptural command to'increase and
multiply and replenish the earth" II is seldom
that German mother has less than eight or
ten children, while it is common for them TO
have 12 and 10 and not uncommon for even
higher numbers. Pray don't have any anxiety
lest Germany becomes depopulsted and ruined
by the enormeus emigration that is constantly
taking place to other countries, and especially
ulated; it has more mouths than it has bread
to give them, more hands than it has labor to
perform. The great problem which Bismarck
and the government at present are trying to
solve is what to do with the increasing millicns
of the future.
Emigration is the great safety-yalvs of tho
country, and through It's channels the surplus
population, or portion of it at least, seek new
homes in foreign lands and under foreign skies,
where labor is in demand and receives its Just
reward and where the hard working laborer
and mechanic will be free from the military
despotism which in Germany grinds them to
earth. In some parts of Germany the popnla-
tion has more than doubled in l6 years, and
from 1872 to 1873, the yearly excess of births
over deaths was 542 600, and at the present rate
of increase the population of the country will
reach nearly hundred millions before the
next century is half completed. From 1916 to
1864 the increase of population in Prussia was
232, 900, or 105 per cent. With these startling
figures, the German economist is busy at work
over his calculations, endeavoring to fix on the
time in the future when the prophecy of NAL
thus will be fulfilled, and the population Of
this earth will be so dense that there will not
be standing room on the earth's surface for It's
inhabitants. The labor question now is the
question of the hour, and is engrossing the at
tention of not only the higher but the lower
classes. Whore there is demand for the la
Dor of one pair of hands there are 20 striving 70
get it. Parents in alarm are anxiously asking.
"What shall we do with our children?"
Strong, abled-bodied men, who would jump at
the chance to work for mark-25 cents--for
10 or IL hours labcr, seek work in vain. There
is no opening of commerce, for the commerce Of
the country is small and confined to one or two
ports. There is great pressure to enter the
military service, notwithstanding its insignih-
cant pay, but the service is already overcrowd-
ed, and has 20 applicants where one is received
Not only the German government, but cities
and townships throughout the empire are finan-
cially embarrassed and find it almost an impos-
sibility to raise money by taxation to meet
their demands.
Statistics which have been carefully gather
ed, show the emigration from Germany in the
millions, the greatest share of which, about
seven-eighths, has taken place since 1850, and
mostly to the United States. And the same
statistics show that the direct loss to Germany
by its emigration in the go years specified has
amounted to ten millards of marks or about two
and one-half millards of dollars-more than
twice the enormous sum of the war indemnity
which Germany required of France at the con-
cusion of the late Franco-Prussian war, and
the United States has been the gamer by what
has been Germany's loss.
Germany now claims 45, 100000 inhabitants.
In area it covers 204719 square miles. The
State of Texas has 274 ,356 square miles, so that
to plant the whole German empire on its sur
face, mile for mile with its Al, 600 900 of people,
there would still be territory enough left TO
make three countries larger than Portugal,
Switzerland and Denmark combined. With
The outlook tarops 1f tais 9ns ftfts
Tsss neseng % ShsT re parssy
there is not much danger of over emigration
for centuries to come.