The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-01-22
Oyer.Population in Germany.

Germany is growing fast a pre-emi-
nently Industrial country, for which the
export of its productions is condi-
tion of providing the population with
food and raw materials, ana ut the same
time her population is increasing more
rapidly than that of any other country.
The average yearly increase on l".' w
inhabitants since 1881 was in France 20,
in Great Britain 1Ol, in Germany 10.
notwithstanding large emigration.
Ine population of the German empire
in its p csent limits WAS in round NUM-
bers $50 0.COO in 1916, Il il now 49,
250,0OO, while 3.,I0O.O00 have eml-
grated.
This increase results almost exclu-
siyely from the excess of births over
deaths. wiil. the feeble growth OF the
French population is still partly due 10
itnmi grafton, which proves that the -
crease OF wealth is stronger :han that
OF the people. In Germany it is tn re-
Verse. the amount of expenditure
cansed by the acceding numbers is not
ednalei by Il correspOndinSly growing
income. In Prussia the number of thn-e
exempt from all direGt tasrs-i, 6.
Th0Ss income did not exceed J23, had
risen within five Years by l,5ua.UUo; it
was more than i.thhItEm in 1882; the
stati~t cs of other G,Irn;,aV states show
similar result. ;hc poor rates have in
creased everywhere in n alarming pro-
portion, ani the nunher ot vagrants
and tramps have become general
plague.
Onr industrial production suffers
from chronic plethora, lis net produce
does not correspond to its immense ex-
pansion. still less is a real ameiioration
of the situation OF the working classes
to be diScerned. The supply Of labor
generally exceeds the demand; conse-
quently wages do not rise, and the low
er strata of the population can absorb
| comparatively little of the mass of pro-
| ducts which are daily thrown upon the
market, because the scantinesS of their
! earnings does not allow them to satisfy
correspondingly their wants. But in
! the higher classes, also. all the callings
! are overcrowded, the increase of aead-
emical students has been abnormal and
| far exceeding the demand, and con-
| siderable part of this surplus of trained
forces, finding no employment. perish.
es or launches into adventures, In short
everywhere we find an enhanced strug-
| gle for existence, which engenders dis
satisfaction and hopelessness. and furn-
| ishes social democracy with fresh re-
crIIits.
II is this overpopulation which is the
source of the large German emigration.
True, without it the pressRre would
still be stronger, yet the opinion which
| would consider this outflow as an un=
mixed boon is erroneous. Germany
has comparatively more children under
l5 years than any other country-l6,-
0l6,04 in population of 45.500, 900
and they represent unprotectiYe eles
ments to be sustained by the rest, With
the emigration it is very differenti AS
per cent. of it belongs to persons of 20
10 40 years; thus the same number of
emigrants, represents much larger
sum of force of lator than the CORES
pondiEg number of the average popula-
| ton. We educate at great expense
productive forces in order to lose them
when they are grown 10 maturity, and
| the foreign countries to which they GO
reap what we have sown.-Dr. Gcfeke'l
IN The COmtemr Orary RecieW,