The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-06-25

1t will be seen that there has been an in
crease in population inWards /, 8, 6 and and
falling of in every other ward. 1t is pa
tent to everybody that during the last ten
years there have been great many removals
from the central and lower wards of the
city to the upper or western wards, and of
course this tendency to move up town shows
In the census. Therefore 1t was to be ex-
pected that the western wards would show a
larger increase than the down town wards.
Yet by far the largest increase In any one
ward has been made In ward 1. This may he
attributable In part to an increase of popula-
tlon on some of the islands, but only small
part can be accounted for In that way.
Nor does it seem probable that much of it
can be due to removals from other wards,
for the movement Of the old population has
been generally toward the west. This
movement has undoubtedly drawn from
ward as well as from the other wards. and
1t is difficult, therefore to understand how it
happens that ward one has gained over
thousand. while wards 2, and 5
have lost. Ward has lost GAL,
ward 4. 100. and ward 8. 470. II Ward l has
gained thousand 1t can hardly be possible
that Wards 2, a and have all lost.
But there are other apparent inconsis-
tencies.
In 1880 when the national census was taken
the number of poll tax payers in this city
recorded upon the books of the assessors
was S,488, and the census disclosed a total
population of 1896. Thus the ratio of
population to the number of polls was as
1881 to /. This year the number of poll tax
payers on the books Of the assessors is 1O,Ol6
and the population according to the census
estimate 34,471, which makes the ratio of
population to polls 3.441 to 1. The ratio
of population to polls has undoubtedly
shown tendency to diminish for twenty
years past. Between 1870 and 1880 there
was slight decrease in the city. But it is
Incredible that it could have dropped from
almost to less than 81 in the last decade.
Of course diminution in this ratio means
dimtnution In the size of families, and it
is well settled that the tendency to smaller
families is much more marked among the
natives than among the foreign population,
we should look for less reduction In ratio in
the Irish wards than in those inhabited by
natives. But this census shows that families
In the Irish wards are diminishing much
more rapidly than anywhere else. Thus in
1880 the population of Ward was 1905 and
the polls 1924. a ratio of 3.S9 to one; in 1890
the population was 4l65 and the polls 1887, a
ratio OF 2.S2 to one. AS astonishing differ
ence is shown by comparison of the
figures of Ward 4. II the present estimate
OF Ward Us population is correct while dur
ing the last decade there has been gain there
In males of voting age of 253 there has been a
oss in females and males below the voting
age of 1884, To assume such destruction or
removal ofwomen and children does violence
to common sense.
The last canvass Of the voting population
of this city was made in the spring of the
present year. 1t was made by men who
have been engaged in this business for many
years, and their returns no doubt are very
accurate. This canvass shows the following
voting population in the different wards: