The morning call., 1890-12-12
THE GROWTH OF POPULATION.

The arrivals in California of passengers
from the East were in November S156, and
the departures 1871, making net ga n for
the State during the month of 1855 persons,
as against 4402 during November. 1889. For
the eleven months ending November 3Oth,
the net gain was 16,S47, against 1922 dur
ing the first eleven months of 1889, and 49,
9Sl for the same months of 1883. The de-
cline this year was caused by the snow
blockade of last January and February.
and was not due TO any check of the flow of
population westward. We may probably
set down our annual gain of population by
immigration from the East at an average of
10000. AS the immigration by sea is NOM
inal, that figure will represent the average
annual accretion of our population from
sources other than natural increase.
1t is remarkable showing. This is a
State whose resources are unequaled, and
where wages are high and living cheap.
There is room for any number of new
corners. There is no reason why any sober
and well-conducted man should be oct of
work in California. There is every reason
why such man should acquire, by a few
years toll, competency which he cannot
gain in the same space of time and under
similar circumstances anywhere else in the
world. Aud yet the influx of population
from outside the State is one-twenty- fifth Of
tie influx which pours into The Eastern
States, where life is hard, employment
scarce. wages low. living dear, and the
chances of accommodating a competency by a
lifetime of toll very precarious.
OF course, the main reason why immigra-
ton from the East is not larger is the ex-
pense of getting here and the high price of
land in this State. 1t costs a small fortune
for a family to cross the continent with
their household gods, and when they arrive
here 1t costs large slice of their remaining
funds to travel round till they find a suitable
spot to locate on. Ii, in addition. they have
TO pay $50 or 800 an acre for farm which
Is unimprOyed, their means will only en- BILE
them to buy small holding-too small to
support family on.
But ii is possible to get here without cross
ing the continent by rail. The sea is open,
and ships are leaving Europe every day for
San francisco. True, the European immi-
grant reaches New York in twelve or four
teen days, while it would take him four
months to reach San Francisco. But if he
can find what he wants here, and cannot
much better his fortunes by emigrating to
the Eastern States, he would rather take
the longer voyage, if efforts were made 20
render 1t easy for him. In these days, per-
sons who seek to better their condition by
emigrating are not afraid of long voyages.
According to the last returns, 200,00o emf
grants from the United Kingdom seek homes
every year in the Australian colonies. King
kalakaua stated the other day that when
labor became scarce in the Hawaiian
Islands 10000 Portuguese were imported
from the Island of Madeira which is further
from Honolulu than San Francisco is from
Liverpool or Bremen. In 1889, 2S9,O0O En-
ropeans enigrated TO Argentine. The voy-
age from Genoa or Leghorn, from which
most of them sailed TO Buenos Ayres, is
shorter than the voyage from Liverpool to
San Francisco, but not so much shorter that
emigrants who were willing to undertake
the one would be repelled at the thought of
the other.
The late census was disappointment to
the people of this State. 1t was surprise
also. And yet, if we are to rely on natural
increase for our gr0wth-for a gain from i'm
migration Of paltry 20. coo year is hardly
worth conSiderng-ourn numbers are increas-
ing quite as fast as we could EXPECT and
the hopes which the Sangune have cherished
OF population of millions, and of the de-
Velopment OF commonwealth which shall
compare with New York and Pennsylvania,
must be dismissed as idle dreams
There are persons who object to immigra-
ton. and who hold that the State viii make
progress fast enough if its growth be- left to
the working of natural increase If these
persons are right there is nothing to be
said, and no change is desirable. If they
are wrong, and it would be for the best
interests of this State to have at the end of
the century population of two and half
or three millions; to have 90, 100000 gallons
of wine for export, instead Of 5000, 600; to
grow all the raisins con sumed in this country,
instead of half of them; to supply the whole
East with fruit instead of sending few
weeks supply to half dozen cities; to have
1000, 900 tons Of wheat for export, instead OF
G00.009. and to double or treble the tonnage
of this port, then it may be worth while to
consider whether any steps should be taken
to compete with New York for the supply
of labor Which il is now receiving from
Europe.