The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-09-07
4 PROBLEM ABLY DISCUSSED
Rev. DR.. Buchtel's Lecture Last Even.
ing on "The Present Crisis"
Figures Showing the Drift of Population to
the Cities-Eyil Effects Of this Missing of
People Education as o Remedy.

Rev. H. A. Buchtel. ID. d., spoke at the
on The Present Crisis" He began by say
ing that from the earliest times the prob
lem of life in cities has been difficult TO
solve. "ln times as recent as the age of
Elizabeth" he said I'VE find the city prob
lem so serious that royal proclamatons
were issued in which it was forbidden TO
erect new buildings in the city of London
where none had previously stood. James
/. Charles l. Cromwell and Charles III issued
similar proclamations, which can be seen
In the library of the British Museum. In
our day this problem is more difficult than
ever before in the history of man, for the
reason that we have entered upon the era
of great cities. The city of London is sup
posed to contain population, within a
twenty mile radius from Charing Cross. of
eight millions of people. Every fourth man
in the realm of England and Wales
is a Londoner. Within a radius of fifty
miles from the central point of Manchester
you find the great manufacturing towns of
the north of England. with a population
equal to this vast population of London.
Ten years ago the urban population of En-
gland and Wales comprised 60 per cent.
OF the entire population OF the realm. 1t Is
expected that the census taken in June of
the present ear will disclose the fact that
20 per cent. of the entire population
is to he found in the towns. In Scotland
there are not as many people In the rural
parts now as ten years ago. although the
population has increased steadily at the
rate OF IL per cent. for each decade
since the beginning of the century. Three
Scotchmen out of every four live in some
city in our day. The Glasgow of DIR. Chal-
mers's time was city about the size OF In
dianapolis. The Glasgow of our time APP
pr iches Chicago i'll size. When you con-
slider the conditions on the continent you
find the same startling facts of our modern
life. Brussels grows at the rate OF 20
per cent. in decade. and Antwerp at the
rate of 30 per cent. while all Belgium
advances at only IL per cent. In the
last decade the towns of Denmark have
grown twice rapidly as the country: tho
towns of Sweden four times as rapidly as
the country; and the towns of Norway ten
times as rapidly as the country. The four
chief cities of Russia have doubled their
population within twenty years. The town
POPULATION . in Germany grows twice as
France, in Austria in Switzerland, In
Italy. In Holland, In Australia and in
Canada the same conditions exist. Perhaps
we ought not 10 be surprised at such re-
that of Germany, with 2l3 persons for every
land, with 446 rs0ns to the the square
miles; or like q of Belgium. with sos
persons to the 8 IRE mile. But we cannot
avoId expressing surprise to find these same
remarkable facts iItt the United States, where
we have only twS nty-one persons to the
square mile of tertitory-and that after ex-
Gliding Alaska, which would make fifteen
States the size of Indiana.
THE DRIFT CITYwARDs.
''In $780," continued DR.. Buchtel, "the
census showed fifty three out of every
one hundred persons in Massachusetts, to
be residents in the towns. In 1890 we find
seventy out of every one hundred persons
in Massachusetts, resident in the towns.
The proportion is the same as in England
and Wales. The State of New York has q
population of nearly SIX millions. as shown
by the census of last year. Half of that
vast population is to be found In the frat
seven towns: New York, Brooklyn. Buffalo,
Rochester. Albany. Syracuse and Troy.
would show the same proportion as Mass
achusetts. The ratio of the population of
Chicago Il, loo, 0O0) To the State of Illinois
(S.S00.0O0) with its SO. COO square miles of
territory s equal to Tot the he ratio Of the ppDua
England and Wales t29,000,0O0l with its
$1,000 square miles of territory. Take an
extreme case. Colorado is three times as
large in area as Indiana, and yet more than
one fourth OF all the people are found In
the first city. In the first four towns you
find more than 40 per cent of the entire
population of Colorado. and that. too. when
the three great industries of mining.
stock'grazin1s and agriculture . invite
The pm lication OF the census bulletin for
Indiana during the past week disclOses the
same facts In this State which We lind III
every part of the civilized world. Twenty
h. - rNf% In.
State show decrease in pOpulatiOn-yet
the population for the whole State has
gained IL per cent. for the decade. which rs
certainly satisfactory. But where is the
gaini Practically wholly in the towns
The whole State gain Is 2l4.OOO. and the
gain In the first thirty-fve towns with
population of four thousand and upwards
is 10000. Only two towns with population
of four thousand have o decrease-namely,
Madison, where q loss of nine Is shown,
and Lawrenceburg. where q loss of 3S4 is
shown. Vanderburg county shows a gain
of 1906. and the city of Evansville shows
a gain of 2l.476. 1t is clear. therefore.
that the county outside the chief city has
lost. Wayne county has lost 9S5. but Rich
mond has gained ). SO. Tippecanoe county
has lost $50, but Lafayette has gained 1888.
The gain in Indianapolis and its suburbs is
$500. while the entire gain OF Marion
county is 1854. The county outside the
chief city therefore shows decrease. If
we institute inquiry into this swift devel-
opment of the populations of the cities we
will find about four facts which serve to
account for 1t. First In the growth of
wealth. Mr. Gladstone estimates that the
entire wealth of tho civilized world in the
year 1900 was doubled by the year 1850.
Then that all the wealth of the year 1850,
among civilized men, was doubled by the
year 1915. Then that all the wealth of 1875
was doubled again by 1890 it Is his pre-
diction that all the wealth of 1890 will be
doubled again by the year 1900.
OTHER FACTS TO CONSIDER.
'The second fact to consider is the growth
of the population. Within lifetime the
population of the civilized world has
doubled. while that of the English-speak-
ing world has Quadrupled. The birth rate
has not increased. bnt the death rate has
decreased by the growth of medical science
notably. The third fact to consider is the
improved Agricultural machinery which
makes 1t possible for one man to do the
work which previously required four or
five men. Fourth, the increase of wealth
for all the people makes the relative ex-
penditure for food less, while tho expend-
iture for manufactured articles produced
In the city Is relatively greater. 1t is there
fore evident that the gc0wth of the cities
Is not particularly abnormal. 1t is certain
ly true that there are many persons in
every city who ought To- he in the country
engaged in agricultural pursuits, and vet it
must be confessed that the growth OF the
cities ID what we ought to expect In an age
like our own. These remarkable conditions.
however. are now found Tor the first time
in the history of man on this planet.