The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-02-13

| foPuiation III lSVO, TWO hundred and
thirteen thousand two hundred and fourl
| That is what the present growth OF
Prov idence means IL the ratio for the
past two years is maintained for seven
years longer.
1t will mean that during the twenty
years from 1880 TO 1900 Providence will
have increased over 100 per cent, and that
during the last half OF this period il will
have Increased over 60 per cent.
The growth of the city during the past
two and half years, as given by the CEN
sus reports just issued. has been the most
wonderful Of any growth, with one ex-
ception. since it was settled, 257 years
ago. That one exception was the period
betw cen ls40 and 1850, when the percen-
tage increased for the decade is stated at
794
There are two other periods when the
growth was actually & reater but in both
Instances the increase was due TO the ex-
tension or the city's boundaries rather
than to the natural increase following
from increasing prosperity. Those two
periods were between 1886 40 and 1s70.75
During the first Of these part OF Gran
ston was added TO the city, and during
the second period another part OF Gran
ston and two portions of North Provi
dence were included within the city
limits.
From 1850 to 1890 there were only seven
OF the fifty principal cities in the country
which showed so small an increase IN
population, Providence being the forty
third In point of growth of the cities
having over 55 900 inhabitants. But the
present ratio of Increase will exceed that
OF all but sixteen of those cities, and
those sixteen, with three exceptions, are
all situated west of the Mississippi river,
or along the great lakes.
The growth OF the city during the two
and one-half years just passed has been
1916. and is equivalent to n growth of
o. 72O each year. That is an average of IS
persons added to the city each day of the
year. All these must be clothed, fed and
housed, and they must secure wages
which will enable them to buy that
clothing food and rent.
Every immigrant at New York /,
counted as valued at $780, On this basis
the wealth of Providence is increasing
from this source alone at the rate of
s., ,0l6,0O0 each year.
Counting this population as wage.
earning class exclusively they will add
enormously to the productive capacity OF
the city.
In 1890 there were employed in the
city's manufactures 1896 hands. earn
ing 1879, 500, or about $500 each. Of
population about 35 per cent are wage.
earners. OF the 10, 7S6 added to the citv
during the past two anl oue-half years.
therefore. about 5,s75 are wage-earners.
and their wages amount to g., 49,, 500 each
year.
Our productive capacity is about $500
per capita, hence the new population has
added to the productive capacity over Ss.-
100000 each year. Ia ten years this wonld
add over l20 per cent to the value OF the
products OF the city, and make a sum
total Of s155, ,oOG.0 00O for the year 1870.
The addition of the 6. 720 people to the
city means an addition TO the general |
business OF the city OF over s., 900, 900 each |
year. 1t means that approximately ZOO |
homes will need to be added to the city |
and suburbs each year, and that by the |
end of this century the building of the |
city will be advancing at the rate of 1, 800 |
homes. or three aud three quarters houses
'omplet ed each and every day of the
yearI
IL means, in short. that the city has
turned the corner and left behind it that
reputation for too great conservatism,
md has begun not to "boom" but 20 take
up that natural and healthy growth for
which its situation, natural advantages,
immense accumulations OF capital and
he unexcelled skill of its people have
itted it.
Compare the census figures for the
'eriods since 1860 and they will set you
linking. We give the year and month
'ecause the city census is always taken on
AN. l, while the national census is taken
m June /. The last column contains the
ercentage OF increase over the previous
I've years period