Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-03-30
LIVE QUESTIONS.
A Series of Articles Contributed to These
Columns by Advanced Thinkers.

GROWTH OF OUR COUNTRY SINCE 1890.
Under the existing temporary organi-
zation Of the census force there must be
inevitably long delay i'll the completion
of the work of the federal census and
the placing of the final results before
the public. This fault is inherent in the
system itself, and no one in particular
can be charged with this delay nor in
deed be made responsible for the great
ly increased cost of the census work.
In this connection it should be remem-
bered, of course, that the fundamental
laws governing the census have been
from time to time very much broadened
and the number and extent of the CEN
sus inquiries very materially increased,
of necessity requiring relatively longer
time to do the work and at a relatively
larger cost
The constantly increasing desire to
have full and explicit data at each de-
cennial period has literally grown away
from the old methods of census taking,
and today the entire inadequacy of the
census machinery, as now provided for
by law, is everywhere apparent. In
many respects it constitutes the chief
lesson of the eleventh census and points
with unerring directness to the neces-
sity for a radical change in the system
of taking the federal census. The eX
perience of the last two enumerations
Ia, ,,f
must be found at an early day in the
establishment Of a permanent census
office.
THE PRESENT CENSUS REPORT AN IMPROVE
MENT.
Despite the difficulties and delays
which have beset the work of the elev-
enth census, there is likely to he some
improvement as compared with 1880 i'll
the publication Of the final reports. All
of the volumes of the census of 1880
We're not published until 1883, but of
the 20 volumes OF the present census 12
have been issued s others are wholly
completed and ready for issue, and the
remaining volumes are either i'll proc
ess of printing or i'll such condition
that the publications should follow
within a comparatively short time.
This being the case, it will be posi-
BILE shortly to review the results of the
last census i'll their entirety and to con
slider in something like consecutive and
logical order some of the many valuable
lessons to be devised from the census.
In the first place, let it be borne in
mind that our country was the first gov
ernment to provide by law for practi-
cal enumeration of its population, the
first decennial census having been taken
by constitutional provision in 1890; the
eleventh census, that of 1890, marked,
therefore, the completion of the first
century of census taking in this coun-
try. During this period there has been
only great expansion in the extent of
settled area. in spite of the vast increase
in territory, but very marked growth
Of population in every part of the union.
EXTENT OF OUR TERRITORY.
At the time of the first census the
United States comprised the territory
between the Atlantic ocean and the Mis-
sissippi river, embracing S27, S44 square
miles, of which SOB. 225 was land sur
face In 1S03-5 the acquisition of Lou
isiana by purchase and of Oregon by
settlement added III, 931 square miles
to our area and secured the absolute
control Of the Mississippi river and its
navigable branches. In 1921 the final
transfer of Florida from Spain increased
our territory by 50, ,26S square miles.
The annexation of Texas in 1S45 and
the acquisition Of territory from Mexico
i'll 1S4S added 92l, ,9lG square miles, and
a still further addition of A Gal square
miles was made i'll 1858 by the Gadsden
territorial possessions, exclusive of Alas
ka, is now 3,025, 600 square miles, of
which 2,970, GOO is land area. The ter
ritory of Alaska purchased from Russia
i'll 1867, has an estimated area Of
532, 400 square miles, but contained OH
ly 32,0 inhabitants i'll 1890.
MARVELLOUS GROWTH OF OUR POPULATION.
At the census of 1890 our entire pop
ulation was but 3, ,929,214 and was con-
tanned principally i'll the 13 original
states Maine being then part of Mas
sachusetts and Vermont part of New
York;, with few scattered settlements
in what shortly after became the states
of Kentucky and Tennessee. 1t was al
most wholly distributed along the At
lantic coast, the average depth of settle
ment, in direction at right angles to
the coast, being but 300 miles, The ter,
ritory occupied by this population in
1890 comprised only 45S, ,225 square
miles of land area, or little more than
one-half of the total land area, while
the area Of actual settlement-that is,
containing two persons or more to the
square mile-comprehended only $780,
935 square miles At the last census, in
1890, the population of all the states
and organized territories so, 622, $50,
and besides this there were 81, 052 per-
sons in Alaska and 325, AGA Indians and
other persons in the Indian Territory
and on Indian reservations, making the
total population Of the entire country
- n L.