The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-13
INCREASE OF POPULATE on.

Statistics have recently been published
showing the growth OF population IN
Great Britain and France, and II they
are to be relied upon they show that for
the nrst time in the history OF the world
the population of the United Kingdom
OF Great Britain and Ireland is greater
than that OF France. At the beginning OF
this century France had 2, oo0.o 900 and the
United Kingdom only 5000. 0o0 inhabitants.
The discrepancy between them has been
diminishing steadily. so that the last CEN
sus. IN 1881. gave France 5S.543.00 and the
United Kingdom $4,000 inhabitants-a
French majority of only $4,000. The vital
statistics OF 1892 and 1893 showed that in
those years the deaths IN France out
numbered the births by more than 1900,
while in the United Kingdom the births
were more numerous than the deaths by
about $1,000. Since then a change for the
better has been observed in France, so
that the births now probably outnumber
the deaths by small margin.
The general tendency OF France to stand
still has attracted the attention of Its
government, and unusual effort is being
made TO direct the serious attention of
that people TO the facts. In 1888 there were
in France 2S7000 marriages. $4,000 births
and So, coo deaths: while in the United
Kingdom there were only 267 600 marriages,
but LA 900 births and only 7S2 900 deaths.
That is to say. marriages are more nu-
merous in France. but far more fruitful
. In Great Britain: and the death rate In
the latter country Is far the lower.
Yet the disparity between the two coun-
tries does not result so much from an alb
normal growth In the British isles as from
. the decadence of France One of the sta
: tisticians who has been instrumental in coll
lating the figures says that making all al
= iowances for the disastrous effects Of the
Napoleonic wars and of the war with Ger
many In 1S70-71, the native growth of France
has been too small. In a century it has
amounted to only Il. 900, or about 40 per
cent, while that OF the United Kingdom,
despite the famines in Ireland and the enor-
nous emigration to all parts. has been
over 100000, or more than $50 per cent.
In recent years the contrast has been most
striking. In the ten years from 1881 10 1881
the growth OF France was only G1,l44, while
that OF the British isles was 2s62.547. or
more than four times as great. Moreover.
the evil in France is-or has in recent years
been-progressive. Thus in the quinquen-
NAL census period 1S76-lSsl the growth OF
population was 76s, geo. In the next, ISL
1884, Il was SIC. o55. In the next, 1SS6-lS9l, it
was IA, $50
When the emigration from the two coun-
tries is taken into account the divergence
is seen TO be even greater. During the CEN
fury France has grown from 100000 TO
IS 900 900 She has also sent 10 her colonies
and to foreign lands about 10000 souls.
making her total growth 100000. The
United Kingdom has increased from IS
CC0,0o0 10 81. 000.ooo. and at the same time has
sent abroad no lees than 10000, or as
much as the total growth OF France, maxi
Ing the actual British increase the enor-
nous total OF 81, 10000.
It will be readily understood why Eng
land takes so much interest IN opening
M new fields for her superintendent pop
ulation. and also how Il Is that her colo
NAL dependencies increase so enormously.
The figures also go to explain how the
United States. peopled from the same
original stocks OF vitality. Will increase In
population. She has drawn upon the most
energetic races of the world. and. under
proper regulations. immigration can easily
be made blessing