New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-07

Fifty Years of Enormous Growth Ths Causes
Of ;ERadroads and Industries


Faculty Of Political Science at Columbia University.
It's author WAS some time Fellow in economies ana
social science in the university, and later became Dep
utv Commissioner of Labor Statistics OF New forh
State So he is naturally fitted for his task when was
doubtless the agreeable to him since us o''e'
was an investigation undertaken for doctor us
scrtaon. But the present book Is greatly eN'enueu
beyond that limit and in the illustration OF the propo
sitions laid down and deductions drawn we nave mucn
more than specialists compilation Of figures There
are nearly tables of the latter, yet with us 40
pages the book remains study in statistics.
The work is divided into nine chapters or parts
The first is introduction, mainly devoted to an eX-
planaton OF the various local standards of urban
measurements and the consequent difficulty in securing
accurate comparisons. The second gives the history
ard statistics OF urban growth in all countries. The
thId is a discussion Of the causes OF concentration
The fourth shows tho relation between urban growth
and internal migration The fifth examines the struct
urc Of city populations The sixth is review of lie
movement Of city and country populations through
birth marriage and death. The seventh scrunzes
the physical and moral health Of city and country
The eighth and ninth observing the general effects OF
concentration of population consider their tendencies
and remedies Obviously there is here mine OF most
important and interesting information. Some Of the
pressing questions of the century have their an
swers here No, sociology alone but politics in their
largest sense the Whole world Of finance ethics, and
hygiene are Intimately concerned in the findings Of
this broad Investigation The author has put students
Of all nations with chapter ard verse reference under
levy for his facts He has made exhaustive research
and before the readers eye has thrown his findings
into the much revealing scale Of comparison. Illus
tratiye diagrams supplement his tables with simple
presentations.
ha 10y Ion tn 10 L. utp
attention to some Of the striking facts in the growth
Of cities the prevailing conditions in them and the
important sociological and economic conclusions He
must leave for the ainpor space OF the volume world
Of details that Will be Of interest 10 close students
II appears in a table which shows for all countries
the total percentage Of the population dwelling in
cities mat the United States is only thirteenth in the
percentage of IFS inhabitants That grouped towns
of 10000 or more inhabitants. Not ons do England
and Wales lead it, with 81 PER cent. thus grouped but
Australia Uruguay. anl Argentina are higher IN the
list. The percentage Of the United States is 27G, and
Scotland. Belgium. Saxopy Holland. Turkey Prussia
and Germany are countries Of Europe that have
higher proportion than this Of their inhabitants in
cities France, Italy, Switzerland. Austria and Hun
gary among The notable European nations which
are given below IT, In Abyssina and The Orange Free
State thorc no city jewellers. 1t should be recalled
Of course that the figures The United States the
rate for the whole country and that there various
sections of it, States and groups Of States which
the proportion Of city dWellers is as high as
OF the nations that. a whole lead il.
The extent of the variation improsses one scarcely
more than docs fhe seeming lack Of general rule that
readily explains Il. The density of whole popua-
ton, for instance. appears nave nothing DO with
the matter. Bengal has many inhabitants as the
United States. crowded in territory scarcely larger
than Great Britain and ireland. The density OF lis
population thus approaches Belgum's where IS per
cent of all the inhabitants live in aggomelations Of
'oJo or more each. Blu, in Bengal only per cent
so grouped. Furthermore, in table showing the
density of population for all countries India Italy
ana Japan are found to rank very high while their
urban population is not be compared with that Of
the United States ana Australia which, by contrast
are tLmly pcoplcd. promising explanation
then appears in the present organization Of industry
Indeed. the first fifteen countries in the classification
based ratio Of city jewellers prove almost without
exception to be nations far advanced industriay or
CONNIE. ciay, tie latter development explaining the
appearance in the lis, Of Holland and Turkey But
Uruguay and Argentina remain TO be accounted for
and author suggests that the endowments Of nature
have something TO DO with the matter. She can deter
mine that large part Of Cmguays population shall
be pressed into city and she can discourage he