Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-11
THE CUBAN CENSUS
Difficulty Of Arriving at Anything
Like Correct Figures,
SPANISH COUNT WAS UNRELIABLE
Late War Introduced an Element
Of Uncertainty.
PROPORTION OF WHITES

PROPORTION OF WHITES
Taking the Cuban census is likely to have
| some results not well understood. 1t is i'm
| portant to find out how many people there
are in Cuba the first step toward estab-
| fishing municipal or other government in
| the island. Aside from this there are a
| large number of mercantile firms in the
United States whose efforts for trade will
| be governed by the number of inhabitants
| that is disclosed. Last winter many Ameri-
| can merchants went on the theory that
| there was a population of nearly 1000, 600.
| In consequence they failed to find the trade
| which they sought. Now when it is known
| by means of a census just how many peo-
| pie are in Cuba, the merchants in the
| United States will know just how extensive
are the markets which they can supply.
| With this knowledge before them they will
| not be apt to look for the trade of 100000
| people when there may not be more than
| 1000, 600 to supply.
| American officials who have been in Cuba
| for the last year are divided in their opin-
| ions whether the census will disclose
| million, a million and d quarter or a million
| and a half inhabitants Last winter those
| who travelled for days over the interior of
| the island without seeing score of human
| beings would come back to Havana deciar-
! ing their belief that the surviving popula-
| ton could not be more than million. But
| when they visited the larger cities they
| would sometimes change their mind and Tx
| their guess at a million and quarter. No
! body who was in the island and studied the
| conditions ever doubted that the estimate
! of 100000 victims of war and reconcentra-
| ton from the beginning of the insurrection
| until the American authority was fully es-
| tablished was not exaggerated Ihe only
| doubtful question was as to the number OF
| inhabitants when the Instruction broke
| out in 1895.
| Spanish Census Untrustworthy.
| No Spanish census can ever be taken as a
| trustworthy basis, but there is no other
| basis because no other census was ever at
| tempted. The last enumeration made I'M
| der Spanish authority was in 1887. The sta
| tistics officially published in Madrid gave
| as the result a population OF l,63l,too cap
| tain Walter B. Barker, who was consul at
| Sagua la Grande always held that ms
! enumeration not complete. He thought
| it might be relatively correct for the cities,
but his observations had satisfied him that
| a considerable portion of the country popu-
| lation was omitted. On the other hand. an
| American capitalist who had himself travel
| ed very extensively through the interior told
| me he believed that the actual populate was
| exaggerated. He agreed with Consul Bar
| ker that many of the country people had
not been enumerated, but he thought the
| enumeratorS in making their SueSseS nad
| guessed at too large number.
| Four years after the census of 1887 was
| taken the department of public works made
| an incidental count of the people. ThlS
| was in connection with statistics gathered
| rega riding the industrial resources of the
| island. While this was not regular CEN
| sus, it covered the ground pretty thorough
| ly. Its result was to show an apparent
| population of only 100000 as against the
| official figures of l 631 800 few years pre-
| viously. In the meantime there had been
| some increase by immigration and also the
| natural increase. Taking the census of
! 1887 correct. some American writer's
| hat vN.arl no
! was started in 1895 there were at least
100000 inhabitants in Cuba Few of the
| men on the island who were in position
| to judge accepted these figures.
| Spanish Estimate of 100000.
The Spanish officials generally placed the
| population at that time at 100000 When
| their attention would be called to the
| larger enumeration given by the census of
| 1887 their answer would be characters
| tic shrug of the shoulders and remark
| about the uncertainty of official figures
| The Spanish census takers always sought
| to ascertain the number of inhabitants Of
| Spain who might be in the island tempo
| rarily and the number of inhabitants of
| Cuba who might be absent. This distinc-
| ton of transients and abSents as they
| were called, caused confusion. 1t not
| important, because usually one class would
| about balance the other class. AT the most
| the difference was never more than 5000
| or 1oo00
| During the last months of Spanish rule
| in Cuba. when the Madrid government was
vainly trying to impant autonomy, an al
| legged electoral census was taken. This
| gave some surprising results While the
| official records were at that very time
| showing the death of thousands of inhabi-
| tants of each province, this electoral CEN
| sus showed that the population had not di-
| minished in the previous seven or eight
years. OF course, it was a sham and was
| made up by the officials as a pretense by
| direction of the authorities.
Since the American occupation rough
| count has been made of the inhabitants Of
Havana. This was in connection with the
| sanitary reforms which the American
| authorities enforced and which caused
| every dwelling house to be visited. This
count gave the population of the city as
| 10000. In past years 1t about 213, 0O0.
| Since there were more than 10000 deaths
| in Havana during RECOMMENDATION, the fig
| ures might seem pulling. as they show
| only a loss of 5000 But a large number of
| rec oncentrados came into Havana to die,
| and a large number of the surviving coun-
try people were still there when this count
| was made Moreover after the end of the
| war between Spain and the United States
| Havana received a large increase in Its
| temporary population, as many of the re-
turning exiles stopped there with their
| families The transient population was
| also swollen. 1t is probable that the Amer
| lean census will show that Havana is a
| city with a permanent population of more
| than 100000.
| Gen. Woods Estimates.
| Gen. Leonard WOOu, IN MS recent report
| to the War Department, estimates the
| number of inhabitants in the province of
| Santiago at between three hundred and ten
| and three hundred and fifteen thousand.
F., If his estimate is correct, the eastern end
| OF the island has already received a sub
| stantial increase of its population The
| Spanish census of 1887 gave the population
| of this province as 10000. When the in
| surrection began it probably about
100000. There We're relatively fewer deaths
| in Santiago than in the other parts of the
| is and. Nevertheless there a consider
| able loss, and it is not easy to understand
| on what grounds Gen. Woods estimate is
| based, it would show an actual increase
| during the period of devastation. The
| towns of Guantanamo, ManZanillo, Bara-
| Goa and Holguin have shown some growth
| during the last year, mainly from the re-
| turn of their people from the other islands
| in the West Indies But there are towns,
like Bayamo, which are practically wiped
| out of existence.
| Since the protocol was signed. more than
| q year ago. something over 10000 Cubans
| have returned to the island The bulk of