The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-24
Our Population.

1t Is expected that the census which ID
to be taken this year will be the most
satisfactory that the government has
ever superintended. The law creating
the present census bureau is one OF the
best ever enacted in that 1t defines the
method Of work better, limits the num-
Der of inquiries to fewer subjects and
compels completion of the most i'm
portant part of the work within two
years after the beginning Of enumera-
tion. This will be very decided i'm
provement over the census Of 1890,
which was conceived on such elaborate
lines and which, because Of the i'm
mense amount Of detail, II not yet COM
pleted.
or all the information to be gathered.
the matter Of population is the one in
which the public will be most deeply
interested. Years ago predictions were
made as to the number Of people in the
United States. and as all calculations
were made on the percentage OF I'm
crease during the early part Of the CEN
fury. those predictions will come far
from being fulfilled. Up to 1850 the in
crease was never less than 80 per cent.
and had that rate continued up to the
present time our population today would
be nearly 1oo,oo00oo During the decade
Of the war. however, our rate of
growth fell to % per cent: ana from
1880 to 1890 1T was only 24s6 per cent.
the increase being from 5o.155,7s3. to
62,622,250.
Predictions Of the population Of the
country in 1900 are largely guess work.
although there are systems OF ceicula-
lions in use which are thought by those
adopting them to attain results approx
imately correct. The estimate Of Null
hall, the English statistician, is that
our population will be n, 300, 900. An es-
innate by the government actuary of
the treasury department gives about the
same figures. According to this calcu-
lation the population on June 1, 1898,
was placed at 1883, 900, thus assuming
an increase Of 11,76s,75o, or 1879 per
cent. since 1890. This involves an an
nual increase of 1471.0O0, which, IL car
ried to this year, would give a popula-
ton of 77,332,O0O. Mr. Merriam. the d.
rector Of the census, IL not so sang,1ine
in his expectations. He is disposed to
s~l~ In r,,tfI H. A1k
73,OO0oOo and $4,000, 900, which would be
an increase Of but 11,377,500 and a rate
of only IS per cent. This would be the
smallest percentage Of gain shown by
any census during the century
In this state the total population will
probably be considerably below what
was predicted ten years ago. The terri
tory of washington, according to the
census of $780, had a population OF 49,
1l6. In 1890 the population had grown
to s49,39o. An estimate gathered from
the different counties in 1897 made the
population $4,000. Hard times and
depopulation growing out of the Alaska
gold excitement prevented much OF an
Increase from 1894 to 1898, but since that
time there has been noticeable growth
in nearly all parts Of the state, in both
cities and towns. When the count is
completed this year it will probably be
found that the total population is get
ting we'll towards half million. This
will he an increase much greater than
the average for the entire country. But
It is small compared with the probable
growth for the coming decade, judged
by our present prospects.