The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-21
OUGHT TO SHOW OVER $4,000.
TWENTY PER CENT. INCREASE IN
POPULATION roo SMALL.

The Last Census Cave Savannah an
Increase OF 1850. or a Growth Of
10 Per cent. for the Dccadc-Thc
same Rate of Growth Would show
a Population of over 10000 for
1900 SupCrinteuden Ashmor"
Makes Calculation Based Upon
The increase in ScnooI Population
and shows That With the Same
Rate OF Increase fer the General
Population the Result should he
64.6a5-Mayor Myers Plan To Test
census Among CitS Employees.
The hone that Savannah VIII show
creditabie increase in population Tor the
decade now closing is general with every
true savanrahian ana this OF course. eN-
plaius the anxiety with which the outcome
at the present census enumeration is re-
garded The inumauon from Supervisor
Blum published in yesterdays Morning
News. that people generally were ovcretti-
mating the results ikoly 10 be shown by
the census aud that it would be the part
of wisdom TO moderate these estimates, fell
like a wet blanket upon the spirits OF
many enthusiastic Savannahians That
the unofficial expression that 5L6oo is more
likely TO approximate tile result than 5000
is not at all satisfactory
There is hardly business man or any
one else in Savannah, who has lived
here for two decades, who is
not convinced chat the city has shown
a better rate of arowth and progress
during the last decade than during The
former 10 say nothing of the decade OF
stagnation which succeeded the civil war
and its unfortunate successor which in
cluded the epidemic of 1876. The census
figures for 1880 gave Savannah a popula-
ton Of only 30 100 almost equally divided
between white and colored. The city en-
joyed a fair rate of growth during the
decade which followed and the citiz MS
did not feel that their city had been
rightly treated when the count of 1890
showed a population of only 1919. Yet
this was a gain of L, $50 people in one
decade or a frac ion ovr 40 per cont.
Cities all over the country We're then
growing very rapidly and the people of
Savannah anticipated a gain of at least
30 per cent.
For the last decade, the most prosper
Gus III savannah $ DIStoINt IOLNliilSf anu
ing the panic of 1898 and the dull years
which follow we'd Supervisor Blum intimates
without saying so that Savannah should
be satisfied If his count shows a gain of
20 per cent. In other words he only al
lows on the basis of increase accepted
in some of the large cities for an increase
of s 63S in pOpula ton for the ten years
between 1890 and 1900, as against a gain
of l2,4s0 for the ten years between 1880 and
1890.
The rate of growth for the last ten years
is certainly not less than during the pre-
viouS zen years, and observant Savannah
ians are ready to contend that il is more
Estimating the growth in population TO
have at the same rate 40 per cent, and
accepting the figures of 1890. 43 1888, as cor
rect, an estimate upon this basis will
show a probable population of Ga. 400 souls
II the rate of growth hos been greater,
as is confidently believed. the actual pop
ulation should be greater in proportion.
There are other ways of reaching a fair
estimate to what the census should
show. The Morning News made refer
enee some time ago to the increase in the
school population, of which every tax
payer is aware by reason of the consid-
cradle appropriations which have been
made for new school buildings, and the
further fact that even with three large
new schools completed, and brought into
use during the decade, over 200 white chill
dren were unable to obtain places in the
schools this year. while the number of
negro children shut out is easily over coo
Supt. Ashmore was asked for compara-
tive figures of the school population of
the city yesterday. The school census,
he explained, is taken every five years
but not in corresponding years with The
national census. For instance the school
censuses have been taken in 1883 1898 and
1898. Those nearest 90 the national cen
in Unpsfiop 1899
and 1893, which are just ten years apart.
"A comparison of the school population
of 1888 with that of 1895" said Supt Ash
more, Should give a fair idea as 10 the
increase in population for those years and
this increase should very closely approx
innate the increase in population between
1880 and 1900"
Looking up this data Mr.. Ashmore found
that the school census for 1889 gave Sa-
vannah school popula tion of S155. Turn
ing to the figures for 1898 he found the
school population for that year to have
been 12,2l6 showing an increase of 4,O6l
children of school age for the ten years
intervening, or nearly 50 per cent.
THE rule of proportion should hold good
In this case" said Supt Ashmore "The
census of 1900 should bear the same rela-
ton TO that of 1880 as the school census
of 1898 bears to that of 1855"
He then put the following sum upon the
board: IS, 1856: IL, 2l6 As, lS9" The answer
as worked out by Supt Ashmore. is q. 695
Presenting the school figures to be cor
rect" said Supt. Ashmore. "the answer
obtained should approximate the popula-
ton of Savannah very closely. As to the
accuracy Of the last school census, / am
very well satisfied as it was taken under
my supervision and the greatest care was
exercised in obtaining an accurate count.
believe the census of 1855 is also fairly
accurate. II is possible that the count
" IA 60 f.arg %
and THAI the school population was a liz
tie in excess of the official figures. This
would reduce the total of the answer
somewhat, but the figures for 1883 could
not have been very far out of the way,
and it would be a very liberal allowance
10 deduct 1900 from the answer l have
obtained. This would place the city's pop
ula ton a not less than GO ,695."
Mayor Myers. in speaking OF the cen
sus matter, said that he had no doubt tha,
Supervisor Blum is making every e.
tort 20 obtain an accurate count. but he
feared, from cases that had come under
his own observation. that a good macy
people had been overlooked by the enum-
orators To test this idea, he said he
proposes 10 have the heads Of tn depart
ments to notify their subogdinates 20 as
certain whether they and their famil rs
had been included in the Gems IS co mt
and TO report accordingly instructions
to this effect have been given. he SAID. T.
the heads Of the police and fire dopar.-
ments and 10 the director of pubic works.
In this way the Mayor expects 70 ascer-