The age-herald., 1900-07-13
CITY AND COUNTY
 IN CENSUS REPORT Large Increase in the Greater
 Birmingham.
SPLENDID BY COMPARISON
The City Increases 50 Per Gent Over 1890 and the County Has a Much Larger Increase
 Some Tips

United States Census Supervisor R. B. 1 Smyer said to a reporter yesterday that | he thought the census office at Washing | ton would issue bulletin very soon an- | nouneing the population of Birmingham. | In fact, he said he had been expecting to | see it any day this week. The complete | returns of the enumeration of the citys l population were forwarded to Washington on the 24th of June.
 As supervisors and enumerators are for l bidden by the Government to give out to l the press or to individuals any informa- l tion relating to the result of their work, l it is impossible to ascertain from MT.
 Smyers office how many people were 1 counted here. But it is not very difficult | to get tips from officials connected with | headquarters. It is learned in Washington that Birminghams population is not far from 40,000. It is certainly over 3S,0OO The Greater Birmingham reached by the electric railway system or a dummy line
 is something like 100000, but only the
 population found within the city limits
 will count for Birmingham in the official
 publication.
 Mr Smyer asked Director Merriam to
 permit him to return the immediate sub
 urbs in a footnote to Birminghams popu-
 lation. The Commercial Club and Con-
 gressman Underwood also made efforts to
 have this done. The best the census di-
 rector would do, however, in this respect
 was to allow the population outside the
 city reached by free mail delivery to be
 counted and grouped in footnote to
 Birmingham. But as free delivery extends
 to but few houses outside the corporation lines the matter was dropped
 In the census of 1890 Birmingham had population of 26,17S. If the city, with its comparatively narrow limits, reaches now 40,000 the increase should be regarded as satisfactory from the viewpoint of local pride, for it would show a growth of over 50 per cent. It is rumored that Atlantas population is only 5e90 by this census; but no one but an Atlanta boomer ever imagin- ed that there were over 5000 souls there to be enumerated. Allowing Atlanta 5000, the increase over 1890, notwithstanding the annexed suburbs, is only a little over 30 per cent. Conservative Southern cities like Nashville and Richmond grow at the rate of only about % per cent. in ten years. At lanta is pretty apt to make vigorous kick if her population is officially stated at only S5,O0e, for 120ooo had been claimed. But DlIullllSH Hdlu VIII lIol iudhS ally liOupiS' The census enumerators seem to have done their work very carefully. MT. Smyer did everything within reason to catch the man who wasn't counted" As published last week, the supervisor held back his re- port several days over the time in order to give all those persons who thought they had been overlooked an opportunity to call at his office and be enumerated. Six hun dred and one persons did call, but upon ex- animation of the sheets it found that all but one hundred had been listed.
 But interesting and important to the citizens of Birmingham the question of the citys population is, the increase in the population of Jefferson County is far more important. In 1890 the County had only SS,501. The census of 1900 gives it in round numbers 10000. That is a splendid showing when it is remembered that the first seven years of the decade were years of depression hereabouts. In the South states the natural increase in popula- tion in ten years is reckoned to be 20 per cent, or an average of per cent. a year. Figuring on that basis the natural increase births over deaths-would be for Jefferson County 17,7OO But with the population reaching the 140,000 notch it would seem that the increase by new corners has been over 30,000; and this immigration has been for the most part within the last three years.
 Fulton County, Ga., in which Atlanta is situated, will not come out of the census registration with over 10000. These facts should be highly encouraging to the people of Birmingham, showing they do the strong position of Greater Birmingham" today and indicating it's stronger future.
 Supervisor Smyers men are now busily engaged in taking the industrial census of this city and Bessemer. They started on this special line week ago. They are allowed thirty days in which to accom- plish their task. The census officials leave blank schedules with the officers of indus trial corporations and manufacturing firms and request that the papers be filled out according to printed instructions and re- turned to the supervisors headquarters. In some cases the schedules have been re- turned promptly, but in the majority of cases there is a lack of attention on the part of manufacturers, and consequently a