The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-01
Growth Of Our Cities.

The census returns for twenty OF our
largest cities between the Atlantic sea-
board and Kansas City show an average
gain in population. in the past ten years
OF si.ss per cent. In other words, our
greatest centres Of population and manu-
featuring are. on the whole, nearly a third
larger than they were ten years ago, me
figures have now been tabulated 40 far
az TO show that just about one-third OF our
people are living In cities and towns OF
5000 persons or over. Ten years ago.
20 per cent. OF the people were living In
the cities and towns: 80 that the urban
Is growing more rapidly than the rural
population.
This Is not surprising in view OF the fact.
still little appreciated. that the United
States has passed from the lat OF nations
in which agriculture p~redominates to
the lLst Of those in which manufacturing
Is the leading interest. Agriculture In
this country still gives employment to more
persons than manufacturing but, measured
by the value OF the output. manufactures
have become the leading industries, The
value OF our annual manufactures was
estimated in 1897 at 1880, 100000. We
passed the United Kingdom between 1880
and 1890 and. according to Mr.. MULHALL.
our annual production In the last years Of
the century has been nearly double that
OF Great Britain and Ireland.
1t is natural therefore that here. as in
Germany and other lands whose manu-
featuring interests nave been rapidly ex-
banding. the urban should increase at the
expense OF the rural population. Many
old and prosperous manufacturing towns
have, as the census returns indicate. rather
more than their proportionate share Of
the growth in population. Many more
small towns too are coming into Importance
as manufacturing centres. The labor
troubles at Paterson. for example. have
led to the distribution OF the silk industry
among a large number Of Pennsylvania
towns. In the past few years. the Southern
States have spent about $1,000, 10000 IA
factories and machinery and they are
entering upon a period Of great manufact-
uring activity. The census returns show
however. that their cities and towns are
growing more slowly, on the whole, than
those of the North. a fact that may be partly
explained by the circumstance that a great
many manufacturing plants In the South
have been built in the rural districts, where
water power ia available and cotton. cotton
seed or other raw materials, are at the
doors Of the factories.
Kansas towns show large growth, The
States advance in manufactures Is keeping
pace with her progress in agriculture.
Many small and some large manufacturing
Industries nave been established In towns
all over the eastern half of the State and
Kansas Is now reaching the stage Of indus
trial development attained by the Middle
States a generation ago. The same cause
Is building up the towns throughout the
West. Hundreds OF factories In all the
States bordering on the Mississippi are
working in foodstuffs. metals and textiles.
About one-fourth OF the value OF all the
machinery produced in the country ia in
agricultural machinery and the West makes
and uses the larger part Of II.
The chief cause, apart from the normal
excess OF the birth over the death rate.
for urban growth in the past two decades.
Is the development OF manufacturing in
the towns and cites. A lesser element
Is the change in direction Of immigration
which, for a long period. went 70 the farms
but now remains almost entirely in the
.lVIa.