The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-22
BY THE TWELFTH CENSUS
Last Census Should Have Given Us
Ten Members.
THIS, IF ACCURATE, MAY GIVE ELtvEN
Some Interesting Figures in Regard 10 The
Population of the State. Can Census
Taken by Such an incompetent
Gang be Accurate?

Washington, d. c., July 21.--If the CEN
sus now being prepared for publication
proves correct North Carolina will cer
tainly gain one and probably two, rep
resentatives in Congress and one or two
votes in the electoral ccliegc. The State
has been entitled t. ten representatives,
in Congress for zen years. 1t had i,150,-
00G people instead OF t,61S,o90 as report ed
in 1890 and a continuation of the gain
would give 2.187 500 at the present time
Even with an apportioameut requiring
200 600 people 10 the representatiye this
would give eleven representatives
gain of two.
The statement that North Carolina had
/ 1750, 000 people in 1890 is not mere up-
supported assertion. 1t is proven ~ an
examination of the census itself. True
the census gives 1,617, ,947 as the popula
ton of the State, but an examination Of
the tables indicating increase by birth
and by migration tells a different story
Add to the population of a State III
1880 the number of births between 1850
and 1890 and the gain by migration, If
there was gain, and subtract the deaths
between 1880 and 1890 and the loss by
migration, if there was a loss, and Tho
result must be the population in 1899,
The census of 1890 showed 470,394
American born children in North ,'GIc-
lima under ten years of age. Being under
ten of course, ehey were born during the
decade. From this number should ho
subtracted the deaths during the ten
years TO find the increase by births-not
all the deaths, for the deaths of these
born during the decade are already SUBJ
tracted IN a report which gives only
those who lived until it's close. The
deaths which should be subtracted are
those of persons who were living in 1850,
and counted in the population that year.
1t may be assumed that the children
born during the decade averaged five
years old-the mean between the ages Of
the oldest and the youngest, and that the
deaths of those born during the decade
would be approximately equal to ten
times the deaths for one year of the
children who died under five years Of
age, the average of those born during
the decade. Then the deaths to be sub
tracted from the children under ten are
those of persons more than FIVE years
old
The census of 1890 showed that li,719
persons over five years old died during
the census year in population stated ct
1 1,617,9 947. 1t may be assumed that the
average population during the decade
was / sos, ,84S the mean between the pop
ulation in 1880 and that stated for 1890
If IL 719 out of 1.617 947 died in one year
a like proportion would give 1929 out of
1,5OS, 84S in one year or 109,290 in ten
years. This subtraeted from the number
of native born children i'll 1890 under I've
years of age leaves 3el ,104, as the gain
from births.
The census also showed that III 1880
there were 242G50 more persons boru III
North Carolina and living in other States
than born in other States and living in
North Carolina-in other words. a balance
of Interstate migration of 242050 against
the State at that time. About one-siXth
of these died between 1880 and 1890,
leaving in 1890 a balance Of migration
against the State of 201 SOS if there had
been no migration to or from the State.
The census of 1890 showed a balance
against the State of 240, sos and it also
showed in the United States a population
of 996,652 native born, but whose State
Of birth was not mentioned. North Caro-
linas probable proportion of these was
1885, ard this number should be added
to the balance against the State in 1890,
making total of 254 ,523 From this take
the balance left over from 1880 (201 60S)
and 52.915 remains as the loss from mi
grafton to other States during the decade
But this is not yet exact, for part of
this number consisted of children born
during the decade and as these. by this
removal to other States, were already
subtracted from the births, they should
not tie again subtracted in considering the
Interstate migration. Taking one tenth
from the balance 47,624 remains as the
correct balance of migration against the
State.
The change in the foreign population
of North Carolina was too slight to
need notice here. The census of 1890
showed only 1902 persons of foreign
birth in the State. Leaving the foreign
born population then out of the calcula-
tion the account stands thus: Gain by
births, Sell loss by migration, Al
GA; net gain, 313,4SO. population in
1880, 1899, $50; indicated population in
1890, 7,713, 230; population according to
the Porter census, 1,617, ,947; indicated
shortage in the count, 95,2S3.
This calculation has been made on the
presumption that the number of chill
dren under ten years of age was reported
correctly and the shortage of 95,2S3 is
indicated in the population more than ten