The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-06-14
POPULATION ESTIMATES.
Those based on work OF Enumsrstsrs
and Health Authorities vary.

In most European countries the method
Of arriving at the population Of a district
or territory Is not through the ordinary
form OF an enumeration Of the inhabi-
tants, such as there IL to be in this coun-
try In June, but by the collation. Of the
health reports. Every birth and every
death is recorded, and every transfer Of
residence either by those moving in or
out Of Jurisdiction OF the local authorities
Is kept track Of, with the result that at
any given date the population may be de-
clared with practical exactness. In Eng
land and the United States, however, no
such rule prevails, and enumerations are
depended upon for all information re-
quired. One reason for this Is found In
the imperfect character of birth reports
in both countries, and another Is the sre-
pugnance Of Americans and Englishmen,
whose migratory tendencies have served
greatly in the development Of the two
countries, to subject themselves to the
espionage involved in official records Of
their occasional transfers Of residence
from one place TO another.
In New York the health board record of
deaths has been practically perfect for
years and upon the death rate figures IL
has been customary to predicate the
statement Of the population made each
year. But these figures are not always
exact, and important Emergencies are
sometimes shown. Thus In 1882 the
health board estimate of the city of New
York was /. 10S, 600. By the state census
figures, taken In the same year, 1t was
shown to be 800, OO0-a difference of
.l..ls t. H.. hal n
board estimate OF the city population was
1879, 900 and by the police census Of the
same year IL was ,S6S, 900, q very small
difference. but with tbs preponderance
ON the other side.
Just now the matter Is Of interest be-
cause Federal census Is being
taken and differences Of estimate are seen
to exist in many cities between the figures
Of the boards Of health and those likely
to be shown by the government enumera-
tors The most recent health reports
give the population Of Boston at $50, 600;
Baltimore, al 600; st. Louis, 62S, QUO;
clev esa 50 90; PGiiadelphia SO SO;
Pittsburg, 320,0U0; Albany, 100000;
Rochester, $50, 900, and Buffalo, $4,000.
The local estimates of the population of
these places vary considerably In most
cases. In Boston, where the health
records are kept most diligently and are
nnOrt cAstCt, prODtDty, tilhn III any othcf
city except New York, the local figures
are the same as the health figures. Balti-
more, however, claims 90, O0O more popu-
lation than the health authorities accord
1t; st. Louis, 10000; Cleveland, 10000;
Philadelphia, $50. 600; Pittsburg, 1000,
and Buffalo, %, 900.
No city comedies that 1t has less popu.
lation than is claimed for IL by the health
authorities, and, in the case Of Chicago,
no serious effort is made to reconcile the
facts with the claims made, for the latter
are usually extravagant and unsubstan-
tial where population Is concerned. The
last local census of Chicago made the
city population at that time 1,S50,c0
and, IL no greater now than that, Chi
Cages posi- ton as the second largest city
of the country is as clearly fixed as New
York's as the first city or Philadelphia
as the third.
The federal census of June will settle
no doubt, many questions now in dispute
as to the population Of American cities
md states, but as to the population of
the whole country there Is practically
little dispute of the estimates of the
treasury department made concerning it
during long period of years. 1t will not
be above rs, 000, 900 and will not be below.
5000, 900 and will probably be nearer the
former than the latter figure, judging
from the treasury estimate of June I,
1893, which was "a, 3S9, 600 at that time.
Il he allowance for increase since is about
/, 100 O00 bringing up the total TO d little
in excess of 56, 900, 900. The treasury au-
thoritles do not consider health depart
ment reports in making estimates.-New
York sun.