Rock Island Argus., 1901-07-12
POPULATIONIN CITIES
That of the United States Is 81
Per Cent. of the Total of
the Country.
COMPARISONS WITH OTHER YEARS
Congress Plays a Joke on Itself and
Congressman Are Now in
Hot Water.

washington, July 12.-The census
office has issued u bulletin showing
that ,69S people in the United
States live I'm cities and towns of over
1000 population. This is 37.3 per cent.
OF THE entire population, a gain of al
most per cent. since the census of
1890. Compared with the returns of
1880 the report shows Il gain in the ur-
ban population of the country of more
than third in percentage and of con-
siderably more than double in actual
numbers. In 1880 there were $50
places of more than 1000 persons each,
with an aggregate population of 12,-
936.llO, or 20.S per cent. of the then
population.
Urban Population I'm 1900.
About one-half of the urban popula-
tion of 1900 was contained in cities of
over 100000 people. There were thir-
ty-eight of those cities. with q COM
bined population of 14,20S.347. There
are now l. 1913 places of over 900 peO-
pie in the country, as against 800 in
1890 The population of the District
of Columbia is regarded as urban. In
the other states and territories the per-
centage of people living in cities and
towns. as compared with the entire
population of the places, ranges from
H.6 in Rhode Island TO % in Indian
Territory.
Hopes to Get Through I'm a Year.
Barring fire or the act OF Providence
Director Merriam expects TO complete
the work of the 1900 census by the
first of next July. This means the
publication of ten volumes of statistics
on the subjects of agriculture. manu-
featuring, population and vital statiS-
tics. There will be other reports fol-
n IN
pieCtS. and there will he a small force
of clerks and statisticians who will he
kept occupied for several years; but
the great work of the census will have
been accomplished on that date. This
will he record in census work.
What the Law Requires,
The law authorizing this census
work contains clause requiring that
the statistics on the four main subjects
he completed July. 1902. but this sec
tiOn was inserted in n spirit of jest.
Such n thing had never been approx
mated. much less accomplished, and
the members of congress had no idea
or seeing il lived up To. The joke is
now reacting or some of them; for
with the completion of the work they
see n lot of their constituents about
10 he turned out of their positions. and
they are already hearing from these
CONSTITUENTS W llO hllbN Allsll lloAll iON
on it will be question of the survival
of the ones with the strongest pulls.
, Not in Favor of Rushing Work,
The director is hearing from Sena-
tors and members of congress. who
want to know why he iS rushing the
work at such furious pace, and what
he means by Overworking his force.
The director smiles and points to the
time limit in the law which they
passed. There are now 3.04S employees
on the pay roll of the census. BY next
January this force will be reduced TO
500. The slaughter of the innocents
will not begin in earnest until NOvem-
Der. but already the men and women
clerks are beginning TO look for n soft
place TO fall. The designations are
coming to the director at the rate OF
two day