Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-11
The Population of the World.

AT a recent meeting of the Royal Stats
teal Society OF England, in London, some
interesting figures of the population of the
worlds chief nations were presented by
its president, Major Crage. He stated
that in 1880 the population of continental
Europe must have been about 1872 Oo0, go.
while that of the whole world was prob
ably S47, 0o0, coo To-day the world was cal
oulated to contain not less than 100000
600, of whom about one-fourth were in
Europe
AS regarded the areas of the worlds
surface then and now under British rule
or British protection the older estimates
did not exceed 100000 square miles,
whereas now such areas aggregated 12,-
100000 square miles. This advance was
much greater than that of the estimated
population on the areas, England's re-
sponsibility seventy years ago extended
to some four per cent of the land OF the
world. Now it extends over twenty-four
per cent of that area.
Six States. he said, at the present day,
govern or protect some three-fourths of
the worlds population. Two great En-
pires now account for something like half
the population of the world-Great Brit
ain and China absorbing between them
\ multitude rs great ps all the world held
q century ago, ard one which presses close
upon, if it does not exceed @00o,0O souls.
Speaking of the essential differences be-
| tween the relative strength of the peoples
of 1884 and those Of 1860. he said that
Europe might have little less than
doubled its population, and the much
greater population of Asia had increased
in nearly equal ratio. Meanwhile, the new
worlds development ard the share of it
which was due to the European overflow
was common knowledge.
The latest figures of the International
Statistical Institute indicated a growth
of s. per cent in the population of Europe
in seventy years. The Russian increment
alone was close upon 100000 of the
whole. This suggested a growth of popu-
lation equal to more than 30 per cent in
| seventy years, or more than two per cent
per annum and left to the rest of Europe
! Il general growth at less than half this
rate, or only 81 per cent-less than one per
cent per anEum. But the Russian figures
before 1897 were open to suspicion, and a
more truthworthy conclusion might be
reached by comparing only the returns
| of western European countries. In the
seventy years Germany had added s. per
cent. while the United kingdom had in
creased 70 per cent and France had added
| less than 20 per cent to her population.
The growth of modern population has
| beer largely in big cities, and there has
been a relative decline of rural popula-
| ion which was noticeable in other coun-
tries besides England In the lifetime
/ Of the society very nearly five persons
to every ten added to home stock had gone
to build up the United States which
dominated. as far as population was con-
/ cerred the continent of America about
| one person for every ten of the nations
increase in tho British islands had in the
same interval gone to Canada and one for
every ten to Australia.
! President Cragie considered and prob
ably no one will dispute his conclusions,
that the British people of 1902 is differ
| ent community both in its internal COM
position. in its external relations, and in
its political activities, from its predcces-
sors of seventy years ago. This is. of
course. true of almost all the peoples of
the world