The San Francisco call., 1904-04-15
KINKS IN CENSUS FIGURES.
M E. ':: 4; = q

n
M large cities of the Pacific Coast in impeachment
of the accuracy of the figures of the Census Bu-
READ that have recently been published There would
to be large and mischevous knk in the bureaus
methods of drawing conclusions concerning
population San francisco, being the leading city of the
coast, naturally the official statement in view of
certain easily ascertanable facts that it added to its
population only 1887 three years, 1870 per
mum from 1000 to 1908 That of growth does not
equal the average of the decade between 1890 and 1000
The population credited San Francisco by the
Census Bureau is but 355,oo, against 342782
San Francisco is alone complainant in this
ter. The Los Angeles Herald carefully estimates the
growth of the City of Angels since the last The
recent returns of the Census Bureau give Los
geles increase of only I3o4I The Herald shows that
when the census of taken the Federal
tors found Io247o dwellers Ill Los Angeles and there
then 1o6o7 school children in the city On March
there 2o47o school children the enroll
ment, gain of more than Now the basis of
the of 1000 and of the school of that
year the ratio of school children to population was one
pupil to 5A of population Supposing that ratio
not to have been practically changed, the present
rollmen of school children is assumed by the Herald
show that Los Angeles has population of I42487,
a gam OF 1902 per annum, against the 34S7 gain
credited by the Census Bureau.
The larger cities north of San Francisco are equally
discontented with the Census Bureaus statements The
gross mistakes have been made The Oregonan heads
editorial with the caption, Figures That The
Oregonan hnds that the ratio of increase for the whole
country applied without discrimination and ignoring
of population every city, north SOUTH east
and west The Oregonan relies on the school census
to show that Portland has increased 10000 per annum
since the OF Iooo and says that the conclusion it
reaches by this method corroborated by number Of
newly erected homes and also by carefully prepared
city directory. While the Census Bureau credits Port
land with oS65s population in 1903, the Oregonian es
mates that would be about the correct total The
Portland Journal that while the
tors allow Portland increase of but S2oo years
during the same tme up to the beginning of the new
year, there have been built 37o3 homes and the
school census shows larger number of children of
school than of the cities that are credited
with 10000 population"
Seattle is also aggrieved The st-Inteigencer at
tacks the snguarly artificial method employed by the
Census Bureau and that while it might be fairly
applicable to the older settled States it leaves out of
account all the phenomena attending large mgrations to
new countries. Seattle, according the Post-Intel-
gencers careful conclusions. has gained three wears
fully four times as much in population as the Census
Bureau reports The bureau attributes growth of only
1900 since the of 1900 Postal Statistics show
increase of than 800 per cent in Seattle business
since 1897 Buildings have been erected sufficient to
house 5000 to 10000 each year since the census
San Francisco people confident that this CITY has
at least population against tie Census Bureau
estimate of 355oIo The Spring Valley Water Company
last June figured the population 100000 on the basis
of families supplied with water That thepopulaon has
not increased much faster 1000 than it did in the
period of ten preceding years is manifesty absurd.