New-York tribune., 1905-04-10
GREaTFR PITTSRTRG

The legislature of Pennsylvania has just
nassed an act creating a greater Pittsburg.
Pittsburg proper. Allegheny City and a number
Of smaller towns and villages are TO be cOnsoli-
dated into one municipality, provided the union
Is ratified 10y the voters Of the various divisions
and subdivisions concerned in the merger. The
new Piusburg viii have an area of about sixty
square miles and a population of about six hun
dred thousand. 1t will take rank. therefore.
one Of our largest cities for according TO the
census OF 1900 only three American municipali-
ties-New-YOrk, Chicago and Philadelphia
more than six hundred thousand inhabitants.
The consolidation now arranged for is a per
fectly natural one. The conditions which led
70 the creation of greater New-York are dupli-
Gated in the thickly settled basin in which the
waters Of the Monongahela and the Allegheny
meet 10 form the Ohio. Pittsburg proper and
Allegheny City are separated by a barrier much
less formidable than the East River, and the
outlying suburbs mostly manufacturing towns,
are more closely bound 10 the common centre
than Jamaica and Staten Island are TO the hub
Of cur greater city In the Pittsburg consolida-
ton too. no county lines have 10 be crossed, all
the territory Joined lying within a single county,
Allegheny. The argument for union was there
fore irresistible: and union was bound 10 come
as soon as the various subdivisions were ripe for
II. With a consolidated government a more uni
projects affecting the welfare Of the whole area
can be carried through with greater ease and
10 greater public advantage. The interests of
the communities 10 he merged are identical, and
they have everything 10 gain and nothing 10
lose from Joint venture in municipal govern
ment
The exact rank which Pittsburg will take
among American cities can be determined only
by the census Of 1910 It's estimated population.
100000 puts ii ahead Of st. Louis, Boston and
Baltimore, taking the figures Of the census of
1900; but the relative growth of the four cities
since then can only be guessed at Five years
ago ST. Louis had 5,23s inhabitants It's
growth for the decade from 1890 TO 1900 was
278 per cent. II that growth has been main
tained the population must now be something
over 10000. Boston had 560S92 Inhabitants in
1900, and grew from 1890 10 1900 at the rate Of
. per cent Its population now probably ex-
cseds 100000. BaltimOre's growth was smaller
reaching only III per cent, and the population
In 1900 was J0S,5 ,597. The total now will hardly
exceed 545.OO0. Pittsburg and Allegheny City
together had a population IN 1900 Of 45l,4l2
The rate Of increase for Allegheny City was
23S per cent and for Pttsburg proper 347
The increase in Allegheny County as a whole
for the decade was 20 per cent, 90 that the sub
urban territory now annexed may be assumed
TO De gaining population faster than the cities
themselves. AS an industrial centre Pittsburg's
expansion IN the last twenty years has been
phenomenal and there are no indications that
that expansion has slackened. IL IL has not the
greater city VIII have distanced Baltimore by
1910, easily have passed Boston and probably
have outEtripped 81. Louis as well Were Bos-
tn able "a annex its many poVul0uS suburbs