Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-21
Professor Patterson, the Cen
sus Expert, Discusses the
Conditions in Iowa
THE TREND OF MIGRATION
Foreign Born Remain in the Big Cities
or Are Seeking Cheaper Lands Of
Canada and MaryIand-Growth of
Population Has Chased Itself Across
Iowa-PopuIation Waves.
Special to Times-RepublicarS

Iowa City, Feb. 21.-"The decrease in
the population of Iowa during the past
five year period, as we'll as the move
ment of the population within the state
compared with the population move
ments shown by the preceding census
es of the state, form an interesting
comment on the contemporaneous his
tory" declares Professor w. r. Pat
terson, the expert in charge of the
preparation of the census, who has
charge of the department of statistics
and finance in the State University of
Iowa. His utterance on the subject
being the first authoritative explanation
OF the condition, has attracted Il great
deal of attention here.
The foreign born population is no
longer coming to the state, but is re-
naming in the big cities or is going to
the cheaper lands of Canada. The
younger residents of the state, espec-
tally from the rural districts, are mi
grating to Canada, to Maryland, Il we'll
defined current of immigration having
started in the direction of the latter
point. The loss of these men. mostly
trained to farming pursuits, will be
severe blow to Iowa, but the fact re-
mains that they are unable and un-
willing to struggle against the high
farm values, paying heavy rents and
compete with the products of cheaper
lands.
The population of Iowa has come
,t,,sv,
Of the state about two counties in
width, running diagonally, northeast
and southwest, across the southeastern
corner of the state, showed the heaviest
and most consistent increase in popu-
lation, though by that time the reced-
ing waves of immigration has cast lit
tie settlements in the farthermost cor
ners of Iowa. But the census of 1880
showed that this strip of greatest
growth, did not increase as rapidly in
proportion as did similar strip lying
farther into the state and parallel with
it. The wave of population growth had
begun to recede across the state
",rhe next census showed that the
second strip was not increasing as rap
idly in proportion to it's population as
did a third strip and the first strip,
gained even less in proportion. In this
way the growth of population has
chased itself across Iowa, probably
passing over into South Dakota and
Nebraska, where it is still travelling
westward. When the period of great
est growth had left Iowa, as 1t did
during the past five years, and well
defined tide of immigration had set out
of the state an entirely new set of con-
ditions came into existence and the
movement of population within the
state became of vital interest.
"Cities above $4,000 and below 500
have shown definite increase greater
than the natural rate of increase. In
the first case the increase has been due
to the increase in the manufacturing
interests In the second case the in
crease has been due to the movement
of farmers from the. farms they have
occupied for life time, to the small
rural communities. Cities not having
more than 5000 population are moving
in neither direction, because they are
unable to dictate to the railroads.