Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-18
The Police Census,

| Disregarding details, the District may
| well be content with the population showing
| reported by the police department as q
| result of its recent count Of heads. An
| increase of 1856 in twelve months is q
| sign of wholesome, normal growth, not
| spasmodic or sensational, but natural and
permanent. The total of the enumeration
329.591, is gratifying, placing the District
! within comparatively easy reach Of the
100000 mark. which is now the hope OF
| many citizens.
In the matter of increases and decreases
| by police precincts it is to be borne In
| mind that Washington is to a certain
| degree in state Of transition. The great
| railroad terminal work is having a marked
| effect upon the local geography. For in
| stance the heaviest decrease is 2,624 in the
sixth precinct. which compasses the region
of the union station 1t may be assumed
| that these people have merely moved from
that section of the city to another, leaving
their former homes because of the de-
struction of dwellings and the development
of business plans in anticipation Of the
occupation of the great terminanl by the
railroads. The changes in grade, too, have
caused many people to leave their
former residences because Of Inconvenience
Of access or other incidental discomforts
These people, however, are still in the
District The decrease of 1,O29 in the fourth
precinct may also be due to railroad
changes. 1t is likewise interesting to note
the decrease of 1,722 in the first precinct.
which comprises the chief portion of the
business section. This means that the
residential drift is away from the COM
mercial center e.
On the side of increases 1t is gratifying
to find that close upon Z 400 people have
moved into sections Of the District which
are less closely settled than others, namely,
| the eighth, ninth and tenth precincts. This
tendency to spread out evenly over the
entire local area is in the direction of bet
ter municipal conditions.
The beneficial effect of the new COM
pulsory education law Is plainly evidenced
by the reduction of the number of chill
dren not attending school from 995 in
1905 to Alp in 1907. This Is perhaps as low
percentage of truancy or non-attendance
at school as any city in the United States
can show.
An interesting item of the returns is the
showing that there are at present 1905
more females than males in the local
population. A year ago the feminine ex-
cess was only 1880. Therefore, there has
capital area within twelve months, a
greater increase than the total net ad-
vance of population, whereas the actual
increase of the feminine population this
year over last is only 4,231 There has
been, In fact, an actual decrease Of the
| male population by 955.
The significance of this last item Is of
material importance. It suggests that the
younger men of Washington are going
elsewhere to find employment. The re-
strictions Of the federal apportionment-of-
offices law, which bears with especial Sc
verify upon the District, and the lack of
| local commercial opportunities are such
as to lessen the chance of the young Wash
ingtonian to find here an outlet for his
energies and an opening for his Individual
enterprise.
The young men Of the District should be
encouraged to remain here to engage in
| their life work. The $50 who, according
to the face of the census returns, have
left the District during the past year
should have been held at home. Here Is
an opportunity for the citizens of the
District to engage in a work of vital i'm
portance to prevent further exodus from
the capital.