The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-12-03

New York Dec. 3.-To The Forum:
The proposal of the director of the
census in that future publications on
city population urban centers shall be
used as the proper units instead Of
the arbitrary political divisions indi-
Gated by city boundary lines is one
that appeals strongly to New York,
for 1t gives hope Of enabling the city
to surpass London and to claim Arst
place among all the cities of the world.
Although the metropolis has spread
out almost evenly in all directions it's
westward growth neveh has shown in
the census returns because it has been
beyond the boundary line OF New Jer-
sey Under the new plan all the pop
ulation in the urban area of each large
city, as determined upon by the ex-
perts Of the census bureau, would be
credited to that city. This would add
about a million to the present Official
population of Greater New York, Civ
ing 1t 100000. While this would still
be lower than the population of Great
err London, which Is now placed at
nearly 100000, the rate of growth Of
New York is SO much more rapid that
1t would pass It's European rival be-
fore 1920. Aside from the prestige Of
being the first city OF the world. how
ever there is little to be gained by
additions to the size Of che city. Pop
ular sentiment, in fact, seems to be
against any considerable additions to
the present administrative area. New
York already contains more people
than all the rest of the empire state
with it's more than two score cities
and its great rural area, and it's pop
ulation Is greater than that Of twenty
one nations Of the world including
such countries as Denmark, Switger-
land, Greece, Norway and Peru. For
the present, most persons hold. the
problems of giving the greater city
proper government are difficult enough
without further complications, but the
plan of the census authorities which
would give the city credit for the pop
ulation logically belonging to 1t with
out adding 10 it's actual area is re-
garded with favor.
The remarkable discovery that mora
than two thirds OF New York's police
men can speak one or more languages
beside English, and that one Of them
at least is the master of eleven, has
only served to accentuate the fact that
New York has the most cosmopolitan
and polygot population in the world
with the possible exception of Cairo
or Port Said. No less than eighty
seven separate languages and dialects,
1t is said on good authority, are spoken
regularly in this city and the result of
this modern babel has already made
: itself felt In the commercial circles.
Banks, bond houses and similar insti-
buttons are more and more making
It the practice in selecting employees
TO choose In such a manner as to make
1t possible to conduct business in a
number of languages. It is in the
great hotels, however, that this ten
dency is most marked. In practically
any of the largest score OF languages
are spoken, and in the New Hotel
Rector, it Is said that this detail has
been SO carefully studied out that
win be practically no language except
those Of savage or semi-civilfzed peo-
nles In which II will not be possible
for a visitor to make himself uuder-
stood. Among the clerks and other