Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-03
CENSUS REVEALS
POPULATION Loss
Federal Returns Show Great De-
cline in Country's Average
Rate of Growth

WASHINGTON, Sept 2.-Startling
conclusions spring from an examina-
ton of the returns of the census of
1910, as far as the returns have come
in, when compared with statistics of
national growth in former decades. The
coming race suicide casts its shadow
before, for the natural increase of the
native-born American is falling off to
an alarming extent and another dec
ade, at this rate, would put us in the
class with France, whose decreasing
population has been the burning ques-
ton with the government there. In
spite of all our natural resources and
all the national and state aid to en-
courage an increase keeping step with
former years, the signs point to drop
ping away of so per cent in internal
increase of population from the records
of former decades.
The increase of our whole population,
including immigrants, from 1920 to 1900
was an average of 2S per cent for each
decade, varying from 35 per cent in
1S50-1S60 to % per cent in 1S90-190O.
The average increase, exclusive of inn
migrants during that period, was about
IL Der cent. IN LDe uSCdQp OIL IoJu-
1900 this increase was a trifle over 20
per cent, there being about 58,000,0O0
inhabitants other than immigrants in
the former and about 72, 900 in the
latter census. There was thus an in
ternal increase of about 14,0o0,OO0 peo-
pie.
Now the best experts, including those
in the census office, place the total
that will be shown by the census Of
1910 at 10000, 900. But from this must
of immigrants in the past ten years
which, according to the returns of the
bureau of immigration up to the last
month, show that within a few thou
sand of 100000 have come in since
1900
AS the total gross population of 1900
was 76,O0O,000 this means that the es-
Inmates place the increase at 14,000,-
600. Deductino from this 100000 inn
migrants, there remains only 5000 900
natural increase of Americans from
1900 to 1910, as against 14000,000 be-
tween the years 1890 and 1900. which
is about 6 per cent natural increase, as
against that of the former decade Of
1S90-1900, which is 21 per cent
In addition to this is to be consid
cred the marvellous growth Of the cities
so far reported. MOI 10 HlSHlAOH liie
smaller ones, a score of those of more
than $4,000 show an increase running
well over so per cent Atlanta has 72
per cent, East st. Louis 81 per cent,
Akron 62 per cent while Detroit FORCES
up with 65 per cent. The other smaller
cities will average well up to so per
cent
Now, as about 40 per cent Of our pop
ulation is city dwelling, this means
that the urban population will shew an
increase Of at least 45 per cent which
In itself would cover not only the es-
timated increase of 100000, Including
immigrants, but leave a great many
thousands to be drawn from some other
source That source is the country, as
distinguished from the city.
RURAL DISTRICTS DECREASE
The returns from the rural districts
so far are meager, outside Oklahoma
and Texas, but they show, save i'm
those two states where certain local
conditions account for an increase, a
positive falling off from 1900. In Writ
county, West Virginia, the last rural
return made from the census office,