Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-12-24
ANNAPOLIS STOOD STILL
CencuS Shows Ii Has Gained
Only S4 Inhabitants In
Ten Years
BLAMEIT ON CENSUS TAKERS?
Annapolis Has Population OF S.609-0nIy
Gained 81 In Ten Years-Ciiizens
Surprised


| to say disgusted, to read the infor.
nation given out to the etropoitan
press that this town has practically
stood still so far as population goes
for the last ten years.
Eagerly, for weeks Annapolitans
have been watching the census re-
turns and the delay in publishing
them confirms the fact that bad news
/ does not always travel fast Yester-
| day the population of the cities and
towns in Maryland having more than
5000 inhabitants was announced by
Director Durand, of the Census Bu-
reau
Annapolis is listed fifth in the
| schedule with a population of 5000,
against a population in 1900 of S,525
and in 1890 of 1904.
There is a startling revelation
made by the figures Of other cities.
The surprise in the figures is the
remarkable growth of Salisbury,
which now becomes the sixth city in
Maryland. next in population to An
napolis and taking rank ahead of
both Frostburg and Cambridge, both
of which were larger ten years ago.
Salisbury in the past ten years has
made a gain of 2,4l3 in its popula-
tion, more than so per cent, great
er percentage of increase than any
other place in Maryland. The gains
made in the last decade by Annapo-
is is but "a.
Annapolis in the last ten years has
practically stood still so far as popu-
lation is concerned, its gain being
only 81. Cambridge has made but
small gain and drops back from
sixth to seventh place. BY its
phenomenal gain of Sc per cent
Salisbury gets itself into the class
of cities of more than 5000, and
takes rank as the largest city on
the Eastern Shore of Maryland. AL
though Hagerstown is about two and
a half times the size of Salisbury, the
latter town came within three of the
numerical gain made by Hagerstown.
Within few days the Census Bu-
reau will make announcement of the
population of the townships and vii
lagos in Maryland of less than 5000
population.
Much feeling is expressed in town
at the showing made by the census,
and good deal of blame is laid on
the census-takers. 1t is known here
in town (as we'll as in the county,
that the census was taken in a
very slipshod way. The Capital
representative has asked residents
of Main street, Market street and
nearly every street in town where
one or two families were not visited
on each of the streets by the CEN
sus taker. These few omissions
known to this paper would make an
increase of some few, at least.
There has been cry of race
suicide" in Annapolis. This is all
bosh. The vital statistics show that
the average number of births re-
ported to City Health Officer William
S. Welch, nj. D., are the same as in
the decade previous, and have not
fallen off. Indeed,i it is believed there
is an increase in the number of
births in Annapolis, although a full
report is not given to the City Health
Officer.
Much dissatisfaction is expressed
here at the result of the Annapolis
taking.
When the City Health officer was
approached on the subject of vital
statistics and the theory of trace
suicide" having depleted the Annap-
oils census returns, be denied the
race suicide theory emphatically and
said:
The ratio of births reported has
been for several years about the
samoan average of IL Per month.
No means has been devised for secur-
ing an absolutely accurate report of
births, so that it can only be approx
imated. There is hardly any doubt
that the actual number of births is
greatly in excess of those reported to
the local registrar.
"The failure to secure accurate re-
ports-a fact much to be deplored, is
due to negligence of physicians or
midwives or parents, all of whom
are asked to send in returns