The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-03

According to the statistics or the
thirteenth census, mnde public ycster-
day, the population of Virginia Is ..
o61,61". This is an increase OF O7.4.s.
or II. per cent. over 1,s54,1s4 In 1000.
The increase from 1880 to 10OO ,ya.
1ss,2o4, or II per cent.
This puts Virginia well nm with IN.
other States whose population has been
announced, In the percentage OF
growth. States are not showing near
~ SO large percentage of increase as
are cities, because of the flockins OF
people to the centres of populati ton.
The showing made By Virginia is re-
garded as satisfactory
May Gain Congressman.
Whether or not Virginia will gain
a Congressman by reason Of the new
census can only be known after Con-
sress fixes the rate of apportionment
ohouid the average remain the same
as at present. which is not expected,
tnls state would have eleven members
of the House of Representatives IN
stead of ten. on the other hand. should
the new rate he fixed 1T 81 5000 persons
to member, as is generally presumed.
the state would retain Its ten mem
bers as at present.
1t was with an eye to the popufa-
ton of Virginia and one or two other
states that the apportionment was
fixed ten years ago. at a representative
for 10000 people tile present ratio.
a fraction of more than 10000 was
required If the population did not
reach the proper multiple OF 1914 900.
On this basis Virginia can qualify
hereafter for either ten or eleven
members. according to the rate.
In case an additional member of the
ftOuSP is gained. there Will he a oo
eral redistrlcting. This must be done
With a view to the population of every
county and city. and all forecasts in
this respect would be purely specuIa.
tive ~
However, there seems to be little
doubt that the ratio OF representa-
ton VIII be increased, and that Vir-
ginia's quota Will remain the same as
at present-ten congressman. Redis
tflctlng VIII be a necessity also in thi.
case, since some communities have
grown rapidly and others have stood
sun or even retrograded.
Change In Ninth.
1T becomes quite evident that terri
tory must be taken away from the
Ninth District; The immense Industrial
development there. has caused a faster
section of the State, and on any sort
of basis the district has too many pco
pie to elect only one. member OF the
House, Under the new census the
ANlhel Ildo SoO,OOI people as now con-
stituted. and it will be seen that this
Is out of all proportion to the others
Even with the increased ratio of 215.-
900 population to a Congressman. some
of the counties, will almost inevitably
be taken from the district. The Fifth,
District has now but i1a.S35 people, or
nearly 100000 less than the Ninth
Wise county. in the Ninth, shows the
largest growth and the largest per-,
centage of growth of any in the state
It jumps from 1868 irr 1900 to 34.16a
In 1910, gain of 73.S per cent Wise
held the samo distinction in 1900, fol
1T had then grown faster than any
other county for the preceding ter
years. In 1890 1t had but 9.345 people
and in the decade to 1900 1t grew 11e
per cent The opening of mineral iil.&
.dustries has accomplished the result
Russell Is Next.
Russell, an adjoining county to Wise
comes second. 1t has grown since
1900 from lS,o3l to 23,A7t or a0.2 per
cent.
Probably Pulaski. Bland, Gales ana
Wythe counties will be taken away
from the Ninth In the redIstricting.
In consideration of the rapid growth
of Richmond, it is more than likely
that the Third District will be, reduced
counties, The district has to-day a
population OF 22a,622, and Il reduced
to the expected average of 2l5,OOo. A.,
could drop some e,,t OF the smaller conll7
Kent. King William aud Goochiand.
However,, the city by itself cannot as
Vet make a district and Henrico, Chcs~
.teriield and Hanover must still be re
tained. a more metropolitan district
win be the result
The rather humiliating fact is shown
by the new census fgures that thirty
two of the 100 counties In Virginia
have suffered Il decrease in population
during the past year. In a few cases
this has been caused by anneNation.S
for cities IN this state are not parts OF
counties, This is tho case with Hen
rico "A portion of which has been an
neNed to Richmond, and Camphell.t q
part OF which went to LynchburS,
Clifton Forge has been formed from
Allekhauy county. causing an apparent
loss ofapopulation.
Moving tn Cities.
But with these eXceptiions accounted
for, the fact remains that fully one
fourth OF t\le counties have fewer peo-
.ple than IN 1900. Nothing could more
clearly show tho drift of population
to .the cities. All of tho Virginia cities
SHOW gains, in some OF them the per-
.cemtage being Very great
Those coanties~s'hich have lost pod a
ulation are: Alieghnny hmelia, Appo-
mattuN. Bland. Bedford, Burkiughanl.
Campbell Caroline. Clarke Essex. Fam
uuier, FlaAl. Fluvanna, Nredsrick.
Gloucester Gooehland,, ], lIanayeh fan
rico Henry, Highland, James City,
l." II, 4 .anppo .nnIp plap AtHHiSNn a /,