Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-11

continental United States, an increase
of 2O.9 per cent in the decade, as shown
| in the report OF the census bureau
made public yesterday, it becomes evil
dent the basis of representation in
Congress must be changed considerably.
On the existing basis Of representa-
ton the House would contain about
40 members. as against 391. the pres
ent membership. The ratio is about
$4,000 persons to each member of the
House.
1t is the general belief that the unit
of representation will be considerably
increased, so as to prevent charging
the size of the House. Even at the
rate of 100000 as a unit of representa-
ton the House would contain AIS men,
bers, an increase of twenty-seven.
Increase in Other Decades.
notwithstanding the rate of increase
was greater than had been expected,
still it was smaller than that scored
in any previous decade, except that be-
tween 1S90-1900, when the increase
amounted to 207 per cent. Between
1S6O-1S70 the increase was 22.6 per
cent The largest increase ever SHOWN
cent between 1S00-1:>1.
Discussing the final enumeration of the
population of the United States. Director
kDurand of the census said last night:
''The fact that the per cent of increase
has been higher during the past decade
than during the decade before is probably
due to greater net additions to the popu-
lation through immigration. The natural
increase of the population has been prob
ably somewhat less from 1890 to 1917
than it was from 1890 to 1860
Urban aud Rural Population.
LAS at every previous census, the pres
ent census will disclose a great difference
in the rate Of. the growth of cities as
compared with small towns and rural
districts The standard adopted by the
census bureau in distinguishing urban
from rural population is on the basis of
| places of $3.50 inhabitants, but at the
present time it is possible to distinguish
only the relative growth in places of
$1,000 or more inhabitants, as compared
with all other territory.
| LAS there has been doubtless decided
| ly more rapid growth in places between
$500 and $4,000 Inhabitants than in small
places and rural districts, tie figures
available now do not tell the whole story.
The population of cities of 5000 in
habitants in 1910 is 2S.50s.OO7. or 81 per
| cent of the total population. In 1900 the
| population of cities of 5000 Inhabitants
| and in 1880 22.2 per cent. Later statistics
will probably show that more than 40
| per cent of the population of the coun-
| try is urban-that Is. in places or 800
| Inhabitants or more.
In the north the proportion of the
| total population that lived in cities OF
$4,000 inhabitants was 4O6 per cent III
| 1870 342 per cent in 1900 and $50 per
| ing per cents are 1913 per cent in 1910.
| 1O.1 per cent in 1900 and 30 per cent
| in 1880. In the west the proportion liv-
ing in cities of 5000 inhabitants or
more is 31.5 per cent in 1910 and COM
pared with 25.2 per cent in 1900 and 226
| per cent in 1880.
Growth Greatest in Big Cities.
1.-The population living in cities of
| q, 600 or more Inhabitants has increas-
| ed much more rapidly than that in the
| rest of the country. The population of
such cities in 1910 was 2S,50S,0 as COM
pared with plots, 1S9 for the same cities
In 1860; the increase being 7,i29,S1S, or
| $50 per cent.
| The population in the rest of the
country, including smaller cities and
| rural districts, in 1910 was G3, 1854 I'D, as
compared with o4,9163S6 in 1860. the in
| crease being S.547,S73, or only about a
million more than the increase of the
cities alone. The per cent of increase
rate shown by cities of $1,000 inhabitants.
| Stated another way. 46.5 per cent of
the increase in the population of the
| United States from 1900 to 1910 occurred
| in cities having 5000 inhabitants or
| more.
while there has been probably a
| somewhat greater difference between the
rate of growth Of urban population and of
rural population during the last decade
than during that preceding. the difference
was not as great as during the decade OF
1880 to 1880, or as it was in most of the
earlier decades. The conclusion cannot,
therefore. be safely drawn that there is,
in any broad sense. an increasing ten
dency by the population to leave the
country and go TO the city.
Relative Growth Of States.
"There has been : wide disparity in the
rate Of growth of different states during
the past decade--a more marked d sparity
than has appeared at any other census for
a long time. The range is from de-
crease of three-tenths of ! per cent In
Iowa to an increase OF 100 per cent in
Washington. The country is plainly
marked of in bread groups of states, ac-
| cording to the differences in the rate OF
| increase.
1.-The states showing the lowest rates
!. of increase. falling below 10 per cent. are
five in the great central section of the
country, namely. Iowa, Missouri Ken
lucky and Tennessee; the three northern
New England states, and Maryland and
Delaware.
1.-The states showing tho next higher
rates OF increase, between 10 and % per