The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-07-22
POPULATION Or THE RACES.
CENSUS FIGURES FROM NINE
STATES OF THE UNION.
constant Movement Toward Cities
OF Both Whites and Blacks I'm
southern states Percentage
Shows More Whites Crowding TO
'ties-Dcclinc of Increase Among
Negroes I'm Rural Districts.


washington, July 17.-Preliminarv
statistics showing the consistent and
constant cityward movement of the
white and negro population of the
nine Southern cotton States, based up
on the returns for the censuses of
1910, 1900 and 1890, are contained
in comparative statement prepared
under the supervision of Mr.. William
I. Hunt, chief statistican for popu-
lation in the bureau Of the census
and issued today by Acting Census
Director Falkner. The figures are
preliminary and subject to necessary
revision later, but it is believed that
there will be no material change in
the percentages stated.
The nine cotton States concerned
are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida.
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South Carolina and
Tennessee.
Or the white people of these States
1873 per cent lived in urban areas in
1910, IA per cent in 1900 and 11.6
per cent in 1890. OF the total ne
gro population of the same States the
percentages living in urban areas
were III per cent in 1910, 14.7 per
cent in 400 and 11.s per cent in
1890.
1t appears from these percentages
that the changes in the proportion of
the total negro population of these
States living in the urban sections
have been about the same as those
in the proportion Of the total whites
who live in cities Both white and
negro show a decided movement to-
ward the city. From an urban pro-
portion of 11.6 per cent in 1880 the
whites have increased to 1879 per cert
in 1910. During the same period
the urban proportion OF negroes in q.
creased from 11.9 to 1T per cent.
While the proportion Of whites and
negroes living in city and country
can be readily measured, some care
is required in stating the rate of in
crease. This difficulty arises from the
fact that portions Of the rural area
are continually changing into urban
districts. Urban population as delin-
ed by the census office, is composed
of those groups that live in cities and
other incorporated places having at
least $500 inhabitants. In order t,
obtain a definite measure of the rate
of increase it is necessary that the
rate pertain to the same area for
each census period. Rates Of increase
calculated for the places that were
classed as urban or rural in 1890. are
as follows:
The white population of the 1890
cities increased 27.6 per cent between
1890 and 1900 and 46.6 per cent be-
tween 1900 and 1910. Similar rates
of increase for the urban negroes are
1913 per cent in the decade 1890 to
1900 and 30.5 per cent in the decade
19O0-1910. For the rural sections Of
1890 the rate Of increase for the
white population was 1877 between
1890 and 1900, and 1913 between 1900
and 1910. The increase Of the ne
groes in the same rural sections was
17.5 between 1890 and 1900 and 2.3
between 1900 and 1910.
comparison of these rates of IN
crease brings out clearly the citywari
trend for both races, but shows it TO
be even greater for the whites than
for the negroes. The rate of increase
or the urban whites advanced from
27.6 10 46.6, or a difference of 10
per cent, while the rate for the urba II
negroes advanced from 1872 to SO.5,
or difference Of 7.2 per cent.
The rate Of increase in the rural
sections was less for both races in the
decade ending in 1910 than for that
ending In 1900, but the decline in the
rate of increase was very much great
er for the negroes than for the
whites. For the whites the change
was from 1877 per cent in the first
decade to 1913 in the last ten years.
a difference of Ia per cent. For the
negroes the change was from 17.5
per cent to S.3 per cent, a difference
Of 90 per cent.