The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-02-01

A worldwide change in human con-
ditions, political as well as economic,
is indicated by the latest figures as to
the growth of cities. The figures now
being gathered show the phenomenon
is not confined to America, but is
sweeping over Europe and Asia and
Africa and the Australian continent.
III the Polish district of Russia. for
example, there has been in the last
year an increase of 14,000 workmen in
Moscow and 11.O0O in Warsaw This
means 100000 more mouths to feed in
these two places.
The problem is of the greatest i'm
portance to those who live in Ameri-
can cities. for until the reaction, the
back TO the soil' movement. comes,
perhaps twenty to twenty-five years
hence, this enormous growth of mu-
inequalities is taken by European econ
omists to mean permanently higher
prices for food.
1t is the opinion abroad that the
United States will be the source of
supplies, inasmuch as the European
countries, which are more denSely
populated, must continually cry to 9TH
er continents for food and the mate
rials for clothing. Thus the American
planters and farmers will be able at
all times to find Il first class foreign
market for cereals, cattle, cotton, wool
and other raw materials. This nevi-
tably means higher prices for those
articles in the American market under
the inexorable law of supply and de-
mand. This growth of cities at the
expense of rural communities has
reached India, China and Japan, and
it is sweeping over South Africa.
Capitalists Exploiting Cities.
Capital all over the world is now
chiefly engaged in exploiting the cities
against the country. 1t is calculated
that for every dollar invested in graz
ing or planting a thousand dollars
goes into municipal and industrial de-
velopment, and so when such a tend
ency assumes, as it now has assumed,
worldwide proportions the outlook
for cheaper food and clothing in Amer
lea and elsewhere is regarded as re-
mote indeed
4 recent Russian loan bank report
shows the average number of dwellers
in a house has increased to forty
eight in Vienna, fifty in Berlin and
flfty-two in Moscow and st. Peters
burg. In London the average is only
eight to q house. The average yearly
rent of a two room fiat is 500 in Ber-
lin and S12S in Moscow and ST. Pc
tersburG
Since 1882 the number of working
people in the German empire has In
creased from 100000 to 26,S00.000,
which is an increase in percentage
from 80 to 43.46. In the same period
the foreign workers in Germany have
increased from 325OO0 to more than
1.250,0O0, of whom $4,000 are Aus
TRANS. Germany now has as many
foreigners as any other country in Eu-
rope except France, which only slight
ly exceeds her There are in Great
Britain only about 100000 foreigners.
The Prussian city of Frankfort on
theMain, which now has population
of 100000, is growing as fast as any
of the western cities in America More
than $1,500,O00 is to be spent in an
addition to the S1O.OO0,OO0 railway sta
tion, which handles 500 trains a day.
The hotels take care annually of e0O,-
600 strangers.
Turks Improve Cities.
The Young Turks are preparing their
ancient country for western civiliza-
ton and luXuries. The city of Aleppo,
with 100000 inhabitants, is to under
go a complete transformation. Gas,
electric light and water are to be in
troduced. and there is to be fire de.
partment. Constantinople is beginning
TO grow. her accesslons coming mostly
from Asia Minor and the Turkish sub.
urban provinces.
In Spain the growth Of population
and industries in the chief cities has
been such that the number of savings
bank depositors has increased from
4G@0OO to 100000 in the last two years
1t is scarcely realized in America that
the large fruit and vegetable growers
In Spain are among the wealthiest
class in Europe, Their land sells for
as high as $1,000 an acre
In Sweden the private fortunes of
the people now aggregate $2,197, ,OOO.-
900, divided among 1,23S,000 estates
In the city of Stockholm the private
estates aggregate S4S2 100000. an av-
erage of S1,245 for each citizen. There
are now 100000 savings bank deposi-
tors in Sweden, and they have $204.-
100000 to their credit. an increase of
SO EHO 00O in the Last vaop
AS bearing on the meat problem the
government count made on Oct 10 last
shows that in Bavaria, where the pop
ulation is largely interested in German
cattle raising, there has been in one
year a decrease of 100000 cattle and
$1,000 sheep. Bavaria. Saxony and
Alsace-Lorraine have authorized the
importation of French, Danish and
other foreign meat