Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-11-26

last ten years. Portland l29 ana Detroit GO.
All OF our biggest cities arc growing.
New York, which is now fast climbing
toward 5000, 900 increased over IS per
cent between 1909 and 1910. Chicago then
increased almost 30 per cent and Phila-
uelphia almost 20 per cent. ST. Louis has
now nearly 100000 people and Cleveland
more than 100000 while Baltimore and
Pittsburgh are close upon Cleveland's
heels. One of the fastest growing cities
OF all is Cleveland. which has gained al
most d per cent In the last ten years.
Not all of the growth comes from the
Farms. Some is by immigration and some
from other sources, but a great deal of
II Is from the rural districts. and II
means less number OF producers and
more of consumers.
Indeed we are fast becoming a nation
OF city jewellers. We have 400 tovns
each of which has more than 800 popu.
lation. We have three cities of more than
100000, five of which run from 500 900 70
l'OOOOOo in size, and in the 10000 grade
there are eleven, while Of those from,
lOo'OOO to $4,000 we find we have thirty
one New York and Chicago have nov,
twice as many people as the whole IrnItad
states had 100 years ago and New York
alone has 100000 more inhabitants than
the whole nation had when the first csn-
sus was taken, in 1880 Indeed IL was NOT
uiltll 1870 that We had a-single CITY which
contained 100000, and In 1900 we had only
thlrty-tour municipalities ali told. At that
time New York had 10000: PHILADELPHIA
ABOUT 1000 Boston, 5000 and Baltimore
| SN'Vo. The smallest incorporated town
mentioned in the lot was Erie, Pa. which
theh mad only eighty-one souls, SO few
that 1t would be village in the census
Of today.
From the Farm TO the Factory,
moreover, the figures giving the size
Oh the cities do not indicate the enor-
nous growth OF our manufacturing CEN
ters. New York has factories all about
it, and the suburban towns dependent di-
rectly upon it give it a population of
more than six millions. In this sense
Boston has twice the size mentioned in
the census, and Pittsburgh NAV possiblv
be bigger than st. Louis. The urban CEN
ter OF san Francisco has radii including
10000 people, while Philadelphia is enor-
mously larger than the census figures
show
From this standpoint Of urban centers
we have at least ten which are of 5Oo ooo
and upwards in size. All these centers
are rapidly increasing in population. and
the increase is largely made I'd OF the
rush from the farms to the cities. The
smaller cities have grown as well as the
larger ones, and the rush seems 10 he
going on all over the Union. This is so
Notwithstanding the popularity which
farming seems to be having, and to the
Increased profits which are coming there
from.
Uncle sam, Manufacturer.
we are, In fact, rapidly changing from
an Agricultural nation TO a manufaotur-
ing one. This is shown by the figures
which the census employees are now tabu-
lating. Our industrial growth Is such
that census OF such matters is taken
every five years, and II would. perbans
pay 70 take It oftener Within the five
years from 1904 to 1903 the Increase I'm
the capital employed by our factories
was IS per cent and the cost Of the ma
terisls used 40 per cent.
The salaries and wages paid for manu-
featuring now amounts to more than
A'Oo'DOOOO year, a sum which. If II
could be divided, would be enough TO give
more than 500 to every family in the
United states.
Our manufactures sell for something
like $2o,0OO,0OOOOO per annum. which would
equal $lO0O per family. and this
means an increase in such sales OF
f600O,0O0OO within five years. The in
crease has been 81 per cent in ten years
and 40 per cent in five. 1t represents a
growth in manufacturing OF more than
fl,OOO,0OGO00 year for the last five years
These figures are impossible to compre-
bend, but they Indicate something OF the
prorgess OF this great billion-dollar ma
ton
DO you wonder that the farmers are
attracted by them? The wages Of the
factories are paid without regard to
whether IL rains or shines, and they ex-
coed in value the wages paid upon the
farms. The increased cost Of living is
not taken into account until after the
man has become settled in the city. And
SO the rush goes on. The Increase In the
number of factory employees over 1850 IL
already more than 100000, and we have
now working In manufacturing establish
ments between 100000 ana 100000 men
and women. This is an increase OF 20
per cent over the number employed ten
years ago.
Our Prosperous Farmers.
Nevertheless, farming is paying better
than 1t has ever paid. and, strange 60 say,
Notwithstanding this loss OF labor. the
crops seem TO be as large or larger than
ever before our biggest crops of ali
time were IN 1910. Mr. Durand rightly
says. however, that the census figures