The Colorado statesman., 1911-09-09
MOVING TO THE CITIES
NEGROES ARE RAPIDLY LEAVING
THE COUNTRY ACCORDING
TO CENSUS REPORT.

Washington.-Pr Preliminary statistics
showing the consistent and constant
cityward movement OF the white ana
negro population of the nine southern
cotton states, based upon the returns
for the censuses of 1910, 1900 and 1890
are contained in a comparative state
ment prepared under the supervision
of Mr. William G. Hunt, chief statisti-
clan for population, In the bureau OF
the census, and issued by Acting Cen
sus Director Falkner. The figures are
preliminary and subject to necessary
revision later, but 1t is believed that
there will be no material change In
the percentages stated.
The nine cotton states concerned
are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Geor-
gia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Tennes-
see.
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 negro popu-
lation OF the same states the percent
ages living in urban areas were III
per cent. in 1910. 14.7 per cent. in
1900, and 11.S per cent. in 1880.
II appears from these percentages
that the changes in proportion of the
total negro population OF these states
living in the urban sections have been
about the same as those in the proper
ton of the total whites who live In
cities. Both white and negro show
decided movement toward the city.
From an urban proportion of 11.9 per
cent. in 1890 the whites have increased
to 1873 per cent. in 1910. During the
same period, the urban proportion OF
negroes increased from 11.9 per cent.
to III per cent.
While the proportion of whites and
negroes living in city and country can
be readily measured, some care is re-
ouired in stating the rate Of increase.
| This difficulty arises from the fact
that portions of the rural area are con-
tinually changing into urban districts.
Urban population as defined by the
census office. is composed of those
groups that live in cities and other in
corporated places having at least 2,5OO
inhabitants. In order to obtain def
mite measure of the rate of increase it
| is necessary that the rate pertain 10
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 1891
cities increased PIG per cent. between
1890 and 1900 and 46.6 per cent. be-
tween 1900 and 1910. Similar rates of
| Fn,. ha trhn
23.3 per cent in the decade 1890 to
1900 and 305 per cent in the decade
l9OO-1910 For the rural sections or
1890 the rate of increase for the white
population was 1871 between 1890 and
1900. and 17.3 between 1900 and 1910.
The increase of the negroes in the
same rural sections was 17.5 between
1890 and 1900 and S.3 between 1900
and 1910.
A comparison of these rates of in
crease brings out clearly the cityward
trend of both races, but shows it to be
even greater for whites than for ne
groes. The rate of increase for the
urban whites advanced from 27.6 to
46.6. or a difference of 19 per cent,
while the rate for the urban negroes
| advanced from 23.2 to 800, or ulHer-
ence of ~ 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
1871 per cent. in the first decade to
17.3 in the last ten years. difference
of IA per cent. For the negroes the
change was from 175 per cent. to SO
per cent. a difference of 9.2 per cent