The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-16

| to him by cigar stores throughout the country, and see that they reach their proper destination, or each manager or proprietor of a cigar store could send in contributions to societies that are already doing this kind of work. Census Figures
 Are Far Wrong
 11HE United States census bureau ll made serious muddle of it's re- port to the war department on draft population quotas. In most cases the estimates for cities are too high and for states too low. When Birming- ham was accorded larger population than Atlanta, well informed people l expressed no surprise, because in the census of 1910, while the Georgia capital made better showing than I Alabama's industrial center, the con- solidated population inside the city limits and outside for 10 miles, was in favor of Birmingham by nearly 4OOO.
 There is good reason to believe that Birmingham will easily outstrip At lanta in 1920, but neither city has the population today that the census bu- reau credits it with-212,4 ,436 for the Alabama metropolis and 206,159 for Atlanta.
 This states population, according to the figures published, has decreased 191,857 since 1910. In the regular federal census Alabama was credited with a population of 2,138,093. The negro exodus would account for some falling off, but on the other hand it may be assumed that this was offset by normal increase of the white population.
 But the shrinkage as indicated in the estimate of Alabama was smaller than in some of the other states. Kentucky, for example, shows de- crease of 00,00O and Tennessee 2O0,- 900.
 As for cities, the miscalculations nearly all plus, are still more unthink- able. The New York World calls at tention to the more glaring cases of wrong figures. It begins with New York city, which is set down by the census bureau with a population of 6,504,185. The board of health esti- mate is only 5,600,OO0, which the World says is "certainly liberal" The mayor of Chicago estimates his city's present population at 2,561 ,000, but the census experts fixes it at B. 639, ,957.
 Among many other ridiculous es- inmates is that for Cleveland, which appears to have doubled it's popula- tion in seven years. The census bu- reau gives Detroit 1,521, ,942. The census of 1910 credited 1t with only 466, ,0OO. Akron, O., which belonged to the little city class 20 years ago, has jumped up to 338,000, according to the census estimate for draft pur- poses The public would allow for a few mistakes on the part of the government, but with wholesale mis- calculations there is naturally storm of protest, for the higher the popula- tion the greater the burden the city must bear.
 
 bureau has been misleading in it's es- 1 inmates, but the present figures are attended by more serious consequences than any heretofore published.
 The bureau is not even a good guesser. This muddle strengthens 
 the contention which The Age-Her- aid has been making that the govern ment should take complete census every five years. Then if any guess ing was to be done between times, it would not be so far astray as it is now.
 Gerrmamy's Greatest
 Need is Leather
 ID UMoRs rapidly circulated a fev HN months ago that Germany was suffering for lack of food were great