Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-28
G,rsnl35l99n GTsoias 9eI5sfdyy Essiy 1426S
What the Census Shows.

Tbc figures Of the census, so far rs they
GO. show some rather interesting 'o'ais
ami afford much food for thought. IN
one instance it Is to be noted that the
PENNSYLVANIA towns, with two or three
executions have stood almost stun IN the
last ten wears. This applies especially 70
the interior cities and towns, where III
many instances the count shows falling
off in the population.
In sections Of the coal fields and IN some
parts Of the oil country the decline mas
been small but when contrasted with
communities that have advanced, the loss
i considerable Where there y no loss u
nonnlation the gam is relatively small,
excent Of course in the large cities q
p,ttsburc Philadelphia, Scranton
and Wilkes-Barre. Pennsylvania. IN
,or;or ciiies have shown considerable
arowths in previous decades, but with
the elimination OF the iron and steel m
l,,stries. and their concentration N the
b,c cries. and the mining of ores, there i
comparatively little industry outside q
The larger or seaboard points.
OF course this does not apply to the sea-
mining but in fact one town II the center
II ,be anthracite ficldswas reported day
ortwo acoto have dropped smalIper cent
aoo behind the count Of ten years ago.
A., that Is accounted for on the ground
,bat ,he coal has nearly all been mined II
,bat section. and no other industry has
arisen to take the place Of mining
The concentration of industrial plants
along the waterways and the exhaustion
~ the timber in the keystone state has
changed the entire industrial outlook q
the interior sections and points pretty
clearly that her future i to be based
largely upon her farms
New England towns also show the
same conditions. Almost al ST the com
munities down east have made relatively
small rains: indeed far below the average
for mast wears. This is especially true q
many Of the heretofore growing textile
canters. and more true OF the smaller
communities Of from four TO five thousand
population, where there are sfw manu-
factories OF any kind.
In the West and especially in the
Northwest and the lar West, as well as
the South, the gam has been uniformly
large lar above the average for the coun-
trv. Many cities have added above e
per cent 10 their population and IN parts o.
Michigan and Wisconsin the gain has beer
still greater. Whether the people are JUS
awakening to the soundness Of Horace
Greelevss advice to Go West, young
man. 90 West" or whether population i
inst naturally drifting that way, viii no
he known until the count Of the who'll
country Is announced.
Evidently the West is coming to b
recognized as the country where th
greatest opportunities are TO be found an'
where one may get away from the limit
ing conventionalities Of the East with 1t
traditions and sharper class distinction
The census count, 50 far as it has gone
shows one thing clearly, and that j. tn
Deoplc IN the Eastern and Middle State
are leaving the country IN large number
and II IS not outside the limits Of reaso
to anticipate that the small country VI
lapes and cross roads communities, whIc
wore held as the back bone Of the countr,
the SOLDERING element Of the people ]
Liucoln's time. will he almost eliIniuatc'
While Wilmington 5 growth was belo
many OF the estimates made by those VII
speculate on such things, she has gained
larger percentage Of newcomers than q
most any Of her rivals and she will doub
less move uD notch or two in the scale
cities Of the more than 100, 600 elias
What the returns from the suburban par
Of the State will show, is, Of course,
matter Of conjecture, but il is cxpecte
that the gain in populat ation viii have be-
very slight, if indeed. some of the towns
the two lower counties have not decline
materially If the entire State has ga
Of fifteen thou sand over the figures of la
decade, It viii be gratifyingly slrPTlsin
What the industrial census Of Wilmln
ton will reveal is still of more lnterc
than the growth in population. lndouF
edly our citys commercial aud industr
affairs nave appreciated vastly ID I
ten years just past, and possibly they v
show Wilmington in the very front ra
Of the prosperous communities Of u
country. Perhaps We may le
Trenton Or Reading q Brdgepo
Conn, to head either of which will be
achievement.
With a growth and development GO
mensarate witlfour opportunity We sho,
surpass all OF the rivals mentioned IN
wears more, for we have vastly great
resources than either. With the n