Evening star., 1925-09-07
Washington's Population.

In consequence of the survey
undertaken at the instance of a finan.
cial corporation, which is interested
in the possibility of q traction merger
in Washington, it is possible to see
the Capital in terms of past growth
and prospective development. 1t ap.
pears from this survey, the first sec
ton Of the report on which has just
been presented, that Washington will
have ultimately a population of
1000 900 people within its present city
limits.
With a present population of ap-
proXimateiy half a million, the even
tual doubling of the number is by
no means unlikely. Whether that is
to come within 25 years or half
century does not appear. The in
crease from 1900 to 1920 was less
than 10 per cent. Continuation of
that rate of increase would yield the
predicted million within five decades.
But it is impossible TO predict future
rates of growth. Al present there is
no unusual influence such as that
afforded by the wartime expansion of
Government activities to add to the
population. The city is now growing
ION it's growth" as the phrase goes
that is to say, il is increasing by nat
ursl aecretion. AS the population ex-
pands, its needs develop and business
% ta
giving employment to more people.
this contributes to the expansion of
the population.
Computations of the future Wash.
ington, however, should not, with re-
spect to transportation problems, be
confined to the District area. This
community virtually comprises those
portions Of Maryland and Virginia
which lie contiguous. The Washing.
ton population" properly speaking,
includes the inhabitants of both of
those States who are engaged in bust
ness in the District. They must have
transportation. Therefore. the inquiry
into the city's transit facilities must
comprise this wider area, within
which a million people will undoubt-
edly be living long before the million
point of strictly District population
is reached.
This present survey discloses that
IA per cent of the people of Wash
ington live within one mile of a cen
trail downtown point. while 452 per
cent live between one and two miles
from that point, or total of 59.6 per
cent of the population within a two
mile radius. Recent suburban real
estate developments. however, have
progressed at rate TO suggest a
marked tendency of the population
outward. Repetition of this present
survey five years hence would throw
light upon that matter. Wartime
housing shortage stimulated suburban
building and undoubtedly drove many
Washingtenians over the boundary
lines into Maryland and Virginia. AT
the same time the construction of
apartments within the radius of two
miles from a central downtown point
has tended to check this outward
movement somewhat.
The purpose of this survey is to
determine the future of transporta-
ton within the District of Columbia
and it's nearby suburbs. How many
people require transportation daily,
how many supply their own trans
pertation, and how many are depend
ent upon public utility services? Upon
these questions with reference to to-
day and tomorrow depends the an
swer of the financial prospect of the
traction services, whether united or
maintained separately. Inasmuch as
the present report is only the first of
a series, no deductions are to be
drawn from it with reference TO the
broader question of public utility
consolidation.