Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-19
Less Than Half a Million.

Disappointment over the Capitals
census showing, as indicated by the pre-
liminary report Of an enumeration of
485,7l6, is tempered by the reflection
that what Washington has failed to gain
during the past ten years has been prob
ably more than compensated for by the
increase in the population of the metro
politan area, adjacent to the Capital, in
Maryland and Virginia. No census fig
tires covering those sections are as yet
announced, but it is evident to the eye
Of any visitor to those parts Of the two
adjacent States which lie within the
environs Of Washington that they have
grown greatly in population in recent
years, and this growth has been to some
extent at the expense of the District.
The figure announced for the District,
4s5,716, has evoked challenge. The as
sertion is made that the count could not
possibly have been complete. A call for
Remuneration has been sounded by
some. It is, however, to be doubted
whether such a recount will take place.
If evidence can be presented that there
was considerable overlooking or ignor-
ing Of residents on the part of the
enumerators a case may be made for
another tally. But 1t is to be borne in
mind that there is no conceivable in
centive for q sighting Of the count by
the field operatives Of the Census Blu
reau. Their compensation is scaled by
their returns. A slack count Is to the
distinct disadvantage of the enumerator.
Certain unoff1cial estimates had been
made prior to the oficial count, based
upon the city directory and the tele-
phone directory. These indicated that
the half-million point would be passed.
There were some expectations of $50, 900.
There was, however. no warrant for such
an official showing, for the Federal CEN
sus is almost invariably lower than the
unofficial estimates based upon police
counts or directory lists.
The expectation Of more than half
o million people for the District was
to some extent inspired by the showing
made In 1920, when the census figures
stood at 437,571, an increase from 1910
Of about thirty-two per cent. That
was an abnormal growth, due chiefly
to the Great War, which caused an ex-
traordinary development Of the Federal
Government organization and corse-
quently the drawing TO washington Of
large numbers of people from other
parts Of the country, mainly as depart
mental workers, a large percentage Of
whom remained. The same phenomenon
had occurred In the decade after the
Civil War. The population In 1850 was
rs $50, and In 1870 It was 131 TOO, an
increase Of more than seventy-five per
cent. The subsequent decennial In
crease percentages diminished steadily
until the Great War, being slightly
under thirty-five per cent between 1870
and 1880, q little less than thirty per
cent between 1880 and 1890, slightly
under twenty-one per cent between
1890 and 1900, and about nineteen per
cent between 1900 and 1910.
The indicated increase of eleven per
cent between 1920 and 1880 10 regarded
as wholesome growth, perhaps slightly
smaller than was to have been expected,
but possibly lessened by the reaction
from the abnormal increase Of war
time. The reaction from the Civil War
increase Of seventy-five per cent
brought the Capitals growth during the
next decade to percentage less than
half as great. This latest percentage
of increase, about eleven, is little
more than q third Is great as that Of
the preceding decade, itself an abnormal
and somewhat temporary growth.