The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-10-09
70 PER CENT LIVE
in LARGER CITIES
Number Residing in Places of
Over 100000 Has Doubled
Since 1900
LIES IN RURAL SECTION
Looking Into Future as to
Population Shift from City
to Country

Approximately 20 per cent of the
people of the United States now
live in cities of 100000 population
or over twice the number in cities
of that class as were recorded in
1900, Harry G. Benton, secretary
of the Minneapolis Real Estate
Board states.
AS a result, he said, there are
many important problems for So
luton, not only for municipal au-
thorities and civic organizations
but for the individual himself.
Municipal authorities are con-
fronted with traffic problems as
we'll as those of sewerage disposal,
water supply, fire and police pro-
lection" he said. "Civic organiza-
tons such as the chamber of COM
merce and the real estate board
are confronted with the problems
of construction, operation and con-
troll of buildings. The individual is
confronted with the problems of
employment, that is to find some
source whereby he may make
wage or salary that will permit
him to purchase the necessities of
life without in any way lending to
the labor of their production. This
is particularly true of food sup
plies. The rapidity with which this
shift in population is being made
is shown in the following figures:
In 1900 there was approximately
60 per cent of the population of the
country in rural districts. There
were only 10 per cent of the Amer
lean people living in cities with a
of 100000 or more. At
the present time nearly 20 per
cent of the population lives in cit
les of this class. One person in 10
the United States lives
in a city of a million or more popu-
lation. This does not include the
great army of commuters who find
in these great ropu-
lated centers but live without the
limits.
Between the years 1910 to
1920 the aggregate population OF
all American cities of a population
of 100000 or more increased 26.5
per cent while the rural population
increased about 5.4 per cent in
the same years. This tendency of
people to immigrate to large cities
distinctly unbalances the economic
of the present day exist
ence. Commercially it is throw
ing continually added power into
the hands of the great financial
ana political institutions. IT is
making the individual more of q
dependent. 1t is making possible
the amassing of greater forum. TO
become Independent. It increases
the hazards of living not onlv from
an economic point of view but from
the point of view of health result
ing from the delay and constant
contact with many individuals.
Also from the point of view of
transportation the constant shift
oack and forth of a million or
more individuals through the
streets of the loop district and out
into arterial highways and subur-
ban and through METROPOLITAN
streets suburban transportation ia
clllt1es cause hundreds of thou
sans of lives annually. These
vast population centers demand in
creased and changing facilities for
housing. Apartments for living
quarters and office buildings have
places for carrying on commercial
enterprises so that within the past
buildings have grown
from 10 to Is stories in height and
have leaped toward the sky like
mountains of human en-
deavor and they are now 80, so and
even 70 stories in height.
Real estate men as owners and
developers of property are called
upon to meet these rapidly chang
ing housing problems. The value
of new building construction in the
United States in the last 10 years
has exceeded $5O,OOO,0OO,OOO. This
is greater than the value of all
buildings existing in the United
States previous to the World war.
In cities like New York 96 per cent
of the population, it is estimated,
live in apartments. In Chicago
more than 80 per cent are apart
ment jewellers. Estimates given
for contracts for apartment con-
struction of the entire United
States have increased from ap-
proximately $464, 100000 in 1921 to
81 200 100000 in 1929.
If the great tide of immigration
of population continues through the
next decade and will proceed in the
next few years to come, will we
find an ebb<in the flow Of human