Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-15

Of living Of this eyer-increaslng popu-
lation. Within each decade new com.
munities spring into being and old ones
dwindle, even disappear.
This decade Of l920-le30, the story
OF which the fifteenth census will tell.
has been one Of special activity. II IA
not expected that there will be any
very decided shift In the center Of
population from the spot about two
miles west of whitehall Ind, where
It was fixed according to the fourteenth
census in 1920. 1t is possible Il may
shift very slightly to the south and a
little back east. The southern shift
would be due TO the industrialisation
OF Southern communities which has
taken place with amazing rapidity In
the last decade. The city OF Chat
tanooga, Tenn, for example. has prac-
tically doubled its population since
1920. New towns have sprung up which
did not exist before.
The location is wholly conjectural
now, however. Not enough data are
in hand to form q basis for the nice
calculation made according to a care
fully studied formula, which fixes the
precise geographical center. 1t will be
announced IS soon rs possible.
VIcissitudes Of Towns.
The one very definite thing which the
early returns show is that the trend
to centers Of population continues tn-
abated. The larger the cities the
stronger their attraction. 1t appears
that, in some sections Of the country.
the great cities are drawing not only
from the farms but from the lesser towns.
Towns Of from 5000 to $4,000 In many
cases show diminished number OF
dwellers compared with 10 years ago.
This is particularly true when the town
itself is not near another large city.
When 1t Is adjacent to greater center,
1t Is likely TO grow. In effect 1t becomes
q part OF the larger city. the people
living In the town and being counted
in the nearby city. Communities in
the suburbs OF large cities show steady
gains.
Some Of the Western towns which
started with high hopes and expectA :
| lions OF continued boom have dwindled
sadly. In some cases such an expert
ence has been due to the working out
OF some mine or the disappearance Of
forest which gave the boom town its
source OF support. In other cases Il
was thought that q given location was
certain to continue to attract popiiIa-
ton because Of q combination OF Iiatu-
raj advantages.
Hood River. Greg, Il such a town
rounded at the confluence of the Hood
River and the Columbia River in a
rich and beautiful region, great things
were expected of the place. It aid
boom at first. Yet In the last 10 wears
IL has dwindled from 3,l95 to 2,i57.
But even in the midst of this remark
able ferment, this growth and Shifting.
some communities appear to stand stiil.
Take Pittsburg, Kans., for example In
1920 that town had q population 81
lo,052 In 1880 the census showed A popJ-
lation Of 18,051. In an entire decade the
population changed by a single individ-
ual. Theoretically, perhaps actually.
tnat man, marking the towns loss for
the 10 years, died a second before mid
night on March 81.
More remarkable in view of the much
greater numbers involved Is the story az
new Haven, Conn. In 1920 its popula-
uon was 162,537. In 1880 It is given -
$3.50. New Haven Is the seat a.
yale University and q thriving indus.
TRIAL city as well as q seat of iearniys
and center Of trade, yet q decade SHOW
an addition Of only ll3 persons IN ~
numbers. OF course, every season. Z
lou OF Yale undergraduates are fi,Inksd
and leave town.