Page 27 - clra62_0019-(GIPE)

THE UTILITY OF COMMON STATISTICS 21
the character of the people, is one not of kind but of
degree. The statistics only bring to light and set out
an immediate difficulty. The solution at present devised
of a famine fund by which millions of the Indian people
are virtually pauperized is certainly not one to be con-
templated with any satisfaction. It may be unavoid-
able, but from the point of view of civilization and
progress it is little more than a confession of the hope-
lessn~ss of the difficulty.

The last broad fact I shall refer to as presented and
made familiar to us by these statistics of population is
that of the growth of population in the United States-
a subject, perhaps, of even greater interest than any I
have yet referred to, and complicated also with one or
two interesting questions already glanced at, viz., the
existence and increase of large European populations
which are supported by imports of food from new
countries, and mainly from the United States. In this
case I may' have to make some use in passing, not
merely of common and familiar figures, but of a few
less generally known; but I shall use none except
what are easily accessible, and in all cases the ideas
to be presented will be those suggested by what is
common and familiar.
The broad fact presented by the United States is
that of the doubling of the population in periods of
about twenty-five years. There is a little doubt a~out
the exact population at the time of the War of I nde-
pendence. and down to th~ first census at the beginning
of the present century, but for the present purpose the
figures we get are good enough:

In Milns. In MilDS.
'9 0 . 4·0 '50 23. 2
1780 3. 0 18 4 0 17.1
1800 5-3 '60 31.4
'10 7.2 '7 0 38,5
'20 9.6 '80 . 50 • 1
'3 0 12·9