Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1911 — URBAN CENTER PUN HAILED [ARTICLE]

URBAN CENTER PUN HAILED

Proposal of Director Durand to Disregard Geographical Lines Would Swell ■ Gotham.

New York. —The proposal of the director of the census that in future publications on city population urban centers shall be used as the proper units Instead of the arbitrary political divisions indicated by city boundary lines is one that appeals strongly to New York, for it gives hope of enabling the city to surpass London and to claim first place among all the cities of the world.

Although this city has spread out almost evenly in all directions, Its westward growth never has shown in the census returns because it has been beyond the boundary line of New Jersey. Under the new plan all the population in the urban area of each large city, as determined by the experts of the census bureau, would be credited to that city. This would add about a million to the present official population of Greater New York, giving it 6,800,000. While this would still be lower than the population of Greater London, which is now placed at nearly 7,000,000, the growth of New York is much more rapid, and if the present rates were maintained it would pass its European rival.

Aside from the prestige of being the firßt city in the world, however, there is little to be gained by additions to the size of the city. Popular sentiment, in tact, seems to be against any considerable additions to the present administrative area.

For the present, most persons hold, the problems of giving the greater city proper government are difficult enough without further complications, but the plan of the census authorities, which would give the city credit for the population logically belonging to it without adding to its actual area, is regarded with favor.