URBANISM CLERGET. 667 



of autobus service is greater than for electric tramways, and there is 

 the noise, the odor, and the danger from fire and accidents. But the 

 autobus is a new method, therefore susceptible of technical improve- 

 ments, and has been called to take a place by the side of the street 

 railway in replacing the horse cars, a dearer and slower method. 



(d) City Vital Statistics. 



As a general rule, city population grows faster than the habitable 

 territory, resulting at once in an overcrowding, particularly in the 

 workmen's quarters. Paris has 86,000 dwellings with an average of 

 30 to 32 persons per house, while in London this average is only from 

 6 to 7.^ The number of dwellmgs tends to be exhausted, while the 

 lodgers increase. In 1896 the density of population was 326 persons 

 per hectare (2,471 acres) in Paris, 260 in Berlin, 140 in St. Petersburg, 

 136 in London, and 85 in Vienna. 



Overcrowding is always a sign of poor hygienic conditions. The 

 atmosphere is more vitiated; the townsman lives much more mdoors. 

 Likewise the city mortality is greater than mortality in the country. 

 What chiefly affects cities is the proportion of deaths resulting from 

 infectious disease, infant mortality, and stillbirths. 



Illegitimate births and suicides are also more frequent among city 

 dwellers ; crime is greater, especially crimes against property, resulting 

 from misery and stronger and more numerous temptations. 



Through immigration, cities have a greater number of adults, hence 

 a greater frequency of marriages and divorces. This is so m cities 

 that are made up in great part of a foreign element. In Geneva, Bale, 

 and Zurich foreigners number more than a third of the total popula- 

 tion; Paris 75 per thousand, Vienna 22 per thousand, and Berlm 11 

 per thousand. 



Cities are, on the other hand, centers of growth for democratic and 

 socialistic ideas; politics is more advanced. The admixture of the 

 people is an obstacle to the survival of particular languages and 

 dialects. By the force of things, M. P. Meuriot says, cities help to 

 unify the language, as they also contribute to alter it. 



Finally, cities form important centers of consumption. Their influ- 

 ence is exerted over the surrounding regions that are given up to 

 market gardening and raismg of fruit, to the rearing of cattle for 

 providing milk. Their budgets increase and m order to reduce the 

 fiscal charges of their taxpayers, some cities have municipalized their 

 industrial services, gas, water, electricity, railways. 



I G. Cadoux. La vie des grandes Capitales. Paris, Berger-Levrault, 1908. 



