RURAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT 21 



In the United States, all unincorporated and incorporated places 

 of less than 2,500 are classed as rural; the corresponding figures for 

 Ireland and Scotland are 2,000 and 1,000; while in England the popu- 

 lation of many towns and villages is counted as part of the rural popu- 

 lation. 



The urban population in cities, towns and villages of Canada, 

 having a population of 1,500 or over, increased from 1,771,435 in 

 1901 to 2,845,073 in 1911, whereas the rural population outside of 

 these towns increased from 3,599,880 to 4,361,570 in the same period.* 



On the basis of these figures the rural population of the Do- 

 minion comprises 60.5 of the total, instead of 54.5, the figure usually 

 quoted. The rate of increase of the rural population for the ten 

 years is 21 per cent as against 60.6 per cent for the urban popula- 

 tion — the actual increases being 761,690 and 1,073,638 respectively, 

 (Figure l). This is not a bad showing for a rural population, having 

 regard to the rapid growth of urban manufacturing industries and 

 the lack of organization of rural industries; it practically means that 

 the small towns under about 6,000 in population, together with rural 

 districts, in the ten years had an increase nearly as great as the cities 

 and larger towns. The principal falling off in rural population was 

 in Ontario and Nova Scotia, which, so far as the older provinces were 

 concerned, was largely counterbalanced by a substantial increase in 

 rural Quebec. The increase in Quebec was significant, since it was 

 largely an internal growth, and was apparently, to a great extent, 

 the result of the closer settlement and planning of the land in the 

 lower province, f Much remains to be done in Quebec to raise the 

 standards of sanitation and of building construction (the absence of 

 which has been strikingly illustrated in the disastrous fires in the pro- 

 vince) and to remove the causes of the high death rate of 17.02 per 

 1,000; but in regard to its system of planning land in the past and its 

 highway policy, which is assisted by that system, it has reason to 

 claim better results than the other eastern provinces. J 



The advantage of internal growth of population, as compared with 

 growth from the outside by means of immigration, is being demonstrat- 

 ed during the present war; the sources from which new population is 



* Census of Canada, Vol. Ill, Page XV. 



f'The closer settlement of the agricultural population (in Quebec), due to the 

 early French system of planning the land, has been one of the factors preventing 

 rural depopulation." — /. A. Grenier, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Quebec. 



JThe growth of Quebec during 1914-15-16 is indicated by the fact, quoted in 

 The Monetary Times, that in these years no less than 297 branches and sub-branches 

 of banks were opened in the province as against 72 closed. The totals for all the 

 other provinces were 212 opened and 254 closed. 



