28 



Indiana University Studies 



majority of the people live in rural communities the problems of 

 rural life are uppermost and are, therefore, the basis for the kind 

 of vocational education to be recommended. On the other hand, 

 in the centers of population, as a rule, the economic and social 

 interests relate to commercial and industrial activities and the 

 adjustments incident thereto ; such problems, therefore, form the 

 basis for certain phases of vocational education. 



In 1890, it could have been truly said regarding Indiana that 

 from the standpoint of vocational education the needs of the masses 

 were largely for agricultural training, since 73.1 per cent of the 

 entire population resided in rural communities and 52.2 per cent 

 of all wage-earners were engaged in tilling the soil, raising live 

 stock, etc. In 1910, the population was almost evenly divided 

 between rural and urban communities, the ratio being 57.6 per 

 cent to 42.4 per cent, the greater per cent, however, still resid- 

 ing in the country. From 1890 to 1910 there was not only an actual 

 increase in the number of residents in urban places, but an actual 

 decrease in the number of residents in rural places. Thus, from 

 1900 to 1910 the actual increase in urban population was 267,541, 

 or 30.5 per cent, and the actual decrease in rural population was 

 83,127, or 5.1 per cent. Comparing Indiana with the United 

 States as a whole, it is seen that this increase in urban population 

 has been general. Table 3 presents the facts concerning urban and 

 rural population and Graph 1 illustrates the variations in dis- 

 tribution from 1890 to 1910. 



TABLE 3. DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION IN INDIANA IN 

 URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES, 1890-1910 





1910. 



1900. 



1890. 



Increase and 

 Decrease* 

 1900-1910 . 





Number. 



Per 

 Cent. 



Number. 



Per 

 Cent. 



Number. 



Per 

 Cent. 



Number. 



Per 

 Cent. 



Total 



2,700,876 



100.0 



2,516,462 



100.0 



2,192,404 



100.0 













Urban 



1,143,835 



42.4 



876,294 



34.3 



590,039 



26.9 



267,541 



30.5 



Rural 



1,557,041 



57.6 1,640,168 



65.7 



1,602,365 



73.1 



*83,127 



*5.1 



Average for United States 



Urban ..... 





46.3 





40.5 





36 1 ! ! 













1 



Rural 





53.7 





59.5 





63.9 



















