'As surprising as it may appear, the population of Peking during the first five months of 1929 increased according to the 'Statistical Monthly. In January 1929,. the population' totalled 1,859,696 persons, while in May, it amounted to 1,871,417. Families increased by approximately 2,000, Wherefore the increase? If Peking is beaming a barren village on the Mongolian plain, why are more people going there—the increase in males alone amounted to about 10,000 men. The increase in Nanking over the same period has naturally been greater, from 475,268 to 503,501 person: but the increase in Canton is most just as large—from. 816, '949 to 888,266. In each instance there is an attendant increase in the number of families and therefore the assumption must that this is a permanent-not a transient increase. If there were a complete census of China, it would be interesting to know to what extent the cities are absorbing the surplus population and what becomes of the new urban population. To what extent is modern industrialism affecting the distribution of population? The Statistical Bureau of the Legislative Yuan is undoubtedly' secking facts and figures in this direction.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.