POPULATION OF BERLIN. Thousands of People Who Are Living Underground.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 188, 22 January 1887, Page 5

POPULATION OF BERLIN. Thousands of People Who Are Living Underground.

The growth of Berlin is the subject of a statistical communication made by M. Raffalovich to the "Journal dee Debats," and it is certainly worthy of a place among the most striking features of contemporary history, During the last sixty six years the nhabitants of the German capital have increased from 162,000 to nearly 1,500,000, a leap from 633,900 having been made since 1864— 50 that the population has considerably more than doubled during the last two and twenty years. And during the last five alone nearly 130,000 immigrants have helped to swell the total. Meanwhile activity in building is by no means in proportion. While in Paris 2,501 new houses were built in 1883, with its slowly increasing population, only 306 gives fr'ue number in Berlin for the same year— the latest for which statistics under this head are given. The result is that overcrowding is a signal feature in Berlin, no fewer than 100,000 persons living underground, and only two per cent, of all dwellings being to let at the beginning of the present year. Three or four years ago there was a case of a single house being inhabited by 487 persons, including 170 children, divided into 11 separate households and though since then sanitation has improved, things eeem to be but littta better. Meanwhile, rent is necessarily high, absorbing more than 25 per cent, of a workman's wages. Altogether, from one cause or another, Berlin appeals to be the grand type of an overcrowded city, especially as the efforts of the municipality are mainly directed to the preservation of open spaces. Perhaps it ip largely owing to this that, in spite all circumstances, the health of Borlin continues to improve — to this, and to the plentiful supply of water. The efforts of the mauy philanthropic societies, on the one hand, appears to have had inappreciable results, by reason of thoir unbusinesslike character ; a moral having an obvious application elsewhere.