New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-30
Mean future duration Of Life AT certain ages
m diherellL c0nlnlunlLleS cOmlpnred.
TABLES or BIRTHS AND AGES.

The difficulty OF obtaining by the machinery provided
by the present census law. an accurate table OF births
has been found be great that Of discovering the
true rate mortality The returns for 1850 and 1850 If
considered correct they by many, would lead to
dsparagDg conclusions the ygor OF pure American
stock In contrast with that of several foreign elements
of our population In order TO discover II possible, In
what the mistakes consstedwhetber they caused
by omission altogether OF persons between the
of and years from the enumeraono by erroneous
distribution OF this portion Of the populatonhe super
intendent caused record to be made, far
as possible OF the month OF birth OF all chill
dren under year old, and, In addition separated the
period OF from to into yearly terms But the additional
Information thus sought has made the problem more
pick than ever and Gen. Walker placed the figures in
the hands OF Mr.. Elliott with the request that he give
the subject his careful consideration. One of the
things that strikes the student OF the table OF births
the fact that according TO the returns the number Of
persons In the first year OF life Is smaller than the
number In the second year, and IN turn the number in
the second year smaller than the number the third
wear Taking the first I'VE years together, 10 appears
aes Of and wears is lose 639 while the yearly mean
between the ages OF and years Is llls2 Surprising
the population 10 be staonarythat s that the loss by
death and emigration Is equal ~ the gain by birth and
immI grafton, and that the birth rate Is consantsuch
state affairs these tables show would be impossible
and the experience OF Other countries proves than what
would necessarily be true OF stationary population
is also true Of fuctuating like ours.
In England France Italy, and Norway the yearly mean
OF the number of persons between and years OF
Of tnase between the ages OF two and i've years Again
tables show very great disparity In the number OF
census year, disparity that has never been noticed
elsewhere. and which is not accounted for by any su
Gent disparity between the numbers born different
seasons OF the year. There are two IN which the
rregularity Of the data may be adJusted0ne based
the assumption that no actual deficiency In the number
of persons enumerated exists, but that the anomaly
arises from the erroneous distribution Of the numbers
according age, and the other the assumption
proportion OF those OF younger ages
omitted In the enumeration Mr.. Elliott has
adjusted the data furnished him in accordance
with each OF these assumptions and produced
series of tables which, though not valuable las they
would be were they entirely based actual
are the most OF the kind that have been pre-
pared m this country Mathematicians will
In the explanation which Mr. Eniot appends OF the
process by which lac has constructed the adjusted series
Uf births.
10 preparing the table, Ahowing the ages OF the pop
uaton OF the United States, the Superintendent the
Census has introduced many improvements He has
given the number for each year under hvo and
he has made possible To ascertain without trouble the
military strength OF the country aud the number of
yOiers-all information which could not DO obtained
from any previous census. the number OF In the
United states OF tho military agethat Ia between the
ages 10 aud 40 yearswas In 1870, 7,5I0i5 the
Der of men who were VI tue voting axe was Dli3OQ