The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-03
VIVA, i, Massachusetts Coming To {,

Probably in no state Of the Union are the
vital statistics 81 the Commonwealth gath
cred with So great care and accuracy a. In
Ma esachuSetts. In no one certainly are
they more complete and more scientific IN
their arrangement. The report relating To
the registry and return Of births, marriages,
and deaths In Massachusetts, during 1871,
and which was presented to the Legislature
at its last session, is therefore volume Of
exceeding interest, not to the people of that
State alone, but TO the whole country, for
some Of the causes which are affecting the
population Of Massachusetts are at work in
other States also.
During the year 1877, there were Al, $50
births, l275S marriages, and 1892 deaths
In Massachusetts,. The births We're fewer
than in 1876 by 800, the marriages greater
by o. and the deaths less by 1,s4 The
natural increase Of population, or excess OF
births over deaths, was IL, 50s, n number
greater by l,542 than the natural increase
in 1876 Wien we take into consideration
the fact that the births were less than in
that year, this growth Is noteworthy, MS
showing marked improvement in the
health of the State during 1877. One living
child was born TO every Al OF the population,
one person in every Gs at all ages was mar
ricd, and one person in every So died.
The main interest of the report to people
in general, however, lies in its statistics OF
marriages and births, which are both curl
GUS as a study and really startling in their
significance. We find that the birth rate for
1877 was less than that Of any OF the previous
twenty-five years, except 1865, the last year
Of the war; that in spite Of the increase in
during the period, the num-
bor Of births was actually fewer ny twU
thousand than In both 1872 and 1873, and
that the number OF marriages was actually
less than In 1853, twenty-five years ago. In
1853, with n population not much above q
million, the number Of marriages was ,4,s2S,
while in 1877, with a population estimated at
| ,736, s26 it was only 1858. The number OF
births in 1853 was 3O,920, while in 1877 1t was
Al $50, or PAL births to 1000 persons In 1871
! TO 2sG in 1853. The returns Of births and
marriages arc not complete in Massachu-
sotts nor are they perfect in any State; but
such errors MS there may be are rather
| fewer now than u quarter of century ago
50 that the proportions we have named may
be accepted as substantially correct.
The figures prove that the birth rate IN
Massachusetts, is lower than in any Of
the principal countries Of Europe, lower
even than in France, whore it has long
been 50 low as to excite much solicitudC
as to the future Of her population. In Tho
old Puritan State It is al in the 200 o
population against 26.a in France, 1913 in thu
Netherlands, 40.5 in Prussia 4O.6 in Austria
and 500 in England and Wales. Even allow
ing for errors in the returns Of births, fcwe
children are now born In Massachusetts IL
proportion to the population than In tina
country Of Europe where tho birth rate 1
the smallest. 1t Is remarkable, too, that IN
rate in that State which declined steadil
during the war. reaching its lowest level 1
1865 and which aitorward advanced until i
1873 and 1874 1t got up to 2s.9, again fell durin
, the three following years. until now 1t