Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-08-21
VITAL STATISTICS.
The First Annual Report Un-
der the New Law.
Some Prominent Features Of Regis
trar Young's Admirable Work.
Carefully Collected and Compiled Statistics
Very Favorable 10 Maine.


The first annual report upon births mar
riages, divorces and deaths, in the State of
Maine, for the ending year December 81
'92,is almost ready for distribution. This re-
port is made by A. G. Young. M. D., regis
trar of vital statistics under the law of
1891. The work comprises 23S pages,
much Of it being tabular, vast amount Of
data for comparison having been collected
TIE registrars introduction will serve to
explain more fully: ,.e..
As under the old law, repealed in 1887,
but one or two dozen town clerks annually
complied with the statutory provisions, re-
quiring reports of births, marrisges, and
deaths to be made to the secretary of State,
there were perhaps grounds for the appre-
hension that there would be some difficulty
in getting returns from all the towns, but
it is gratifying to be able to report that
large majority Of the clerks made their re-
turns very promptly, and that eventually
returns were received from every city,
town, and plantation In the State save one
town; and from that bare statement of
the number Of births, marriages, and deaths
was received.
The returns, nevertheless, came in late
from sufficiently large number of towns
to retard very much the beginning Of the
tabulatiops. Another cause for the delay ed
appearance Of this report was the desire of
the register to have the returns, which are
to serve both as permanent records in this
central Office, and as the basis Of all the
statistical tabulatiops as free from errors
and imperfections as it 10 possible to have
them. The copies. therefore, of consider
ably more than 1000 records of deaths, and
of smaller number of births and mar
riages were returned to town clerks, ply
sicians, clergymen, and other persons, for
the purpose of securing essential facts
which were omitted In the records or for
the correction of possible errors. This and
the subsequent red-ink annexation of the
records was a tedious work, but it is be-
lieved that their nearer approach to COM
pleteness, and their greater value for fu-
ture use, will be an ample justification.
How near the figures representing the
results of this first years registration of vi
tai statistics approach the truth may be
known with more certainty in the future by
comparing them with those to be obtained
in subsequent years. II is certain that the
registration results in some towns are de-
fective. There are, however, grounds for
hoping that this f1rst years work may at
least be as nearly accurate as the first work
Of the local registrars in any other state.
The population by counties in 1890 and
in 1880 and loss or gain in each also popu-
lation Of 1890 by counties and births, mar
riages and dsaths, with rate of each to 1000
population for the year ending Dec. 81,
1892, are shown in the next two tables. Ac-
cording to the latter the average birth rate
in 1892 per 1000 Of the population in 1890
was 21.2l. This rate however, varied con-
siderably. Aroostook had the highest rate
of births, 2.46, and the lowest rate OF
deaths, 12.4S. The lowest birth rate was
in Waldo county. l455. The average
death rate was 1887 and the highest rate OF
any county was 22 .32 in Kennebec.
The summary shows that the whole mum.
Der of births was l4,02s of which 1884
were males, ,730 females and ia not
stated. There were s,6s9 of American
parentsge, $500 Of foreign, 1928 with one
parent foreign, 92l not stated.
There were 572G marriages, the marrisge
rate per thousand being s sc. In 1866
marriages groom and bride were both
American.
OF the IL, l47 deaths which occurred in
1892 ,5939 were males, 6l75, females and 80
sexofwhich was not gwen. OF these 10, 1874
we're American.
The excess of births over deathi
was 1881. However, in some of the
cotipties the deaths exceeded the birth.
and DR.. Young has compiled the fol.
lowing table showing the loss or gain of the
aaesspul noy,uttoa 3frnsn this rauup Te
Population