The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-01

River, where it constitutes 81 per cent
of the entire population. Accordingly
in Fall River, during the decade from
1881 to 1890, the death rate of children
under one year, was 1897 the largest
in the state; next came Lowell and
Lawrence, then Boston, then Chieopee,
| HolyoSe and Springfield. Worcester,
which had a death rate of 1866, was
followed in order by Pittsfield, North~
ampton, Fitchburg, North Adams and
| Newton.
| Density of population is also an i'm
portant factor in the rate of infant
mortality, for while all places of more
| than 10000 population averaged ia &
per 1000 Infants born, the remainder OF
the state averaged but 1926. The eff
feet of density upon infant mortality
( is more than twice as great as upon
the general death rate. DR.. Abbott IL
lustrates this by instancing two coun-
tries in which there are six large cities
devoted chiefly to manufactures and 81
smaller towns, sparsely settled and
containing an agricultural population
In the cities the infant mortality was
| 1874 per 1000 births, while among the
rural population it was 1871 per 1000
births Could there be a more powerful
sermon on the advantages of a country
y
1t becomes clearer, the more one
thinks about it, that the tendency OF
the day which drives women into
shops and mills by the thousand is
fraught with social ills. Not only does
the trade competition of women lower
the wages Of men, and so have the
erect of forcing more women into the
n i,
diminished wages of husband or father
or brother, but it units girls for domes-
TIC life. At the time when thew ought
to be learning tow to cook and sew
they are tending bobbins or stitching
corsets on a machine. When they mar
ny they are apt to make shiftless house
wives or else leave their domestic cares
to another and return to the old, con
genial life of the factory and work
shop. What the effect of the latter
course is on young children DR.. Abbott
has shown. His conclusions consider
ably augment the practical difficulties
of keeping the poor.
John Hancock, His Book new
biography of Hancock, by Abram Eng
fish Brown, that has just been pub.
lished by Lee & Shepard, is dedicated
to Senator George f. Hoar
BY protecting individual scholarship
the Atlantic Monthly mas been able to
print number of valuable education
al articles bringing to light many err
rors and abuses in The public school
system. OF such. a character are the
Confessions of Three School Superin-
tendents" in the Atlantic for Novem-
Der. One superintendent calls attention
to the prevailing opinion that teaching
! is dignified calling suitable for any
one in INDECENT circumstances who is
unable to do any other kind Of work.
Another believes that where the school
board is elected directly by the peo-
pie, it is directly responsible to the
people and should be independent finan-
cially of the rest of the city govern
ment, and also that it should have
charge not only of the schools and
teachers but also of the school houses
and janitors. Church influence is said
by one to be more embarrassing to a
superintendent than politics. Minis
tiers, through a mistaken sympathy, Of
ten allow themselves to indorse incom-
petent teachers, and thus help to block
the way for better things in the
schools. The article IS a Clear and
fnuch-needed exposure Of public
school evils.