Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-10-02
NATIONS DEATH RATE.
Collection of Mortality Statistics for
the Census.

Director Merriam, of the census bu-
reau, will make every effort to collect
mortality statistics for the next census
which will be valuable. Owing to the
neglect of this work in many parts
of the country, and the difficulty en-
countered in the taking of previous
censuses in securing reliable statistics,
circular letter will be sent to all per-
sons interested, asking their assistance
and giving suggestions for the best
method of accomplishing the desired
result.
It is comparatively easy matter to
secure statistics of the living popula-
ton through the census enumerators,
but experience has demonstrated that
| they fail to report more than so or
| so per cent. of the deaths occurring in
the country. Census returns by emu
merators, therefore, furnish no basis
for computation of death rates per
thousand of the population in any state
or in any more restricted area.
Director Merriam takes the view that
the end sought in the study of the
population is to determine it's natural
| law of growth, as controlled by births,
| deaths immigration and emigration.
A complete return of deaths is essen
| tial to the solution of the problem thus
presented. No such record can be OBJ
| tanned through the agency of enumera-
| ton, nor can it be obtained from Of
fetal records, unless officials will agree
to. furnish for use in the census full
replies to all the inquiries contained
in the mortality schedule.
The law governing the return Of
mortality statistics varies in different
states. In some states the law pro-
vides for a general system of registra-
ton and the making of returns of
births and deaths to a central Office,
but in others the registration is purely
local, being confined to certain cities
and towns To secure a complete
knowledge of the methods followed in
various cities and towns where such
statistics are kept, the director sent to
the health authorities Of all towns hav-
ing a population of 5000 by the last
census a circular asking for descrip-
ton of the method employed in their
city The data thus obtained, together
with the responses which are expected
from the new circular, will, it is hoped,
enable the bureau to devise a plan for
the satisfactory collection of mortality
statistics throughout the country.
To insure the success of this plan the
director of the census suggests that a
blank be used for this purpose which
shall be uniform throughout the coun-
try The inquiries most commonly
omitted from the returns of deaths re-
quired by law or by some municipal
ordinance are those relating to the
| birthplace of parents, to occupation
and to the conjugal condition. Two of
the principal ends sought in statistical
research are thus defeated. In every
case the inquiry must cover the de-
scendant's name, sex, color, age, con-
| jugal condition, place of birth, birth
place of each parent, occupation, cause
of death, date of death, and, if born
in the census year, the date of birth.
In order to give time for the adop-
| ton Of a uniform system of registra-
|
ton, Director Merriam proposes that
mortality statistics for the calendar
year of 1900 be taken, instead of those
for the IL months ending June 80,
| 1900 This change will have the fur
Their advantage that the population on
June 1, 1900, will more closely approx
innate the mean population for the cal
endar year. Greater accuracy in cal
culating the death rate can therefore
be attained by the adoption of the cal
endar year instead of the fiscal, or
census, year, as the period of inves-
tigation. Director Merriam will ask
the assistance of the medical journals
in agitating this matter, and also
hopes the medical societies will con-
slider it.