Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-27
FRANCES DEPORTATION.
Unsatisfactory Proportion of Births
to Marriages and Deaths.


to Marriages and Deaths.
From the LONDON Standard.
The population. or. rather, the depopula-
ton question has again become serious
problem for France. When the statistics
for the year 1896 were published it was an
nounced with no inCOnsderable amount of
pleasure that the births in the country had
exceeded the deaths by So 200, a most ia
vorable condition of things when compared
with the previous year, when the deaths
had exceeded the births by 1I,S13. These
figures were looked upon as denOting turn
in the tide in the gradually decreasing
number of births. and one writer laid espe-
cial stress on the assertion that Frenchmen
had at all events removed the stigma that
they were a decaying nation. More prudent
writers reserved their opinion, lest the
charge should have been due to exceptional
causes. and the statistics which have just
been issued for the year 1897, from the Bu-
reau du Travail. on the movement of the
population in the country, show that the
reservation then made were not without
reason. 1t is true that there is still an aX-
cess of births over deaths to the number of
1OS,O SS, and at first sight this total would
appear to denote an improvement over the
preceding year.
This is not so, however for an examina-
ton of the figures show the improvement
in the actual total does not arise from any
increase in the birth rate but from an ex-
ceptionally low rate of mortality during the
year. and. in a large measur-, to the alb
sence of any epidemical disease. Thus,
while in 1896 the deaths throughout France
amounted to a total of III $50. in the year
under notice they only reached 13l .019 or
20 So short of the figure reached the pre-
vious year. On the other hand. it should
also be noted that while in 1896 there were
S60,5S6 births, last year the total reached
wSS only so. 1O1. diminution of just $500
If the increase in the population does not
n 8
TO what was expected. FrenChmen may find
some satisfaction in the fact that there is
an improvement on such years as 1891, 1892
or 1875. when the excess of deaths over
births reached a very considerable figure.
The increase of a people must to a certain
extent depend on the number of marriages
in the country. and the French statistics
published under this head. if a little more
satisfactory numerically than those relat-
ing to the main question as a whole leave
much TO be desired. According to NJ. Nor
On's report. the number of marriages cele-
brated IN France last year was 29l 49,, as
compared with 29o17I in 1896 and 2S2, 21S
in 1885,. Going back ten years it may be
noted that the number was then 2T6.S4S, so
that the increase has been extremely grad
uaL The number of births each year-aS
separated from the Legitimate births,
which last year reached a total Of T59S!t-
have rot even shown a corresponding in
crease. For the past ten years the total
has been near Stbttb, the lowest year being
1850 with S:s4 113 births, and the highest
1ssS. when the total reached SS2.G;;9. A
similar even average is to be noted with
regard 70 the deaths, which annually have
averaged between 10000 and 500 pD
But TO return to the question of the birth
rate SupDCsing the actual increase in the
population which was reported last year
in round numbers 1u0.00o-could be main
tanned. it would still compare very unfavor-
ably with the average annual increase in
the population of Germany, estimated at
$4,000 souls PER year from 1891 TO 1891. or
even with the more moderate annual in
crease in the population of Great Britain,
which is estimated at 10000. 1t is in TAX
ing a series Of years that the question from
the national point Of view is sem in it's
worst light. Averaging the increases from
the year lS>6 TO the year 1897. We find that
the annual increase has only been 20 23i
which is a remarkably poor result for a ma
ton computed to consist of over IS 900 COO
souls AT the end of the year 1897
II the views Of certain eminent authorities
are correct. the prospects for the future are
none too pleasant for tha French nation. 1t
Is many years since 50 large a number of
marriages took place as in 1897 and con-
sequently the decrease in the birth rate
cannot be put down to a decrease under
this head.