The times., 1899-08-30
ACCURACY His DESIRE
Director Merriam Wants Reliable
Mortality Statistics
An Effort to Establish Uniform
Method of Collecting such Data
thorities Asked for Ideas and
Co-operation-A Benefit to Science.

Director Merriam is taking much pains
to obtain reliable and accurate mortality
statistics to be used in connection with the
next Census. He desires to establish
throughout the country a uniform method
OF collecting such statistics, and is now
in correspondence with the health au-
thorities of all towns and cities of more
than 5000 inhabitants, according TO the
last Census, with a view of securing their
ideas on the subject, and their hearty
cooperation To afford opportunity for the
movement thus inaugurated to mature and
bear fruit it is proposed to apply 10 the
officials in charge OF registration records
for information covering the calendar year
January ], 1900, to December /, 1900 in
stead of for the twelve months ending
June 30 1900, as would be the case were
he to follow the rules of preceding Cen
suses. This change will have the further
advantage that the population on June l,
1900. will more closely approximate the
mean population for the calendar year,
and therefore greater accuracy can be at
tanned in the calculation OF death rates.
The benefit to science which would re-
suit from uniform statistics of mortality
is conceded by all registration officers. The
objective end sought in the study OF the
population is to determine its natural law
of growth, as controlled by births, deaths,
immigration, and emigration. complete
return of deaths is essential to the solution
of the problem thus presented No such
return can be obtained by the agency OF
the enumeration, nor can it be found from
official records, unless the officers in charge
will agree to furnish fer use in the Census
full replies to all the enquiries contained
in the mortality schedule, which they can
not do without such modification of the
forms of return now in local use as may be
essential to the attainment of the desired
result. Consequently the Director has pre-
pared blank form which he hopes to have
adopted by all officers, State and local, in
charge of registration of deaths. 1t COM
prises the decedent's name, sex, color, age,
residence, occupation, conjugal condition,
place of birth, also the birthplace of each
parent, occupation, cause of death, date OF
death. and. if born within the census year,
date of birth. 3r
Under color the races are classified
white and black which include negro and
negro descent, Indian, Chinese and Japa-
nese. The classifications mulatto and
quadroon will be omitted 1t is compare
lively an easy matter to secure statistics
of the living population through the Cen
sus enumerators; but experience has DEM
onstrated the fact that they fail to report
more than 80 or 60 per cent of the deaths
occurring in the country. The enquiries
most commonly omitted from the returns
| of death required by law or by some mu-
nicipal ordinance are those relating TO the
birthplace of parents, to occupation, and
| to conjugal condition. Two of the principal
! ends sought in statistical research are de-
! feated by this variation in the form OF
! official returns. 1t should be remembered
| that death rates are percentages, obtained
| by dividing the number of deaths in given
area by the population in the same area.
To secure a correct idea of the popular
feeling on the subject Governor Merriam
requests the medical journals to discuss II
editorially and to throw open their columns
to discussion of it by medical men. He
also suggests that it be considered by med
] ical societies.