The times., 1899-08-28
NATIONAL VITAL RETURNS
The Census Will Throw No Light
on the Race Question.
The Chief of Division of Mortality
Statistics Is Making Efforts IN Sc
cnre an Approximately Complete
Record of Deaths Difficulty of
the Task i'm the Southern states.

STATES, udu HOpSu tndt from the twelfth
Census they might receive some light which
would aid in guiding them to a just con-
clusion. The light which viii be shed on
the relative growth of the white and black
| races in America. by the statistics OF the
Twelfth Census, Will be exceedingly feeble,
though it will have considerably more
Illuminating power than the statistics fur
nished by the Census of 1890, or by the
Tenth Census. For these things, it is said
on authority, the Census officials will be
not to blame. Statistics will be pretty
dark on the subject indicated because of
conditions over which the statisticians
have no control. The mortality statistics
of the Twelfth Census will be much more
complete than those of the Eleventh Cen
sus. 1t has been computed that only 80
or so Der cent of the deaths in 1890 were
recorded by the census of that year. This
| was, in a certain measure, due to the care
| lessuess of enumerators, but mainly to the
! ignorance and forgetfulness of the living
relatives of the decedents.
! William A. King, Chief of the Division
| of Vitrl Statistics of the Twelfth Census,
] has issued circular for the information
/ of all persons officially engaged or inter-
| ested in the collection and registration of
i statistics of mortality within any given
/ registration area in the United States, in
/ the hope of bringing about a larger meas
/ ure of uniformity of statement of the facts
required by law to be included in the re-
turns of deaths made to the Census Office
| for the year 1900
| The seventh section of the act entitled
i "An act to provide for taking the Twelfth
| and subsequent csnsuses.' approved March
8. 1899, declares that "the Twelfth Census
shall be restricted to enquiries relating to
| the population, to mortality, to the products
/ of agriculture and of manufacturing and
mechanical establishments. The mortality
| schedules shall comprehend for each dece-
! dent the name sex, color, age, conjugal
| condition, place of birth, and birthplace OF
! parents, occupation, cause and date of
death, and if born within the census year,
] the date of birth. The form and arrange
| ment OF the schedule and the specific ques-
/ tions necessary to secure the information
required shall be in the discretion of the
! Director.
In cities or States where an official
registration of deaths is maintained the
| Director of the Census may, in his discre-
| tion withhold the mortality schedule from
| the several enumerators within such cities
! or States, and may obtain the informa-
tien required by this act through official
/ records paying therefor such sum of
money as may be found necessary, not
exceeding 2 cents for each death thus re-
! turned"
The laws governing the official registra-
| ton of vital and mortality statistics in
| the several States are not uniform. In
some States the law provides for general
| system of registration 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
| towns or cities. Complete and accurate
| knowledge of the methods adopted and of
! the extent to which different systems are
followed and in force locally by States or
minor civil divisions, is said to be the first
/ desideratum in the formulation of scheme
| or uniform statistics Of mortality cover
/ ing the entire country. Various attempts
have been made by the Census Office to
/ secure partial information as to this point
] by means OF letters addressed to State
| officials in each State known to have
| general registration law, and TO health
officers in ali cities possessing popu-
| lation in 1890 of not less than 5000 1t is
| said at the Census Office that the response
to this enquiry has been gratifying.
| 1t is set forth in the circular sent out
| that all persons into whose hands that
| circular may fall, shall send to the Census
Office whatever documents, reports blanks
or other published or unpublished material
may be at their disposal for this purpose
|
| existing organization and scope of official
registration of births and deaths in the
| United States, or in any State Territory
! county, town, or city thereof.
| The law providing for the Twelfth Census
| confers upon the Director the discretionary
power TO collect statistics OF mortality in
either of two ways--by the enumerators ap-
pointed to make returns of the popuiation
| or by Withholding the mortality schedules
| from the enumerator5 and procuring the
| desired information from official records
and that the selection of registration areas
| in which to withhold these schedules from
the enumerators is also at his discretion.
| MIR. King said to a reporter for The
Times yesterday that it is comparatively an
| easy matter to secure statistics of the Iiv-
| ing population through the Census enumer-
| ators, but that experience has demonstrated
| the fact that they fail 10 report about 80
/ per cent of the deaths. The reason for
| this is plain, said Mr.. King. THE living
population is returned as of single day
| the 1st of June, and the enumeration is
| completed within thirty days from that
| date, but the return of deaths covers a
period of twelve months. The percentage
| OF omission is least in the months immedi-
| ately preceding the enumeration, and great
| est in the months further removed in point
| of time from the enquiry. The Census re-
turns, therefore, obtained by enumerators
| furnish no basis for computation of
| death rates per thousand of the popula-
tion in any State, or in any more restricted
population area.
| In view OF these facts and considera-
tions, the Director of the Census viii make
the largest practicable use of the discre-
ton conferred upon him by law. The Cen
sus law confers no discretion upon the
| Director with reference to the substance
of the enquiry, which must cover for
every death reported, the decedent's name,
sex, color, age 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.
On the subject of uniformity in vital
statistics, Mr.. King has said:
The benefit to science which would re-
suit from uniform statistics of mortality
for all the States is so apparent as to need
no argument or elucidation. 1t seems to
be conceded by all registration officers
| with whom correspondence upon the sub
ject has been had. From the point OF view
of this Office the objective end sought in
the study of the population is to deter
mine its natural law of growth, as con-
troIled by births, deaths, immigration. ami
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 obtained from official rec
| ords unless the officers in charge will
| agree TO follow the lead of Congress and
furnish for use in the Census, full replies
to all the enquiries contained in the NOR
| tality schedule This, of course, they can
not do without such modification of the
forms of return now In local use as may