The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-06
is ST. PAUL VICTIM
OF RACE SUICIDE?
Birth Rate Shows Startling De-
crease With That of Ten
Years Ago.
Tot. births.1,967

The attention Of the race suicide
theorists is invited to the foregoing
statement of the statistics of births in
st. Paul.
Also it is worth specializing on the
outcome. if the tendency of the pres
ent disposition TO eliminate the boy
from the landscape is not interfered
with
The birth rate is decreasing in most
alarming fashion, but the boy is disap-
pear1ng. Are we to be reckoned pres
emily with those towns of the effete
East where they have to run women
for Office because there are no men ?
That is the question that DR.. Ohage
propounds when he gives out the fig
ures that are collated by his depart
ment.
DR.. Ohage Worries.
II am concerned because of the pub
lie baths,'' says DIR. Ohage. What is
the use of the public baths if there is to
be no small boy? Let us inquire lit
tle.' Then he hands out the array Of
figures that are presented above.
1t is not that the males have so far
dropped behind the females In the ac-
tual number born, but the preponder-
ance of males ten years ago was much
more marked than it is today, and If
the percentage goes on decreasing
every JACK VIII nave his jill 10
and then the process of elimination will
begin. For the boy baby has no
chance with his sister when it comes
to getting through the first few years
of his existence.
Figures available in Health Commits
sioner Ohage's office, which are official,
show that during the first seven months
CT this year there were but 1867 births
reported, while during the same seven
months ten years ago the number of
births was 1859, or 1872 more than dur
ing the present year, when the city has
almost $4,000 more people than it had
ten years ago.
The decrease in the number of births
has been gradual, the number reported
becoming smaller each year, while the
city has been increasing in population.
Few CoIored Children Born.
Another interesting bit of informa-
ton gained from the statistics in the
health office is in connection with num-
Der of births of colored children.
An amazingly small number of colored
children are born in st. Paul. During
the first seven months of this year
there were but sixteen of them report
ed, and the number during the first
seven months ten years ago was but
ten. As+N{
Out of a total of 1867 births during
the first seven months of 1903 there
was a difference of but SO, the pre-
ponderence being in favor of the male
sex, which has been true in st. Paul
since the health Office commenced to
keep a record. Ten years ago during
the same period the preponderence in
favor of the male sex was 1877, eout Of
a total number of births of 2,359.
The records also show that the
youngsters who first see the light Of
day in ST. Paul are not In the habit
of playing any particular month as
a favorite, the births in the different
months being almost as evenly divided
as are the sexes.
April in the Lead.
During the present year the month
of April has the best of 1t so far, with
312 births reported. while July was a
close second, with 81. March was the
poorest month, the records showing
that but ESQ children were born in the
city during that month.
1T can hardly be said truthfully
that st. Paul occupies a unique posi-
ton in the list of American cities re-
garding its decrease in the number Of
births" said we'll informed physician,
when asked for an explanation. II
believe statistics will show that such
a decrease is common throughout the
entire country, and while the falling
off may not be so marked IN some cities
there is not large city in the United
States where the birth rate is as great
as it was ten or twenty years ago."