The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-01

the permanent committee was followed by the election of the following officers of the congress:
 Officers Elected.
 President of the permanent committee, O. L. Lee Pierson secretary general of the permanent committee, A. Begaul, honorary president, George B. Cor telyou president of the congress, Israel c. Peterson general seretary, John Tatlock, also vice presidents for Belgium. Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Norway and Sweden, Holland. United States, Aus tra and Italy.
 A letter from President Roosevelt ex- pressing regret at his inability to be pres ent was read and after a brief address by President Pierson and discussion of pa- pers on "the improvement of longevity" an adjournment was taken. The papers discussed were: "On the Improvement of Longevity During the Nineteenth Centu- ry in the Netherlands" by Samuel George Warner, F. l. l., London; "Prolongation of Life in the Nineteenth Century in the Netherlands" by M. G. Paraira. Ph. D., and c. l.. Landre of Amsterdam; and The Improvement in Longevity in the United States during the Nineteenth Gen. tury," by John Gore. actuary of the Pru- dential Insurance company.
 Afternoon Session.
 The afternoon began with a discussion of three papers on the general subject of war mortuary, the first by Frederick Schoolin, honorary secretary of the insti- ute of actuaries, London, on War Risks With Special Reference to the War in South Africa, 1S99-1902" :" The second by Kotaro Schida, delegate of the Imperial Japanese government, Tokio, on the Risk Rate of the Late Chinese-Japanese War" and the third by Robert G. Ham, assist ant actuary of the Equitable Assurance siciety on War Mortality in the United States"
 The afternoon programme also in cluded a discussion of papers on nor tality in India and other tropical coun tries, In Japan and among non-Caucas- ian races.
 Morning Discussion Resumed.
 The subject of the morning discussion, "Improvement in Longevity" was again taken up in the afternoon. Charlton T. Lewis said that there were three general reasons for the improvement in longevi- ty The better care that children re- ceive in the present day. the vast im- prOVement Tn nanunnR epldemlcS, eSpec- ially in the last few years, and the vast improvement in medical and surgical science
 "We find" he said, that the mortality in particular diseases has decreased very greatly in the last forty years. These influences are all alike in this respect, that all represent, not an increase in the vitality of the strong but dminution of mortality among the weak. The num- Der of weddings today is therefore great CT and the result is a degradation of the mass In the average"
 Hoffman on Mortality.
 F. L. Hoffman of New York universi- ty lectured on actuaral subjects and said in part:
 "When we are told by secretary of war that the mortality in Cuba is not more than that in the city of New York, it does not require much actual knowl edge to cause one to smile and to know that it is nonsense"
 He also declared the statement that the death rate of the city of Havana is no greater than that of Washington to be untrue. For some time to come, the death rate of Havana will be from 50 to 100 per cent greater than any northern city.
 The papers on Mortality Among non Caucasian Races" were taken up for discussion. The congress then adjourn ed until tomorrow morning.