The Washington times., 1903-09-02
CENSUS FIGURES SHOW
RACE SUICIDE A MYTH
Statistician King Fears
Over Population.
INTERESTING COMPARISONS
Only Two Countries, Ireland and France
Show Symptoms of Alarm
ing Character.

Race suicide in the United States is Z
myth, according to w A. King. chief
statistcian for vital statistics of the
Census Office, and instead of there De-
Ing danger that the country will be de-
populated the question will soon be me
of handling the number of people. In
1900 the enumerators found 2.049. 1872 chill
dren born that year, and a record Of
1.029,O94 deaths, or an excess of births
of 1,o1O.O3S
This large excess of births was reveal
ed, despite the fact that the deaths are
recorded with much more accuracy than
the births, and it is admitted that the
percentage OF births not recorded is sur
prisingly large. Because of the difficulty
in disposing of dead bodies in any ex-
cept the manner prescribed by law
there are few cases in which a dea5h
is not reported to the authorities. but
carelessness and other reasons cause
thousands of parents and physicians 10
neglect putting birts in the records.
Registry of Births
persistent and consistent campaign
TO obtain a more perfect registry OF
births is occupying the census officials
at the present time, and when the next
general census is taken it is thought
that the excess in births viii be much
larger than that found in the census #
1900
The total population within the
boundaries of the United States in 1890
was g., ,947.714 and the natural increase
in the decade following due to excess
of births over deaths was 12,315,S61 The
average annual excess OF births was
17.7 for every 1000 Of the mean popu-
lation. II is estimated that the death
rate of the country for the census year
OF 1890 was approximately 1913 for. every
1000 of the population. Assuming that
it was about Is for every 1000 in 1890
as estimated by the statistician OF
the Eleventh Census. and TAX
ing the mean of these. or IA,
as representing for this purpose
the average annual death rate for the
decade, there must necessarily have
been an average annual birth rate OF
35.1 for every 1000 of the mean popula-
tion TO produce the increase in popula-
tfon actually enumerated.
Race Suicide Abroad.
-, International statistics available in
sExashing gton show that only two Euro
-pean countries - Austro- Hungary aud
Italy-had a greater birth rate, while all
but two of those Cor which there are
figures at hand had a greater death rate
than the United States during the dec
ade which ended in 1900. The countries
which had a smaller death rate were
Norway and Sweden. and those which
had a greater birth rate were Italy and
Austro- Hungary.
These same figures show that from
June I. 1890. until May /, 1900, the aver
age annual excess of births over deaths
IN the United States was III per 900
OF population. while Prussia stood next
in this respect, with 14.7 per .OOO Then
came Holland. with IL per ! ,O00; Nor
way, with 1879; the German empire, with
1871; Denmark. with 12.6; Scotland, with
11.9. and England and Wales. with III.
The two foreign countries in which
there is the nearest approximation to
race suicide are France and Ireland. In
the former the average annual birth rate
for the decade was 22.2. the death rate
216 and the excess Of births over deaths
only 0.6. In Ireland the average annual
birth rate was % the death rate l8.1
and the excess OF births over deaths only
4.9 per l 900 of population. These figures
for foreign countries are based on the
estimated population for intercensal and
postcensal years, as calculated by their
registration officials and gathered by the
register general of England, and they
may be regarded as sufficiently accurate
for comparative purposes.
Statistican King says the average an
nual rate of increase by excess of births
in the United States Of native white
parents was 1915 per 900 of population,
while it was 96.5 per 1000 of population
for those born OF foreign white parents.