The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-18
AGE STATISTICS
ONE HALF THE POPULATION IS OVER a YEARS OF AGE.
| One Hundred Years the Average Age
 Was Fifteea Years-Many In- l teresting Facts.


 The bureau of the census has just published. in the form of bulletin, an interesting study and analysis Of age statistics.
 The fact that the census is now permanent bureau of the government permits more deliberate and detailed analysis of census statistics than ever before has been attempted. and census bulletin 13. entitled "A Discussion of Age Statistics is one of a series Of studies on important subjects related to the population as reported at the census of 1900. This bulletin was prepared under the supervision of Professor Walter F. Wilcox, of Cornell University. spe- cial agent of the Bureau of Census. by Allyn A. Young. assistant profess sor of finance in Dartmouth College. As long ago as 1870 the census ofiice perceived the importance of the prob 1ems with which this bulletin deals, and in that year secured from the &C., tuary of the Treasury Department a , careful study of part of the field Since that time comparatively little l consideration has been given to age l statistics in the United States, but l in various European countries, as well as in India and Australia, matae- maticians and statisticians have giv- en this subject their attention and published the results. The present bulletin, in which the age statistics of the twelfth census and previous cen suses are analysed and explained, is I fully abreast of the best discussions elsewhere and constitutes a distinct | advance in the interpretation of this difficult subject.
 1 Scope of the Bulletin. This bulletin comprises four main divisions:
 1 First-A description of the way in which the information as to the ages
 of the population was obtained, to- gether with an account of the age 1 tables that appear in the previously
 printed results of the twelfth census Second-A short discussion of the
 general significance of age statistics.
 Third-An examination of the
 amount and nature of the errors in
 the reported ages.
 Fourth-A discussion of some of the
 more important facts which the cen-
 sus reveals with reference to the age
 constitution of the population. The topics considered are the median and average ages of the population, the
 distribution of the population into
 groups. The age constitution of the
 population of continental United States, classified by sex, nativity, and race or color. is studied for the cen-
 suses of 1900. 1890 and 1880. For the
 census of 1900 the discussion Is ex- tended to include the ages of the ag- gregate population of the States and
 Territories. and of the aggregate pop
 ulation living in cities and in rural districts, classified by sex.
 An adjustment of the age returns
 for continental United States. classi-
 fled by sex. race, and nativity. and a brief bibliography are printed as
 appendices.
 Significance of Age Statistics. | For the purpose of a scientific study ! of the population the classification by age is of great importance. Not | only does this classification afford in- formation concerning the generation which is at present doing the worlds work, but it also makes 1t possible to form some conclusions about the generation next to enter on its estate. l It is scarcely correct, however, to | speak of generations in the sense in l which the word is ordinarily used, be- cause the population is being con- stantly recruited by births and de- pleted by deaths.
 The population of a country mas | been compared to an endless rope
 
 ual threads. If the rope be cut at any given point, the threads thus exposed to view will vary from those so short that they can scarcely be measured to those of maximum length. This is the view presented by the census age tables--a view which emphasizes the ever-changing character of the population.
 The classification of a population hxy oolr L. population containing a large pro- portion of aged persons and children | may be less efflcient than a smaller population in which a larger pro- portion of productive age More over. the proportion of young chill dren in the population Is at least as tions as is the birth rate. and Is of special utility in the United States | where accurate records of the births | are kept in few localities. The chiet usefulness of age statistics. however. is found in the increased value which they give to the results of other cen- sus inquiries. The combination of the age and sex classlfications reveals the number of voters and the number of potential fighting men. It is impossi- population accurately with reference to such facts as crime. pauperism, lit- eracy, number engaged in productive occupations. mortality rates etc. without taking into account the dif-