The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-04
VITAL STATISTICS OF ENGLAND.
Marriage Declining-Longer Life ans
 Fewer Births.

Marriage Declining-Longer Life and Fewer Births.
 London Chronicle.
 Life tends to become longer, mar riage later. and families smaller among the people of England and Wales, if we may judge from the sixty fifth an- nual report of the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages-that for 1902-which has just been issued
 The deaths registered in that year were in the proportion of 16.2 2 per 1000 of the population. of all ages. Never since 1897, when civil registration was established, has the English death rate been so low as this, thesnearest ap- proach to 1t having been in the year 1S94, when the rate was 16.6. Fur ther. this death rate is lower than that In any Europeon country. with the ex- ception of Sweden. Norway and Dem mark.
 At a time when so much attention is being drawn to the lamentable loss of infant life, it is satisfactory to find that the mortality of children under one year old was in the proportion of .133 per 1000 births, against 163, 154 and 151 respectively in the previous three years, and an average proportion of 154 in the decennial period 1S92-1901. Fur thCAp hoI ouly dEo tHt utdtn rates 1902 lower for all age groups of both sexes than the corresponding rates in the decennial period, but the greatest saving of life has occurred among chill dren under years of age.
 At the same time. the death rate for this age period Is still excessively high How largely 1t is caused by the un- healthy conditions under which masses of the population are living on our large towns is shown by the extraor- dinary disparity in the mortality in ru- ral and urban districts respectively.
 Thus in the five years between 1897 and 1901. the average number of deaths among infants under one year of age was 157 per 1000 births, but in the same period out of every 1000 children born in urban districts ITO died, while for every 1000 born in the country on- ly 12S died. The average mortality among boys under years was 70. s per 1000 in the towns and only 45.4 per 1000 in the country. while the rate for girls of the same age were respec- lively 500 and 36.7 per 1000.
 Turning to the returns of the causes of death. tuberculous diseases are an swerable for more than 1000 fewer deaths than was the case on the aver age during the ten preceding years Deaths from the fashionable disease of appendicitis have increased in number and so have those from cancer. It Is still more lamentable to see an increase recorded in the number of deaths from alcoholism. During 1S73-7. the average male death rate from cir rhosis of the liver, disease closely as- sociated with alcoholic intemperance. was III per million of the population. and the female death rate from the same cause "A. During 1S9S-1902 the average male death rate had increased 40 per cent, to 155 per million. while. the female death rate had risen 55 per cent, to 155 per million.
 The married state is. it Is to be fear ed. growing less popular. The mean marriage rate. calculated upon the tu- tai population, has indeed slightly in- creased, but the marriage rate calcu- lated on the unmarried and widowed portion of the population above Is years of age. who alone are in a post tion to enter that happy condition shows considerable and progressive de- cline.
 On this basis. if comparison of diff ferent localities Is made, 1t appears that the young people of Durham fall in love and marry most easily. and. one hopes, do not repent at leisure: while Westmorland and Cornish folk are cv- ider:ly sngularly cautious about en-