Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-08-21

washington, Aug. l1.-That there
has been persistent decline of the
birth rate in the United States since
1861" is the conclusion reached in a
bulletin issued by the census bureau.
The bulletin was prepared by Prof.
Walter F. Wilcox Of Cornell univer-
slty and it is explained that although
the analysis made offers many sugges-
tons as to probable tendencies in the
birth rate Of the United States, it is
primarily, not a study in birth rates.
but study in the proportion of chill
dren to thetotal population or to the
number of women of collaborating
age"
The result of the study shows that
at the beginning of the 10Th century
the children under 10 years of age con-
stituted one-third and at the end less
than one-fOurth OF the total popula-
ton. The decrease in this proportion
began as early as the decade 1910 to
1920, and continued uninterruptedly,
though at varying rates, in each sue
cessive decade.
Between 1850 and 1860, the proper
ton Of children to women between
Is and 40 years, the collaborating
age, increased, but since 1860 it has
constantly decreased 1t is stated that
the decrease has been very unequal
from decade to decade, but that if the
computation is made upon the basis of
20 year periods it has been regular.
In 1860 the number of children under
five years Of age to 1000 women IS
to 40 years of age, was 634; in 1900
it was only 474. The proportion of
children to potential mothers in 1900
was only tnree-fourths as large as in
1860.
No attempt is made by the author of
the bulletin to determine the probable
causes of this decline. An extended
argument by Gen. Francis A. Walker
is given, suggesting that it is largely
due to the influx of foreigners and the
resultant shock to the population in
stinct of the natives. But Prof. Will
cox does not express a definite opinion,
claiming that the vital statistics of the
United States are not sufficiently de-
veloped to afford a sound basis Of
Judgment He notes, however, that
there has been similar marked de-
cline in the birth rate Of Australia,
when there has been no such torrent of
in, ny 1 ORC tiOO
Considered sectionally it is found
that in the north and west there has
been a more or less regular decline,
while in the south the change has
been less regular and the decline less
marked. In 1850 the proportion of
children to 1000 women in the north
and west was five-sixths of what it was
| in the south; in 1900 it was less than
| three-fourths. In 1900 the smallest
proportion of children was in the Dis.
trict of Columbia, where the number
of children under 5 was hardly more
| than one-fourth the number of women
of collaborating age. The next small
est proportion was in Massachusetts,
where it was slightly more than one
| third. The largest proportion was in
North Dakota and Indian Territory, in
each of which it was two-thirds.
| In the general decrease between 1890
and 1900 not a single state of the north
Atlantic division took part. In seven
other states, also, there was no de-
crease In only six states, Maryland,
Michigan, Ohio Illinois, Kentucky and
Indiana, did the proportion decrease
| in eacn of the five decades; and In
only Delaware, District of Columbia,
| Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Oregon
! and Colorado did it follow the tend
ency for the country as a whole-that
| is, increase from 1850 to 1860 and de-
crease in the four succeeding decades.
In 1900, for the United States as a
whole, the proportion of children was
only two-thirds as great in cities. as in
the country districts. In the north
Atlantic division, however, it was al
most as great in the cities as in the
country. In the southern divisions it
| is hardly more than half as large in
the cities as in the country, while in
| the far west the difference is inter
mediate in amount. This" it is ex-
planned, lis probably due in large mea-
sure to the fact that the immigrant
population WAC have been swarming
into the northern cities of recent years,
especially into the cities of the north
Atlantic states, have been multiplying
by numerous births with much rap
idity, while the corresponding laboring
class which has immigrated to south
ern cities from the surrounding coun-
try districts has not been thus increas-
ing"
A comparison is made between the
proportion of children born of native