Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1905-08-23
State of Affairs That Presents Some
Interesting Phases
ONLY ALIEN AND NEGRO NORMAL
Country Now Largely Dependent Up
on the Foreign-Born Woman For
Its Increase of Population Except
in the South, Where Progressive
Decrease in Rate Since 1860 Has
Been Much Less Marked.

'~SSSoA, oPSOAN SA>
has been a persistent decline Of the
birth rate in the United States since
1860 is the conclusion reached in a
bulletin issued by the Census Blu
reau. The bulletin is by Prof. Walter
P. Wilcox. of Cornell University, and
1t is explained that 'although the
analysis made offers many suggestions
as to probable tendencies in the birth
rate of the United States, it is, pri-
mar1ly, not a study in birth rates, but
Indicates a study in the proportion of
children to the total population or to
the number of women of child-bear-
ing age"
THE result of the study shows that
at the beginning of the nineteenth cen
fury the children under 10 years of
age constituted one-third and at the
end less than one-fourth Of the total
population. The decrease in this pro-
portion began as early as the decade
of 1910 to 1920, and continued uninter-
ruptedly, though at varying rates, in
each successive decade. Between 1850
and 1860 the proportion of children to
women between Is and 40 years, the
collaborating age, increased, but since
1860 it has constantly decreased. It is
stated that the decrease has been
very unequal, but that if the compu-
tation is made upon the basis of 20
year periods it has been regular. In
1860 the number of children under 5
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
three-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 ar
gument by Gen. Francis A. Walker is
given, suggesting that it is largely due
to the influx Of foreigners and the re-
sultant shock to the population in
stinct of the natives.
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
decrease. In only six States, Maryland,
Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky and
Indiana, did the proportion decrease
in each of the five decades; and in
only Delaware, District of Columbia,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Oregon
and Colorado did it follow the tenden-
cy 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 At
lantic division, however, it. was al
most as great in the cities as in the
country. In the Southern division it is
hardly more than half as large in the
cities as in the country; while in the
far West the difference is interme-
date in amount. This, it is explained,
Is probably due, in large measure, to
the fact that the immigrant population
who have been sWarming into the
Northern cities of recent years, espe-
cially into the cities of the North At
lantic States, havt been multiplying
lantic States, nave been multiplying
by numerous births with much rapid
ity, 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
mothers to 1000 native women of
collaborating age and the proportion OF
children born of foreign-born mothers
to 1000 foreign-born women of child
bearing age. In 1900 the former pro-
portion was 462, the latter 10, the
difference indicating the creates fecun-
dity Of foreign-born women. The bulle-
tin continues:
"The comparison also indicates that
the total decrease in fecundity OF
white women between 1890 and 1900
was the result of a decrease for native
white women, partly offset by an in
crease for foreign-born white women.
"In the Atlantic divisions, how
ever, there was a slight increase in the
proportion Of children born to native
white mothers, and in the South cen
trail division there vas but a slight de-
crease. The decrease for the whole
country, therefore, was the result very
largely OF the great decrease in the
I North central and Western divisions.