Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1905-09-28
RA(ESU|0Di PROGsE>S
STATISTICS TILL THESTORY OF
SMALLER AMERICAN FAMILIES
FOREIGN BORN WOMEN BEAR
MORE CHILDREN THAN MA
TIVE AMERiCAN-MAS
CHuSETTs RECORD.


has been a persistent decline OF TIL
birth rate in the United states sine
1860, is the conclusion reached In
bulletin issued, wednesday, by TIM
census bureau, The bulletin was pre-
pared by Prof. walter +. wilcox, o.
CorneH University, and II Is explainei
that although the analysts made Of
fers many suggestions as to probable
tendencies in the birth rate, but,
study in the proportion OF children &c
the total population or to the number
OF women OF child-bearing age.
The result OF the study shows that at
the beginning of the 18th century the
children under 10 years OF age consti'
tuted one-third and at the end less
than one-fourth OF the total population.
The decrease in this population began
as early as the decade 1910 to 1920
and continued uninterruptedly, though
at varying rates, In each successive
decade.
Between 1850 and 1860. the proper.
ton of children to women between IL
and 40 years. the collaborating age
increased, but since 1860 II has con.
stantly decreased. 1t is stated that the
decrease has been very unequal from
| decade to decade. but that IL the com.
putation is made upon the basis of 20
year periods. II has been regular. In
| 1860. the number of children under
FIVE years of age to 1000 women. 10 TO
~ years of age, was 634; in 1900. II was
only 474. The proportion of children
, to potential mothers in 1900 was onI,
three-fourth as large as in 1860.
No ATTEMPT is made by the author
of the bulletin to determine the prob.
able cause of this decline. An eX.
tended argument by General Francis
A. Walker is given, suggesting that IL
is largely dus TO the influx of foreigner,
and the resultant shock to the popula-
ton instince of the natives, But. Prof
Wilcox does not express a definite
opinion, claiming that the vital statis-
les of the United States are not suffi-
GENTLY developed to afford a sound
basis of Judgment. He notes however
that there has been similar marked
decline in the birth rate OF Australia,
where there has been no such torrent
OF immigration.
Considered sectionally II Is found
that I'm the North and West there has
been a more or less regular decline
while in the south the change has been
less marked. IN 1850, the population Of
.h
and West was fiye-sixths of what Il
was in the South: in 1900 Il was less
than three-fourths. In 1900 the small.
est proportion Of children was in tho
District of Columbia. where the num-
Der Of children under FIVE was hardly
more than one-fourth the number of
women OF COLLABORATING age. The next
smallest proportion was Massachus-
etts where It was slightly more than
one-third. The largest proportion was
In North Dakota and Indian Territory
in each of which 1t was two-thirds.
In the general decrease between 1896
and 1900. not single state of the
North Atlantic division took part. In
seven, other states, also, there was no
decrease. In only six states, Mary
land, Michigan. Ohio, Illinois, Ken
tGcky 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 II follow the
tendency for the country as n whole
that is, increase from 1850 to 1860 and
decrease in the four succeeding de-
cades.
In 1900, for the United States as a
whole, the population of children was
only two-thirds as great in cities as
in the country districts. In the North
Atlantic division, however, II was al
most as great in the cities as in the
country. In the Southern divisions II
Is hardly more than half as large in
the cities as in the country, while in
the far West the difference is inter-