Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-01

| may be possible during the year to In
specf every dairy farm supplying milk to
be possible to inspect such farms as
frequently as they should be inspected,
| nor Will 1t ever be possible to inspect them
on any proper system. or in duly eco
nomical manner. until after provision has
| Deen made Tor q meteorological examina-
ton OF the milk from the farm in the
condition in which It arrives in this city
Number in the District.
The number of diaries within the Dis
| tr!ct Of Columbia, i,dependent of those
located On dairy farms, Is IT. 1t is I'M
possible to determine just how many
| diaries there are for purposes of inspec-
ton only; that is. how many places
| there are in the District which sell milk
only as an incident to some other bust
ness, and which by reason Of that fact
are. under the proviso regularly carried
| IN the appropriation bill. subject to In
spect!on. The licensed diaries located on
| dairy farms within the District are in
spected in connection with the inspec-
tion of those farms The average fire.
Quency with which the remaining II
diaries were inspected during the year
was 22.S times. The average number Of
inspections which an inspector Of dairies
made per working day during the year
WIS SO.
"A system for scoring diaries, similar
to that which this department originally
devised. and which has since been adopted
so widely throughout the country. has
been put into use for the rating OF
dairies.
"Forty-nine hundred and sixty samples
OF milk and cream were collected and
analysed during the fiscal year. an aver
age of sixteen for each working day OF
the 4.511 samples of milk collected. a.
were found to be yellow the legal stand
ard: while Of the 449 samples O. cream
2O9 were in like condition In many OF
these cases, however, the variation from
the esta hlished standard was negligible.
For the sale Of aduiterated milk 200 pros
ecutions were Instituted, and fines and
forfeitures amounting to 81 COS collected.
For the sale of adulterated cream eighty
cases were prosecuted, and the fAes
and forfeitures announced u 1915
Vital Statistics.
According to the records of the general
mortality in the District during the past
| fiscal year the death rate increased from
1920 to 1885 This increase, DR.. Wood
ward says. was due to the Increase in
the death rate among the white popula-
ton from 1916 to 1916. The total num-
Der Of deaths during the past year was
O.5!6, OF which 1913 were white people
and 2.73s colored. The death rate for the
latter was 2S.S2. practically the same as
for the preceding year.
Dr. woodward says this relatively high
death rate among the colorcd population
does much to keep the mortality rate of
the community at a high figure. In
speaking of the general mortality, Dr.
Woodward said:
The colored people, according to the
police census of 1906. made up 2911 per
cent of our population, and, according to
the federal census of 1900. no other city
In the United States contained such a
large number of co.ored people, nor, in
any other community so large as the Dis
tfict was such considerable part of the
not to be wondered then that the death
rate for the District of Columbia should
compare unfavorably with that Of some
other cities.
1T may be claimed. however. that taken
as whole the colored people of the Dis
trict represent the poorer and more ig-
norant class and the class that is most
exposed to the hardships of physical labor
In all kinds Of weather and under all con-
dftfons, and that taking the class of white
people in any other community similarly
situated with respect to these matters
the death rate will be equally high. An
idea OF the effect of ignorance, poverty
and hardship on the death rate Of the COL
ored people Of this community as distin-
guished from the effect of inherent racial
weakness on such death rate can be OBJ
tanned best by comparing the death rate
Of colored people living in alleys with
ehC OCoeA Edlc VI Willie people
situated. The average condition of the
white alley dweiler with respect to igno-
rance, poverty and hardship probably
does not differ widely from that of the
colored person similarly situated.
Death Rate Shown.
Yet during 1906 the death rate for white
people living In alleys was 14.39, and that
for colored people. 2I73.. or 1.93 times as
great. During the preceding year, 1905.
the death rate for white people dwelling
in alleys was 1923. and that for the col
ored people. 1888. Or 2.15 times as great
1t seems probable that the high
death rate among colored people is
due. to a considerable extent at least, to
inherent racial conditions, and this view
of the situation is supported by the fact
that the death rates among colored people
are generally high throughout the United
States.
There were 7,167 births reported. The
birth rate per Thousand per annum, COM
puted on the basis of the entire popula-
ton. more logical basis not being avail
able. was 21.96, and was slightly in excess
Of the death rate. The birth rate for the
white population was 1881. the death rate
for the same class being 1896. The coll
ored birth rate was 27.O5, the colored
death rate being 1882. The failure of the
colored birth rate to make good the loss
that the race suffered through death is
even greater than appears from the fore