The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-10-29
NATIONS DEATH RATE
RAPIDLY DECREASING
Number Of Deaths In 1908
Lowest That Ever Occurred
in United States
Special to Daily Leader,

Special TO Daily Leader
Washington. ID. c.. Oct. 2S.-~The
civilized world has indeed arrived at
an era OF low mortality"
This conclusion Is stated in Census
bureau bulletin, l0i. on mortality sta
tistics for 1908, prepared by Dr. Cres-
81 l.. Wilbur. chief statisticlan for
vital statistics under Director Durand
who has transmitted il to Secretary
Nage of the department of commerce
and labor
The death rate of the registration
states In 1905 was 1873 per 1000 of
population which WIS slightly lower
than that for the entire registration
area, 1874 per 1000. and II is The low
est ON record Dr. Wilbur states II is
probably the lowest death rate that
has ever occurred In the United states
The death rate of the rural portions
Of these states was still lower. be.
ing only IA per l.O00, while that OF
tie ufban population was lG.5 per L.
900. the Iaiteg including all cities hav
ing a population of 5000 or more in
habitants in 1900. and being. as usual.
somewhat greater than the rural rate.
aach rates would have seemed quite
out Of the question a few years ago.
The death rate OF England and
Wales for 1908 was only 1i.7 per /,
o''O Of population aud Of London for
the same year. l5S per i.0ee For each
year since 1893 the death rate Of Eng
land and Wales has been less than lb'
per thousand with the exception OF
the year 1904 for which year II was
l6.2 per l,g0e. while no rate as low
has been recorded for any previous
wears of registration
The early publication OF the data
relating 70 The mortality Of the year
1905 Tor the registration area of the
tnitdd States was only made possible
by the increased promptness OF the
returns from the state and city Of
fices most of which now make month
" reports.
The registration area embraces tho
registration states and sepal ate reg
iytlation cities IN non-reglstrlton
states accepted by the Census Bureau
az having approximately complete reg
istsations Of deaths based upon the
requirement OF compulsory burial per-
mits For the year 1908, the fegistra
lion states were Califon na, Colofa
do, Connecticut. indiana. Maine. Mary
land, Massachusetts, Michigan, New
Hampshire, New Jersey. New iork
Pennsylvania. Rhode Island South Da-
kota Vermont. Washington and Wis
o0nein
The District of Columbia and sew
entyfour registration cities in non
registration states, together with the
registration st tes mentioned. made
Hp the aggregate registration area for
1908 whose total estimate popula-
ton for the year was 45.02S,767 OF
over one half t5l.S per cent? Of the
total estimated population OF the con
unental United States. which was So
s74,o90 The addition Of Ohio for the
yo2r 1903 has stil further increased
The percentage of the population re-
porting to $50 per cent, and other
eas may be included for the calen-
dar year 1910. for which direct com
parlsons Of the mortality statistics
can be made with the population emu
merated by the Thirteenth census.
The total number of aeaths return
ed for the year 1908 from the az
gFegate registration area was l,574.
Fer the preceding year the number oil
deaths was 6s7 .O34, or only 1910 less
than the leeS returns. although the
registration area fo- 1905 was increas-
ed By Washington and Wisconsin. The
year ignS was one of remarkably low
mortality throughout the United
States SO far as can be determined
from the available registration rec.
ords and was marked by a general
absence of severe epidemics aud OF
unusual mortality from other causes,
Females contributed slightly larg
~ proportion of the deaths in leoS
than they did IN 1907. but tue number
Of deaths Of males registered for 19uS
was less than Tor ta07 The peteent
age of males was Sis and of females
shT The figures for age periods
shoW ! somewhat increased per cent
oi deaths Of infants under | year fof
zoos but TIE ratios for each of the
irdiyldual years from / 10 are iden-
teal for 1907 and i99S close agree
ment appears In the subsequent five
yrar periods. although there WAS a
slightly more favorable showing for
1908 for the age periods from Is TO
~ years
Nearly one aiih Of All the deaths
that occurred were those OF infants
under one year Of age and over one
fourth are of children less Than five
years ut age
For hulh 1907 and 1908, 93.3 per
cent nE al deaths were those OF white
persons. which shows the unequal
division Of the registration area IN
fNie zeesrAci MARYLAND Is the only
regi stfation state with considerable
rgoloftion tat per cent of colofed
pcpuiation
Nearly one-fourth Of all deaths reg