Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-25
AN ERA OF Low MORTALITY
CENSUS BULLETIN SHOWS
GRATIFYING FIGURES FOR 'o8.
Comparisons With Statistics of Other
Countries-Females Contributed
Larger Proportion Of Deaths.

'The civilized world has indeed arrived
at an era Of low mortality
This conclusion is stated i'm census bu-
reau bulletin 104 on mortality statistics
for 1908. prepared by DIR. Greasy L. Will
bur, chief statistician for vital statistics.
under Director Qurand. who has trans
mitted it to Secretary Nagel of the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor.
The death rate of the registration states
in 1868 was 15.3 per 1000 of population,
which was slightly lower than that for
the entire registration area. 1874 per 1000.
and it is the lowest on record. DR.. Will
bur states it 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. being only
II per LOCO. while that Of the urban pop
ulation was 16.5 per 1000 the latter in
GLIDING all cities having a population of
5000 or more inhabitants in 1900, and
being. as usual, somewhat greater than
the rural rate. Such rates would have
seemed quite out of the question few
years ago.
The death rate of England and Wales
for 1908 was only lat per 1000 of popu-
lation. and Of London for the same year
1873 per 1000. For each year since 1893
the death rate Of England and Wales has
| been less than Is per LOCO, with the ex-
ception of the year 1904. for which year
it was 16.2 per ! 900. while no rate as low
has been recorded for any previous years
of registration.
The Registration States.
The registration area embraces the reg
istration states and separate registration
cities in non-registration states accepted
by the census bureau as having approx
mately complete registrations of deaths
based upon the requirement of compulsory
burial permits. For the. year 1903 the
registration states were California. Colo
RADIO Connecticut. Indiana. Maine, Mary
land. Massachusetts,, Michigan. New
Hampshire New Jersey, New York.
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. South Da-
kota. Vermont, Washington and Wis
The District of Columbia and seventy
four registration cities in non-registration
states together with the registration
states mentioned. made up the aggregate
registration area for 1908 whose total es-
timated population for the year was
of the total estimated population or the
continental United States, which was
S6S74.G9O The addition OF Ohio for the
year 1909 has still further increased the
percentage of the population reporting to
So per cent. and other areas may DE IN
Guided for the calendar year 1910 LOT
which direct comparisons Of the mortaiity
statistics can be made with the populatioh
Total Number of Deaths.
The total number of deaths returned Tor
the wear 1905 from the aggregate regis
tratiou area was COL. ga For the preced-
ing wear the number Of deaths was
csI o34 or only 1910 less than the 1905
returns, although the registration area Tor
| ions was increased by Washington and
Wisconsin, The year 1903 was one OF re-
markably low mortality throughout the
United States so far as can be determined
IRON, the available registration records:
and was marked by a general absence or
severe epidemics and Of unusual mortality
from other causes.
Females contributed slightly larger
proportion Of the deaths in 1908 than they
deaths OF males registered for 1908 was
less than for 1907. The percentage OF
males was 54.3 and of females 4J.7. The
figures for age periods show somewhat
increased per cent of deaths Of infants
under one year for 1908. but the ratios
for each of the individual years from one
to four are identical for 1907 and 1908. A
fve-year period, although there was a
slightly more favorable showing for 1908
for the age periods from fifteen to forty
nine years.
Nearly one-fifth 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 of age.
For both 1907 and 1908 93.3 per cent of
all deaths were those of white persons.
which shows the unequal division of the
registration area in this respect. Mary
land is the only registration state with
considerable proportion (23.0 per cent? OF
colored population.