The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1910-09-23
DEATH. rate
IS LOWEST
ON RECORD
Only is Deaths Per i 900 in
Census Bureaus Regietra
ton Area in 1909.


WASHINGTON. D. c.. sept. ga
The death rae in the death registra-
ton cities Of the United states drop
ped to ; per thousand OF provision
ally estimated population last year. as
cordfng TO the forthcoming United
States Census Bureaus bulletin or
mortality statistics for 1909. which
has been submitted to Director Du-
rand by DIR. creSsy L. Wilbur, chief
statistician Tor vital statistics.
In 1908 the death rate In the Cen
sus Bureaus registration area was
1874 per thousand in the bureaus an
nual report for that year, issued last
spring. it was stated that 1t is evident
an era of low mortality has begun.
The death rate for 1903 is. the bull
letin states. lower than that for any
previous year Of registration and
probably is the lowest that ever oc-
Cured In the history of the United
States.
1t is stated that the mortality was
distributed VITA more than ordinary
uniformity throughout the year 1909
and no epidemics of other than very
local extent were found to have oc-
CURED.
1t is fact of much interest, the
bulletin states, as showing the general
prevalence in 1909 of extremely fa-
vorable conditions for human life, that
the death rate OF England and Wales
for that year was 14.5 per thousand
which was also the lowest on record
for that country, while the rate OF Is
for the city of London was even lower
and demonstrates the fal!acy of the
belief that high death rates are neces=
sarsly found In large cities.
The total number of deaths return
ed from the registration area for 1909
was 732. 53S, an increase of 4O,964 over
the number. 691,574. returned for
1908.
or the total number in 1909, there
were 29S.597 deaths. or ga per cent.
among males. as compared with 54.3
in 1908.
The largest number OF deaths re-
turned for any month in 1909 was
40. o93 fer March. With the great ma
jority of the registration states and
cities 1t is the month having the lar
gest number of deaths, while June Is
the month of lowest mortality
The professionally estimated aggre-
gate population az the registration
area of the United States in 1909 is
4s.7T6,S93 or 55.a per cent of the total
estimated population of continental
United States.
The official death registration area
Is composed of those states and cities
whcih require the registration of a
death before the issuance of a burial
permit and which have complied with
other requirements imposed by the
Census Bureau as conditions preced-
ent to inc4usion in this area whose
death returns are annually collected
tabulated, analysed and presented in
bulletin and report form by the Cen
sus Bureau In 1909 the death regis
tration area included the following
states:
California. Colorado. Connecticut
Indiana, Maine. Maryland. Massachus-
cts Michigan. New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New York. Ohio, Pennsylvania
Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont
Washington and Wisconsin.
In addition to these, returns Of
deaths were received from 81 cities
in nonregistration states, in which the
registration under local ordinances Is
considered satisfactory. The District
of Columbia. which is coterlninous
with the city of Washington, is not
included in the list of separate regis
tration cities. For most purposes 1t ts
treated as city. but in the table
showing groups Of registration states
the Dlstric of Columbia is included as
state area.