The national forum., 1910-10-15
NEGRO POPULATION ATTRIBUTED CAUSE
Poor Housing and Housekeeping Blamed Denied
Capital is Unhealthy


Figures made public by the Census
Bureau show that Washington has the
third largest death rate of any city in the
United States.
The highest death rate was reached by
New Orleans with 2o,2 per thousand.
Next was Fall River, Mass, with 1911,
and the third greatest was Washington,
d. c., with 10. ;a,
The nigh death rate in the District of
Columbia is attributed by Health Officer
Woodward to the large percentage of
negro population.
"As far as relative healthful conditions
are concerned" said DR.. Woodward, 81
would be just as willing to take my
chances in Washington as in ST Paul.
which has the lowest death rate of any
city in the country. The figures of the
Census Bureau cannot be taken as con-
elusive proof that Washington is an un-
healthy city
"The high death rate is attributable
more than anything else to the large per
centage of negro population, The col
ored death rate for the year 1909 was
4 1910 per cent, as compared to T473 per
cent. among the whites.
BAD HOUSING CAUSE
"The high death rate among the col
ored race is, in my judgment, due to bad
housing, incident, TO a certain extent, to
defective construction and location, but
probably to an even greater extent to
bad housekeeping, to bad clothing, to bad
feeding, and to the absence of needed
medical attendance when needed And
all of these are due to poverty and ig-
norance.
"For the excessive death rate among
our colored people there is no sovereign
remedy. The Government has already
done much to reduce it. Other things
must be done, and are now under
consideration, as the establishment of
public baths, the reclamation of the Ana
costa flats, and the extension of public
Fairgrounds,
Everything further depends upon the
initiative of the individual, and the most
that can be done is to place the individ-
ual in position where he will take that
initiative.
"This can be effected only by educa-
ton, not necessarily school education,
but in the art of keeping the home, how
ever poor clean, and of making the best
use of such facilities as it affords for
light and ventilation.
REMEDY SUGGESTED.
"As for the general high death rate
in the District of Columbia | can offer
no other explanation. The reclamation
of the Anacostia flats, for which the
Commissioners have this year included
an item in their estimates, would, in my
opinion, lower the general death rate.
"The elimination of the Slums also
would tend toward that end, but at the
same time the slums are factor to be
considered in other large cities which
have lower death rate than Washing
ton,
"All things considered, Washington,
i'll my opinion, is not an unhealthful city,
and the individual who will follow the
simple rules of health, cleanliness and
sanitation stands as good chance of
longevity in Washington as in any of the
cities which show a much smaller death
rate"
AVERAGE DEATH RATE.
1t is estimated by the Census Bureau
that the general average death rate for
the United States was IS per thousand.
St. Paul, MINI, had the lowest death
rate-II4 per one thousand-of the cities
of more than 100000 for the year 1900,
with the exception of five cities not III
cluded in the computations,
"The poor are with us always"
and the larger, the greater, the more
wealthy and cultured the city, the
more poverty, squalor and igno-