Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-12-15
THE CENSUS AND THE SEXES.

THE CENSUS AND THE SEXES.
A census bulletin recently issued shows
that the males in the population of the
United States outnumber the females by
nearly 100000, the exact ratio between
the two sexes being as LOG is to l. This
is an increase since 1900 of more than
1-2 per cent, for the ratio was then as
1.044 is to /. Much of that increase, of
course, is due to the heavy immigration of
the last decade for the great majority of
immigrants. as everyone knows, are men
and boys. Among the foreign-born whites
now in the country, indeed, the ratio be-
tween males and females is as 1892 is to
/. But this fact alone does not account
for the general preponderance of males, for
the returns show that among the whites of
native parentage there is still an excess of
males in every 200 of population,
What is the cause of this excess In
most countries things are the other way
that is, there are more females than males
and such is the case, too, in certain parts
of the United States, as will be seen later.
Chief Statistician William c. Hunt is in
clined to give credit for the general excess
of males to the fact that our national death
rateis comparatively low and particularly,
IT would seem, our infantile death rate.
At BIRTH as is well known there is always
an excess of males over females, but the
males are considerably less resistant to
disease However, as science advances
and whole groups of the young, male and
female, are saved from the diseases of in
fancy and youth-for example, diphtheria,
meningitis and tuberculosis initial
preponderance of males tends to be pre-
served, and in consequence the females do
not catch up, as it were, until compare
lively late period. The result is that the
natural excess of males early in life more
than counterbalances the residual excess
OF females late in life, and so there remains
general excess of males.
That this theory is supported by the facts
is shown by a study of the returns. Among
the negroes of the United States, for ex-
ample, the excess is on the side of the
females-th ratio between males and
females being as $3.50 is to l. This is be-
cause the death rate among negroes, par
ticularly in infancy, is very high. At birth
there are more negro boys than girls, just
as among whites, but with the whole race
n la hap b. Al.
die faster and in consequence the age at
which the two sexes balance comes com
paratively early After that age of bal
ancing the relatively higher death rate
among the males continues. and the excess
OF females thus produced more than equals
the excess of males in infancy. Thus the
race, as whole shows more females than
males.
Here in Maryland, where the general
death rate is very high, the same thing is
visible. In the United States as a whole
there are l06 males to 100 females, but in
Maryland there are only 80 The negro,
of course, is largely to blame. No doubt
our white population. if the figures were
available would show an excess of males.
But the returns prove that, in several other
States with large negro populations, there
is still general. though small excess of
males. In the States of the South Atlantic
division, for example, the ratio between
the two sexes, taking both races together,
is as l.0l2 is to +; in the States of the
East South Central division it is as l019 is
to |. But in these States, it would appear
the death rate among the whites is low,
while in Maryland, with large proportion
of the whole population living in single
big city, it is high.
An excess of females over males appears
only in Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, the two Carolinas and the District
of Columbia. The mill towns of the two
New England States and of the two Caro-
linas, by encouraging the immigration of
female operatives from nearby States, pro-
badly account for much of the difference
there, and in the District the conditions
encountered in Maryland are met with
again. Virginia and Georgia, which showed
an excess of females in 1900, are now in
the male column. So, too. are New Hamp-
shire, New York and New Jersey. The
general tendency is in that direction. I'M
proved living conditions, in infancy and in
maturity. tend to preserve the preponder-
ance of the male, for it is the male upon
whom the burden of life bears most heavily
and who quickest succumbs to its hazards.
FOR COMPULSORY SCHOOL LAW.
The School Commissioners and County
Superintendent Association of Maryland
at its meeting on Thursday of last week
in the State Normal School building, Bal
timore, adopted a resolution advocating
the passage Of a compulsory school attend
ance law at the coming session of the
Legislature.
Baltimore city and some of the coun-
ties have had compulsory attendance for
years. A Statewide measure has been
baked by officials of mountain counties.
where it is difficult for children to attend
school every day in bad weather, and
there has been opposition from employers
of child labor.
The resolution provides that the enforce
ment of the law should be left to the dis
erection of the County Commissioners.
The committee on compulsory school at
tendance, of which Mr.. George H. Lamar
is chairman, prepared the resolution. 1t
was discussed by Mr. Samuel Garner, SUI
perintendent of schools for Anne Arundel
county, and by Mr.. E. M. Noble, superin-
tendent for Caroline county. Superintend-