The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-10
Director Harris, of us. Census
Bureau, Points Out Business
Necessity of Proper Figures
Virginia Now
Has Model Law
Hundreds of Thousands of
Americans Went to Canada
Last Year Who Might Have
Been Attracted Southwark

! The only way we can remove the
Islander on the south as being UNI
healthy and having a high deaI rate
+ is by accurate registra ton o. deaths,
which am firmly c,.RFfa, ii will
prove that the South IS as hca'tflfnl
"a any part of the Unit q states dc =
ciH 40 w. j. Harris, GiracsDr IF isl2
I nittG States Census Burea1, &. tie
! = ssleh yesterday afternoon OF fla
sfci31r or pubic he nth. Ut the .5cuth-
ern Medical Association, which Sec
! tion yesterday MOI ming began its an
n'ial meeting Mr.. Harris continuing,
said In part;
"On account Of the large number Of
negroes IN the South. the death rate
among tnara being much greater than
the whites, II Is far more important
that the South have accurate vital
statistic ian ann other section or
Our country. | am fully convinced
that the death rate among the whites
in the South, except IN a few locaiitie.,
! Is as los as the North. While the
/ death rate or the negroes In tbs
cities Of the South is much greater
than the whites. statistics s.aow that
In Northern cities IL is equally as high.
and the highest death rate records,
among the negroes In any city OF tia
/ L n3ted States In in the North
Life insurance companies located
| IN ne North, for many years CHARGED
his,l rate to policyhoiders in the
south. which cost the South millions
or dollars, and this would have been
sa Ved by accurate vital Statistics,
should Divert Canadian Emigration.
Director Harris continuing MS adj
dress declared that records Snow that
100000 emigrants have gone into
Canada from the United States sine,
July l, 1907, and that the annual emil
grafton is growing in numbers This
number, he declared, is larger than
lail the white population of some 81.
the southern States, and II might nave
been turned in the direction OF the
south except for tho impression. gem
orally held. that the South is nm.
hea thy II has been estimated that
! each or the emigrants TO Canada took
VITA them wealth amounting to about
| $1,000, and the South Is probably tn,
.oser Or some $500. oo0, 900 because Il
mas lacked in having accurate vital
statistics.
MIR. Harris told the doctors, who
are from all parts of the South that
the census bureau stands ready at all
times to assist the legislatures of the
| states In framing the proper neces-
sary laws for securing an accurate
system OF vital statistics.
One Of the most important use
OF vital statistics said Mr.. Harris.
Is their practical employment for the
promotion OF public health and for the
prevention and restriction of diseases.
Modern preventive medicine is based
on vital statistics and sanitary ser
, vice, whether State or municipal. that
Is deprived Of accurate vital statistics.
Is absolutely handicapped in It's work
Must Know Cause OF Death.
1T Is not only necessary to know
when a death occurs and where II
occurs but also the cause thereof, in
order to know how best to remedy the
! condition. A health department, with
out vital statistics Is cropping In the
dark. as 1t cannot tell how to direct
its work or how to measure the re-
suits"
Mr.. Harris said that the census bu-
reau will early in 1915 publish a mon
ograph on the fatality from cancer,
Continued on Second Page,)