Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-12-30
DEATH RATE 1875 pen 1000
Lowest on Record in United
states for Year 1911.
Census Report show, Mortality IN
vermont Was Is per 1000,
Decrease Of 81 Per Cent.
from lOOi-19OJ.

preliminary statement JUS. made
public by Director aSm l.. Rogers OF the
bureau OF the census. department of
commerce. and prepared under the super
Vision of Richard c. Lappin, chief stalls
tican for vital statistics, shows a death
rate OF 13.6-the lowest on record-per
1000 estimated population Of the regis
tlation area of the United States in 1914.
Unfortunately the mortality statistics
do not cover the entire United states,
since not all communities have adequate
death registration systems. Those states
and cities in which the registration OF
deaths is approximately complete con-
stitute what is known as the registra-
ton area. This area comprises % states
dn one of which, North Carolina. regis
tration is restricted to municipalities
which had 1000 population or over In
1900, the District of Columbia, and "
cities in non-registration states. and
contained two-thirds (66S per cent? OF
the total estimated population Of the
United States in 1914 This repr>f"''a
very gratifying increase as "u
with 1900, when the registration M
tanned only about two-fifths a." ger
cent? of the total population Of tile ccun-
try. Figures for Kansas are includeh Tor
the first time in the statistics for IVA
There is a widespread and increasing
interest throughout the country, espo-
cially in the South, n respect 70 vital
statistics The model law for TIE reg
stration of births and deaths was put
into operation in South Carolina on
January l, 1915. and during the present
year this law was en- i"tOd III the states
of Florida and Illinois. The bureau of
the census is actively cooperating with
officials in other states in order that
The entire country may be included at
the earliest possible date in the regis
traton area for deaths.
The total number of deaths recorded
in the registration area in 1914 was $685.
$50, corresponding to death rate OF
1876 per 1000 population. This rate is the
lowest on record, the most favorable
year prior to 1914 having been 1872, FOL
which the rate was 1919.
The death rate for 1914 is l6 per cent
lower than the average for the five-yeaI
peror 190l-19o5. When due allowance Is
made for the addition Of many new states
to the registration area between l9o;
and 1911 and the comparison is con
fined to the registration states as they
existed during the period 19O1-19o5, there
still IS shown decided decrease, amount
ing to "a per cent. In other words, II
typical community in the registration
area there were only 10 deaths in 19l
where there were II a decade earlier. II
the original registration states as they
existed in 1901 1905, the population O.
which is about one-fourth of the tota
for the United States. the reduction II
the rate is equivalent to saving o
about $500 lives in 1914. On the assump
ton that a corresponding reduction II
the rate had taken place Throughout
the entire country, the saving woult
amount to about 10000 lives in 1914 TO
the United States as a whole. This fur
nishes statistical measure of the contrl
button made to civilization by medica
science and improved sanitation.
Among the states for which dealt
rates for 1901-1905 are given the great
est proportional decrease between tina
period and 1914 is shown for Rhode Is
land-174 per cent. Next in order ar
New York, with a decrease of IA pc
cent; New Jersey, lis per cent; Massa
chusetts, ia per cent; Vermont, "A pc
cent; Connecticut, 3.S per cent; Indiana
90 per cent; Maine, 10 per cent; Ne'
Hampshire, is per cent. Michigan alon
showed a slight increase-eight-tenth
of one per cent The death rate in Yer
mont for 1914 was is per thousand, CON
pared with 1862 for 1901 to 1905.
Among the cities Of 100000 or over tn
tendency is toward a still greater r.
duction in mortality. The following Cite
show decrease of 20 per cent or NOR
from the five-year period 1901-19O5 to 1911
Jersey City, 2S.5 per cent; New Yor
city. 25.S per cent; San Francisco. 2S
per cent; Denver, 1913 per cent; New
ark, n. j., 22.5 per cent; Pittsburg, q
per cent; Atlanta, Els per cent; La
Angeles, 2l.3 per cent; Lowell. Mass
.9l3 per cent; Paterson, N. j., pol p'
cent.