Evening star., 1917-01-14


reported higher consumption OF food
and q larger percentage OF food de.
rived directly from the farm than of
those living on rented farms.
The average quantity OF 1ruit canned
annually per family was found to be
122 quarts; OF vegetables. 90 quarts.
Just four years have elapsed since
the parcel post law. after proioneeu
controversy and de-
w.. e bate, went into effect.
~'" Va on January l. 1913.
Parcel Post. From the beginning
o., .-,,,oe xvas liberally patronized by
the public, and the volume OF business
justified the department in making I'M
portant reductions in the postage rates
IN August Is, 1913. and again on Janu-
ary 1. 1914.
A. +be nresent time. it is said by Of
acials- the number of parcels handieo
in the mails is three times as great as
at the commencement OF the serVlce,
and the weight of the parcel mai naS
increased seyenfold. Many nnmnter.d aI.s
in adjusting the facilities Of the serv,
ice to the proper conduct OF the parcei
post business. New methoos Oh oiSeii
button and delivery have been devised
in order that this merchandise mai
might be handled quickly and safely
and without retardinE the progress OF
the other classes of mail
Experts Of the Post ONCE Depart
ment who have charge Of this hne OF
work, and who are justly proud OF
their success, say that the benefits OF
the parcel post to the public are sell
evident; but they also point out that II
has benefited the postal service at the
IT, 1arvv NJ
the mail has necessitated, as the in
creasing revenue justified, service I'M
provements all along the line. The ef-
feet on the personnel of the service mas
been marked. Postmasters and other
employees have been imbued with new
spirit and are now trying to improve
their own efficiency and the effective
ness of the service. In addition to the
exhibits that are held In various parts
of the country at the state fairs. the
poStmasters in very many cities have
enlisted the cooperation of boards Of
trade and chambers of commerce. and
by their personal efforts and by CIR
cularizing their patrons have induced
a more intelligent and effective use of
the mails.
1t is said by those in a position to
know that although more than 70 per
cent of parcels mailed emanate from
the fifty largest cities of the United
States these cities receive only II per
er post Offices, it is said. which receive
SIS per cent of the parcels dispatch
only about 91a per cent.
One of the advantages of this sys-
tenn is the fact that it offers the same
advantages to residents of small COM
munities and rural districts that it does
to the business man in the largest city;
but the former class, while availing
themselves of the opportunity to buy
by mail, have been slow, the statistics
show. to avail themselves of the op-
portunity to sell by mail
Officials of the public health service
have recently completed new life table
figures for this country.
Mortality which are based, it is un-
cA. derstood. OH the census
~''1s'ics' enumeration of 1910 and
the mortality statistics of 1909. 1910
and 1911. in the original registration
states, consisting of Maine. New Hamp-
shire, Vermont, Massachusetts. Rhode
Island. Connecticut, New York. New
Jersey. Indiana, Michigan and the Dis
trict of Columbia.
One of the tables prepared is for both
the sexes in the original registration
states; and is said to be fairly repre-
sentative of mortality conditions pre-
vailing in this country because it is
based on more than 24,000.000 emu
merated lives and 100000 reported
deaths. In addition, twenty -four other
ables have been made. dividing the
rural and city, white, black and foreign
population.
The preparation of life table from
the census and mortality statistics is
like striking a balance in set of
accounts. Only through the life table
can one know at each age the NOR
tality rate. expectation of life and an
nual death rate in the community
A detailed comparative study Of NOR
tality in different classes of the pop
ulation is made possible through the
life tables and raises numerous ques-
tions which deserve the most careful
consideration. The excess of city over
rural mortality Is so great. 1t is said,
that the attention of health officials
should be given to this subject without
delay to determine its cause and to what
extent 1t is practicable to reduce city
mortality to the minimum actually eX-
listing in the country.
To give an idea of the difference,
the investigation has shown that out
of 100000 rural male births 5S7l1
the same number of city births only
43.4J4 survive to this age. In other
words. 1863 more men out of the
same number of births-l0O,00o- would
in the city on the basis of existing
mortality rates. These figures are
SO astonishing that they deserve the
utmost prominence. according to the
experts who have been carrying on
this line of work. Similar differences
exist. it is said, in England and Ger
many. az well as in this country, as
shown by the recent life tables. 1t
is said that the mortality rates among
women are lower throughout the en-
tire range OF life than for men and
that the expectation of life of women
is much greater. While this has been
found true by the experts in gen.
eral, there is said to be a striking ex-
ception in the case of rural women
1t appears. the result of the study.
that from ages twenty to forty the
mortality rate of rural women is al
most great as that of the men, ex-
cept from ages twenty-five to thirty
one. where it actually is greater. The
same thing Is true in the case Of negro
women from the ages of ten to twenty.
The public health service officials say
that it would be most interesting to
know just what the cause Is of these
curious exceptions. and it is possible
that such an investigation will be
made some time in the near future.
Speculation on the chances of life
and death has been INDUCED in by
writers, artists. and philosophers of all
ages. and now it remains for Uncle
Sans experts to bring out these
chances in actual statistics in so far as
they affect the people of this country.
naturally arises whether the differ
h iI,tf 1v, ha rf,li afeey