The Colorado statesman., 1917-02-03
Birth Rate Exceeds Mortality by
Nearly 78 Per Cent, Uncle
Sam Shows.
IS GREATEST IN MINNESOTA
First Statistics Collected by Govern
ment in New Registration Area
Discloses Rapid Growth
in Population.

Uncle Sam has discovered that the
United States need not be alarmed over
the possibility of race suicide. Inc
first birth statistics ever compiled and
made public by the government show
that for what is known as the birth
registration area, with an estimated
population of 31,150,000 in 1915, the
birth rate exceeded the death rate by
| 100 per 1000, or nearly rs per cent.
The recently established birth regis
tration area comprises the six New
England states, New York, Pennsyl-
vania, Michigan, Minnesota and the
District cf Columbia. The population
in this area represented approximately
81 per cent of the total for the United
States. The birth rate for this area
in 1915 was 24.9 per 1000 population,
while the death rate was Ia per 1,OOo.
This means that If the birth and death
rates prevailing in that year were to
remain unchanged and if no migration
were to take place to or from the area
to which the figures relate, its popula-
ton would increase annually by l0.9
per 1000, or by nearly IL per cent.
The birth rate of the registration
states ranged from 81 in Maine to 26.7
in Connecticut and Michigan; and the
death rate ranged from 10.1 in Mime
sofa to 16.1 in New Hampshire. The
highest death rate was thus much low
er than the lowest birth rate. The
greatest excess of births over deaths
IA per 1000 populatiOn-appears for
Minnesota, and the smallest-5.5 per
1,000-for Maine.
For every state in the registration
area and for most of the cities there
was a substantial excess of births over
deaths, but this excess was most pro-
nounced in those localities in which
the proportion of foreign population is
largest.
Deaths Lead in Three Cities.
The statistics cover 90 cities and
towns having, at the last census, 25,-
600 inhabitants or more. OF these,
there were only three-Kingston and
Troy, N. Y, and Norristown, Pain
which the deaths exceeded the births
in 1915, and in each case the excess
was small being greatest-1.1 per
LOO population-for Troy.
The cities showing the highest five
birth rates are: Detroit, Mich, 37.9;
Chicogee, Mass, 37.6; Niagara Falls,
N Y. 37.5; New Britain, Conn.,, 36.4;
and Chelsea, Mass, 345. The death
rates for these cities-15.7, 14.7, 16, II,
and 14.3, respectively-were, with the
single exception of that of New Brit
ain, higher than the average for the
birth registration but were far below
the maximum death rate shown for
any city in the area-21.7, for Norris
twn, Pa.
The lowest five birth rates appear
for Brookline, Mass, 1877; York, Pa,
176; kalamazoo, Mich, 1872; King
ston, N. Y, 1875, and Troy, N. Y, 1876.
The death rates for the first five-named
places were lower than the average for
the registration area, and those for
the first-named three were lower than
the corresponding birth rates; but for
Kingston and Troy the death rates
1875 and 1871 ctively-exceeded
the birth rates.
One In Ten Infants Dies.
The rate of infant mortality-that
is, the number of deaths of infants I'M
der one year of age per 1000 born
alive-is of particular interest. This
rate, for the registration area as a
whole, was 100 in 1915.
Among the 10 states these rates
ranged from 70 in Minnesota to 100
for Rhode Island; and among the 96
cities and towns it varied from 54
for Brookline and Maiden, Mass, to
1876 for Shenandoah, Pa.
1t might be expected that high
rate of infant mortality would accom-
pany a high birth rate, but an exam
ination of the figures fails to disclose
this character. Among the states, both
the highest and the lowest infant-mor-
taIity rate-120 for Rhode Island and
70 for Minnesota-are found in con-
nection with birth rates-23.1 and 24.5
per 1000 population, respectively
which are below the average for the
registration area; and, moreover, the
birth rate in the state with that low
est infant mortality is higher than
that in the state with the highest in
FAINT mortality.
Among the cities and towns the
lowest infant-mortality rate-54 per
1000 births-is shown for both Brook
line and Maiden, Mass. The former
place had the lowest birth rate-12.7
per 1000 population-given for any
city or town in the registration area,
but the birth rate of the latter-23.5
per 1,O00-was not far below the aver
age for the area. The highest infant
mortality rate-196 per 1000 births,
for Shenandoah, Pa.-is accompanied
by a birth rate-32.7 per 1000 popula-
tion-which is far above the average,
although considerably below the maxi
mum. OF the ten cities in which the
birth rates were highest, three show
infant-mortality rates lower than the
average, and Of the ten places in which