Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-01-10
COiOsED DEATH RATE is VERY
HIGH In THE CITIES
Official Statistics Show Fewer Births
Than Deaths i'll Nearly Every.
Virginia Municipality

Richmond, Va, December 30.-Rc-
gtstrar of Vital Statistics of Virgin
III. DIR. W. a. Picker says there is
either woefully high colorcd infant
death rate or terribly defective birth
registration in Virginia eli les Every
one OF the ten larger Virginia cit es
except two, Roanoke and Char,ottcs
vile, shows more colorcd deaths
than births according to the U. S.
Bureau Of Census" Birth Statist 90
just issued for 1917. During 1917 ac-
cording to the Census report, Virgin
ia registered G0,753 living births OF
which 41,924 were white and 1899
colored. The birth rate Of the State
was 275 per thousand Of population
he white rate being Of and the col
orcd rate heing 27.7. This rate is OK
ceedod In the entire registration are,
including twenty states and the D's
trict OF Columbia representing 53.l
per cent OF the toal population of the
country only by North Carolina with
ratio OF BIG per thousand. Utah,
with 800; Connecticut with 29.6 and
Michigan with 2S.S.
virginia deaths aggregated 1927
during 1917. Or this number 1907
were white and 1850 colorcd tho
total death rate being 1d.2 per thous
and the white rate being IL 7 and the
colored rate 1919. There were 1913
white births FOR each 100 white
deaths and 1870 colored births for each
100 cOlorcd deaths. Eighty white in
fants and 1877 colored infants out or
every 1000 died tho first year, the
total rate being 9S, with a country
wide total OF 81 per thousand bir'ns.
The ton principal cities OF Virginia
show white birth ratio Of 23s per
thousand Of population and 23.G per
cent colorad birth rate, with a white
death rae Of Ia. and n colored death
rate OF 25.7. The white city infant
death rate Ia 81 against colored
rate OF 215. Bristol, Virginia reports
two coloFcd' births and twenty seven
colored deaths. Tho Registrar re-
marks that this report would Indicate
either that colored birth registration
was a joke in Bristol or the compare
1.-Two colored dean rate there surpass
es that Of any other civilized COM
munity on the globe
The conclusion which the State Re
gistrar draws IS either that colored
birth registration in tho cities is
very defective or that the colored
death rate il shamcfully high. Eth
or. he declares, should call for active
efforts for correction. In the counties
Of Amherst, Appomat OK, Brunswick
Rockingham, Clarke. Essex. Glouces-
ter: Greene, New Kent; Orange: rrin-
cess Anne: Roanoke. STAFFORD; Taze
we'll and Warren CHER white than
co'ored infant death rate is taken to
Indicate either defective white birth
registration or incomplete colored in
FAINT death rate registration Colored
births and deaths for 1917 In Virgin
ia cities follow:
Alexandria births 90; deaths 116;
Danvillc. births 119 deaths 1863: Lynch
burg, births 201; deaths 219: Newport
News births 2OS; deaths 1852; Norfolk
births S13; deaths $50; Petersburg.
births do3: deaths 416: Portsmouth,
births 2SG: deaths 333; Richmond,
births 1890: deaths 1896; Roanoke,
births FOG deaths 100: Staunton births
90: deaths 40; Bristol, births q;
deaths ct; charlottesville. births GO
deaths Ct; Clifton Forge births ID;
deaths 16: Fredericksburg births SO:
deaths 80: Winchester births 80:
deaths IS.