Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-30
STATE BREAKS RECORD
IN NUMBER OF BIRTHS
Total Registered in 1921 EN-
cccds That of 1920
by 1920.
ENcEEDED ny NORTH CAROLINA
Honor of First Place Goes to Wise
County-Mo>t Surprising Change In
County Standing Ii That Of Charles
City.

The State Bureau or Vital Statistics
has Just completed It's annual report
Of births, deaths. marriages and di-
rorccs for 1921. and DR.. w. =. Plccli-
or. tho State Registrar. gives out tho
following interesting facts:
Virginia registered for 1921 7o.ooe
births. which is tho largest number
ever recorded. being 42S9 in excess
OF 1920, and $500 more than in 1919
The rate for 1921 was approximately
thirty per 1000 population. as com
pared with Il rate OF 243 for tho
whole registration area Of the entire
country. Tho Virginia birth rate for
several years has been exceeded only
by that Of North Carolina and Utah.
except that South Carolina came in
for third place one year. OF the
births in Virginia during 1921, as
go were white. with rate OF ~ -.
while 2l.62? were colored. giving a
rate OF Bills.
An examination OF the records Of
the individual counties and cities
shows that for the first time since
the establishment of the bureau
Buchanan County does not hold first
place. The honor OF first place now
goes 10 Wise County. with a birth
rate Of is.I2; the second TO Dickcn-
son, with rate of i5.32 while
buchanan comes in third, with 4 rate
OF $50. which figure is higher than
was reached by either Wise or Dick
enson in 1871? or in 1920. Another
mountain county. Russell. comes in
for fourth place, with n rate OF 1850.
Charles City Surprises.
The most surprising change in
county standing is that OF Charles
city. which now rDnks fifth with n
rate Of io.4S. as compared with for
ty-sixth place In 1920 and with the
tweniy-second place in 1919. Green's
VILE. another black county. comes in
for sixth place, with rate OF 3?.iS.
In 1920 Grecnsville ranked tenth.
while in 1919 she was rated nine
tecnth. Following in order come
four other mountain counties. Pat
rick, ASST: Lee, 3S.S5; Henry. aTeS.
and TaSewcll. 37.io. pittsylvania. with
onc-ihird negro population, comes
eleventh with rate of $3.50 The
county OF Smyth follows. $3.50: Rad
ford City, 1902. and Carroll County.
Sj.?l Halifax, with n population
nearly half black. falls in fifteenth
place. with rate of Boil
OF the cities Bucna Vista. with a
Ass rate. stands twentytirst;
while Roanoke. whose rate is 32.Gl.
with standing of thirty-six. leads
all o: the larger cities. Frcdcricks-
burg. with "a rate of 30.77. and Dan
VILE, rate 3o.5l. are the only other
c,nes with birth rates greater than
tho state average. The following
cities are given the rating Indicated
Alexandria. 2?.??: LynchburE. 2a.5S;
Clifton Forge. 2a.22; charlottesville
:S.ii: Petersburg. 27.i3: Bristol. 27.O5:
Portsmouth. e5.4l standing 100,
Richmond. ai.s5. standing l02: Win
chester. 2i.Ii; Norfolk. 23.O7: Staun-
tom 1926 which rates it in tho ii3th
place; and Newport News. 1861.
standing 18th. The above arc fol-
lowed by Arlington County, with n
rate 81 1893 and Fairfax. 1924. 1t
rs believed that the large influx OF
population from Washington ac-
counts Tor the low rating Of these
last TWO units.
Mathews Trails nchind,
We have however, no form Of cx
PLANTATION az 10 why Mathews Coun-
~ composed Of native. virile Viz
mia stock. three four,hs OF the pop
u!atoh being white, should persIs-
tently hold the Nth. and bottom
place OF all with rate OF only 1863.
ne only explanation appears To y.
imperfect birth registration. Tho
ARG school and hospitar. population
or stanton holds the Srrrh rate
down and increases tho death rate
Guy there appears no similar exrla-
nation FOR the low birth rate I'm New.
port News
Had not Arlington County possess
ca co!ored birth rate Of IS. as
against white birth rate Of IS. that
uhit would probably have pushed
"'r.aX closely for next to last Mac.
another anomaly is tho whI,a r,te
OF -S.i9 FOR Accoinac County. with a
toi"Fed rate Of i2.47. nearly two To
one is INC low white birth rate
.'H prevails In T!dewater Virginia
the result usually foIlow;,. -,
prosperity: The fact tina, tho Cries
%nf counties in this section arc ak.
oo.s not indicate that tho Younger
reputation Is migrating TO the cit,rs
significant fact is the increase
IN c"iored birth rates I'm tho rural
S',NonS' due doubtless. In rart. if
"o' Wholly. TO better Registration.