Evening star., 1941-04-19
Of Sturs, Men
And Atoms
Notebook of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
By Thomas r. Henry.

By Ih0mGS n. Henry.
Throughout American history the
poor and the farmers have supplied
the majority of each succeeding genera
ton.
The differential birthrate Of the pres
ent-with the better educated and
wealthier families not rearing enough
children to take their own places-has
been developing at least since 1900,
when the first records are available, DR..
A. j. Jaffe, statistician of the United
States Census Bureau, has just reported
to the American Genetic Association.
1t has often been stressed as a phe-
nomenon of the last two generations and
evidence of the possible deterioration of
the American population with childless
college professors and physicians while
W. P. A. families flood the country with
children to be supported by the public.
The same condition was well devel-
oped by l800 DR.. Jaffe says, and prob
ably could be shown for at least a CEN
found. few generations ago there
were larger families in all social strata,
but the ratio between poor and rich has
changed little.
For the entire United States in 1900,
DR.. Jaffe found from study of the age
yellowed records in the Census Bureau
files, the birth rate in cities under
10000 was only 70 per cent the average
for equal numbers of population in the
rural areas. The birth rate in cities of
from 10000 to 25,000 was 81 per cent,
and in cities of from $4,000 to $4,000
81 per cent. The only city with more
than $4,000 population was New York.
1t was already harboring many immi-
grants Its birth rate was "a per cent
that of the farming country. When the
records are confined to New York State
cities under 10000 made better Show
ing with birth rate 81 per cent that
of the farm families. The birth rate of
Boston was only 81 per cent that of
rural Massachusetts, and of Charleston,
S. c., only 81 per cent that of the sur
rounding country.
AsANANAA IA4C SoillC plttdlC appears NIItH
one attempts the difficult job of deter
mining the diferential birth rate ac-
cording to income. Everywhere the
poor are raising the majority of the chill
dren, while the rich seem to be avoiding
this responsibility. The first records for
New York, Boston and Providence date
from 1920. Then a New York State
census reported for each ward in the
city the number who owned property
worth more than $3.50. The number of
these in each ward gave DR.. Jaffe a
rough measure of the economic status
of the neighborhood. He found that the
middle class residential sections had an
average birth rate 80 per cent that of
the poorer areas, while in the wealthier
neighborhoods this fell to 80 per cent.
Early tax records provided a measure
for Boston. The richer wards of the
city had birth rate only 81 per cent
that Of the poorer. In Providence SINH
lar data show that the rate in the high
est income group was about 72 per cent
that in the lowest.
From the New York State census of
1921 figures were obtained on the
amounts of agricultural land and live
stock in each county. These constitute
a rough measure of rural wealth The
birth rate for the richest counties was
Sc per cent that of the poorest, and that
OF the intermediate areas 95 per cent.
For the Southern States the only index
of plane of living and social status was
that OF slave ownership. In North Caro-
lima in 1900 the birth rate of counties
with the greatest number of slaves per
capita was rs per cent that of those
with the least. In South Carolina the
rate in the richest areas was only rs
per cent that of the poorest.
Also, DR.. Jaffe found, for the country
as a whole the birth rate increased with
the distance from the long-settled At
lantic Seaboard. The lowest was found
in lower New England. The rate in
creased little in the Middle Atlantic
States, the Carolinas and upper New
England. BY far the highest rate was
found among the pioneers from the
Great Lakes to the Gulf
In those days however, families in all
economic classes were so large that no.
body worried about it. Also, there was
relatively homogeneous population. so
that there was no danger of changing
the racial makeup of the country.
Stories of individual large families in
the early days of the Republic, it is
pointed out, are deceptive, giving the
impression that the low reproductive
rate of professional and white collar
classes at present is something new.
The reason for the phenomenon, DR..
Jaffe points out, is unknown. 1t may
have existed through a greater part of
history.
"At the beginning of the 18th CEN
tury," he says, "the differentials were
too great to have originated then. 1t is
likely that they were as large then as
they are today. Consequently, it may
be assumed that they had been in ex-
istence since the beginning of the 18th
century, if not earlier-for a culture
would require at least three or four
generations to develop such differen-.
tials."
Wants Something" Done
To Stop Unreasonable" Strikes.