HIGHER BIRTH RATE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 550, 3 July 1909, Page 7

HIGHER BIRTH RATE.

SLIGHT INCREASE IN ENGLAND AND WALES LAST YEAR. Tho, most noteworthy feature of the Re-gistrar-General'-s "inaual summary of births, deaths, and marriages in England and Wales (issued on May lb) is tho indication that thoro was 1 a check* last year in the decline of tho birth-rato. Jin 1908 the births numbered 942,611, or 26.5 per cent, per 1000, which was 0.2 per 1000 -above tho rate in 1907. The figure, however, was still 1.6 lower than the'average of the ten years, 18981907. • \ Deaths numbered 621,644, or 14.7 per 1000, being 0.3' below, tho 1907 rate, and indeed tho lowest on record. ' Marriages in the year .numbered 264)647, being 14.9 per 1000, v or, 0.9 bolow the 1907 rate, and the average- of. the ten years 18981907. , ' \ Based on tho births and deaths since tho I last census, the following is the estimate of the population, of England and Wales in the middle of last year:-V Malos ...' \ 17,071,524 ■ Females \18,277,255 Total ,135,3.18,780 Monmouthshire, with a marriago rato of 17.5 and a birth-rate of 36.8, had the highest figures in thoso directions, aud its doathratc, 17.ii, .was only second to, that of Carmarthenshiro, 17.5. _ Carnarvonshire, 12.1; had tho lowest marriage-ralo, Sussox, 20.0, the lowest birth-rate, and Middlesox, 11.8, tho lowest death-rate. The town with the lowest birth-rate was Hastings, 15.5; Rhondda, with 40.3, was hip;hcsfc.\ Hoinsey, was 8.3, had tho lowest death-rato, and Oldhaiii and Middlwbrongh, with 19.8,\the highliix'antile mortality, which showed 'n rate of 118' per 10t)() in 1907, rose fo 121 last year, Glamorganshire, with 151, shotted the liiphost rale, and Hcrofordsliiie, with. \i, tho lowest Violent deaths m tho year numbered 20 218 or 0.57 per 1000. Tlic statistics for London, tho csltmatod population of which is given as '1,795,757, ais as follows:—', Number. Rate per V.OOO. Marriaces 38,209 IS.9\ Births 122898 26.3\ . Deaths 07,353 138 ' . linfant mortality 113 \ Tho into in each caso was the lowest on i>. | cord It is estimated that the mamagir rnto in the Jtctropolis has declined U 26 per cent, in tho bit 38 yeais. fiom consumption in London Inst ■ y«ai amounted to 6110, or 1.32 per 1000; the ratn hue fulton steadily from 2.W m-tiw, period IBCWO.