LIFE AND DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 913, 5 September 1910, Page 7

LIFE AND DEATH.

VITAL STATISTICS FOR 1909-10. -. BIG DECLINE'IN MARRIAGES. INFANT MORTALITY REDUCED. Some interesting figures appear in the, vital statistics for the year, which are. published in the advance sheets of-.the Year Book, which are just to hand. ; - The number of births registered during 1909 was 26,524, or 27.29; in every 1000 persons living. The number is 584. in excess of that for', the year 1908, an. increase of 2.25 per cent., but the, rate lower by 0.16 per thousand. From 1882 until the year 1899 there was a. regular fall in the' rate.; The, births registered in a year numbered 19,846 in 1884, and, after falling to 17,876 in 1892, -indications of' a gradual increase are apparent, the improvement since 1899; being 8.64 per cent..on tho rate per 1000 in, that year. . .'. ' :

New Zealand had in; 1880 the highest birth-rate in Australasia- (40.78); /.in 1900 t:he.case was.reversed; but in 1909 the New Zealand rate was higher than that of New ;South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia/' Although New Zealand had in 1900 the- lowest.birthrate in Australasia, the 'rate for 1909 was higher than the'average for'the Commonwealth; 26.40 per 1000 of population. Following/ is an■'. interesting table regarding.the.birth-rate:— y"

Country. 1900. \ 1905. 1909. Queensland ......... 30.21 ( 25.92 27.52 New South Wales 27;43 j 26.79 27.26 Victoria ............ 25.82-' 24.83' 24.55 South .. 25.78- 23.82 24.57' Western, Australia 31.46 30.29 29.86 .Tasmania .:..../..... 28.25; 29:33 29.86 ■;New Zealand ...... 25.60 :27.22 27.29: ' There were.26s cases of twin births (530 children), and 1-case of triplets registered via,: 1909. The number,;'6f: children boni was 26,524'; the/number : of mothers was 26,257; -thus, 'on. ah average, one mother.-in ©very. 99 gave birth to twins, against' 90 inl9oß, ,IU2. in 1907, 114 in 1906, 'and 97 in ; ; 1905 .; The births of 1223 children were' illegi-, timate: thus 46, uijCrerylOOO childreir bom were;born out of wedlock, against 43 in 1908. '.'. ; : .r:.X' .y- : y]:V- '■ :■■--.. i ' : \ Marriages.- y;i The .Carriages, for 1909 show, a decrease 'on the number for .the previous year. ■ The; number .'was- 8094,- or 245 less than in 1908. ' The rate per 1000 of 'the population was 8.33 as against 8.82 in 1908.. In 1907 the. number wis' 8192, and the average.B.9l," which was the highest to date. ;. ■:;-:.• ■ Ascompare<l with .the';:.other. coloni'ea the marriage rate stands as.underi^r..''. ; ' ''■..■'.'-189i!-0l900X:''i909. ! .'. New Zealand ...... - 6.04 ..7.67;•■' 8.33 Queensland ........ . 7.18 .6.88 8.04 New- South Wales '7.39: 7.38 :8.11 Victoria .•,......;..;.. -. 7.69 . 6.96 .'.7.34. South Australia •'...., 7.31' , 6.50. ??8.00 Western [Australia B.oo' 10.27 7.37 Tasmania ....;.;„. 6.63'. 7.71-8.11

.'. The results ,of, three ; censuses':in re- '.' spect of the number of: bachelors, of. 20-; i. years and upwards, : and- spmstefs : of 15.. .'- years aid upwards, show: some interest-" ing features. In,lß9l : ;.there.was an ex- :: , cess of .over.'-the- Bfoinste'rs '-■■■': amounting to 3497: men:'; But by 1896' not only: had the, preponderance of'the : . male, element been lost]- but .'an excess - of--'spinsters'-.'over "bachelors ; 'was' : -' Ire- -.-; ported amounting to 1786,women 1 , while'':': in 1901 ■ this excess had risen to 3572 women: The census.-i0f.1906: disclosed '<:- the;fast that •there was a considerable '•. - excess of bachelors, amounting to 9633.: -. This "result, 110 ; doubt, is largely due ■'■-.• to. the. arrival from 'abroad of numbers '- of young men .who, have settled iu : New-'• '■" Zealand... -.::': ..■■:■•.,'■•.- :■;'..v. •■::■■-.-.• ;',-.-■■;:;■

Of the persons 19091 143 '< 1 bndegropms J .,and; , l3oa-.-brides : .Tverß" ! -Qii. ■''■ der 21',years of. age.v;. Of.' tho bride-"-grooms,' two -were, between 16' and 18," .and., sis between,-18.: a nd 19. : ;0f ■ the "■: brides, nino were between .15 and "16j v and 'thirty-seven wefe-between 16 .and" .' 17-::years,of-age. : V;Thb Jproportioir of / men married, is. greatest'at. the'ages of "' j5 to ■- 30, and- bf women at 'fro'nr 21-to ■" : 2o years. The average age of'bridegrooms , has. remained fairly constant; ■' during the period, but theio is a'gratruai ■ increase; in - the average age of - the'" brides.■- The proportion' of bridegrooms! under 21 is .much'.greater -in England"' than, m New. Zealand, .and the proper-v • tion of brides under 21; somewhat lowerr :, -/.l',.;!' Death Statistics! "■; 1 The death's in 1909"numbered 8959/ a -i rate of 9.22 in every 1000 persons living,, as. against, 9.57 liv 1908..; This is ! : "- below the .average of the previous 'tea years, 9.90 "per 1000. / Via comparison. - with -the..,other oolonies'ip 'the matter : ' of. death rate; Zealand stands :>'!■ Country. "; '.'".' -:/.. .1899!;-' 1905.' 1909. - New Zealand :..... 10.24'.' 9.2/.1- 9.22. Queensland :....:... "]2.of;r 10.47-'": 9.Y9!•:' 'New.'.South Wales 11.82; 10.16 - : 9,84 -" Victoria; :...:...::„. ,14.28-12.10 11124 '-'- South '.;'.;."'■l2.l4';'vlo.l4'' : " : '-9;87'- > Western;. Australia , 13.76 ':'■ 10.83 9.98; - Tasmania:;; A ..:......, 12.25 ;110.29 110.00 ;' ; If the deaths lor tho .four chief cities, including | suburban-, boroughs, bo coin-',,- : pared for;hve years; it will be observed' 1 that:, "tho fate's per' 1 1000 for 1909..are' ." substantially lower than'those-for 1905,11: ".,-'"'•"",' . 11905. 1190 S. 1907. 11908. 1909.'" Wellington... 10.21 9.19: 11.SS8. ;'J,IO 9.1}. Auckland (in-; : ; : . " : , : ; : -v, ;■', cludingsub-: '' .11'. V^-'l-'l nirbs ......... 10.52 9.90 11.43 ; ' Christchurch 10.89,. 11.25 14.37 v *j.52 : 9.3.1 Dunedin '~.■.. 10.12 11.35 12.02 10.50 19.95 ;>

■ As regards, infant; /mortality,'.-. ", 1(534. i children under, one year, died last year. ■ The number ior 1908 f'was 1761,1 whilstin 1907 it was 2228 v ' -In Ithis.connection .it is interesting .to note that-the:' mean avorago for th« past years ; has ' been 16751 Altogether,- 21443 children' died had reached'the ago of five years.. New Zealand loses .68. in- 'j fants under the year per 1000; South Australia 70, Queensland 70, Tasmania 75, New South Wales' 76," Western Aus- ;■' tralia 85, and Victoria 86. ; ,; 11 .;■;.•;: Tuberculosis was responsible for 588 deaths, or 6.05 W -.10,000, which m .the lowest, for, teii years;: with . the'es- ■ ception of 1905, when it stood at 5.70. '■•; In comparison with England land; Wales ■; and the States of the;Australian;Commonwealth, -the deaths from tuberculosis per 1 1000 of Ithe-.population;,was ; , lower in Queensland and New South;' Wales :.than. in New ; Zealand. v-'Deaths c from cancer'totalledi'tfll (383. males and 328 femalos),. the average-number-and rate for ; the past: -fit's;years being 646. Influenza was less prevalent fhaiiusual.U "only 47 deaths- being recorded; Only '■''■ 26 deaths from 'measles were recorded. •From appendicitis there 66 deaths, against an . average : for : the : past/five 1 years of-71.- '11:-:'' M';,': l.l : -.;; ; -'

The suicidal' deaths in"; 1909 were: 118—males 96 and'females, 22: The 'rate' per .10,000 .living was 1.21 : in'l9o9, <:' against an average of 1.07 for the past-, five years. The means most frequently ■■■/■': resorted,to by males.-.was..shooting, and-/■' by females, poison- and drowning.' ;, Peaths ! at advanced .agesV-wero under:—6s; to, 70 years, 436 males, 286 ;; : ; females; 70 ,to 75 <years, 468 males. :■ 273 females; 75:t0 80 years, 461 males,'- : 217.females; 80 to. 85 years,: 234 males,. ''■ 128' females; 85 to 90 years, 94 males,-:- s : ■76 females; 90 to 95 years, 40 males, : v 27 females; 95 to 100 years, 11. males, .'■„ 7 females;: 100 yeare, 1,-,female;;los ; ;. years, 1 male.; ; ;.--. ' , ,-;'■.;;.:; The vaccinations totalled 8346 vin 1908,, as against 5328. in 1907, and ...was the smallest "percentage; on record since A ; 1899,-..;: ;,;,...:•;..'-..■;:■,-■;.;.., ;V ;|:; V : ; :.^