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Show OUR "INFANT INDUSTRY." According to estimates based upon data collected from reliablo sources, America's "baby crop" for 1919 promises prom-ises to be the largest in the history of the country. This prediction is predicated predi-cated upon a study of statistics gathered gath-ered by the New York milk committee, which has just completed its annual survey. The prophecy is made in the face of a. reduction of nearly 100 per cent in the excess of births over deaths during 1918 as compared with 1917. This was caused by an unprecedented number of deaths, approximating 2,1S0,-000, 2,1S0,-000, in large measure due to the influenza in-fluenza epidemic and war conditions. Some interesting information is disclosed dis-closed by a compilation of figures gathered gath-ered by tho committee from health officials of-ficials in 167 of the largest American cities. It is ehown that deaths in the United States last year increased 540,-000 540,-000 over 1917. This total is exclusive of the 75,000 soldiers who gave their lives on foreign soil. The number of births in 191S is placed at 2,700,000, an incrcas'j of !27,000 over the preceding year. The natural national increase in population is estimated at 450,000, com-! pared with 1,000,000 in 1917. Tho baby death rate for the country increased seven points, which is accounted ac-counted remarkably low when all elc-monls elc-monls conspiring against the baby are taken into account war unrest, hign cost of food, aud the influenza. The baby death rate in the city of New York, perhaps the most cosmopolitan community in tho World, was kept low despite the high cost of foodstuffs, general war conditions and the influenza, influ-enza, which was chiefly responsible for an increaso of nearly t!0,000 deaths of all ages, the city's deaths for the year numbering 98,11S. New York City's baby death rate was 92 per 1000, which is three points higher than that of tho previous twelve months, when a record was established. Infant deaths in the metropolis last year totaled 12,657, compared com-pared with 12,568 in 1917, an increase of only eighty-nine. It is found that the infant mortality rate for seventy-nine cities with populations pop-ulations over 50,000 is 97.2. The rate for thirty-eight cities between 50,000 and 100,000 of population is 113.8 and that for forty-five cities over 100,000 is 102.5. The honor infant death rate among cities of 100,000 or more, according to tho committee's figures, was attained by San Francisco which, with a population popu-lation of above half a million, lowered its baby death rale from 73.6 per 1000 in 1917 to 57.2. Seattle was not far behind with 63.4, although this is an increase for that town of four points. Reading, Ta., presented a figure of 202.9. Fixing 104 as the average death rate for the United States, it is found that of the forty-two cities with populations above 100.000 which reported, twenty-two twenty-two are above this figure and twenty below. The twenty-two cities whose rates are abovo this total, given in tho order of their si.c are Chicago 104.3; Philadelhpia 126; Boston 114.9; Baltimore Balti-more 147.8; Pittsburgh 122.5; Buffalo 121.5; Milwaukee 10S.2; Cincinnati 104.1; Newark 104.7; New Orleans 123.3; Washington 110.9; Jersey City 118.7; Louisville 117.3; Denver 107.3; Syracuse 117.4; Birmingham, Ala., 133.5; Memphis 145; Scranlon 114.2; Richmond 116.2; Fall River 161.3; Lowell 159.1; Albany 107.4. Only threo cities reportod baby death rates below fifty. These cities are all nf the class below 50,000. Brookline, Mass.. one of the five honor cities of 1917, has the lowest rate, 34.4; Madison, Madi-son, Wis., next wjlh 38.1 and F.isndcna, Cal., third with 43.S. |