THE DECLINING BIRTH RATE 



125 



registration has recently become compulsory and a few special 

 investigations relative to this subject. 



In Rhode Island in 1905, 82.5 per cent of foreign born married 

 women were mothers (15.5 per cent childless), while in the native 

 American wives 71.6 per cent were mothers (28.4 per cent 

 childless) . The average number of children bom to foreign born 

 married women was 3.35, while the average number among native 

 born married women was 2.06. Since 1885 the average number of 

 children per foreign bom married woman decreased from 4.69 to 

 3.35, or 28.6 per cent while the average number per native born 

 married woman fell from 2.81 to 2.06, or 26.7 per cent. 



In Massachusetts in 1900- 1905 there were 143 births per 1,000 

 foreign bom women of 15-44 years, while among native born 

 women of the same age limits there were only 63 births. Mr. 

 A. H. Young finds in New Hampshire a situation very similar to 

 what occurs in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. At ages under 

 20 years the birth rate of foreign born wives exceeded that of 

 native born by only about one-fourth, but at ages from 25 to 34 

 years the birth rate of foreign born wives was over double that 

 of the native wives. The birth rates of married women of child- 

 bearing ages are shown in the following table taken from data of 

 the U. S. Census: 



The state registration statistics give the average annual 

 number of births per thousand married women of 15-45 years 

 from 1898-1902 as 115.3 for the native born women, and 236.8 

 for the foreign born women. The presence of a large French- 



