15
such traditional agricultural societies. The age profile of the enumerated male population of the Northern District in 1911 and 1921 is shown at Tables 3, 5 and 6 below
15
The information recorded in the censuses can be seen to be basically accurate, but there was clearly significant under-reporting of both young girls and young boys, in both censuses. In the Northern District in 1911, 4,472 males aged 5-9 years old are recorded, but only 3,356 males aged 0-4. But oral evidence strongly suggests that in fact mortality in the first years of life was very high - many contacts suggest that up to a fifth, or even more, of all live births died before they reached five years of age. So there should be significantly more males aged 0-4 than males aged 5-9, given that there were no social catastrophes or other reasons why the years 1907-1910 should have seen a sharp downturn in births. The 1921 Census also shows significant under-reporting of young boys, although probably not to the same extent as in 1911. The likely reasons for this under-reporting are the traditional reluctance to acknowledge a son until he was safely weaned, and thus less likely to be attacked by demons, and to doubts as to the government's intentions in holding the census. In 1921 the census officer discussed under-reporting of youths at some length: the unwillingness to report boys was, he felt, primarily due to "puerile rumours" of human sacrifice of young children by the government. The enumeration of males aged 10 and over in both censuses must be seen as essentially accurate, given the close similarities in the figures in both censuses.
If the slopes of the curves in Table 3 are projected backwards it seems very likely that the annual number of live male births in the Northern District in both 1911 and 1921 was about 1,250. The census officer in 1921 gave some thought to birth rates in the New Territories, which he considered to be "35 per thousand," as compared to "23 per thousand" in the City with its unbalanced male/female ratios. This would give Northern District an annual live male birth figure of slightly less than 1,250.
48
In both censuses, the under-reporting of young girls in Northern District (Tables 4, 5, and 6) was more significant than the under-reporting of young boys. The same phenomenon of a much smaller recorded population of girls aged 0-4 than 5-9 is seen in the 1911 Census
15
such traditional agricultural societies. The age profile of the enumerated male population of the Northern District in 1911 and 1921 is shown at Tables 3, 5 and 6 below
15
The information recorded in the censuses can be seen to be basically accurate, but there was clearly significant under-reporting of both young girls and young boys, in both censuses In the Northern District in 1911, 4,472 males aged 5-9 years old are recorded, but only 3,356 males aged 0-4. But oral evidence strongly suggests that in fact mortality in the first years of life was very high- many contacts suggest that up to a fifth, or even more, of all live births died before they reached five years of age. So there should be significantly more males aged 0-4 than males aged 5-9, given that there were no social catastrophes or other reasons why the years 1907-1910 should have seen a sharp downturn in births." The 1921 Census also shows significant under- reporting of young boys, although probably not to the same extent as in 1911. The likely reasons for this under-reporting are the traditional reluctance to acknowledge a son until he was safely weaned, and thus less likely to be attacked by demons, and to doubts as to the government's intentions in holding the census. In 1921 the census officer discussed under-reporting of youths at some length: the unwillingness to report boys was, he felt, primarily due to "puerile rumours" of human sacrifice of young children by the government." The enumeration of males aged 10 and over in both censuses must be seen as essentially accurate, given the close similarities in the figures
in both censuses
If the slopes of the curves in Table 3 are projected backwards it seems very likely that the annual number of live male births in the Northern District in both 1911 and 1921 was about 1,250 The census officer in 1921 gave some thought to birth rates in the New Territories, which he considered to be “35 per thousand," as compared to "23 per thousand" in the City with its unbalanced male/female ratios. This would give Northern District an annual live male birth figure of slightly less than 1,250.”
48
In both censuses, the under-reporting of young girls in Northern District (Tables 4, 5, and 6) was more significant than the under- reporting of young boys. The same phenomenon of a much smaller recorded population of girls aged 0-4 than 5-9 is seen in the 1911 Census
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