Death To be sure, the mortality in Berlin is not only low, but is still decreasing. In 1873 the death rate was 28 per 1,000; in 1885 it had risen to 29.98; but by 1898 it had fallen to 18.16; in 1904 was 17; and in 1911, 15.59. Still, the rate is not uniform, varying from 8 in the wealthier parts of the city to 22 per thousand in the poorer quarters. The decrease of mortality is due to better hygienic conditions, especially to water-supply and sewerage. Though the death rate among children is still high the city authorities are doing everything possible to combat the evil. Building ordinances have been made stricter, and the hygienic conditions of flat-houses have been thereby greatly improved, especially in the newly built portions of the city. Within recent years there has been a de cline in the birth rate which was 25.98 in 1906, and 21.64 in 1911.
Still the principal evil per sists, i.e., the crowded condition of apartment houses. On an average such a house in Berlin shelters 77 persons, and the flat of a workman, which usually consists of only two rooms, closet, etc., must not only shelter the family, but pro vide sleeping quarters for one or two outsiders. The explanation of this is to be found in the relatively high rents for such flats, the minimtun being $5 per month, or about one-fourth of a laborer's income. The desire to cut down the rent by letting sleeping quarters is amply met by the large number of worlanen moving into Berlin.
The building of model tenements for the bet terment of living ccmditions among the poor has not taken place to any considerable extent. Aside from a co-operative company that built 269 small homes for workingmen in the sub urbs, which were sold to the members of the company, there are seven building companies of philanthropic nature, but their houses offer ac commodations for less than 10,000 persons. Be sides, the administrations of some of the state industries have placed homes at the disposal of their workmen, and both the city and the state aid such benevolent enterprises by furnishing capital at a low rate of interest.
Aside from the evils of high rents, and, con sequently, overcrowded flatsz the conditions are not bad. The plumbing in the newer flat houses leaves nothing to be desired. In fact, both in Berlin and the suburbs, the better class of such houses have all modem conVeniences, and are comparatively luxurious.
The streets of Berlin are well cared for and are in excellent condition. Al ready 40 per cent of the streets are paved with wood or asphalt, the rest being paved with stone or cement. But the work of improvement con
tinues. The yearly pay-roll for street cleaning amounts to $531,0W. Much more is spent now on parks than formerly. Within the city limits there are seven state and five city parks. For the most part the city is illuminated by gas, but, since recently, in part by electricity. The city maintains an efficient fire department, which also acts as a good Samaritan in all cases of dis tress, whether from fire or otherwise. In ac cordance with an ordinance of more than a hun dred years standing, all buildings must be in sured in the city oFeuerkasse.° The average in surance valuation per house is $41,500.
Naturally, the great demand for real estate and the more luxurious style of architecture have increased valuations considerably. On an average property is worth about $65 per square metre.
The mean temperature is 9° Cen tigrade, the thermometer varying from about 0.7° below zero in the middle of January to 19° above zero in the middle of July. During the months of December, January and Febru ary the mean temperature varies from be low zero to 0.8° above zero. The mean tem perature for other months is as follows: March, 3.5° • April, 8.5° • May, 13.3° ; June, ; July, • August, 18.1° ; September, 14.6° • Octo ber, 9.5° • November, 3.8°. The mean barome ter is 76.2, the lowest, 56.9 centimetres. West winds prevail.
While, in general, healthful, the climate has been found to be unfavorable to young children in the summer. Stomach troubles are aggra vated by the heat, and the death rate among in fants is thereby considerably increased. The city has been free of epidemics for years.
Recent Since about 1865 the capital city of the empire has had, in many respects, a brilliant development. In this short period the population has trebled, hygienic con ditions have been wonderfully improved, and the city has become one of the most beautiful, and one of the most visited, cities in the world. More than a million strangers register in the hotels annually, not including the large num ber of visitors who find their temporary quar ters in those parts of the greater city which are under separate municipal control. Indeed, for the stranger, who cannot see the imaginary boundary lines,. it is all Berlin. Socially and industrially it is really only one city, and the entire complex of separate municipal corpora tions might be fittingly called Greater Berlin.