180 RELATION OF ORIGINS AND NATIVITY TO CRIME
The Ligh rate for the British born may ba partially explained by the urban character
of British immigration. It was shown in Table 54, Chapter V, that of the total foreign
sorn in ‘Canada 45.68 p.c. were domiciled in urban areas, while some 64.88 p.c. of those born
in the British Isles were urban residents. The differences are somewhat greater for the age
group 10-20 years. While 45.4 p.c. of the Canadian born children 10-20 years of age were
in urban districts, 66.6 p.c. of those born in other parts of the British Empire are classed
as of urban residence. The foreign born of the same age group show only 43.5 pec. in
incorporated cities, towns and villages. (Ref. Table 97, Vol. II, Census 1921.) Thus the
proportion of British born children in urban districts is approximately half again as large
as that of the Canadian or foreign born. The extent to which urban residence is more
favourable to apprehension for misconduct is unfortunately indeterminate, but the difference
is probably very considerable. However that may be, the conclusion is warranted that, in
so far as urban environment iz more conducive: to crime, the large proportion in reformatories
 among those of British birth from other parts of the Empire may be partially
explained on the basis of urban concentration. The high rate for the foreign born, on the
other hand, is not mitigated by considerations of rural and urban distribution, but is
rather slightly accentuated when compared with that for the Canadian born.
TABLE 111.—REFORMATORY POPULATION, BY SEX AND BIRTHPLACE, 1021.

[tems

Total
Reformators
population

Canadianborn

Reformator;
population

Other
British-born
Reformator;
ponulation

Foreign-born
Reformatory
population

2
275
52
84-0
16-0
152,615
213
Passing now to the relation between birthplace of parents and the number of children
in reformatories, attention is directed to Table 112, which shows the parentage of the
Canadian born reformatory population. It is most surprising to find that the Canadian
born children of British born parents show by far the highest proportion in institutions of
correction, and the Canadian born children of foreign born parents show the lowest. This
is all the more striking in the light of the previous table, which showed such high rates
for both the foreign born and British born children. It thus appears that while the foreign
born children as a group are rather badly behaved, the Canadian born children of foreign
born parents conduct themselves unusually well. This fact is quite contrary to current
opinion.
Reference will be made later to the difference in the rates for the foreign born
children and the Canadian born children of foreign born parents in Canada, but a few
words might appropriately be inserted here in connection with the amazing difference between
the British born child and the Canadian born child of British born parents. It must be
remembered that the war period occurred during the decade previous to 1921, and the
percentage of British born men who left their homes and went overseas was much larger
than that of any other nativity group in the population. No great numbers of the foreign
born fathers, on the other hand, were in the army during the war, and further, the necessity
of good behaviour, especially among foreigners of enemy origin, undoubtedly had a very
salutary effect on the discipline administered in the home, With the absence of such a
large proportion of British born fathers from the outbreak of the war, it is hardly to be
wondered at that the proportion of Canadian born children of British born parentage found
in reformatories in 1921 reflects the absence of parental discipline which inevitably must
have occurred. Contrary to the normal expectation, the Canadian-born children of British
born parents showed practically no improvement in respect to reformatory commitments
over ‘be children of similar parentage born outside Canada.

Total... een VR Ah Eheim
Total males...............o.ooo iol ili
Total females................... 0...
Males as percentage of total... .............oooseoreirenrinnns
Females as percentage of total....... .. y
Population 10 £0 20 years. .............ccvevensvnvnn..,
Number per 100,000 in reformatories. .. .

118
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