WHEN THE WORLD WILL BE OVER-POPULATED.

The ' Times,' commenting on Mr Eavenstein's paper at the British Association on over-population, says: Mr Eavenstein estimates the population of the world for the present year at 1,468,000,000, and, after inakfng caret' ul allowance for various unfavourable circumstances, he comes to the comforting conclusion that the human race may increase to the number of 5,994,000,000 without outrunning the supply of food. As this is equal to more than four times the existing population, it may be feared that improvident persons will find in his figures some encouragement to conI tinued carelessness. But a closer examination will convince all but the most thoughtless that, great as is the ! apparent margin, we cannot afford to •dispense with caution and foresight. Mr Eavensteiu has put to himself the ; pregnant question, How long will it ibe before the wor d is full of human•ity if it persists in its present reckless rate of increase —namely, 8 per cent, iper decade? Moat people will probably learn with pained surprise that on these terms the limit of expansion will be reached in 182 years. In the 'year 2072, unless the human race its ways, there will be no more room anywhere. Bub a single decade iwill see an increase of 479 millions, [ and in a single year — the year 2073— ia number of unfortunates exceeding jthe present population of the United 'Kingdom will be horn into a world which will have no food to offer them. Imagination reels under the effort to Irealise the gigantic calamity thus sclearly foreshadowed by the operations of science. The interval may iactually be bridged by a couple of ilives. The babe born "this year may (live to see the birth of a grandchild |or great grandchild in 1981, who, in (turn, may live to witness the birth in J2073 of one of his descendants fated ltd/end ure either starvation or a diet ;of grass. Surely the most frivolous itnuat pause at the awful thought.