THE BIRTH-RATE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 45, 2 December 1938, Page 3

THE BIRTH-RATE

POPULATION OF THE DOMINION.

SERIOUSNESS OF THE POSITION.

“Tim statement that Ncav Zealand cannot carry a bigger population is absurd,” said Mr G. A. Gilchrist (president "of the Ashburton Chamber of Commerce) in an address to members of the Chamber anti Rotary Club yesterday afternoon. A remit to the effect that the ’Chambers cooperate with the Government in attempting to (inti a. solution to the problem of the decline ol the birth-rate was considered at the annual confeience of the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce in Auckland recently, saio the speaker, Avho reviewed briefly the work done at the conference.

In England there Avas a population of 740 to the square mile, Avhile in New Zealand there were 15 to the square mile. There AA’ere only two in Australia but the Avide desert wastes or large portions of the country accounted a great deal for the alarmingly small figure. Japan, Avhich Avas similar to New Zealand both in size and in geographical aspect at present maintained a population of 450 to the square mile, and Avas increasing it at the rate of a million each year. NeAV Zealand Avas hardly holding its oavii, although the number of marriages Avent up in 1936 and 1937 after the depression. Fifteen out of every 1000 Avas the required number to keep the population stationaryat present it Avas 18.13 per thousand. “And it must decline if the present trend continues,” said Mr Gilchrist. The birthrate in this country is the loAvest in the Avorld. “It is a sorry state of affairs Airhen children are thought of as encumberances,” * continued the speaker. The family alloAvances and free maternity services had done something to help, but it was far from satisfactory. It was to be hoped that the provisions in the Social Security Act Avouid assist further.

Referring to the question of migration to the Dominion, Mr Gilchrist said that Great Britain was in about the same position as ourselves and not many could be inspected from there. A prominent English statistician had estimated recently that in 40 years time the population of Great Britain would be under 30,000,000. The school attendances, lie estimated, would be reduced to about half. After the address the president of the Rotary Club (Dr. J. Russell Wells) said that after Mr Leigh Hunt had given an address in Ashburton recently on tlic alarming! decline in the birthrate, a local committee had been formed to consider the matter, and it was hoped that there would bo some activities in this direction before long.