THE WORKING MA-X'S FAMILY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 76, 31 March 1913, Page 8

THE WORKING MA-X'S FAMILY.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Kindly permit mc to say on? word or *wo with regard to a question tvhiuh seem? to be exercising the minds of a great many at the present time, and that i<. -IJie declining birth-rate."' Personally, .sir. I am one that has to live o;i a weekly wage, and am able to speak 4rom the worker's, porst of view ;is one having racptrionce at the back of mc. J u tiie first place, there is- absolutely nothing to encourage the workingclasses to go in for large families, tout a very great amount to discourage it. One <-fu-o to tiic point, which came under my personal notice a few weeks back. A ii'.iourer called on a- doctor to attend his wire, "ho liad a premature birth the iiiglH previous. Although the doctor «?> c.illed on early, as the man was on h\~ why t" work in the mornins. he land-

Oil at the house nfter 9 o'clock at night, iva.s not in the house seven minutes all told, and sent in his bill for three jpiinea--. That is good encouragement for workers to populate the country. To my mind it ifi far better for the .workers x<> refrain from having large families altogether.. The cry nowadays is for people to leppp within their earnin-gis, which it is impossible Tor a. man to d-o with a family of live or six children. A couple of healthy children. well brought up and looked after, is a far better asset to a home and the State iluin eight or nine that are dragged up with no parental control, and nothing in life for them to look forward to. .[ .-inceri'ly trust, sir. that more than ever the worker will begin to realise that he bis no right to take on greater responsibilitifs than he can faithfully discharge. The worker refrains from going in for motor ears or suoh luxuries because he may fail to meet his obligations towards the' one from whom lio has purchased it. Lot, us more than ever remember that we have a very serious obligation towards young flesh and blood that we brine into the world, and let us- see to it, that wo keep well within trar earnings. ■ —1 am. etc., FATHER OF TWO.