AUSTRALIANS SEE POPULATION NEED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 80, 5 April 1943, Page 3

AUSTRALIANS SEE POPULATION NEED

GREAT INCREASE More Births And Migrants Advocated N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 11 a.m. SYDNEY, this day. Australia must increase its population to survive. That this fact is thoroughly realised by* the great majority of Australians was strikingly indicated by a recent public opinion survey. No less than 93 per cent of those questioned declared that the Commonwealth must have a great increase in its white population in order to be safe from invasion by the Asiatic races. The 93 per cent was split almost exactly into two halves—those who advocated more Australian babies and those who wished to encourage immigration as well as larger Australian families. Two-thirds of those favouring immigration wanted only [.English-speaking people to enter their I country, but there was considerable support for permitting entry to hardy white Nordic races, arid to Russians. The continuation of the "White Australian" policy was unanimously favoured. Bigger Australian families were advocated by 70 per cent of those questioned, 40 per cent favouring four children as the average family. Twenty-two per cent voted for three children, and 20 per cent considered there should be at least five children in the average family. Improved economic conditions, with security of employment and Government financial assistance, were widely advocated to encourage larger families. Baby bonuses and Government housing schemes (with a mortgage reduction for each child) were among the schemes suggested. During the past ten years Australia's birth rate has been below 20 per thousand of the population. Eighty years ago it was 42 per thousand. However, the birth rate has risen steadily since the depression j'ears, when it reached a record low level. For the first nine months of 1942— the latest figures available—it is still below the rate for 1929-30.