RACE SUICIDE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 17 November 1943, Page 6

RACE SUICIDE

falling birthrate

ADDRESS BY DR. HODGE

A wise nation watches its birthrate and the quality of its births, said the Rev. Dr. Alexander Hodge, speaking to-day on "Race Suicide at the luncheon of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. , Individual selfishness and individual immorality, said the speakei, were blows at national survival. This was not a matter only of religion. It belonged to sociology and to common sense There were definitely fewer children born in New Zealand to-day than there were 25 years ago, although the population had increased. Oniy two babies were born nowadays for every five born bO years ago. Fortunately, this decline had been countered somewhat by the decline in the death-rate. The natural increase of births over deaths had dropped from 27.21 per 1000 m 1876-80 to 9.16 per 1000 in 1936-40.

Fifty years ago there was one baby to every four women, said Dr. Hodge. To-day there was only one baby to every 11 women. Twentyfour per cent of marriages were childless and 19 per cent had one child only. Twenty per cent of the married couples brought into tne world 54 per cent of the next generation.

"The present social conditions offer inducement to restriction of families," continued Dr Hodge. "Bold legislation can reverse that. The moral issue is of paramount importance. The increase in notified venereal disease cases locally of 100 per month, the abortion of 20 babies a day in New Zealand and the widespread disregard of moral decencies are harmful to the State—seriously so— and should be faced by us all."