"A MENACE TO SOCIETY,"

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10784, 11 October 1900, Page 2

"A MENACE TO SOCIETY,"

TO THB SDITOB O* Tfiß __U_SS. Sir,—Regarding the .object entitled "A Menace to the Nation," Appearing in these columns, and irpon which a: woman's opinion was de-dred, I, a woman, write the following:—

Dr. Thomas was reported to have stated that the "falling oS of the birth rate was due to the refusal of women to undergo childbirth." The fact that illegitimate births' are on the increase proves how utterly illogical jb this argument. It also proves that legitimate births are more to be dreaded than illegitimate ones, and the reason for this I will endeavour to show later on. The doctor also states that the advent of "women doctors will make matters worse, as women will sympathise with each other," etc. At a risk of wounding tho doctor's vanity, the plain fact must-here be stated, that the chief terror (especrallj- of a first confinement) is the preseneeof aonale doctor. Mush tension of mind is saved and comfort of the patient assured by the assistance of a woman doctor, and it is to. be regretted that more are not practising in this city. Biahop Julius is reported to have deplored the state of society which allows the use of unnatural and immoral preventives. Now, We find in nature that animals are not guided by reason in these matters, but instinct, and God has ordained seasons of reproduction for beast and herb, which, in itself, limits progeny; moreover, the males of many, animals destroy, when possible, their own young. They obey, no doubt, an instinct »n> planted for the same reason. Can it be argued then that man, who has free will and reason, shall not regulate these matters? When God has set the processes of nature in order, do we expect him to stay their fruition? Moreover, it is not possible for any human frame to bring to perfection all the prompting towards procreation. St. Paul advised prevention (under stress of circumstances) in hi. day, and this most probrbly holds good at the present time.

The use of preventives does not get to the root of the matter. What then does •cause the falling rate of legitimate births? In the first place it is obviously due to too rapid births in early married life. The.consequence is the woman's constitution is com pletely broken down from this reason, and the constant hard work that the care of a '"large ismall'' family entails. A medical man gives his opinion, that two years at least should elapse between the birth of each child, and there should be an interval of four years.

I knew a woman whose husband was what is popularly known as a good Christian (?) man. He did not drink or thieve, but he burdened his wife with a child every year for nine or ten years, till at last- she "was slowly done to death, and died a fortnight before her last child should have been born, and the details of that death are too ghastly to be put into print. When there is time ailowrd for tlie mother to gather strength and comforts and the father means and interest for the new comer, we may expect to fit'd a better birthrate than obtains at tbe i present time. It is an inhuman thing, that ] tho coming child should be looked upon as j a burden and encumbrance.

Another cause which tends to diminish the birth rate is the constant and extreme hard work to which many of the middle and labouring classes of womenare subjected. A Wellington doctor some time ago said, "That in all his experience in other countries he lias never seen so many cases of diseases of _ women as he had in 'New Zealand, and it was brought about, in his opinion, by the excessive hard work they had to perform." I knew a woman who had to chop wood, draw water, cook for several men up to the day of her confinement. She then died A working woman once told mc the only rest she ever got was when she was confined.

Facta like these throw some light on the reason why illegitimate births are on the increase, because the immoral woman lives a

life of comparative ease, while a decent woman's life becomes a burden almost too heavy to be borne. Yet another tending- towards the same resultsis the difficulty of obaining anything like adequate help by a woman of small means. She must do everything herself, nurse, wash, cook, sew, etc. Her sleep is broken at night, but she must still wprk in tlte day, and the most she can afford is to keep some little nurse girl, who is neither dependable, clean, or quick, and who has to ba-paid for what she is taught. Training schools for nurse girls and servants aro much needed in. this colony, where girls could get real instruction, and be of some use to mothers when employed. The overwork of mothers brings m to another aspect of the case, for which we will tiike an object lesson from the farm yard. When a man has a milch cow, he does not put her in a bullock team and work her all day and part of tbe night, but ho gives her food and rest, and the cow responds and makes milk. But a' woman must work and nurse her child, and mostly fails in the latter, for she cannot do both.

Artificial foods have to be used, and the cost of them proves a great tax on labouring people. The extreme cost of all necessaries of infants' living is one of the great drawbacks to a high birth rate. If legislators cheapened all infants' appliances, foods, sugar,*sago, etc., and clothing, much would be done towards increasing families. Of course, wealthy people who refuse parental duties cannot he excused on the ground of want of means, but they are comparatively a small class, and do not much affect the state ef affairs;

* Prosperous and happy middle and labouring classes constitute the real backbone of a country ; from these the birth rate is largest, but on these the care of the family falls heaviest. For the position of a mother with a large family is, too often, not an enviable one. There seems to be absolutely no sympathy with, or compassion for, her., She is an object of contemptuous pity to her neighbours. She is tied to her house. Public opinion is intolerant; should she go to an entertainment and her baby gives but one ory, she is scowkd out of the house. She dare not go to church for the same reason, and when the vicar in voice of bland reproof remarks, "He has not seen her in church lately;" then the iron enters her soul,' and she only longs for things that are bad.

The baby is the butt of coarse jokes in the comic papers. Servants will not go where there are children. How often in an advertisement we see "no children" held out as an inducement for an application. In America it is a common sight to see fathers carrying babies and wheeling perambulators, the men there are not'ashamed of their children.

The mothers of this country need a great deal more consideration than they get at the present time. Upon them mainly rest the physique and early traiadng of future generations, and tmtil this is shown them, little need he expected in the way of increased population.—Yours, etc., THE OTHER SIDE OF THE QUESTION. October Bth, 1900.

TO THE EDTTOB. OP THE PRESS,

Sir,—Dr. Thomas in declining to further discuss this subject begs the question by assuming such knowledge to be unrighteous. He implies also that it is an over-riding of the laws of nature, which cannot be transgressed without a sequel of retribution. But if the so-called transgression has brought with it only benefit and blessing in tlie shape of improved health and strength and longer life to numbers of women, a more vigorous and ltealthy offspring, though diminished in numbers, it would seem as if nature's laws were only being observed, and that they had been previously, as shown by tbe ill results.

The value of the utterance of Rev. Father Gallais may easily be estimated by one statement that such practices meant the murder of tbe child's soul, because it had not b?en baptised. The idea that childnO, either born or unborn, will be eternally lost, (which I understand to be the equivalent of the murder of tbe soul) because some formal religions rite has not been performed upon them, is utterly revolting to all sense of justice, not to speak of love and mercy, antonly fit fcr the Dark Ages. If such b. the teaching of the Catholic, or any other, church, may we be preserved from it! But the Rev. Father also assumes too much. In the matter in question, no life, as the word preventive implies, has ever been produced, and no destruction of life can, therefore, result.—Yours, etc., COMMONSENSE.