THE BIRTH RATE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13161, 7 July 1908, Page 9

THE BIRTH RATE.

A SERIOUS PROBLEM. (special to "the press") WELLINGTON. July 6. The lion. J. A. Millar (Minister for Labour), in tho course of a reply to a deputation from the Waterside Conference to-day, stated that he had been keeping a critical eye upon the population problem. H was too big a question, "he told the deputation, mlio had some views upon the matter, to discuss off hand, but unless mo in New Zealand did something towards a natural increase in our population, it M'otild be a serious matte;-. Thoy would realise that he had not been idle, because in his annual report, which would be down before long, they Mould see figures- that Mould simply stagger them, on nc.ount ef the de-ere--i.se in the numl.-r ol" children of a given agu attending *ch<'._■!. It would be, iml»o.s..il>]e ti) keen up the industries of the Dominion unless they maintained the population. (Hear, hear.) When he found that the figures stood as they did, it had quite startled him. He had taken the records ol" the past sixteen years, and the decrease in the birthrate, and then Ment into the annua! increase of faeto__*'s and industries generally, and marked out the number of men required there, etc. It Mould be impossible to maintain those industries without a natural increase in the population. The school figures he had obtained from the Education Department's reports. It was a very serious matter indeed, and if the country had to depend upon immigration— well, it was a poor country, though ho realised the value of good immigrants. (Applause.) This matter, no doubt, had its solution, but the best M-av of dealing with it they had not yet decided, but ere long the present Government, or some other, Mould have to deal with the matter, and in a praoti<-iI way. "We are face to face with the problem," declared Mr Millar, "and we will have to deal with it in the best possible manner." (Applause.)