DEPOPULATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 698, 24 December 1909, Page 15

DEPOPULATION.

:BAUON D'ESTOUUNELLES'S REMEDIBS.'w'fU The Trench . "Journal Ofliciol" . publisboj ;: ; i' statistics of tlio movement of populations in) v ' Franco for 'tKo_ first half of tlio present year "J" •as-compared with tliij 'same' Tho chief figures are as' follow:— r> r- ,v; xaos. • ;v"^;-i908;Sl ! ,^;'? ■"Marriages','.;.'.;...;. 160,294; ■. 102,495 KrWj l Divorces. v 0,148* •<••••• - 5,G05 Births 398,710, 411,402 Deaths 426,513 401,894 Thus,: there is■; a,' diminution- of .-."births -of vij'tH 12,092, and an increase, of deaths •> of -' 25,019. ; fV* The excess of death?'over births is 28,203. and ; ; if this proportion -is maintained.in: tlio lattei; lialt of tlio : present year the result will bi evon worse.' than in tho' year. 1907—the sixth" .; j yeai since the Franco-Gorman War, in which ' vs the population of' I'ranco has. shown an 'actual, - : diminution, ' ;. ••■ .v-.'-,'-■'Bnron d'Estournelles do Constant; contri-,' '• butea ■to to-dayV "Matin" 'an interesting ar- S '-Vi tide on ,tlio subject. Ho ls'not a belitver in' ! " pri7.es for : largo .' families,' but ho : points' : that-..the present 'fiscal' legislation' of ; France 'i? - imposes, <as it wore, prizes for .small-ono.v"lt. : ''i''' 1 favours' celibacy, .'childless homes, and the ploitatioii: of woman. Childhood, in France is '- v--not honoured'- as it : is in other countries.' ■ Wo"> are disdainful toward our .children; however,s few l .vhoy./.may bp, ; they seem'' to.. ocoupy";M';%': mUch-;room. m;the. house.'- Wo"send them out ' V;' to;iiur6o, and get rid of them until they have to go- to barracks ,or pet - m'arried. A father 11 of a family is ridiculed, The family is taxed os, a luxury^.the. unmarried man being posi' > tively , lot ■ off lightly, as though he wore wore useful servant of liis country. Th< f mother: of- a .family: .cannot find: employment!, r -.' t dogs and children aro only admitted on suf , feranco into : houses • owned by respcctabli < V landlords.", 7 ;'■ -v'- ■- ■ -a'wlv