PENALISED PARENTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3034, 22 March 1917, Page 3

PENALISED PARENTS

MOVEMENT FOR JUSTER METHOD ' OF TAXATION. ("Daily News" Correspondent.) , The claim of the family man to a more handsome treatment from the taxgatherer is to be urged upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer before the next Budget is prepared. /Dr. Saleeby announced the movement at a oonference on tho declining birth-rate, which opened at Birmingham recently, under the auspices of the National Council of j Public Morals. The Bishop of Birj minghara presided. _ The heavy exactions on . those who enter on the responsibilities of parent- j hood were held largely responsible for tho shrinking -increment of the population. "We provide, housing, but we don't provide homing, declared Dr. j Saleeby. "If you have a baby, outyou jolly well go," was the watchword i j of the'landlord, notwithstanding the j fact that the future of the Empire de- ; ponded upon the baby. Sir Robert j Baden Powell was quoted as saying, when asked when the war would end: j "I don't know, but tho issue of the war will be decided in 1930 by tho sum j of the effective life of the nations of the world." Dr. Saleeby told the con- j ferenoo that there was only one other i instar.ee of such a dis'prmortion of! population and area as tho British Empire presented. The other was Home, and what was our memento mnri w>w. The nation must beware how it accented schemes for the emigration of disbanded soldiers' to other parts of the Empire." The Salvation Army plan of sending 'women to the colonies-was much wiser! '. Dr. Robertson, Medical Officer of Health for Birmingham, related how householders who had children were driven out from suburban areas into slumland because of the landlord's objections, but said he thought that could be remedied. ' An Imperial Baby Day is to be organised this year on or about Empire Day, by tlie National Institute of JTothercraft, and its purpose, a "Daily News" representative was informed, is by meanß of exhibitions '.of infant welfare and competitions in mothercraft to rouse the nation to the,need of saving every baby for the future. How great is the need can be seen from the

fact that of tho children born overy year in England and Wales nearly 90,000 die bofore they are a year old, and another 100,000 die 5 -annually during the anto-natal period.