DR. BEDFORD'S RACE WELFARE LECTURES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 73, 19 December 1917, Page 3

DR. BEDFORD'S RACE WELFARE LECTURES

"THE CHILD." The'third of tho series of lectures given by Dr. Bedford connection with mce problems was delivered in the Y.M.OIA. buildings last evening, the subject being "The Child.'' Dr. Platts'-Mills presided. In commencing his lecturo, Dr. Bedford drew attention to the different ideals that had been tho guiding light of civilisation in the past. Coming to the present, ho found that the childlike ideal was the ideal of the Christian civilisation—tho child was tho centre of the faith. It was the freshness, the simplicity of the ohild that kept the world young. And yet how did we treat the child? asked the speaker. Answering his own question, Dr. Bedford said that peoplo to-day prevented great numbers of children from being born, and this declining birthrate was the menace of the world. Instanoing this decline in our own country, Dr. Bedford Baid that in New Zealand in 1886 the birth-rate per thousand was 36.40, and in 1916 the rate per thousand of the population was 26.33. The rate of natural increase had fallen in twenty-five years from 81.19 per thousand to 16.27. As a matter of fact tho decline would have been far greater had it not been for the faot that there had been made such a great advance in medical science, which had counteracted to a considerable extent this falling tendency, both in the matter of life-saving aid lifeprolonging. Every thinking man and women today was bemoaning tho folly nf our race in arresting the rate of, natural inorease. If our man-power were ex*hausted before the enemies we could not succeed in this war. The follow-ing-numbers showed the natural increase of our enemies as against that of Britain and two of her Allies: Germany per thousand, 12.8; Hungary, 15.8; Austria, 10.7. Against that was Britain, 10.4; Belgium. 7.8; France, no "increase at all. While the enemies inorease per thousand was 12 and a decimal point, that of the Allies was 10.4. v One well-known writer i>ad stated that every year in Germany two million of bo'yß Toadied military age, 'n. formidable statement truly. Only one country could exceed such numbers, and that country would be Russia. The conscience of the nation must be aroused as to the dreadful sin of preventing tho birth of children. Not only were they prevented from being born, but upon many that were fell the dreadful scourge of hereditary diseases, the rosults of impurity, and it had been said that during this war social diseases would kill more lives than were ever killed by tho gnns of the enemy. As a result of these diseases we had children suffering from meningitis, blindness, deafness, deformities, etc, while many were stillborn. The greatest of all \ragedics foil upon the children. In an'ago of fierce competition, when, if they wero to hold their own in futuro years, children should bo born.healthy in mirid and body, they came into the world blighted at tho very beginning, doomed to failure from no fault of own. The ideal for Now Zealand should be that every child should bo born strm--and healthy in mind and body. This poison of social diseases could be stopped if only people would arouse themselves and grapple with the evil. Dr. Bedford stated that he was convinced that this century was going to bo marked by a great advance in race culture. Wo must purify tho blood of the race. Tho foundation of domestic happiness, of national welfare and efficiency lay with 1 the child. A vote of thanks to Dr. Bedford K his able lecture was proposed by Mr. Browulee and carried unanimously.