RE RACE EXTINCTION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 74, 20 December 1917, Page 8

RE RACE EXTINCTION

Sir,—Dr. Allen's address to the mothers during eek in Duncdiu, as published in The Dominion of December 15, makes interesting rcadi,,cr Can Dr. Allen tell me when or where they, a mother and her family, have ever been welcomed? Docs slw travel with, them in a tram-the children a*re a nuisance. Does mic seeK lodgings, is .she ever a source ot delight to the proprietress? - Does she want to rent a house, doesn t the fact of n family, bar all but the old, tumbledowns that the children can t damage. Does she over get, concessions would she travel by tram or boat.' Isnit she always met by the .demand as to the children's ages, and if by chance she tries to make Tommy or Mary a year or two younger, • does she ever meet with success? Doesn t she always have to pav full fare for all over twelve or some other ridiculously early age:' Who sits up at night when the children are sick? AVlio watches o\Gr them by day to keep them out of mischief? Who struggles hard to make 15s. do the work of £1 so they nil mav be clothed and fed? Who advertises in vain for the help that won t oome, because there are children ? Who has manv an anxious hour when Jte family are growing up. and need all ii mother's care and attention, uho. while tho new arrival is but a week nr ten days old. must be up and doing, because everything is_ at "P" sevens because mother m in bed. If Dr. Allen could go through what the majority of the women have done, and are still doing, he might thp.l realisa why the women do not want large families How many times have tho elder gMs, instead of enjoying, a few Imnrs of leisure or pleasure, been, compelled to mind their several small brothers and sisters, and they then resolvo never to have a. family if thero is anv chance of avoiding it? So long as tho mothers have such a hard and stonv road to travel, so long will be birth-rate decline, and till the mother's lot is made considerably more bearablp she will continue to do without children, and the State must put up with tho consequences.—l am, etc., A MOIHjM'.