WHY IT IS LOW

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 135, 5 December 1944, Page 4

WHY IT IS LOW

AUSTRALIAN BIRTH-RATE

CANBERRA, December 4 Lack of good housing, domestic help, and financial security are the three basic reasons why Australian women are limiting their families. This is the opinion of the Commonwealth Direc-tor-General of Health, Dr. J. H L Cumpston, who has received 1400 letters from women "who have deliberately resolyed either not to have children or to limit th-oir families."

Reporting to. die National Health and Medical Research Council which has been investigating the problem of Australia's declining birthrate Dr Cumpston said he letters presented a picture of social conditions which must be profoundly altered if Australia were to survive.

"It is impossible to dismiss this subject with the comment that all these difficulties arise from the war" said Dr. Cumpston. "These letters suggest to me that just as the effects of the depression are still bitter memories so will the great mental and physical disturbances arising from war conditions have a delayed effect over many years."

Dr. Cumpston listed as additional reasons for the limitation of families by Australian women their fears of continued national insecurity after the war and of the failure ttf effect improvements in the social order. The letters received, he said, came from all classes of society and were not limited to thu lower or any other economic level.