The Grey River Argus THURSDAY, November 30, 1944. FUTURE OF AUSTRALIA

Grey River Argus, 30 November 1944, Page 4

The Grey River Argus THURSDAY, November 30, 1944. FUTURE OF AUSTRALIA

In a constant flow of items, more or less adverse to Labour, cabled to the Press here from Australia, the fact that the Government there is far-sighted, cannot always be ignored. The latest instance is its anxiety for such an increase of population as shall ensure national development and security. The possibility of bringing it up Ito twenty millions is now envisaged by means of a revival of large scale immigration and of encouragement for a much enlarged birthrate. New Zealand should take note, since it has been brought home to us by the war as never before that the destiny of these two countries tends more and more to be bound up with the future of the Pacific and so much the less with that of Europe. The climate and other natural conditions are such that, in proportion to its area, the Dominion ought to be able 'to maintain more people than Australia. Defence alone dictates that it shall endeavour to do so. In addition, an accelerated increase should make for so much greater prosperity. An ageing population spells decay. Juvenile more than adult immigration, not merely from Britain, but from other European areas, is prescribed for the Commonwealth. Those in New Zealand who have taken a lead in this direction emphasise the same thing. But it is generally admitted that the best of all additions is that of native births, which may be encouraged partly by economic means, but must mainly depend on moral means. Il; has been pointed, out in Australian cities that, while women may have itiade small families “fashionable,” men also are to blame in the respect that they tend to neglect home life for the sake of their interest in sport, for male companionship and even for dissipation. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, recently reporting upon reforms regarded as urgent for the encouragement of the birthrate, recommended the provision of homes in which ilhe occupier has some sense of ownership and responsibility; relief and help in many forms for mothers at home; greatly improved hospital, medical and nursing services for maternity cases-' and provision, as far as possible, of economic security. On the other hand, the Council, after considering reports by six experts and extracts from more than 1400 confidential letters from Australian women giving reasons for limiting their families, stated that the question of population and income should be reviewed on the basis of the family unit, in which no man without a wife or children should be regarded as iiaCionalh equal in value- to a man with a wife and children. The family unit is undoubtedly the fundamental fact of the matter. Parents cannot ignore it, nor can the Government. Internally Australia’s vast areas call for. development by means of irrigation. Lately it has been remarked that interior rivers during even the past quarter of a century have, waned and been soaked up increasingly by the desert sands. Therefore, it is suggested that the deserts should be fertilised by 'the diversion of flood waters from the east back into the interior. By analogy, the interest of Australian parents must: be directed back from selfish tendencies to the-fact that the family is the foundation of the nation. Women have in this regard a part to play at least as primary as that of men. So much is indicated by two Australian women, Dame Enid Lyons, M.P. (who previously had pointed out how actual experience of large families was the best corrective of women’s aversion 'io them) and Lady' Cilento (wife of the Queensland DirectorGeneral of Health).’' They attribute the decline in the size of families to what they term the inspiration of the movies, .the Hollywood influence having been to persuade women that large families are not to be desired. A mode of life unsuited to the claims of children or to motherhood is found to be inculcated also by the popular magazines, commercial advertisements, current fiction* and newspaper articles. Greater'

child endowment as an integral element in' the family wages; housing priority for parents; the precedence of household drapery and infant needs over fashion goods in production, and the removal of wartime hardships 01. mothers are advocated. If Australia is to feel safer in her contemplation of Asia’s thousand millions, she can no longer condone the prosper'? to which her Census Bureau points, namely, ■ a very slow population increase for another generation or so, and then a decline by the year 2000 to her present numbers again. New Zealand faces a future not essentially different in respect of population, and cannot any longer afford to remain complacent. We have done better than Australia in at least the matter of housing, and probably also in our additional State provision of Social Security. But it is for the people themselves also to respond to the needs of the situation, and to bear in mind that the larger the average family the greater will be 'the national security.