THE DECLINING BIRTH RATE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3677, 1 March 1899, Page 7

THE DECLINING BIRTH RATE.

: THE CROSS OP MATERNITY. “Dear me ! ” writes “L" from Fatea, “ what we have read lately about the cross of maternity, and how selfish human beings are -on all social questions I Are there no other species that suffer from tho cross of maternity ? I think there n - e . Take poor pussy for an example, has become depraved by her associations, and now has to bear the cross of maternity as well as her human mistress. For instance the feline that is supposed to keep the rodents at bay in my house has had to bear the cross to the extent of 18 during the last year. What would her mistress think if such a number in one year were added to her family ? Yet poor pussy bears it all and gets very little sympathy from anyone;- not even her husband seems to care about her troubles —in fact the wretch goes out every night, and gets home at all hours in the morning. She is nursing six just now. Bet maternity think of six crosses six days old, with no wet nurse, and no feeding bottle. Humans talk" about bringing young into the world for other humans to : work for profit, but fancy poor puss bringing young into the world for humans to drown; and this is so commonly tho case that as .soon as my little girl sees new kittens, she begins to plead for tlMpr lives. The other week the Wife of a friend of mine was delivered of twins, arid in due time my little girl was taken to see them. After getting oyer her astonishment at seeing two new babies at once, she asked, “ Which are they going to drown ? ”

MEN BLAMED

“ Another Woman,” in the course of a discursive letter, makes the following remarks pertinent to the "subject tinder discussion : —There is an old saying, too repulsively worded to quote, to tho effect that a bride well whipped soon after marriage would, when a mother, prove a loving and obedient wife. A celebrated Melbourne doctor, now - deceased, when passing "through the wards'of one of the Women’s Hospitals, accompanied by the medical students, said “ It had been a puzzle to him for along time why- so-sobn. after marriage girls become ill and diseased. He blamed the women at first, but he had found that the root of this evil was with the men.” i do not know that any woman wants more than fairplay, a right to live, not a mere existence our health a consideration; so it does seem outrageous to find a doctor making us a target, for malicious insinuations. It is not the wish of any Honest minded woman, in any station of life, to lie about on sofas and be ailing day after day; and yet such is the fate of many a girl after mnyriage. At present in some of the neighbouring colonies diseases of a certain sort amongst women are appalling and

the medical faction is reaping a rich harvest. Amongst British people one hears of delicate women having children yearly, in many cases to live only a few hours. In a French home the children are eared for, beloved and happy, and as a general rule the French wives are healthy. Now when information has been spread broadcast by unworthy instruments amongst the sinful, it is not by howling at the respectable married'community, and suggesting clerical interference in private affairs, that you will build up your communities. The root of this matter will be found elsewhere. “It is only the fear of God keeps young folks right.” If you wish them to become good citizens, teach them each is his brother’s keeper. SOME CLOSING REMARKS. I think (write “A Mother”) that many of your readers will Lave, like myself, been much astonished to find so much controversy on the much-vexed question of tho declining birth-rate. Perhaps there is need for all this, hut I am inclined to think the information thus given may cause an increase instead of lessening the evildoing of which my sex is suspected. I take it all guilty parties are undergoing a very trying punishment, with all this publicity in the “Times,” and which has not been pleasant or elevating to one’s mind to read, and has led us to wish it had not had such a free pub lication, as doubtless soma very young psoplo road newspapers. lias society in this advanced age of improvement become degenerated or improved ? This is a grave question which I would liko explained satisfactorily.