THE NATIONAL NURSERY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9630, 10 April 1917, Page 7

THE NATIONAL NURSERY

“THE INHERITOR OF THE EARTH” MIN WHO EARNS LITTLE AND SPENDS LESS. “It would he criminal folly not to people our Dominions with our stock while yet there is time. The next 30 years will decide for all time whether those magnificent and still empty countries are to be the homo of great nations speaking our language, carrying On cur institutions and valuing our traditions. So says Dean Inge in a powerful article on “The Birth Rate" in the “Edinburgh Review," in which he insists on the urgent importance of the discussion of this great problem. “For some time to come we are likely to see. in ’all the leading nations, a restricted birth-rate, prompted by desire lor social betterment, combined, however, with concessions to the rival policy of commercial expansion, growing numbers and military preparation,'' says Dean Inge. “A low birth-rate may indicate a tendency to withdraw from the struggle toi existence, and to sacrifice the future to the present. There have been signs that manv of our countrymen no longer ’think the strenuous life worth while; part of our resentment against Germany resembles the annoyance of an oidfasnloned firm, disturbed in its comfortable security by the competition of a young and more vigorous rival. It is even suggested that otter the war we should protect ourselves against German competition by tariff walls. . This abandonment of the policy on. which our prosperity is built would soon bring cur over-populated island to rum.

ROOM FOR 200 MTELIONS. “What should be our policy with regard to population tor the next firty lears? I am Jed to an opinion wdicn may seem to run counter -to the general purport of this article. For though the British isles are even aangerouaij .uu, so that we are iiable to be starved out if wo lose the command of the sea, cue British Empire is very far from being over-populated. In Canada and Australasia ’ there is probably room tor nearly 200,000,000 people. These countries are remarkably healthy tor Northern Europeans; there is no reason why they should not he as rich and powerful as the United States are now. We hope that we have saved tho Empire from German oupidity-rtor the time; but we cannot tell how long we may be undisturbed. It—'would be criminal foity not to make the most of the respite granted us, to people our Dominions with our own stock, while yet there is time. This, however, cannot be done by casual and undirected emigration of the old kind. We need an Imperial Board of Emigration, the officials of. which will work .in co-Operatioh with the Governments of our Dominions. These Governments, it may be presumed, will be anxious, after the . war, to, strengthen the colonies by increasing their population and developing their resources. “We know now that our young people who emigrate are by no means lost to the Empire. The Dominions have shown that in time of need the are able and willing to defend the Mother Country with their full strength.' Indeed, a young couple who emigrate are likely to be of more value to the Empire than if they had stayed at Homo; and their chances of happiness, are much increased if " they find a home in a part of the world' where more human beings are wanted. _ THE BEAL ISSUE.

“The real issue of this war is whether our great colonies are to continue British; and tho question will be decided not only on the field of battle, but by the action of our Government and people after peace is declared. "The next 50 years will decide for all time whether those magnificent and still empty countries axe to be the homo of great nations speaking our language, carrying on .our institution*, and valuing our traditions. ' , _ "When the future part of our Dominions is secure, the part of England as a World-Power will have been played to a successful issue, and we may be content with a position more consonant with the small area of these islands.

THE INHERITOR OF THE EARTH. “The mam. who earns little and spends less is the ultimate .inheritor of the earth." adds Dean Inge. . "The lament of the eugenist resounds in all countries alike. The Gorman complains that the Poles, whom he considers an inferior race, breed like rabbits, while the gifted exponents of Kulture onlv breed like mares. The AmenCan is nervous about tho numoens of the negro; he has more reason to bo nervous about the fecundity of the Slav and South Italian immigrant. Everywhere the tendency is for the superior stock to dwindle till it becomes a small aristocracy. -Tho Americans of British descent are threatened with this fate. Pride and a high standard of living are not biological virtues. “We diid not lose, America, iff the eighteenth century; we are losing it now. As for South Africa, the Kaffir can live like a gentleman (according to his own ideas) on six months’ ill-paid work every year; the Englishman finds an income of A2OO too small. There is only one end to this kind of colonisation The danger at home is that the larger part of the population is now beginning to insist upon a scale of remuneration and a standard of comfort which are incompatible / with any survlival valueWe all wish to he privileged aristocrats, with no serfs to work for us. “It is well known that a decline in the birth-rate set in about forty years ago in this country, and has gone on steadily ever since, till the fall now amounts to about one-thiird of the total births. It thus - corresponds very nearly to tho fall In the death-rate during tho same period. It is also Well known that this decline is not evenly distributed among different classes of the People. Until the decline began, large families were tbe rule in all classes, and the slightly larger families of the poor were compensated by their somewhat higher mortality, “But since 1877 large families hays become increasingly rare in the upper jind middle classes and among the skilled artisans. They are frequent in the thriftless ranks of unskilled labour) and in one section of well-paid workmen —tho miners. The highest birth-rates at present are in the mining districts and in the slums. The lowest are in some of the learned professions. In the Rhondda Valley tho birth-rate is still about forty, which is double the rate in tho prosperous residential suburbs of London. EFFECT OF WOMEN’S WORK.

"In the seats of the textile industry the decline has been very severe, although wages are fairly good; among the agricultural labourers the rate is also low. It will be found that in all trades where the women work for wages the birth-rate has fallen sharply; the miner’s wife does not earn money, and has therefore less inducement to restrict her family. In agricultural districts the housing difficulty is mainly responsible; in the upper and middle classes the heavy expense of education and tho burden of rates and taxes are probably the main reasons why larger families are not desired. “The enormous multiplication of the European races since the middle of the eighteenth century is a phenomenon quite unique in history, and never likely to be repeated. The population of England and Wales is said to have been 4,800,000 in 1600, 6,000,000 in 1700, ana

6,500,000 in 1750 It was 8.890,000 in 1801, 32,530,000 in 1901, and approximately 37,000,000 in 1914. “What then are the birth-rates to. day? In England and Wales, Dean Inge says, the pre-war figure was 21 .per 1000; in 1876 it was a little over 36; in the German Empire 27.5 in 1313. “The decline has been of late slightly more rapid in Germany, falling from a high birth-rate, than in England, where the maximum was never so high.” Dean Inge also points out that "since 1865 the average duration of life in England and Wales has been raised by a little more than one-third. Other European countries show the same ratio of improvement-’’