THE WORLD'S BIRTH-RATE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12255, 4 June 1914, Page 7

THE WORLD'S BIRTH-RATE.

That a high birth-rate does not necessarily produce prosperity and power was an important point emphasised by Mi 1 C. V. Drysdale. D.Sc, in a lecture at the Royal Colonial Institute, London, on "The Empire and the Birth-rate." He also pointed out that the question of an in-, creas-ing population was hound up with the food problem. "I cannot think that any unbiassed person will be able to avoid the conclusion that large numbers and. national efficiency are not to be secured by a : high birth-rate, especially in the lower strata of society," said the lecturer, in his summing-up.' "High birth-rates to-day invariably mean.high general and infantile ' death-rates, and when accompanied by humanitarian legislation a serious process I of reversed selection. The population of the. world is being kept in check by insufficiency of food, and whenever families are large' a considerable proportion of the children die, and of those who survive many grow up stunted in mind and body. Those who are anxious for the increase oi' the population of our country and Empire should turn their attention to the acceleration of food production instead of deploring the declining birth-rate.". He then proceeded to analyse the variations in the population in the Empire, and showed thatthe average increase in birth-rate was highly satisfactory. -In 1891 the total population of the Empire was 345.000,000: in 1911 it had increased to 417.000,000. "The population of the world is now probably about 1,800,000.000, and increasing at the rate of 5 or 6 per cent, in a decade. The rate of increase throughout ' the Empire during the last decade was .8.3 per cent., so. that the quarter of the i world's population which is under the British flag is multiplying more rapidly than the remainder. The high birth-rate of Germanv." said Mr Drysdale. "was the cause 'of much anxiety in Britain, but as a matter of fact the fall in Oeimany during the last few years has been phenomenal, and a prophecy that at the present rate the German birth-rate will be down to that of France in ten Years' time appears to be justified." Mr 'Drysdale pointed out that the recent rapid rise in the German birthrate was accompanied by a corresponding, rise in the death-rate. The disadvantages of her hi<di -birth-rate were so obvious "that it "is little wonder " that the German people have decided in. favour of a low one."