THE BIRTH KATE QUESTION. SPEECH BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2842, 2 September 1908, Page 15

THE BIRTH KATE QU ESTION. SPEECH BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

TO THE. LA-NIK (FjioM Ova Own CoaosßSplaiiißHT.)^ -ti WELLINGTON, Aatfgust 26. > Dr Fifldfoiy> spiSisSl'tlie^ Legislative;' Council this afternoon on the Hon. J. Barr's motion calling^ upon.th.c r Gavern^ ment to devise Ineans for 'lessening the" , burdens, of the marrjed x works*?*, and_..thus^ - causing an increase fof xa£e. f The "^^orney-Ge'neraT "briefly" "reviewed Uajx's suggestions, , which he stated j were all 'more or less practicable". The Government .had done much, but it must do rnpre.. He would direst attention to the 'proposals in the" Budget for sub§tan_ tially . helping the low-wage married worker- decline of our birthrate' was one of* the~ gravest national dangers. Nor-" mally a nation should double its population in ,25 years., but at th*e> pEesent- rate. New Zealand would only do so in 42 years ; and only in half a century," excluding immigration, would our population reach, two millions. The last annual report, of Mr E, Tregear, Secretary for Labour, showed the marked effect of the falling . off in the birthrate upon the supply of labour for the industries of the Dominion. New BKKRusianisirf, which-" Began- ~-W . spread in Europe in 1877, -»and which ' reached New Zealand soon after, was the chief cause of the decline of $hfe birthrate.,, Scientific; authorities had shown that a. low "birthrate was accompanied by high. ; wages, and statistics justified the formula. j The birthrate of a class varied inversely ' with'44»>.wealth, henee^no^geaend^riae^ iu^ I wages would lead to an increase of the ' birthrate, but if the strain upon those i who had already assumed the burdens of i parentage could be relieved it' would* 'be j right from the economic and every' other,, j po}nt of view that the 'Government should ; doi so, especially 'if the number, 'of* our Native-born' could be thereby increased. He did. not, However, attach, much hope, ito such measures! The causes oi the evil ' I lay deeper, and chief among them was the j modern city .life, .with, its low«»ing>TX>f,. .vitality, producing a dread of pain,- it? ' ' discouragement of " domesticity, its- rentI problem,- which, forced ■ people into lodgings and; boarding-houses, and made chil- ( dren more of a burden. Life on a farm > was different. In all these, respects the ' woman who spent too much of her time l in social functions coußT' not" " have such ! an intense love of her children as the j home-keeping mother of the rural dis- • tricts ; hence the wisdom of the Government in making land for settlement one. of its main objects. In erery possible way conntry life should be rendered at- ' tractive.- The Prime Minister's 1 scheme for assisting persons- to form special settlements, as outlined in the Budget, , be of the greatest value in. this way. New i Zealand would never be a, great, manuj factoring country, but. the farmer 'should ' receive every. encouragement. I The Hon. J. T. Paul : What about the farm labourer. I The Hon. Dr Findlay quoted- the recent Wellington Labour manifesto as showing that the- farm labourers' wages had increased at a greater rate without the aid of the Arbitration Court than those of city workers with that aid* and insisted that farm labourers were able to become : farmers. The Hon. W. M 'Cardie : So they are. . Continuing : The Minister advocated an extension of the system of assisted immi- / gration of farm labourers. In regard to the New Zealand' city workers, his -own recent observations at Cheviot had shown . him that it was not difficult for them to become successful farmers. This , country owed very much to its farmers, and would yet owe them much more. — (Applause.) ] The Hon. J. Barr having, replied, the . motion was carried without dissent.