SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15221, 20 May 1920, Page 6

SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

♦. — ANGLO-SAXONDOM AND BIRTHRATE. Some startling figures concerning the birthrate were quoted by Dr. Truby King at tho annual meeting of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children, at Dunedin. After sketching the progress of the society, tbe retardation its work had inevitably suffered in tho groat catastropho of war, Dr Truby King referred to the falling birthrate in the Empire, which occurred hero on similar lines to those, traced in England, though in comparison with her we were doing well. The most important part of tho society's work wns the training of mothers in their home duties and the nurturo, of their children ; the training of women who would act as teachers themselves and spread their knowledge of the babies born, but also gave tho best prospect of increasing the size of families by rendering the- rearing* of children as simple as possible, and ninking the home life agreeable and inspiring. The greftjt necessity for tho Anglo-Saxon race was largo and healthy families; it had been well said by Judge Chapman that New Zealand was the natural nursery of the race in tbe Pacific. Nothing could be more startling, the doctor pro- ' ceeded, than the investigation lie had made with regard to tho birth rates of the different nationalities within the United States. Picking out families that ! numbered five or more children ho found ' that out of 100 marriages among people of the United States stock thero w ero but nine or ten that produced families of this 1 size; in the case of the Scotch and English families in the States the rate was under 20 per cent. ; in tlie case of French, , Gorman, or Italian residents there it was ! oyer 30 per cent. ; and in' tho case of Rus- ' | fiians and Polos largo families were found in the proportion of from 50 per cent, to 60 per cent. No one could overlook tho enormous significance of these figures. Dri ■ King described the diminishing birth rate of Scotland as appalling, and insisted thnt j the most earnest and strong measures . wero required to combat a tendency so ominous to tho Anglo-Saxon race.