NATIONAL FITNESS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14457, 1 June 1911, Page 2

NATIONAL FITNESS.

SOME SURPBISING FIGURES. LESSON OF THE CENSUS. With characteristic frankness, Mr C*. S. Cray, retiring president of tho South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, stated, inter alia, ab last night's meeting:— '* 1 make no apology for directing your attention to one or two matters of serious importance which ought to receive consideration from nil who are concerned in tho moral and welfare of our nation. It is evident that whilst the keenest regard is be'ing paid to all matters relating to commercial prosperity the national conscience is dull to much that involves a heavy reckoning in tho future,' The latest census returns which arc ncaring completion are not needed to assnro us that although considerable progress, has benn made in the total of our population during recent years, -the increase does not represent what might be justly expected from a virile people living under conditions favourable to a prolific growth of population—mentally and physically sound, # la common ■with most civili&ed nations there is in New Zealand evidence that the married portion of our 'population refuse to accept tho full responsibilities of natural increase, and that the limitation in tho birth-rate is most evident amongst the classes best fitted to the expense of providing for their progeny is an indisputable truth standing out in marked contrast to the increasing growth of degenerate humanity. That tho substantial increase of doge»-. ; ©ration is a mcnoee to the wdlfore of the nation has been referred to repeat* | dly in the reports of the officers in charge pf our mental hospitals and , prisons, yet in spite of repeated warn--ingr> no adequate measures have been taken to check the prolific increase of ' degenerates, and the advancing number of inmates in the mental hospitals',' year by your, mark steady progress in j decay, The Official Year Cook for 1910 contains much that is disquieting to those who have a just regard for tiio national welfare, and though we are neither better nor worse than xin- j dn-d nations, it is evident tlfat the : evils are far reaching and demand i drastic* remedies. The number of in- I mates of mental hospitals of the Dominion increased from 3078 in 1905 to 3511 at end of 1909. The prison records show that during the same period the number of convicted criminals advanced from 760 to 950. That nearly *36 people out of every ten thousand ox tho population are inmates of lunatic asyluis, and thut nine people out of -every ten thousand are held in confinement | within our prisons is a matter which is unpleasant to reflect upm. I Whilst clos-3 attention is being paid | to the eradication of noxious weeds j and scrupulous care is taken to pro- ! vent the spread of orchard blights, it j is deplorable that nothing adequate is ! being done to check the spread of the j blight of humanity to which I. have! roughly referred, and I hope the in- 'j coming committee of our. Chamber of Commerce will join with others who are direct.ng the attention of our Government to this serious matter, and 11 measures be taken to enforce sterility on those unfortunate people, stricken with mental or moral deficiency, which renders 'them unfitted for the propogAtion of a' healthy race. 1 ' Mr James Craigie M.P., in referring to Mr Cray's statement, said that Mr' 1 Cray was to be congratulated on referring to'so important a subject. They all knew what had happened in France, I ynd it schemed that the Dominion was j leaning in the same direction. ' The j jashion was to h.'ivo small families Three was supposed to be a big family j Jion--n-days. Mr Cray had dealt with | the matter very courageously.