Baby Bonus Wanted

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30956, 12 January 1966, Page 2

Baby Bonus Wanted

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright? JOHANNESBURG.

Women supporters of the Nationalist Party seem prepared to comply with a suggestion of the Deputy Minister of Bantu Administration (Mr M. C. Botha) that they should try to have babies for the republic—but at a price.

This is evident from the correspondence columns of the Nationalist press. One correspondent suggests a “compensation” of £250 for each baby. There have been suggestions that a special fund, based on the Unemployment Insurance Fund, be established to pay “compensation” to parents for each child they have. Another correspondent, a public servant, says that although Mr Botha Should be congratulated for making the appeal, it will be difficult for many couples to heed it, “because they are not financially capable of doing so.” His letter includes a domestic budget and ends by asking for a “baby bonus.” Couples in the income groups which should have big families—£2soo to £5OO0 — are handicapped because of insufficient rebates for children, high taxation and the lack of assistance for medical services and education.

Many consider it would be better for the country to spend millions to encourage a higher white birth-rate than to rely on immigration to change the ratio of whites to non-whites.