FRANCE'S PLIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 456, 15 March 1909, Page 5

FRANCE'S PLIGHT.

TAXING A STATIONARY POPULATION. FINANCIAL LEEWAY. HUGE EXTRA TAXATION WANTED. |ur *rn-nikss aKsih i * i ins -nii'viuunr.) (Rec. March 14, 4.30 p.m.) Lonticn, March 13. Rcutor's Paris correspondent reports that the difficulties of tho Minister for Finance, jI. Caillaux, aro increasing, owing to tho stationary population —(last year tho deaths exceeded tho births) —and to'tho constantly augmented, burdens of taxation. The actual Budgetary deficit is 2} million sterling. Tho Estimates for tho coming year foreshadow nu extra 19 millions of taxation. RACE SUICIDE. The seriousness of the case for France has been pointed out by M. de Foville, president of tho Academic .des Sciences, Morales et Politic] lies. Ho says: "Tho latest figures prove that' France ns a nation is slondy but surely dying. In 100 years the birth-rate has fallen from 32 per 1000 to 10.7, aiid at the present i moment, for tho first time in history, and ill France alone among nations, the deaths exceed the births. "Since tho twentieth century began tho decline has continued at the following alarming rate: Excess of births over deaths. IEO2, 84,000; 1903, 73,000;. 1901, 57,000; 1905, 37,000; 1900, 27,000. 11l the year 1907, zero was reached and passed. There were 20.000 more deaths than births. Tho official returns are 79J.000 and 774,000 under these respective heads. Tho word 'depopulation,'" M. de Foville points out, "is, , therefore,■'no exaggeration. Is it," ho asks, "the beginning of tho end? "At this rate France will soon be ripe for invasion. It is tho only fete awaiting a country which is capablo of supporting 80.000,000 inhabitants and is content with half that number. In 3875 tho population of Germany surpassed that of France by 0,000,000; it now exceeds it by over 20,000,000. In another twenty years there will bo two Germans for every Frenchman, without counting the sons of the Fatherland scattered nil over tho globe by emigration. Thus, France," concludes M. do Foville, "is marching with quickened step to her doom." MINERS' WAGES REDUCED