FRANCE'S BIRTH-RATE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 645, 23 October 1909, Page 13

FRANCE'S BIRTH-RATE.

':■ •■>'-.■■ : y x 'y;":> : '.,-'' » ; ■'.'.■. r;'•" v n REMEDIES T6 CHECK-THE -' ..- ■'■'.■': '• ; ;v ■':;'■.:' , u ecmne:;.; -. ';■;:,\::";^:\: ; . The' gradual dcpopulation ; of, France by., reason of-, the;.unfavourable fatio-of births,-..as' compared- with, tho mortality, -.has prompted to undertaknian. exhaustive: inquiry into .the. sub-, jeot. 'In pursuance of -this; plan,:,.which'is iindor the direction of M.--Louis-Dumiir,. the. most'i eminent ..stadsticians. and .sooiologlsts throughout the world have bcen ; cohsultt'd with a view to discovdriiig the most: appropriate 'remedy-.,-for. tlio slow, but apparently • cure, dissolution, of. a great people. „' ■, l ; The "Matin" .reproduces the figures furnished by JI. E.Levasseur, a membos of the Institvit de Franco, and an:administrator, of 'the College "do France, who has been balled .the."mas-, ter of modern statistics.":'M. Levasseur.'states that, although the territory of the great ißuro-. pean Powers has' not been extended since 1871, ; yet their relativo': Btr'eugtli. as measured by the human beiuss within their frontiers, has l>een very' considerably modified.: .The following tablfi', puts tho mbtter.in a,, uutshel ;— ■■'■■'■'•■"■ ■'■.' JJumbcts'Ui millions.- "■■.'•'■ '..' ■..-■• . ' 1870. ■: 1908..Increase., v France ' .......»....«"••' 30.7 . 39.2 ■'":-.;, 4.S': Gernian. ElnpiiO: 2..: .40.8 : CO.C' '• ~.lM;-. '-:' • Ao'striii'Hungttry-.... Mfi- : ' ».* .' :'j» '. Tti.lv'. ' „......;..........-2U.t>: '..:,■ 32.5 , 5.0-. RusL .;,..;.,;.,. TM 129.0? ..! 66.0?, ."Estimated. '•'...:/ ■ . ••■

These figures seem to show ■• that,' while France had 28 million ■ inhabitants ■ but oi'■ a total •of 140 millions distributed; amongst-- the six great Powers of :■ Europe- (France,. Ureal. Britain, Gormiihy. Austria-Hungnryi Italy, and Russia), that, is'to say, 20. psrcatit-, she. now has Olllv 39' millions' out of 350 .millions, or' 11 : per cent. . Whlbh means that her. relative strength has fallen by , dile-half. ; •• .;The remedies- proposed for -this -/.state- of affairs have been niany and- yftrlOusiA reduction of taxation in favour Of numerous families; a modern resurrection of the 'tours Or turning boxes in the walls of foundling hospitals, into which. now-born infants might• -be placed iind; would be received_ within "and no questions :'asked"; primdgehittire, or, again absolute, liberty on th« part'of .testators, to dispose ; of their p'ropbft}'; premium's on births; larger facilities for tho naturalisation of foreigners; reform* in thi law' a* to successions, ns well, aS-.With regard-to -military ■ service i- a progressive tax:upon persons having few or no children; 'sanitary or econoinio meashres tending to lowertho rate. m. mortality, as likewise those caloukied to improve the race physically (and morally),' enftetiheiifs, against ■', aicohollsln, tnberculosis, etc. * ' . ' ■■'■ ,-' Can any of these remedies be applied,'and, if so, wliioh' and '■' how P, Uhfortunately,. M. Levass'eur. is: unable to. enter upon this part of the. subject, but further, contributions to the study of.tho problem 'ate | promised; by other eminent authorities. '~ FALL IN BRITISH BIRTH, DEATH, 'AND ■-~ MARRIAGE RATES. '-.: -i .Lowest'records in b'ifth, lusrriage, and death rates are reported in-, tho'British'Registrar* General's quarterly return, In the first quarter of 1909 the marriages of 90,081.persohs wore registered, ;being equal. to an annual : rate ot 10.2 persons married; per 1000. of the estimated population; this 'is 1.1 per 10C0 below tho mean marriage rale in lh6 ten preceding first quarters, ; and is the lowest marriage rate recorded ill ally first quarter sinc6 the establishment of Civil registration. ' Births registered in tho second quarter of 1909 numbered 237,142, and Were in the propori tion of 20.0 annually per 1000 of tho popula. ticnj this Is 1.9 per 1000 'below the mejin birth-rate in tho ten.preceding second quarters, and is the lowest birth-rate recorded ..in any second quarter since, the establishment of" civil registration,, - , , '-'•',-' '■■''» - ' Deaths regislercd ili England and Wales la.sl quarter numbered 125,021, and Were portion of 14.0' annually per. 1000 persohs living! this, rate is I..T}><rt 1000 telftw.tho inefth rate in tho ten 'preceding second qimrtors/